A German cruise ship plans to evacuate passengers in Yemen and fly them to the next port of call Wednesday to avoid any possible encounters with pirates off the coast of lawless Somalia.
Several other cruise operators said Tuesday they were also shifting or canceling tours that would have taken clients past Somalia, as nations and companies around the world debated how to confront the piracy dominating the Gulf of Aden.
The European Union said its anti-piracy mission would station armed guards on vulnerable cargo ships — the first such deployment of military personnel during international anti-piracy operations in the crucial waterway.
Armed troops might harsh the mellow on a cruise ship, so I came up with the perfect solution: comp the Fixers to unlimited cruising and simply give the F-Man his choice of armament and ordnance. Then sail blithely anywhere. When push comes to shove, just cut Fixer loose and charge the other passengers to watch the show. One of those big TVs like at football games oughta work fine, and they could giggle their asses off in the comfort of the main salon. Win-win!
And should Fixer feel the need of an A-gunner/ammo carrier or just a reliable sort to refresh his cocktail in the heat of battle (wouldn't want him to ever have to say "Things were getting dashed hot. We were out of pink gin" like the old Brit colonial officers), I volunteer me 'n Mrs. G. We could use a nice cruise in sunny climes.
Britain, France, Greece, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands will contribute at least 10 warships and three aircraft to the mission, with contingents rotated every three months.
Still bupkis from Uncle Sam's Canoe Club. Afraid of pissin' off Somali pirates? Yeesh.
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