Cruise Ship Passengers Issued Pirate Warning Over Loudspeaker

Passengers on a cruise ship sailing through the Sulu-Celebes Sea near the Philippines have been warned that pirates are active in the area.

A viral video posted by cruise and travel influencer “Lillidapink” — account, cruisegypsyuk@lillydapink on TikTok — shows a loudspeaker announcing: “This area is known for piracy threats…therefore we will be operating at a heightened level of security alertness during this period.”

The video, which has been viewed 8 million times, was taken on the MS Queen Anne. The luxury cruise liner, operated by Cunard, was sailing through the Sulu-Celebes Sea during en route from Darwin in Australia, to the Philippine capital, Manila.

Cunard has been contacted for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Militants from the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), an Islamic separatist group from the Philippines, are known for conducting violent kidnappings for ransom and attacks in the Sulu-Celebes Sea. In 2017 the militants kidnapped over 50 sailors, resulting in $7.3 million worth of ransom, and despite diplomatic efforts from Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia, piracy remains an issue in the area.

Nobody was injured or impacted by pirates during the trip featured in the viral video and Lillidapink later thanked the crew for doing “an amazing job keeping watch over the ship last night.”

What To Know

Videos posted by Lillidapink show loudspeaker announcements saying that the external promenade deck was being closed to guests from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from March 14 to March 15, that only essential lighting would be used at night and that guests should draw their curtains.

In another video, Lillidapink showed a sonic cannon, also known as a Long-Range Acoustic Device, which can repel attacks by emitting a high-pitched noise.

Piracy at sea is thought of in terms of the swashbuckling Captain Hook, but in reality pirates are still active across the world’s oceans.

Piracy has led to a rise in the price of goods, insurance premiums, and a risk to the physical safety of passengers and crew on ships.

Modern piracy off Somalia has captured headlines over the past two decades, but pirates also operate in the Pacific Ocean, close to where the cruise was sailing.

Economic piracy in Southeast Asia is especially rampant in the Strait of Malacca, a critical shipping channel off the coast of Malaysia.

According to Ship Universe, piracy in the Strait of Malacca creates losses of $3 billion to $4 billion per year because of disruptions in oil and goods transportations, as well as interference with manufacturing supply chains in Asia.

What People Are Saying

Lillidapink said on TikTok: “So all the blinds were shut, and the lights were down to the minimum last night. The security did an amazing job keeping watch over the ship last night. Well done guys.”

A representative 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.”

What Happens Next

Passengers began their 111-night journey aboard the Queen Anne in Hamburg, Germany, on January 7. The ship will return to Hamburg on April 29 after visiting England, New York, Hawaii, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, South Africa, Singapore and Malaysia.