The recent flare-up of pirate activity off of Somalia coincides with a busy period for cruise ships transiting the nearby Gulf of Aden.
The gulf is the only southern entry to the Red Sea and is also a hotbed of maritime piracy.
In the spring, several cruise lines operate annual repositioning cruises from Asia and Australia to the Mediterranean.
On April 18, the Costa Victoria begins its transit across the Gulf of Aden. The Seabourn Spirit will cross on April 20.
The Tahitian Princess, on a 107-day cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Dover, England, made the crossing earlier this week. Its sister ship, the Royal Princess, transits the Gulf of Aden this week.
During the Tahitian Princess’ crossing, the vessel joined a convoy of other ships transiting the gulf, and was accompanied by two U.S. Navy destroyers and a submarine, said passenger Regina McCloskey.
"We felt the [Tahitian Princess] was ready for the situation and that [Princess] made all efforts to keep passengers safe," McCloskey said.
The Gulf of Aden, one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, was the site of more pirate attacks than any other region in the world over the last five years, according to the International Maritime Bureau, operator of the Piracy Reporting Center.
The recent upswing in pirate activity, including the dramatic incident involving the U.S.-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama, took place further south, off the coast of Somalia.