Posted on 04/30/2009 1:00:54 PM PDT by george76
When pirates attacked the cruise ship MSC Melody on Saturday, the captain was making small talk at the bar. Passengers ...were the first to defend the ship and they are now criticizing the crew, who have been portrayed as heroes.
The captain was relaxed as he enjoyed a drink at the bar ...chatting ... The women asked him if the bands of marauding pirates posed a problem for the cruise. Never, the experienced seaman told them. After all, the ship was far -- 1,000 sea miles -- away from the Somali coast ... It was unimaginable, virtually impossible even, that flip-flop wearing pirates could attack them here.
But the small talk came to an abrupt end. According to eyewitnesses, two passengers came screaming into the bar and gesticulated wildly as they addressed the captain. A speed boat had appeared at the stern and several armed men were preparing to board the cruise ship... One was already trying to scale the vessel. Several passengers were desperately grabbing deck chairs and tables and hurling them down at the men trying to board the ship.
That's when the first shots were fired. It was also the point at which the captain understood what was happening -- his ship was being attacked by pirates.
The fact that the cruise ship's crew were armed apparently surprised the pirates...
Without hesitation, passengers began to grab whatever they could find around them. "We immediately began throwing tables and deck chairs at the rope," said Tayler. One hit a pirate scaling it. He fell off ...
they are certain that the fact that chairs and tables were thrown at the pirates saved the ship.
more than a few passengers are irritated by the captain's posturing, and they in no way view him as a hero.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
-PJ
They’re Somali pirates, not Iraqi homos!
FLAME ON! That would make a pirate think twice to see his comrade jump off the ship screaming and on fire! Bartender I need a glass of Bacardi 101 for the pirates oh and can I borrow your lighter? Thanks..Also a bourbon neat for when I get back....
Yeah, that sounds like a joke. First Prize: Five day Indian Ocean Cruise. Second Prize: Ten day Indian Ocean Cruise.
Good for the passengers! They might be interested in a cruise such as this in the future.
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I’ve found a Somali cruise package that departs from Sawakin (in the Sudan) and docks at Bagamoya (in Tanzania). The Cost is a bit high @ 800 per person double occupancy but I didn’t find that offensive. What I found enticing is that the cruise company is encouraging people to bring their ‘High powered weapons’ along on the cruise. If you don’t have weapons you can rent them right there on the boat. They claim to have a master gunsmith on board and will have reloading parties every afternoon. The cruise lasts from 4-8 days and nights and costs a maximum of $3200 per person double occupancy (4 days). All the boat does is sail up and down the coast of Somalia waiting to get hijacked by pirates. Here are some of the costs and claims associated with the package.
$800.00 US/per day double occupancy (4 day max billing)
M-16 full auto rental $ 25.00/day ammo at 100 rounds of 5.56 armor piercing ammo at 15.95
Ak-47 rifle @ No charge. ammo at 100 rounds of 7.62 com block ball ammo at 14.95
Barrett M-107 .50 cal sniper riffle rental 55.00/day ammo at 25 rounds 50 cal armor piercing at 9.95
Crew members can double as spotters for 30.00 per hour (spotting scope included).
They even offer RPG’s at 75 bucks and 200 dollars for 3 standard loads
“Everyone gets use of free complimentary night vision equipment and coffee and snacks on the top deck from 7pm-6am.”
Meals are not included but seem reasonable.
Most cruises offer a mini-bar... these gung ho entrepreneurs offer......... get this.....
“MOUNTED MINIGUN AVAILABLE @ 450.00 per 30 seconds of sustained fire”
Sign my arse up!
They advertise group rates and corporate discounts......and even claim “FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY”
They even offer a partial money back if not satisfied....here’s some text from the ad.
“We guarantee that you will experience at least two hijacking attempts by pirates or we will refund back half your money including gun rental charges and any unused ammo (mini gun charges not included).. How can we guarantee you will experience a hijacking? We operate at 5 knots within 12 miles of the coast of Somalia. If an attempted Hijacking
does not occur we will turn the boat around and cruise by at 4 knots. We will repeat this for up to 8 days making three passes a day along the entire length of Somalia. At night the boat is fully lit and bottle rockets are shot off at intervals and loud disco music beamed shore side to attract attention. Cabin space is limited so respond quickly. Reserve your package before May 29 and get 100 rounds of free tracer ammo in the caliber of your choice.”
As if all that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, there were a few testimonials
“I got three confirmed kills on my last trip. I’LL never hunt big game in Africa again. I felt like the Komandant in Schindlers list!”
—— Lars, Hamburg Germany
“Six attacks in 4 days was more than I expected. I bagged three pirates and my 12 yr old son sank two rowboats with the minigun. PIRATES 0 -PASSENGERS-32! Well worth the trip. Just make sure your spotter speaks English”
——Ned, Salt Lake city, Utah USA
“I haven’t had this much fun since flying choppers in NAM. Don’t worry about getting shot by pirates as they never even got close to the ship with those weapons they use and their shitty aim—reminds me of a drunken ‘juicer’ door gunner we picked up from the motor pool back in Nam”
——”chopper’ Dan, Toledo USA.
“Like ducks in a barrel. They turned the ship around and we saw them bleed and cry in the water like little girls. Saw one wounded pirate eaten by sharks—what a laugh riot!! This is a must do.
-—Zeke-Minnahaw Springs Kentucky USA
A fun adventure cruise
LOL! Sign me up!
I would have thought an experienced captain would know better than to tempt Murphy.
Sounds like fun. But I think it would be more fun to take a World War II era battleship out of mothballs and level the whole damn pirate town with the 16” guns.
It’d sure be more effective at stopping this fiasco. :)
Wait until the passengers get the bill for throwing furniture overboard.
Wouldn't pay it, but they can bill me if it makes them feel better.
“armed crew members” is the new politically correct euphemism for Israeli guards. Apparently ABC shares the BBC’s distaste for crediting the Israelis for their life-saving work.
We used to play war with those little green plastic army men and we painted a lot of them with red fingernail polish for wounds and we used the hairspray as blow torches and melted them.
Perhaps one of the greatest lines ever written—even though Segal’s politics are to the left.
They’re “maritime income redistributors”.
I think those passengers took a page from the book of the folks on Flight 93....
“).. How can we guarantee you will experience a hijacking? We operate at 5 knots within 12 miles of the coast of Somalia. If an attempted Hijacking
does not occur we will turn the boat around and cruise by at 4 knots”
LOL! The ultimate troll boat! “Here skinny, skinny, skinny!”
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