Market Data 
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lilly Mcginley, a 56-year-old retiree from the UK, about being aboard a cruise ship where passengers were told to turn off lights to help avoid pirates. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
When we booked a cruise aboard Cunard’s Queen Anne we had no idea we’d even be passing through waters at risk of piracy.
My husband and I have been on more than 70 cruises. We had never experienced a pirate alert before, and we certainly weren’t expecting one.
I first realized something unusual was happening when the alert sounded at an unusual time as we sailed south of the Philippines toward Manila. The announcements are normally made around midday, but this came at around 4 p.m.
The captain said the area we would be sailing through was known for piracy threats, and the ship would be operating at a heightened level of security alertness.
From 5 p.m. onwards, the crew was setting up water canons and loudspeakers at the back of the ship. There was quite a lot of security outside.
From around 9 p.m., we weren’t allowed to go out on the promenade deck, and we had to shut our curtains and turn our lights off.
It was clear that people were a bit anxious. Some of my friends chose not to tell their kids what was happening because they didn’t want them to worry, and I’m sure quite a few people had a sleepless night.
After the nighttime worry, people started to feel more at ease the following day.
In fact, it became a fun pastime to get binoculars out and look for pirates.
Many of us were sitting at the front of the ship, using binoculars, commenting every time a little boat got close to the ship.
Some people were quite disappointed we didn’t see any pirates!
The crew also held a sports day, which helped to take people’s minds off things.
Throughout the day, people started to see the fun and excitement in this experience. We could all leave the cruise with a story to tell.
To be honest, I was excited from the start. My first thought was: “This is going to be interesting.”
On this occasion, I wasn’t nervous at all.
I knew the risk of actual danger wasn’t high and we’ve been on other ships when it has been a lot worse.
In December 2023, we were cruising through the Suez Canal and the southern Red Sea, when the Houthis started launching drones.
The captain made an announcement and screens showed the area we would be passing through, along with pictures of the container ships that had been attacked recently.
Like on the Queen Anne, we had to stay indoors and avoid the open decks.
It was a bit worrying through the night, but again, people’s moods lightened the following day. I thought it was interesting and another thing to talk about around the dinner table.
We’ve also been on a cruise ship during a hurricane. During that cruise, everything started flying around, with sunbeds even going overboard.
But this stuff that happens when you’re on a ship is what I enjoy most.
Don’t get me wrong — if the pirates had got on the ship or a drone strike had happened, I would have been the first one freaking out. That would have been a completely different story.
But I like the sense of adventure.
People may think cruising is boring, but clearly, it’s not.
