How would you react to pirates?

[leanrunnerboy]

I'd yell out..'If you board..you'll instantly turn into passengers & put on 100 lbs..!' That should scare them off..:eek:

[Cuizer2]

How about equiping all balcony cabins with a gun locker that contains a couple of M16s and boxes of ammo...I would have no problem shooting at those Somalis if they try to climb up on my balcony...hate to say it but I would rather shoot them than be held hostage by them in that God forsaken place called Somalia...those people are savages...I rememebr what they did to our soldiers when their helicopter went down over there...I applaud MSC for carrying a Israeli security force with weapons and think all ships should do the same!

That is just what we need, a bunch of untrained drunken idiots with high powered weapons.

 

The best thing for the passengers to do is let the trained staff do their job and just stay out of the way. So far the cruise ship crews have shown that they know how to handle these situations - so let them.

[mthomas13]

I may be old, but I'm not dead yet and I'd rather go down fighting than to die hiding. I'll just get my cane loaded with ammo before I board and when they think they're walking by a kindly old lady....pow! No ammo? I'll just use my motorized wheelchair to run them over. I'd do something, though. I can throw deck chairs as good as any other granny!

[PopPop3]

Jack would know what to do! And he wouldn't mess around about it.

 

However, if no Jack, I'm pretty sure some passengers (read men) would take it upon themselves to try to resist......kind of like what happened on Flight 93 in PA.

 

Americans don't like being pushed around......we tend to push back.

 

Come to think of it, that may be why a lot of the rest of the world doesn't much care for us.......until they need us!

 

My 2-cents.

[JDinWA]

The headline calls him "Cruise Ship Hero" --

 

"Wyn Rowlands was celebrating his 62nd birthday with a dream cruise onboard the MSC Melody near the Seychelle Islands when he spotted armed pirates in a speedboat trying to clamber on to the vessel.

Quick-thinking Wyn, a retired engineer from Bangor-on-Dee, picked up a deck-chair and flung it down at the gang before raising the alarm.

The ship’s captain, Ciro Pinto, was then able to out-manoeuvre the pirates to prevent them boarding the cruise ship."

[Kim Fontaine]

I am female but I am not a "frady cat": We live in ''the real Maine": Rural Maine(ers).. hunt,fish,snomobile,hike, camp and protect our own and what we own: We generally use common sense though: ( I don't see myself cruising in those waters:) If I counted correctly we are on cruise number 10: Hawaii, Pacific (Mexico coast) and many Caribbean excursions:

Missing the boat on our Pacific cruise.. took us inland to Guadalajara and across the mountains to Acapulco: This was during a time of an up rising in Mexico City: We saw guns and "big guns" and unfriendly army soldiers everywhere. Even the complex in Acapulco where we stayed for two nights (waiting for our ship to catch up) was surrounded by armed guards; with jeep like vehicles having mounted "big mean looking" guns:

To state this plainly;I will not put myself in that situation again either: Mainland Mexico is off limits to me:

That being said... I would fight bare handed, kicking, biting, scratching or whatever to keep from being captured: I have no fear of dying: my family is grown.... I'm 65 plus... I love my country.... but don't tread on me!

[Cruisenouvelle]

Jack would know what to do! And he wouldn't mess around about it.

 

However, if no Jack, I'm pretty sure some passengers (read men) would take it upon themselves to try to resist......kind of like what happened on Flight 93 in PA.

 

Americans don't like being pushed around......we tend to push back.

 

Come to think of it, that may be why a lot of the rest of the world doesn't much care for us.......until they need us!

 

My 2-cents.

Hey ! Not just the men would resist! There's strength in numbers, you know. Call me foolhardy or stupid or whatever you want, but I really think I would try to resist as best I could - throwing a chair, fighting, whatever it takes. Sure, it's safer to go along - but isn't there a point when you say "Enough"?

[cruiserbryce]

I think I would try to get involved...but it is too bad that ships are not armed in a more effective way to thwart attacks like the recent ones

[Cuizer2]

I think I would try to get involved...but it is too bad that ships are not armed in a more effective way to thwart attacks like the recent ones

The "recent one" seemed fairly well armed to me. What else do you want the cruise lines to do? Mount a five inch gun on the observation deck?

[susique333]

I think Id invoke the right of PARLAY!

No, seriously, can you imagine 3000 sunburned cruisers rushing them? Those pirates would poo their britches. :p

[HOHSgunny]

I think Id invoke the right of PARLAY!

:p

 

LMAO!!!!! best answer by far

[Livin4Real]

I'd grab them by their buccan-eers and throw them off, arghhh :D

[Warmer Climes]

I believe there were Israeli trained security on board the MSC Melody. They had guns and there were over 200 shots fired. It started with the Pirates shooting out a dining room window and the security team responded very quickly. Now MSC has to answer why they had armed security aboard. It seems they should have used Sound to divert the pirates. I know if I'd been on that ship I would rather see well trained Israeli security with weapons respond than to watch a team of waiters and deck hands try to hold the pirates off with a noise machine. No disrespect for the waiters and deck hands, but in this situation , show me a former Israeli commando with a gun any day.

 

That's interesting. When the pirates took the captain of the Maersk Alabama I said to DH that the cargo ships should hire Israeli security because they don't seem very interested in taking thugs somewhere for trial.

[lazyhazy]

I think I would likely stay in my cabin out of the way... and away from the window.

 

The owners of the cruise ship were correct in arming their crew.

 

I hope that at the upcoming conference... the cruise lines and all shipping lines in general will agree to have a well armed (heavy weapons) security force on board ALL ships.

 

These pirates are scum and should be treated as such. Blow their ships out of the water and let them swim to shore. When the returns are less than the investment these scum bags will stop their attacks.

:mad:

[emjsea]

Order two cocktails and lock myself in my room.

[G'ma]

Stopping the payment of ransom ain't going to happen - the international maritime community is in a bind and can't risk an exodus of labour from developing countries should hostages start to be murdered.

 

The only viable solution is to stop the piracy at source in Somalia but that is a huge undertaking and involves a 'bigger picture' approach than photo ops with gunboats on the high seas.

 

Well, we all know the "why" of it...at least partially. Somalia is an outlaw country....always has been and always will be. It wouldn't matter anyway. Thugs and terrorists exist in all countries inspite of the economic or political conditions.

 

Frankly, if the international community would coordinate their efforts and take piracy seriously, they could stop it or cut it way down. The problem is and always will be money. There are several ways to put a stop to this nonsense.....all of which cost money...a lot. So, instead of investing in prevention, these shipping companies play "craps" and bet that their own ships won't fall to these morons. It's cheaper to pay a ransom in the unlikely event one of their ships get taken than to make a serious effort towards prevention.

 

Seaborn Spirit repelled a pirate attack using the latest technology a couple of years ago. This technology is readily available, is effective and nonlethal. It's also very expensive....so, there it is.

 

 

.

[Mark]

I for one would support using the cheaper old fashioned lethal technology of bullets against those terrorist pirate thugs...those pirates can only be good human beings and citizens of the world when they are dead and buried. Look at that pirate they brought to New York City for trial...every photo I saw of him...well he was smiling and having a good time and I am helping to pay for it!!!

[Aquahound]

Here is a link to how the sound device (LRAD) works.

 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/lrad.htm/printable

 

The units cost between $20,000 and $30,000 each.

[cruiselife4me]

I'd say "What arrrrrrre ye doing?" Just like Captain Barbosa & Jack Sparrow.

 

But for real, I don't know. My first reaction is to run and hide but if they made me mad, look out. I'd probably fight somehow.

[Cuizer2]

Order two cocktails and lock myself in my room.

Are you going to open the door when room service knocks to deliver the two cocktails? :confused:

[Cuizer2]

I hope that at the upcoming conference... the cruise lines and all shipping lines in general will agree to have a well armed (heavy weapons) security force on board ALL ships. :mad:

Heavy weapons? Perhaps a five inch gun on the observation deck?

[cruiselife4me]

emj - ahahahahah ow my sides. That's a classic. You just made my day! :)

[skippyy]

Kinda like collards, they could come get a mess of me..never much on running...don't hunt trouble but.....old special forces fart(vietnam)...

don't plan to live forever...count me in

[PUUNNY]

I probably listen to whatever instructions were given by the captain but if by chance I'm able to get help from other passengers to subdo any of the pirates, I would certainly consider it. Think about it a few guns and hundreds of passengers and crew.

[michmike]

I'd simply sing along with them...