Here There and Everywhere

Barcelona to Abu Dhabi: A High Risk Area for Piracy

Leaving Aqaba, we all received this letter along with our daily newsletter, The Current:

The Nautica actually was attacked by pirates several years ago and used both speed and a water cannon to avoid being boarded by Somali pirates. (Travel Weekly: Oceania Outruns Pirates:  https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Oceania-Nautica-outruns-pirates)

Suddenly, too, on the very sedate walking path overlooking the swimming pool area, we found very fit young men, running the course. They had boarded, maybe in Aqaba, and left the ship when we were no longer in the pirate area.

Meanwhile, for the duration of our time in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, we were under strict orders to close our curtains at sunset and to keep them closed. We were to stay off our balconies after dark. The curtains in the restaurants were closed, and night lighting was minimized. We were told that if there were any kind of challenge to the ship, we were to go into the hallway, or to where our crew told us to go to keep safe.

The issue with pirates – specifically Somali pirates – is more complex than you would think.

We were delighted to have young men on board who looked entirely capable of manning a water cannon and successly challenging any invaders.

February 14, 2023 - Posted by intlxpatr | Adventure, Counter-terrorism, Geography / Maps, Social Issues, Sunsets, Survival, Travel | Bab al Mendab, Nautica, Oceania, pirates, Somalia