Pirates

[bilcady]

Hi-Jacking at Sea. I have not read any comments on this subject at all. Wil a ship such as OASIS be stopped by a skiff with 6 "pirates" and demand a ransome. Do we have anything aboard that can retalliate with? Before anyone can "flame" remember the "Achilles Laurel" where a passenger in a wheelchair was thrown overboard by hi- jackers.

[PeterPan]

Hey, anything is possible. The question is, how likely is this scenario? In the Caribbean, I'd say it's not very likely. You probably have a better chance of being attacked by a shark while swimming at the beach :eek:.

 

Oasis is a very large ship, and it's quite a "leap" to get on board. Especially while she's doing over 20 knots ;).

 

If this is your only worry, I'd say you really don't have any......

[Lizcourt]

In any event, other than on Disney rides, I don't think there are a whole lot of "pirates of the caribbean" anymore. And I don't think RCCL is planning any itineraries that go anywhere near Somalia in the forseeable future.

[gw812]

Sheer amount of passengers/crew vs. the aggressors would make it very improbable.

[chef_christoph]

Let's compare the two ships...

 

Oasis class ships are (approximately) 10 times the size of Achille Lauro, carry up to 7 times the number of passengers, have a compliment of crew 5 times the size and sails in the Caribbean and not in waters currently notorious for pirates.

 

Given these facts, I'd say the odds of similar events taking place with only 6 pirates is extraordinarily small. The travel to and from the ship is fraught with danger compared to the scenario you describe.

 

Happy sailing!

 

:)

[Cotswold Eagle]

The Achille Lauro was taken over by terrorists who boarded at a port, not via a seabourne assault.

 

Not in the Caribbean, but passenger ships do sail through high risk waters and have on occasion been approached by pirates. They operate preventative measures (dimmed lighting, high speed running, etc.) and have defensive capabilities (some widely known, others less so). They are also given close attention by international anti-piracy naval forces.

 

In fact, although they would appear to be a high prestige target, taking a large passenger ship would be a nightmare for pirates for various reasons. They much prefer less people and a high value non-human cargo, which has an owner who will negotiate to get it back. The terrorist threat is higher, of course, hence all those lines to get on the ship.

 

So, kick back with your beverage of choice, watch the sun go down off the deck and relax :)

[Darkwolfe]

While the Caribbean pirates have been long gone for many years, you still have pirates in several places around the world.

 

Somalia is currently the most notorious, but there are also pirates in Indonesia and around other less developed parts of the planet.

 

I'm still considering a run on one of those "Pirate Bait" cruises.... Assuming they'll let me bring my own hardware. ;):D

[Rancher Dave]

In any event, other than on Disney rides, I don't think there are a whole lot of "pirates of the caribbean" anymore. And I don't think RCCL is planning any itineraries that go anywhere near Somalia in the forseeable future.

 

 

Brilliance repo cruises go by Yemen and not far from Somalia 2x per year. Last week the pirates off Yemen attacked 2 ships, of course that hit the CNN news and some passengers caught BOTS captain as he waled around and asked about pirates.

 

A few things from his televised bit on pirate:

• Ship can outrun most of the skiffs used (ok, not sure I totally buy it, cuz a good ski boat or a jet ski can outrun a ship)
  
• For pirate to get up onto the ship, they have to overcome the wake put out by the ship and get close...yep watch the wave off the ship at speed it's relatively big and would make it a bit harder for the pirates to get close.
  
• Side of the ship is pretty tall...deck 4 or 5 before you have an easy entry point...
  
• There are other various measures that are not discussed in a public forum to help keep the ship safe
  
• Also, a few pirates against a ship of folks who are unwilling to be taken hostage does make it pretty hard to think the pirates could be successful.
  

[ehfl]

Piracy is not very common in the Caribbean where the Oasis and Allure sail. No cruise ship has been stopped by pirates there. Piracy was an issue in the Bahamas in the late 70s and early 80s for private vessels. Other areas such as Granada have had some piracy with private vessels.

 

The Achille Lauro was boarded for political reasons. It was not a typical case of piracy.

 

Cruise ships are not good candidates for piracy. They don't contain any valuable cargo, and people generally don't take much cash. They are easily defended against small vessels.

 

The most vulnerable vessels are oil tankers. They must stop for pirates, since a mortar could ignight the cargo, blowing up the ship and crew. It's not easy to blow up a cruise ship with a single round.

 

Basically, I wouldn't worry about piracy. The ships are aware of any approaching vessels which show up on radar. They are in constant communication with home office, and can summon the coast guard quickly. They can outrun many vessels, and can fend off potential intruders with mutliple weapons systems including sound based weapons, fire hoses, and traditional guns.