Members, have you ever wondered what actually happens when a cruise ship sails through waters where piracy is a genuine concern? Well, one of our members found herself in exactly that situation while on a cruise!
She recently wrote to us to share how pirates (and not the swashbuckling Caribbean kind, as she jokes) were apparently in the waters of the Sulu and Celebes Seas as the Queen Anne headed towards Hong Kong and mainland China on her maiden voyage in March 2025.
She and her husband ended up on board, and she tells us what happened when the piracy warning came through, and what it was really like travelling through the seas with heightened security.
It’s such an unusual story that we thought we’d let her tell it in her own words! Here is her story.
Part I: How The Holiday Began
“Having previously travelled on all three Cunard Queens, I was very anxious to be on at least part of Queen Anne’s maiden world voyage. I tried several times, but none of the travel agents I contacted had berths available on the Queen Anne.
Rob and I had decided to attend balance classes in a local hall. On one Tuesday afternoon, instead of going straight into the hall, we had to wait outside until the hall became vacant. To fill in time, I picked up a copy of the Australian Seniors’ paper and several pages in was an ad for berths on the Queen Anne’s maiden voyage leaving Sydney in a few weeks’ time.
The 19-night leg of the voyage that had appeal was the one from Sydney to Hong Kong. I contacted the advertised travel agency, and as soon as we returned home, we were booked on the maiden voyage and in a balcony cabin (which is a must for us!).
On 02 March, we headed to Circular Quay in Sydney to board the majestic Queen Anne and made our way to our cabin, which conveniently was on the port side of the ship, thus giving us an uninterrupted view of the Sydney Opera House. Once settled, we wandered around the majestic vessel full of awe.
It was comforting to see so many familiar Cunard names on the ship. All Queens, for instance, have a Golden Lion Pub, much to the delight of my English-born husband of over sixty years! Not that we spend much time in the pubs, but he feels very much at home there and enjoys his English-style pub lunches!
Our first port of call was to be Brisbane, but bad weather did not allow us to berth there, so we continued north to Yorky’s Knob, which is the port for our day in Cairns. The port was alive with boats and fishing charters for those who desired adventure, but we were happy to catch the shuttle bus into Cairns, have a coffee and a nostalgic look around before returning to the ship for a buffet lunch.
Darwin was our next port where we caught up with my niece and her teenage daughter over a long coffee. Having cruised into so many Australian ports previously, we had no great desire to be out and about too much.
From Darwin, we headed north towards Manila in the Philippines, and as this was our first visit to Manila, we were anxious to go ashore and explore the city. However, we were somewhat disappointed to see so much poverty, and after a quick look around, we returned to our ship.
Part II: The Warning
It was after we left Manila that we were warned about the possibility of pirates trying to board our ship or being sighted in the waters where the Queen Anne was sailing as we went north.
As I recall, the first mention of piracy was that night at dinner when all the blinds and curtains were closed. The crew suggested that when we return to our respective cabins, we needed to make sure that all curtains were closed in our cabins. Passengers who were in cabins with balconies were asked not to sit on the balcony that night with lights on in either the cabin or the balcony.
The Daily Programme for Friday 14 March stated: ‘Sulu and Celebes Seas’.
It continued: ‘During this sea passage, between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm on 15 March 2025, we will be transiting the Sulu and Celebes Seas.
This is an area well documented in the media with a large or high threat of piracy. Therefore, when at sea during this period, we will be operating at a higher level of security alertness. The external promenade deck will be closed on both sides from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am, with no guests allowed access during these times for the duration of the transit. During hours of darkness, only essential open deck lights will be switched on, as it is important to reduce the ship’s external lighting. Please take care if [you’re] transiting the upper outside decks.
We also request that you turn off your stateroom lights when not required and close the curtains of your stateroom window or balcony.’
The first thing that made passengers aware of the increased security was the closing of the curtains in the dining room. We were on First Dinner Sitting, so we were used to the curtains not being drawn while we had our meals, but we noticed that they were closed for several nights.
Only bedside lights were permitted to be switched on in cabins in the evening. During the day, passengers were not permitted to walk around the full length of the deck as they were blocked from doing so by crew members who, by the way, had binoculars trained on the sea! It couldn’t be described as a frightening experience, but it was certainly different!
Crew members behaved in a very professional manner, and no passengers (to my knowledge) were worried about the possibility of pirates approaching the ship. Long hoses were secured to the deck and, if necessary, would have been trained on anyone who dared to get near the Queen Anne.
That said, I am sure that many emails or texts sent from the ship to various grandchildren would have made interesting reading!
Part III: The Aftermath
Now that we have been fortunate to have voyaged on all four Queens, my favourite is definitely the Queen Mary, which, in my opinion, has an unmatched dignity about her. Maybe it goes back to the year I spent in the Southampton area when, in 1964, I travelled to work there each day and watched anxiously from the bus to see if the original Queen Mary was docked at the nearby wharf. Why? I can’t really say, but I have admired that ship as a child.
To this day, I have large framed prints of the two original Queens, taken after they were decommissioned as troop ships following their service to Britain during World War II! (And yes, we have seen the original Queen Mary securely berthed in America!).”
END
What a story! A huge thank you to Patricia for taking us along for the ride and reminding us that even the holidays we plan carefully can still surprise us in ways we never expected. And really, isn’t that part of the fun of travelling? You set off for the places you’ve been dreaming about, and somewhere along the way, you collect the moments, mishaps and unexpected stories that stay with you long after you’re home.
So if Patricia’s adventure has stirred up that travel itch, take it as a little nudge to start thinking about where your own next story might begin. There are plenty of unforgettable journeys waiting to be discovered with the Seniors Travel Club!
