Pirates in the Indian ocean

[beita123]

Hi all. Being from el Salvador, ca, we are used to hearing about crime, kidnappings and vandalism. I am nevertheless getting a little nervous about our upcoming singapour to Dubai march cruise. Does anybody know where the American yacht that was kidnapped yesterday was located? Any reassuring thoughts? we are sailing the seabourn spirit....

[Alipius]

You're very lucky, beita 123, the Spirit is a wonderful ship and you should enjoy yourself immensely. In November/December, I did the reverse of your voyage, ie., from Dubai to Singapore and everything on board was as one could wish it: the food, the wines, the staff and the good humour of the passengers excelled my expectations.

 

And, without exception, the ports of call offered a most interesting day ashore.

 

As for Pirates, the boat had barbed wire around the stern areas in places where a forced boarding might be attempted - and I don't recall this being taken off even when we got to Thailand/Malaya, though it may have.

 

Indeed, it was only at lunch on the very last day that two passengers told of an attack on the ship by Pirates when they had been on board some years back and how it had all been handled very well by the Crew: telling how most of the passengers were in the Dining Room and lying down on the floor and the waiters etc lying down in the passage-ways and how one rocket propelled grenade had gone into Cabin 313 (I seem to recall) but no-one was in it when it went off. (I think they said they had gone to have a look at 313 this time around and some marks were still there; but I may be wrong about the marks.)

 

Indeed, the tale our fellow passengers told of it made one envious of their experience. And, they, in any event, were back almost exactly five years later near the same area!

 

I just looked it up on Wikipedia, and you can read there of the measures taken, the destruction of one of the pirate boat and how two of the Crew received medals from the Queen.

 

So, you'll be in very good hands indeed, beita 123, and I can only wish, of course, I was on board again.

[hoya68]

Two years ago we sailed on the Spirit from Alexandria to Dubai. During the first part of our trip the lead story on CNN was always a new pirate attack that day, although nothing was ever mentioned in the daily Seabourn news! However, once we left Safaga there was an announcement that because of special precautions our itinerary would be slightly changed. The precaution was that we would be boarded by about a dozen French marines in full battle gear and escorted through the danger area by a French Corvette. We certainly felt safe with those guys who mounted machine guns on the bow and stern. At first the marines were not that friendly, but they slowly warmed up, especially after the night of the ship's chef's dinner (the chef was French and terrific). The chef made sure it was also served to the marines on deck. On the last night the passengers collected champagne for the marines to take back to their ship. The first things loaded in the Zodiacs when they finally returned to their ship were several cases of Seabourn champagne. Needless to say, they were all smiles when they left. The only inconvenience to us was a slight adjustment of our itinerary and the loss of a lounge which was used as their quarters. In return we got quite a story.

 

This is a long way of saying, don't worry. Seabourn will protect you and their ship. Incidentally in the attack mentioned by the previous poster, I don't believe that the pirates even got close enough to the Spirit to even attempt a boarding.

[Alipius]

Hoya68, I enjoyed your story about the French marines and the largesse of the ship's champagne immensely and I don't want to wind into your final assertion too much but when you venture that:

 

"Incidentally .... I don't believe that the pirates even got close enough to the Spirit to even attempt a boarding."

 

The report in Wikipedia says however:

 

"The ship also destroyed one of the pirate vessels by running it over."

 

Of the distance between one boat and another, when one of them runs the other over then this is about as close as each can get to the other - surely.

[beita123]

Wow....how reassuring. Thank you all so much for your stories. I was reading this morning that the American yacht was attacked a couple of hundred miles out of Oman. Hopefully Seabourn will indeed know what to do in case something like that ever happens again.

[jagi]

Don't worry. Seabourn will not put their passengers at risk. I will be on your cruise and continuing to Rome. While I would feel comfortable stopping in Jordan and Safaga, Seabourn probably will not.

 

By the way, when the Spirit was attacked, I was about to board the Pride. My cousin sent an email "Bad News-Pirates attack the Spirit; Good News--The captain outruns the pirates. " Seabourn's captains are fabulous.

 

See you on board.

[beita123]

Jagi, great to hear you are joining us in this cruise. Were are you from?

[markham]

Alipius,

 

You are confusing 2 cruises: the first was the attack on the ship while the second was a year later when there was no incident. These cruises were a year apart.

 

Never mind though. Seabourn will take the precautions advised by the authorities in the US. I would not hesitate to take that route on a beautiful Seabourn ship for a moment!

[JaneBP]

I don't think the Spirit ran over another pirate boat. However, Let's not forget that 'our' own Norm Fisher took the famous photos, still seen around the world!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=251873&highlight=spirit+pirate+attack

[jagi]

Ah yes, Jane. Thanks for the memories. I miss his posts.

[beita123]

hi Jagi...is it your understanding as well that Seabourn will be in charge of soliciting our visas for Dubai? We have the triple Indian visas and we don't need visas for any other of the countries we are visiting except Dubai?

[jagi]

Re visas: You'll have to check with Seabourn on that. It may be different for U.S. Citizens and S.Americans.

[Alipius]

Perhaps I should add to my post of 22nd Feb by saying that, even though we were in the top-end of the Indian Ocean for quite some days on our cruise of a year or two ago, I never gave the idea of being boarded by Pirates any real thought at all. It seems no-one does.

 

The sunny skies and the sea-scape were just lovely and the noon-time ambience on deck so delightful you couldn't believe it might be ruined by unwelcome, unruly persons.

 

Be that as it may, I suppose it must be admitted things have turned somewhat nastier since then, and the earlier slap-happy modus oprandi of the Pirates seems to be a thing of the past.

 

So, I'm sure we all hope and I for one fervently pray that nothing of that kind happens to your Ship.