Do pirates chase cruise ships?

Pirates were famous for taking control of cargo vessels with their AK-47s and angry young men with hot-tempered attitudes; however, over the years, their focus has turned towards cruise ships. There have been six reported incidents of pirates attempting to board ships, mainly cruise ships, in the last decade.



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Only six of the 230 recorded attacks were against cruise ships. None have resulted in capture. A well-known incident occurred in 2005 when the Seabourn Spirit was fired at in a hijack attempt. The attempt was unsuccessful but is famous largely because of the footage of the event.

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Marine Pirates Deterrents: Non-Lethal Means of Protection More intricate non-lethal weapons include Anti-Piracy Curtains, Liquid Deterrent Systems, Secure Electric Fences, and Razor Wire Canisters. Various types of net boat traps can ensnare the propellers of pirates' boats and disable the skiffs.

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According to the IMB 2023 report, there were 65 occurrences of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the first half of 2023, up from 58 events in the same period in 2022.

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Over the past 100 years since the RMS Titanic sank in 1912, only 18 cruise ships and some ocean liners have been publicly known to have sunk. And, over the past 50 years, only four cruise ships have sunk while navigating on a cruise.

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Achille Lauro hijacking, hijacking of the Italian cruise ship the MS Achille Lauro on Oct. 7, 1985, by four Palestinian militants associated with a faction of the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF). The Achille Lauro left Genoa, Italy, on October 3 for a 12-day cruise of the Mediterranean Sea.

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Carnival is one world's largest cruise lines, but since it has existed, only one of its vessels has ever sunk, the Costa Concordia in 2012. Although Costa is an Italian cruise ship company, it is owned by Carnival Corporation. From its fleet of Carnival brand cruise ships, none have ever sunk or capsized.

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The sinking of RMS Titanic in April 1912 remains the worst, and the most infamous, cruise ship disaster in history. The sinking of the biggest passenger ship ever built at the time resulted in the death of more than 1,500 of the 2,208 people onboard.

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Although smaller than most modern cruise ships, Titanic was a historic 46,328 gross tonnage for its time. In comparison, modern cruise ships have a gross tonnage around 120,000. This is more than 150% heavier than Titanic.

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Yes, cruise ships have brigs, which is the nautical term for a jail on a vessel, including a cruise ship. The term comes from the word brigantine, which is a type of two-masted sailing ship formerly used to house criminals.

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Tortuga, a tiny island off the northwest coast of Haiti, became one of the most notorious pirate settlements in the Caribbean when French and Spanish buccaneers set up shop in the mid-17th century. Serious pirate historians put the island high on their travel to-do lists.

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