Footage has emerged of a cruise ship armed with water canons as it sailed through an area known for pirates.
Passenger Cruise Gypsy UK posted a video of 'water cannons' set up around the outside decks of Queen Anne, and a banner proclaiming the ship was "secure".
The ship, which visited Sydney earlier this month, was sailing through the Sulu Sea Region near the Philippines.
She said on TikTok, "I am not worried at all, in fact it has been quite an interesting experience.
"The ship is safe and well protected, so I will sleep well tonight. Unless the pirate alarm goes off, of course."
Captain Inger Klein Thorhauge announced the threat, Cruise Passenger reported.
Passengers were told to turn off cabin lights and close curtains.
"The external promenade deck will be closed on both sides from 9pm to 5am on the night of the 14th and 15th of March and no guests will be allowed access during these times for the duration the transit," she said.
"During the hour of darkness only essential open deck lights will be on to reduce the ship's external lighting.
"We also request that you turn off your stateroom lights when not needed, and close the curtains of your stateroom window or balcony."
The area is a busy shipping spot.
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Smartraveller warned piracy is common in the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Guinea, South East Asia and the South China Sea.
"It may include armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom or murder. It can also include crimes of opportunity, such as unlawful requests for payments for anchorage," it said.
"If you're going on a cruise through a piracy prone area, ask the cruise company about their security measures.
"Find out about their policies and procedures in the event of a pirate attack."
Shipping publication Lloyds List reporting warnings of piracy in the area in 2011, after an attempted boarding of a bulk carrier.
Tom Hanks film, Captain Philips, depicts the true story of a cargo ship being attacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean.
