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Topics: Cruise ship, TikTok, Travel, World News
Liv Bridge
A relaxing trip of a lifetime almost turned into a horror movie as passengers heard horrifying instructions over a tannoy.
Traversing the seas can be a dangerous expedition, even if you're aboard a huge luxury cruise ship.
Passengers aboard Cunard's Queen Anne cruise ship discovered this for themselves in January when traveling on an 111-night voyage from Germany to Darwin, Australia, and Manila, Philippines, where they had to pass through the Sulu-Celebes Sea.
This stretch of water is particularly dangerous - and not for reasons you might think, like stormy weather or choppy waves.
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In fact, it's known for piracy, as passengers were informed via a loudspeaker announcement from the captain.
In footage of the announcement taken by a guest, which has since gone viral on TikTok, the captain could be heard announcing that the vessel would be operating at a 'heightened level of security alertness' as the area is 'known for piracy threats'.
Among the measures included closing areas of the ship overnight, like the external promenade decks, and turning off as many lights as possible to reduce its visibility.
Guests were told to switch off their stateroom lights when not needed and to keep their curtains drawn.
The TikTok traveller showed how eerie the vessel was at night, with all the blinds drawn the the lights off.
The next day, the captain gave passengers an update that on the external promenade, there were 'pressurised fire hoses running across the deck' as a safety precaution, and the areas would be closed again from 9pm until 5am the following morning.
The captain further encouraged the passengers to cooperate by staying indoors at night and be aware of dimmed lights around the vessel.
According to Marine Insight, ship fire hoses or special anti-piracy hoses can be deployed as a way to deter or fight pirates from trying to board ships.
The high-pressure water hoses are 'extremely powerful,' the website notes, which makes them 'effective in fighting pirates'.
The viral footage has caused a stir online with many commenting on their surprise at the event - and the fact pirates are still a thing.
One man joked: "Do you have to pay extra to hose pirates or does everyone get a shot?"
A second added: "'Lovely holiday, fighting off pirates, wish you were here.'"
"Nothing says exciting holiday quite like a casual pirate threat," a third wrote.
The traveller aboard the ship also put concerns to bed about the matter, saying the risk of pirates clambering on board is 'very small'.
"It's a bit of excitement on a sea day," she continued. "|t happens now and again on world voyages."
In other follow-up videos, the traveller said Sulu 'is the problem area' but they managed to pass through without incident - though it did provide some entertainment for the passengers who were seen with their binoculars trying to catch a glimpse of some real-life pirates.
A spokesperson for Cunard 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.”