Two pirate boats opened fire on the six-star Nautica, as she sailed between Somalia and Yemen on Sunday.
The cruise ship, which carries 690 passengers and 386 crew, was sailing past several groups of fishing boats when two small skiffs tried to intercept it.
Captain Jurica Brajcic began evasive manoeuvres when the pirates were about 1,000 yards away from the ship and managed to avert the attack.
While cargo ships and small pleasure boats have been attacked by Somali pirates, this is only the second time they have attempted to hijack a cruise ship.
Three years ago, rocket-propelled grenades were fired at the Seabourn Spirit. Two of the ship's officers were injured.
A Oceania Cruises spokesman said: "Nautica was immediately brought to flank speed and was able to outrun the two skiffs.
"One of the skiffs did manage to close the range to approximately 300 yards and fired eight rifle shots in the direction of the vessel before trailing off."
No one aboard the ship was harmed and no damage was sustained.
The ship's main defence against attack, a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), was readied during the chase.
It emits a high-powered beam of sound which, at close range, can shatter a person's eardrums.
The six-star ship was carrying American, British and Australian passengers on a 32-day cruise from Rome to Singapore.
British passengers have paid more than £15,000 for the cruise.
The ship's last call was in Sagafa, Egypt. She is due to arrive at Salalah, Oman, on Monday.
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The long range acoustic device (LRAD) is a crowd-control and hailing device developed by American Technology Corporation.
According to the manufacturer's specifications, the equipment weighs 45 pounds (20 kg) and can emit sound in a 30° beam (only at high frequency, 2.5 kHz) from a device 33 inches (83 cm) in diameter. At maximum volume, it can emit a warning tone that is 146 dBSPL (1,000 W/m²) at 1 metre, a level that is capable of permanently damaging hearing, and higher than the normal human threshold of pain (120 – 140 dB). The maximum usable design range extends to 300 metres. At 300 metres, the warning tone (measured) is less than 90 dB. The warning tone is a high-pitched shrill tone similar to that of a smoke detector.
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