Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Oceania Ship Attacked
Some disturbing news in today's USA Today. Oceania's Nautica cruise ship was the victim of a piracy hijack attempt in the Gulf of Aden. The 1000 passenger ship was able to outrun the six armed pirates in speedboats who shot at the cruise ship. Although freight ships have been hijacked with alarming frequency in that region, cruise ships have not been among those affected in the Gulf of Aden.
Probably because many ships don't sail in that region of the world. Cruise ships are extremely expensive pieces of equipment and cruise lines make their money only by having a product thats perceived as both enjoyable and safe. To that end, cruise lines act in an abundance of caution when planning their sailings. For a good example, look at how often itineraries can change in the Caribbean when there is a storm in the area. NCL took a hit a few years ago when a rogue wave slammed against the Dawn. Untrue rumors and accusations even hit the line that they had purposely put the ship in risky waters to get the ship back to New York in time for a television show taping the next day.
This is a rare occasion but not the first. In 2005, Carnival Corporation's Seabourn Spirit also suffered a hijack attempt. Like this week's episode, nobody was hurt and the ship got away unscathed. Will this be a common occurrence? Probably not... at least not until Somalia suddenly becomes the next big cruising destination.
Probably because many ships don't sail in that region of the world. Cruise ships are extremely expensive pieces of equipment and cruise lines make their money only by having a product thats perceived as both enjoyable and safe. To that end, cruise lines act in an abundance of caution when planning their sailings. For a good example, look at how often itineraries can change in the Caribbean when there is a storm in the area. NCL took a hit a few years ago when a rogue wave slammed against the Dawn. Untrue rumors and accusations even hit the line that they had purposely put the ship in risky waters to get the ship back to New York in time for a television show taping the next day.
This is a rare occasion but not the first. In 2005, Carnival Corporation's Seabourn Spirit also suffered a hijack attempt. Like this week's episode, nobody was hurt and the ship got away unscathed. Will this be a common occurrence? Probably not... at least not until Somalia suddenly becomes the next big cruising destination.
Labels: cruises, oceania cruises, piracy, travel
Roger, 1:42 PM
