History behind area of water that prompted cruise ship to turn off lights and close curtains when passing through

A viral video captured of a cruise ship captain warning her passengers of the dangerous waters they were sailing into has shocked the online world, but it's nothing new.

Piracy takes place across the globe, but there are a few hot spots where you will be advised against traveling through - these include West Africa, specifically the Gulf of Guinea, the West Indian Ocean, primarily the Gulf of Aden, and then Southeast Asia.

Passengers aboard Cunard's Queen Anne cruise ship were set to pass through the latter of the three, with Southeast Asia being dubbed the most dangerous waters in the world.

It is home to the notoriously menacing Malacca Strait, as well as the Sulu Sea - which is where those lucky enough to have booked a cabin on the 111-night voyage were entering.

Pirates from the Sulu Archipelago, Philippines, look out for victims passing by at sea. Fishermen, merchant mariners and tourists are all likely targets (Eric-Paul-Pierre PASQUIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

The body of water is located in the southwestern area of the Philippines, beside Malaysia, and has been a hotspot for piracy since the 16th century, according to The Diplomat.

In 2000, a criminal group from the region called Abu Sayyaf kidnapped 21 tourists and employees from the Sipadan Island dive resort in Malaysia, holding them for ransom at gunpoint. The hostages were only freed months later.

The US Department of State Burea of Consular Affairs has even warned Americans from traveling there.

"The Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea – Level 4: Do Not Travel," the government warns.

"Terrorist and armed groups in the Sulu Archipelago and the Sulu Sea have historically engaged in kidnappings for ransom on land and at sea, in addition to bombings and other attacks. These incidents often target foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, local government entities, and security personnel.

Sulu Sea is located in the southwestern area of the Philippines, at the top right of the picture (Getty stock)

"The U.S. government’s ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in this region is very limited. U.S. government employees under the U.S. Embassy’s (Chief of Mission) security responsibility are required to obtain special authorization to travel to these areas."

So, you'd imagine ships would try to avoid sailing through the area completely, but that's not the case - at least for the voyage that set off from Germany in January.

Speaking over the tannoy, the captain said: "This area is known for piracy threats as reported in the world media. Therefore, we will be operating at a heightened level of security alertness during this period.

"The external promenade deck will be closed on both sides from 9pm to 5am overnight, between the night of 14th and 15th of March, and no guests will be allowed access during these times for the duration of the transit during the hour of darkness, only essential open deck lights will be on to reduce the ship's external lighting.

"Please take care if you need to transit the upper outside decks, we also request that you turn off your stateroom lights when not needed, and close the curtains of your stateroom window or balcony in the unlikely event of an emergency."

She continued: "A broadcast will be made by the bridge with the following instructions, guests are to proceed to their staterooms. Guests with a window or balcony should proceed to the corridor outside their stateroom, ensuring the stateroom door remains closed.

"If you are in an inboard stateroom, please remain inside your stateroom during this time. Guests should not remain on any open decks or near any external windows. Finally, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to emphasize that the safety and security of the ship all guests and crew on board is my highest priority.

"I assure you that measures to prevent any unlikely incident have been well planned, and the likelihood of this happening on a big ship like Queen Anne is absolutely minimal. Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your attention."

A Cunard spokesperson told Business Insider: "As part of standard maritime procedures, our Captains may make precautionary announcements when sailing through certain regions.

"There was no specific threat to the ship or its guests, and our onboard experience remained uninterrupted."

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