So... "What about the Pirates?"

[Au48]

Here is what was sitting on the Lower Promenade stern on the Amsterdam while we were in Cartagena Colombia. I don't know when it was put up or taken down exactly, but it was gone when we going through the Panama Canal the next day. It's marked LRAD 1000, American Technology Corp. "The Sound of Boat Protection" (click to enlarge a bit) See http://lorimargroup.com/LRAD.htm

That site doesn't actually say it's a "weapon" but does say

 

Features:

Determine Intent of Approaching Vessels

Non-Lethal intervention

Clear and intelligible voice communications

Attention-getting and highly irritating warning tone for behavior modification

All-weather operation

Maintain pier and anchorage security zones

Minimal power requirements

Flexible audio input/user interface

Available pan/tilt remote operation

 

Supported Missions:

Waterside Force Protection

Crowd and riot control

Area denial of personnel

Building clearing operations

Psychological operations

Visit board search and seizure

Critical Infrastructure Protection

Ground/mechanized offense/defense operations

 

It was the Seabourn Spirit that was attacked by pirates a few years ago off the coast of Somalia. The crew used this LRAD technology to fend off the pirates, and then the ship was able to outrun them.

[Sailorgirlseattle]

Not to make light of this but if the pirate was Johnny Depp, I might not see my DW till we disembarked:D.

Oh YEAH!!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[sail7seas]

It was the Seabourn Spirit that was attacked by pirates a few years ago off the coast of Somalia. The crew used this LRAD technology to fend off the pirates, and then the ship was able to outrun them.

 

 

Makes me feel good to see examples of the skill, intelligence and training of these crews. I have always felt extremely safe on every HAL ship we have sailed. Never once doubted the safety of crew, guests and ship was paramount to everything and anything else.

 

We have no need (and I no desire) to know all of the potentials they are trained and prepared to handle.

 

Do we thank them enough?

[sail7seas]

Along that vein.......

 

Years ago, we were standing in Ocean Bar having pre-dinner cocktails and by some happenstance, we found ourselves chatting with Hotel Manager, F & B (as he was titled at the time), GRM and one other officer but I forget who is was.

 

All of their 'belt beepers' sounded and each reached to look at theirs. With only an 'excuse me' to us, but a rapid glance among themselves, they hastily left. DH and I had no idea what was happening but felt a twinge of concern, of course. Within ten minutes all returned with smiles and we resumed our conversation. We never asked; they never said, but it was obvious they were responding to the potential of some urgent matter.

 

It was quite impressive to see how rapidly their demeanors changed from (seemingly) carefree and social to 'all business'.

 

Makes me feel very safe.

[Kamloops50]

This is kind of a silly post... but I have to share my conversation with my dad, who just turned 90 years old in May!

 

I mentioned our upcoming Hawaii/Tahiti vacation in Sept and told him I was going to be gone for 30 days. There was a bit of silence on the phone... and then he said... "you know there are PIRATES attacking ships down there".

 

Now... I realize that he is just concerned about his little boy (NOW 60 years old!), and not seeing me for a month. But I tried to assure him that there has never been a case of "PIRATES" attacking a large cruise ship.

 

Am I correct in that statement?? I've done some online searching, and have found smaller yachts being attached, but never a large cruise ship.

 

Also, I have read somewhere that some cruise ships actually have large boom canyons they use to ward off attackers. Anyone ever hear of any kind of weapon used by the cruiselines?

 

Most pirates want to attack ships that are easily repainted , cargo sold and

crew disposed off. A cruise ship is to fast for most pirates

and hard to board. What would they do with 2000+ bodies if they did succeed?

:confused:

[kakalina]

Mike: This will be cruise number 3 to Hawaii/Tahiti and I can assure you that you have no worries on this score.

After all, everyone knows pirates hang out in the Caribbean :D

[Nutrioso]

Just an aside: I have seen L-RAD equipment on HAL, Princess. The device was on a high deck, and covered with a heavy duty plastic protector (like I have on my BBQ) that said "L-RAD". I have been of the opinion that L-RAD has become rather commonplace on cruise ships. And hooray for that. ---- Penny

[sail7seas]

In November 2005, pirates attacked the cruise ship Seabourn Spirit off the coast of Somalia. The pirates were in a small boat, but they had machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The cruise ship, on the other hand, had a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD).

Many media outlets credited the LRAD with warning off the pirates, leaving the Seabourn Spirit unscathed. Some of the coverage was pretty dramatic. News stories described the LRAD as a sonic weapon that fired a beam of sound at the pirates and drove them away.

 

 

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

[jtl513]

We also went through the Panama Canal this spring and before we got there - Catagena was also our stop.

 

Nothing special was but on our bow (Westerdam) and no one was told take only a ship's tour.

There was nothing on the Amsterdam bow either. Did you check the Westerdam stern?

[rkacruiser]

The LRADs are deployed on the port and starboard sides of the ship as well as one placed at the stern. None are at the bow.

[nellbell]

Tell your dad that cruise ships are the safest way to travel. If you were going by a small private boat you may have to worry but no one can get on or off a cruise ship without ship id which has your photo on it and you are scanned and so are your belongings just like at airports before you can get back on. I felt so safe while on the ship. At one port two people were not back on the ship when we were to leave a port and they had to report to the front desk to make sure they were back on the ship. Do you have a laptop? Bring it over and show your dad the ship etc. If he sees it he may want to go. Have a great trip.

[mikjr]

Tell your dad that cruise ships are the safest way to travel. Do you have a laptop? Bring it over and show your dad the ship etc. If he sees it he may want to go. Have a great trip.

 

Thank you all for your input... I really appreciate it. I love the cruise ship experience, unfortunately, but father never had the opportunity to do much traveling... and at his age, he probably won't start now.

 

That's a great idea... taking my computer and showing him how LARGE the ship is. He was in the US Coast Guard during WWII... and knows how big these ships are... but I think he's just being a concerned parent... even at 90.

[obriendan]

Here's another link to the Seabourn Spirit piracy story:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4409662.stm

[SDHALFAN]

On last year's GWV aboard the ms Amsterdam (and I imagine on this year's GWV also) the LRAD was very much in evidence on the Lower Promenade Deck on a few occasions, but never when near Hawaii/Tahiti:D . It was never needed but it was reassuring to know that it was there.

 

It will be interesting to see if it is in evidence again later this year on the ms Amsterdam's Grand Asia/Australia cruise.

 

I know it seems funny to us that our aging parents still worry about us, but it's really kind of sweet isn't it? I guess that we will always be their "babies".

 

Valerie:)