Traveling aboard a luxury cruise ship is often seen as the ultimate dream vacation, but few realize there are rare — yet very real — risks involved. A passenger aboard the Cunard Queen Anne, currently on its 111-night maiden world voyage from Hamburg, revealed an unexpected safety concern while crossing certain parts of the globe.

The cruise, which visits iconic destinations like New York, Sydney, Hawaii, Penang, and Cape Town, also passes through the Sulu-Celebes Sea — a region known for piracy activity. In a now-viral TikTok video with over 8 million views, passengers were shown being advised by the captain to unplug lights, draw curtains at night, and expect the ship’s outer decks to be shuttered during dark hours. But it wasn’t just about comfort — it was about survival.

The captain’s announcement detailed a “heightened level of security alertness” due to passing through piracy-prone waters. While many viewers expressed shock that piracy is still a modern-day issue, cruise veterans confirmed it’s a known risk in certain regions. One commenter mentioned working on a ship that hired armed security when crossing near Somalia.

Another reassured viewers that any attack on a passenger cruise would trigger an immediate and aggressive naval response. Though the threat remains low, the reality that luxury cruises still take such precautions has left many intrigued — and a little unsettled — about what really happens on the high seas.