Can this - shoot pirates cruise - be real ?

  • Thread starter Alfi
  • Start date
I know the stories I have seen on ships being taken over by pirates always mention that the ships had no weapons on board. This may just be because it would be very difficult to get a permit, but maybe there actually is an outright ban on weapons for commercial ships.In summary, an article was posted advertising a cruise to hunt pirates off the coast of Somalia. It claimed that participants could bring their own weapons or rent them from an onboard gunsmith, and would have opportunities for target practice and competitions. Testimonials were included, but the article was found to be under the "Humor File" category. The legality and jurisdiction of such a cruise were
  • #1
Alfi
http://www.tothepointnews.com/content/view/3617/85/

...That's because you are welcome to bring your own arsenal with you. If you don't have your own weapons, you can rent them from our onboard Master Gunsmith. Enjoy reloading parties every afternoon with skeet and marksmanship competitions every night!

But the best fun of all, of course, is Pirate Target Practice.

For the object of the cruise is to sail up and down the Somali Coast waiting to get hijacked by pirates. The weapons rental costs are as follows.

It is posted as an advertisement to go on a cruise ship to hunt pirates near Somalia.

I just can't believe it is for real, but I can't find any proof that it is not.
Testimonials from previous participants in the Somali Cruise:

"Six attacks in 4 days were more than I expected. I bagged three pirates, my wife nailed two, and my 12-year old son sank two boats with the mini-gun. This wonderful cruise was fun for the whole family" -- Fred D., Cincinnati, OH

:eek:

Any links to show this is actually real or not real would be helpful.
Thank you.
 
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  • #2
Of course it's not real!
 
  • #3
Did you not see the "Humor File" heading at the top of the story?
 
  • #4
FredGarvin said:
Did you not see the "Humor File" heading at the top of the story?

Uhhhhh - NO
I didn't! DOH ! hehehe
Thanks for pointing that out.


I didn't find the article very humourous.
 
  • #5
If it was real, I bet they would have a full ship.
 
  • #6
The ship would have sponsors from all your major firearm manufacturers. "Tryout the new 3X-Elimator series rifle! If you are the first to tag 3 pirates you get 30% off!"
 
  • #7
That was one of the funniest things I've ever read! Ivan's right; they would be making millions off this enterprise.
 
  • #8
The "six attacks in four days" line indicates the falseness straight away. The proportional amount of boats that are attacked by pirates off Somalia is very small.
 
  • #9
Of course it's real! Disney is planning a similar tourist package in Afghanistan using AC-130 gunships.
 
  • #10
Pengwuino said:
Of course it's real! Disney is planning a similar tourist package in Afghanistan using AC-130 gunships.

Hahahahahahahaha don't we wish... <3
 
  • #11
Well, it's legal to carry a firearm, and it's legal to defend yourself against pirates, so I don't see anything stopping it from happening
 
  • #12
I wonder what the legal implications of this would be. I don't think there are any!
 
  • #13
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  • #14
  • #15
Pengwuino said:
Yah this is a bit of a head scratcher. Can you kill people in international waters? Who would have jurisdiction to prosecute otherwise?

Wait guess I found my own answer :rofl:

http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/closindx.htm

Could you cite the relevant part?

If the pirates actually attacked the ship first, it would be pretty hard to argue that the people on the ship didn't have a right to defend themselves. Imagine the pirate's surprise when 300 people all start shooting at once!

If instead they go pirate hunting, I have no idea what the law allows. I think the ban on guns only applies to ships using international ports, so if the ship left from the US and returned to the US, the existing weapons ban for commercial shipping wouldn't seem to apply.
 
  • #16
Ivan Seeking said:
Could you cite the relevant part?

If the pirates actually attacked the ship first, it would be pretty hard to argue that the people on the ship didn't have a right to defend themselves. Imagine the pirate's surprise when 300 people all start shooting at once!

If instead they go pirate hunting, I have no idea what the law allows. I think the ban on guns only applies to ships using international ports, so if the ship left from the US and returned to the US, the existing weapons ban for commercial shipping wouldn't seem to apply.

Sorry, I didn't take a deep look but around article 30ish there is mention of crimes committed in international waters. I quickly google'd what happens if you kill someone on a boat and they mentioned that the jurisdiction is wherever the boat is registered in. Then they linked to the UN argreement but didn't point exactly where it was mentioned but I assume it's somewhere in there. Yah i know, lazy! I'm not interested in this enough to read through it though.

Also I meant shooting someone period, not just pirates :rofl: . I think there was mention of piracy in the Agreement somewhere...

Also I didn't know there was a weapons ban on ships. I remember when ther ewas the pirate hoopla going on on TV, they asked someone about why ships don't carry weapons and they said that they could, it's just that the red tape is too much. They have to register every weapon at every port they go to and it wastes way too much time for anyone to do it. At least that's what this guy on this show on some day way back when said to some reporter. Or something.

See Disclaimer in my signature :)
 
  • #17
Pengwuino said:
Also I didn't know there was a weapons ban on ships. I remember when ther ewas the pirate hoopla going on on TV, they asked someone about why ships don't carry weapons and they said that they could, it's just that the red tape is too much. They have to register every weapon at every port they go to and it wastes way too much time for anyone to do it. At least that's what this guy on this show on some day way back when said to some reporter. Or something.

See Disclaimer in my signature :)

What you describe is probably consistent with what I have heard. I thought it was an outright ban, but it may be a practical issue that results in a virtual ban.
 
  • #18
Man, but I wish that it was real and I was rich.
As for the 'law of the sea', it applies only to those who are members of the UN. Although my country is, I am not.
By the way, I would be quite pleased at the AK and ammo being so much cheaper than the M16, since that would be my choice. (My first choice would be a classic Tommy with the C drum, but what the hey... you can't have everything.)
 
  • #19
Danger said:
... (My first choice would be a classic Tommy with the C drum, but what the hey... you can't have everything.)

It's not the rock and roll version but it is a http://www.auto-ordnance.com/PA-1TH_t.html" made by the original company. Any you can get a 100 round drum.
 
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  • #20
There is, or at least was (I saw it on history channel), a company in Las Vegas where they would fly you up in a helicopter over a shooting range and you'd have an M4 or AR-15 or some assault rifle and you'd just get to unload on a bunch of targets. It was on one of those shows of what you CAN do in Vegas with the proper bank account so who knows how much it costs. It looked pretty shweeeeeet.
 
  • #21
Pengwuino said:
There is, or at least was (I saw it on history channel), a company in Las Vegas where they would fly you up in a helicopter over a shooting range and you'd have an M4 or AR-15 or some assault rifle and you'd just get to unload on a bunch of targets. It was on one of those shows of what you CAN do in Vegas with the proper bank account so who knows how much it costs. It looked pretty shweeeeeet.

I don't know about the helicopter stuff but http://www.thegunstorelasvegas.com/index.html" off of the strip you can rent many different guns to shoot at an indoor range. Handguns to machine guns, I saw this when I was on a trip down in Vegas but couldn't get the time to go over and try it. Damm being in Vegas on business.
 
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  • #22
(name withheld) said:
I just can't believe it is for real, but I can't find any proof that it is not.

Ha, I'm reminded of when I worked for a small laser company. The head of sales was telling a couple of us techies about some fantastic product claim he had made to a customer recently. "We don't know if that's true!" I told him. He replied "We don't know that it isn't!"
 

1. Can this "shoot pirates cruise" be real?

It is highly unlikely that a cruise specifically designed to shoot pirates would actually exist. The cruise industry has strict safety protocols in place to protect passengers and crew, and actively seeking out and engaging with pirates would go against those protocols.

2. Are there any real-life examples of "shoot pirates cruises"?

No, there are no known examples of actual "shoot pirates cruises" in existence. Any claims of such a cruise should be met with skepticism.

3. Is it legal to shoot pirates on a cruise?

No, it is not legal to shoot pirates on a cruise. Cruise ships are subject to international laws and regulations, and any use of firearms would likely result in legal repercussions for the cruise line.

4. Would passengers be allowed to shoot pirates on a cruise?

No, passengers would not be allowed to shoot pirates on a cruise. As mentioned before, cruise ships are subject to strict safety protocols and allowing passengers to handle firearms would pose a significant risk to everyone on board.

5. Is this "shoot pirates cruise" just a marketing gimmick?

It is possible that the idea of a "shoot pirates cruise" is just a marketing gimmick to attract attention and generate buzz. However, as previously stated, it is highly unlikely that such a cruise would actually exist. It is always important to fact-check and research any sensational claims before believing them.

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