Ever wondered how modern cruise ships defend themselves in high-risk waters without firing a single shot? 

The answer might surprise you. It’s not missiles, armed guards, or Hollywood-style defenses — it’s sound.

A recent video shared by Princess Cruises security officer Aswini Sayooj has pulled back the curtain on one of the industry’s lesser-known safety tools: the LRAD 1000, or Long Range Acoustic Device often nicknamed the “sonic cannon.”

At first glance, the device doesn’t look intimidating. About the size of a satellite dish and weighing around 20 kilograms, it appears more like standard deck equipment than a serious security system. But looks can be deceiving.

Once activated, the LRAD emits a highly focused beam of extremely loud, piercing sound — reaching levels of up to 150 decibels. That’s well beyond the threshold of pain for the human ear. The sound is not designed to kill, but to overwhelm. Anyone caught in its path can experience intense discomfort, including severe headaches, disorientation, and sharp ear pain.

And that’s exactly the point.

The system is designed to stop threats before they escalate. In piracy-prone areas, such as waters off the Horn of Africa, this kind of non-lethal deterrent can make all the difference. Instead of escalating into a dangerous confrontation, ships can push potential attackers away using sheer sensory overload.

In the video, the LRAD is described as being deployed when suspicious vessels approach too closely. While there’s no official confirmation of the pirates’ reaction in this particular incident, one thing is almost certain — getting hit with that kind of sound is more than enough to make anyone think twice about boarding.

The closer a target gets, the more intense the effect becomes. At short range, the experience can be unbearable, forcing intruders to retreat almost immediately. It’s a simple but highly effective concept: if you can’t approach the ship without overwhelming pain, you’re not getting on board.

What makes the LRAD particularly valuable is its ability to provide protection without escalating violence. In an environment where safety, legal concerns, and passenger wellbeing are top priorities, non-lethal tools like this strike a careful balance.