Pirates!
 

I guess it is not a joking matter anymore as the captain enforced a blackout and conducted pirate drills on the Sea Princess.
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http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel...f5af6335fbae31

Thanks for the article. It was very interesting.

We sailed in pirate territory two times with Regent (Bangkok to Dubai, and Dubai to Barcelona). Both times the ship took preventive measures including blackouts, drills, fire hoses, and loudspeakers at the ready. In addition, Israeli special ops boarded and stayed with us for the duration. Patrols on the top deck were present 24 hours a day. It was all rather exciting!

The film "Captain Philips" was as close as I care to be.

I read that too. Though I am relieved they have measures like water cannons, sonic booms, etc. I much prefer have those Israeli soldiers on board.

At this point, remind self not to book anything that travel through those places.

The way I read the article was that the passengers were surprised by it and felt that they should have been told that would happen. They felt they have lost 10 nights of entertainment/enjoyment.

Without being there, I wouldn't know if the theater shows were on, the bars were open etc. It almost sounds like that there was no activities after dark and everyone is confined to their cabins.

FourGras, you had mentioned blackouts. To what stent was the blackout?

Should the passengers be made aware of the potential before they book the cruise? Would they have opt not booking the cruise if they would have know what they know now?

Obviously, this is not an isolated incidence, just that it got a broadcast this time.

I think Amboise is no more "touristy" than other towns on the Loire with a chateau actually in the town. Have a look at the many Google or Tripadvisor images and judge for yourself.

We used to drive a couple times a year from south of Toulouse to the ferry at Caen and break our trip in Amboise.

Eschew, the blackout was for outside lights. Curtains were drawn in the cabins and in the observation lounge with no deck lights on. Regent scheduled their deck BBQ outside of the pirate risk area. Regent is small compared to princess so there are not a lot of "party til you drop" activities anyway. All bars were open (except for the pool bar) and entertainment in the theater went on as usual.

This area of the world is incredibly interesting so I would not avoid it for fear of piracy. I felt like more of a sitting duck as we went through the Suez Canal. There was a strong military presence however, as the Egyptians are very invested in the financial gain from the canal.