Cruise passengers were told to draw curtains and turn off lights as they passed through a pirate hot spot

• Cunard's Queen Anne cruise ship heightened its security while navigating piracy-prone waters.
• Passengers were told to avoid the deck overnight, draw their curtains, and turn off their lights.
• Cunard told BI it's standard procedure when sailing in certain waters.

Passengers aboard Cunard's Queen Anne cruise ship were advised to take precautions last week as the 114,000-ton vessel navigated a piracy-prone area in Southeast Asia during its maiden world voyage.

The 111-night trip, which began in Germany in January, saw the ship traveling between Darwin, Australia, and Manila in the Philippines last week, passing through the Sulu-Celebes Seas.

Prior to navigating the waters, which the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism once described as a "hotbed for crime, piracy, and terrorism," the captain issued an onboard safety warning.

In a video of a loudspeaker announcement to passengers, which Cunard did not dispute took place, the captain informed passengers that the ship would be operating at a "heightened level of security alertness" while crossing an area known for piracy threats.

As part of these security measures, passengers were told over the loudspeaker that the external promenade decks would be closed overnight, and only essential open-deck lights would remain on to minimize the ship's visibility.

Passengers were also asked to turn off their stateroom lights when not needed and to keep their curtains drawn.

The Queen Anne is Cunard's fourth luxury cruise ship. It can accommodate 2,996 guests, as well as 1,225 crew, and has thousands of pieces of art on board, as well as facilities for activities like archery and pickleball.

The waters between Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines were once notorious for kidnapping-for-ransom incidents, particularly by the Abu Sayyaf Group, a jihadist militant and pirate group.

Between late 2016 and mid-2022, ships were advised to avoid the area, with ReCAaP's Information Sharing Center, which tracks piracy in Asia, deeming the threat of abduction to be high.

No abduction incidents have been reported in the area since January 2020, and the threat level was downgraded to "low" in January 2025.

While attacks on cruise ships are rare, they are not unheard of. In 2009, Somali pirates attempted to board the MSC Melody near the Seychelles. Passengers threw tables and deck chairs overboard before pistol fire caused the pirates to retreat.

Pirates typically target oil tankers and container ships rather than cruise ships. Nonetheless, a spokesperson for Cunard said taking such precautions is standard procedure in certain areas.

"As part of standard maritime procedures, our Captains may make precautionary announcements when sailing through certain regions," the spokesperson told BI.

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