Horn of Africa: Somali Pirates Attack Cruise Ship

No Comments | December 3rd, 2008 | Trackback

Pirates attacked but failed to capture or damage a luxury cruise ship in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast Nov. 30. The Nautica, operated by Oceania Cruises, Inc. of Miami, sped away from the pirates’ speedboats after the marauders fired eight rifle shots at the ship. The area where the Nautica was cruising is patrolled by international warships but pirates have not been deterred, succeeding in hijacking 40 vessels out of some 100 attempts this year alone. Cruise ships, however, are seldom the target. In 2005 the Seabourn Spirit came under siege but escaped, and in April 2008 the luxury yacht Le Ponant was taken and its passengers and crew were held for a week. But the attack on the Nautica could signal a shift in the pirates’ tactics as they consider the possibilities of demanding ransoms for hundreds of well-heeled individuals and a ship that is worth a fortune, especially in view of how ineffectual six weeks of patrols by NATO ships have been.