Terrorists may be behind cruise liner attack: Downer

Australian consular officials have spoken to the 22 Australians who are on board a luxury cruise liner that was was attacked off the east African coast on the weekend.

The Seabourn Spirit is now anchored three kilometres off the Seychelles.

All the Australians on board are safe, however one crew member was injured in the attack that occurred off the coast of Somalia.

During the incident, people using a rocket-propelled grenade and machine guns fired on the liner.

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer says authorities have not ruled out the possibility the attack was carried out by terrorists, who were targeting Westerners.