Cruise ship residents got a taste of “Cast Away” life when they were stranded near the island that served as the setting for the 2000 Tom Hanks film.
The MV Fiji Princess, a small luxury ship of the Blue Lagoon fleet, was carrying 30 passengers and 31 crew members when it ran aground in the early hours of Saturday morning on a reef near the uninhabited island of Munuriki.
The Fiji Maritime Safety Authority said the Princess was severely damaged and was taking on water when she ran aground.
Blue Lagoon Cruises said in a statement that the stoppage was due to bad weather, specifically a “severe storm.”
“Although it is still very early in the investigation, conditions on the ship anchored in the area were calm, and it appears that a severe storm caused the ship’s anchor to be pulled toward the reef, where it became grounded,” the cruise line said.
Following the maritime incident, passengers and non-essential crew were taken to safety, with Blue Lagoon reporting that they “disembarked the ship with their luggage and personal belongings in an orderly manner” and boarded a “large fast ferry” back to the port of Denarau on mainland Fiji.
“No guests or crew members were injured, and many were thankful to Blue Lagoon Cruises for our response,” the cruise line said.
The passengers are placed in hotels in the port city, a kinder, gentler rescue than the one that befell Hanks’ character Chuck Noland.
In the film, Noland survives a cargo plane crash, becoming stranded on a deserted island for four years, with only his wits to keep him alive and a volleyball to keep him company.
In the film, Noland creates tools from the seemingly useless products of civilization that have washed up on shore. At one point, he dismantled a videotape to make a rope.
Although the stranding was not part of the planned itinerary, a stop at Cast Away Island is an essential part of Blue Lagoon’s cruise itineraries.
Blue Lagoon markets 3- to 7-day Fiji cruises, with certain sails including an overnight stop at Monuriki and a “Cast Away movie set visit.”
Local businesses are a popular and well-known destination, routinely offering “Cast Away” themed tours of the island.
In addition to being a filming location for the movie “Cast Away,” the island recently served as the backdrop for the popular TV series “Survivor,” which has been filmed there since 2016.
Munuriki is part of a volcanic archipelago known as the Mamanuca Islands. This island chain is known for its stunning beauty, diving sites, marine life and vulnerable coral reefs.
While none of the passengers or crew were harmed, the Maritime Safety Authority mobilized its efforts to contain thousands of liters of diesel fuel on board the ship to prevent pollution, especially leaking fuel that could harm the surrounding coral reefs and the marine environment.
On Monday, the Fiji Maritime Safety Authority I mentioned The process of transferring fuel from the ship was completed successfully.
According to the agency, approximately 23,000 liters of fuel were removed from the ship.