patriciawatt

We received a letter from our captain, Luca Morvillo, with information about recent Piracy Attacks along the West African Coast Line and the Gulf of Guinea mostly “against commercial vessels.”

He said although we are not anticipating any problems, we must be prepared

So the passengers and the crew have all had extra drills in the event of an attack and we all know what to do.  For example, I am going to lock myself in my bathroom!!  Just kidding!!  We have to move away from all windows and stay seated in the hallway outside our cabins in the event of an attack.

During this time, we are also not allowed outside on Deck 5 where they have water hoses at the ready,  Water hoses?!!   I guess they think  they can flush those pirates off the side of the boat??  I don’t know.

Apparently Oceania “monitors all activity in the Gulf of Guinea and West African countries, and works with law enforcement, intelligence and military organizations to ensure we are well prepared for sailing.  Based on what they have learned, it is clear that our ship is quite different from ships that typically encounter problems.  In addition to being faster and more maneuverable, we also have more security staff than other ships.  As we traverse the region, we will have lookouts in place around the ship and additional security personnel in ports.”

I think that all makes me feel better.