See the Chilling Moment Lights Went Out on Cruise Ship Passing Through Area 'Known for Piracy Threats'

• Cunard's Queen Anne luxury cruise ship passed through a “piracy-prone area” in Southeast Asia earlier in March 
• The captain told passengers to remain alert and said they'd be turning off lights on the ship to be less visible at sea
• Passenger Lilly Katharine Shipley recorded the moment the ship went dark as they sailed through the potentially dangerous area 

A passenger aboard Cunard's Queen Anne cruise ship documented the eerie moment nearly all the lights went out as they sailed through a piracy-prone area.

The luxury ship was making its way to Manila in the Philippines from Darwin, Australia when it entered into a potentially dangerous area, PEOPLE previously reported. While passing through the Sulu-Celebes Sea, the cruise ship’s staff announced that they would be closing the external promenade deck overnight.

Passenger Lilly Katharine Shipley recorded the announcement while in her stateroom.

“This area is known for piracy threats,” a voice can be heard saying over the loudspeaker. “Therefore, we will be​​ operating at a heightened level of security alertness during this period.” The announcement also noted that "only essential open deck lights will be on to reduce the ship's external lighting."

To show the dramatic difference in lighting as they sailed through the area, Shipley took a tour of one of the external decks during the daytime. In the clip, a staff member can be seen looking out towards the open sea as Shipley walks along the railing. 

Later at night, she recorded the ship after nearly all the external lights were turned off as the vessel passed through the piracy-prone waters.  

Shipley walked through pitch black hallways in one scene, later revealing how only a small section of the ship was still lit. Another clip showed the moon appearing to be the brightest light around as it glowed over the dark sea.  

The video also appeared to show unlit staterooms with drawn curtains, as the previous announcement also requested that passengers “turn off your stateroom lights when not needed, and close the curtains of your stateroom window or balcony.”

According to Business Insider, a representative for Cunard cruise line said, the decision was “part of standard maritime procedures," noting, "our Captains may make precautionary announcements when sailing through certain regions."

The representative added that “there was no specific threat to the ship or its guests” and that the “onboard experience remained uninterrupted.”

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As reported by MarineInsight, ships were once advised to avoid the waters between Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines as they were infamous for kidnapping-for-ransom incidents.

While abduction threats were especially high between late 2016 and mid-2022, the threat level recently moved down to “low” in January 2025. There have been no abductions since January 2020, per MarineInsight.