A cruise passenger account posted a TikTok video framed with on-screen text that read, “Our Cruise ship was attacked by Pirates.” The clip was shared by ALL CRUISING & TRAVEL (@allcruising) and showed a captain’s announcement along with footage of a stateroom and corridor. The video had drawn 5.2 million views, 307,400 likes, and more than 2,000 comments. In the recording, an off-screen voice identified as the ship captain said, “This area is known for piracy threats as reported in the world media. Therefore, we will be operating at a heightened level of security alertness during this period.” The footage first showed a lit corridor with stateroom doors and patterned carpet, then moved into a stateroom with a bed, chair, desk, television, and balcony. The captain said the external promenade deck would be closed on both sides from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. overnight between the night of March 14 and March 15, and that no guests would be allowed access during those hours for the duration of the transit. A hand in the video pulled sheer and opaque curtains across the balcony door until the room went mostly dark. Queen Anne captain outlined closed decks, dimmed lights, and cabin instructions The captain said that during the hour of darkness, only essential open deck lights would be on to reduce the ship’s external lighting. He asked guests to take care if they needed to transit the upper outside decks. He also requested that they turn off stateroom lights when not needed and close the curtains of their stateroom window or balcony. @allcruising #royalcaribbean #cruise #sealife ♬ original sound – cruisegypsyuk@lillydapink The camera later showed the stateroom door, which had a “slippery when wet” sticker. A crew member in a light blue uniform holding a yellow mop appeared briefly in the corridor before the door closed. The hallway then appeared dim, with only emergency lighting visible. The captain said that in the unlikely event of an emergency, a broadcast would be made by the bridge. He stated, “Guests are to proceed to their staterooms. Guests with a window or balcony should proceed to the corridor outside their stateroom, ensuring the stateroom door remains closed. If you are in an inboard stateroom, please remain inside your stateroom.” He added that guests should not remain on any open decks or near any external windows during that time. Royal Caribbean’s emergency protocols have been tested before, such as when its 961-foot Alaska voyage descended into disaster. He said the safety and security of the ship, all guests, and crew were his highest priority. He added, “I assure you that measures to prevent any unlikely incident have been well planned, and the likelihood of this happening on a big ship like Queen Anne is absolutely minimal.” The video ended with the curtains opening onto an overcast sky and the ocean. According to Cruise Critic, modern cruise-ship piracy is rare, with only a handful of reported attempted attacks in more than two decades. The outlet listed high-risk waters that include the Gulf of Aden, the Somali Coast, the Strait of Malacca, the Sulu Sea, and parts of the Red Sea. It also noted that Queen Anne guests were asked to follow special security measures while sailing through the Sulu Sea. The same outlet described earlier passenger-ship incidents that crews said they turned back, including Seabourn Spirit in 2005, Oceania’s Nautica in 2008, MSC Melody in 2009, Spirit of Adventure in 2011, and Azamara Journey in 2012. A 2008 hijacking of the crew-only sailing vessel Le Ponant was described as successful until a ransom was paid and the ship recovered. Cargo ships and tankers reportedly are targeted more often than cruise ships. Cruise Critic said lines use security plans, lookouts, cameras, tracking, blacked-out lights, speed, zigzag moves, fire hoses, and devices such as LRADs. It said crew members drill for emergencies and that some ships carry trained security contractors, often with military backgrounds. The outlet advised checking consulate sites, ICC piracy reports, and IMO updates before travel through those waters. Viewers questioned whether the clip showed an attack or a warning. One commenter wrote, “Was attacked? Or just warning you that your going though a rough area?” Another wrote, “Why am I just learning pirates still exist??” Some said videos like this made them less interested in cruising. One commenter wrote, “literally everything i see about cruises makes me not ever want to go on one.” Onboard emergencies can involve various crises, such as when a woman boards a passenger cruise for a dream vacation only to have the ship start flooding at midnight. Others described the steps as routine caution. One person who said they had worked on cruise ships wrote, “As someone who has worked on cruise ships, they do this to be cautious to prevent an incident happening in regards to pirates when going through areas where piracy is a high risk.” Another wrote, “Ur going through an area known for pirates… so they’re just being cautious. That’s it. Doesn’t mean ur under a threat.”