A cruise ship offering tours of Tom Hanks' Cast Away filming site ended up in its own real-life mishap last week off Fiji. Blue Lagoon Cruises says one of its vessels grounded on a reef near Monuriki Island on Saturday after a "severe squall" caused the ship's anchor to drag, per People. Conditions were calm when the Fiji Princess first anchored, the company said, but the sudden weather shift left the crew with limited time to respond. There were 30 passengers and 31 crew members on board, per the Guardian. No injuries were reported.
Guests and 17 non-essential crew disembarked with their luggage and were taken by high-speed ferry back to Port Denarau, where passengers were put up in local hotels, according to the line. It was a rude interruption to what was supposed to be a seven-day "Escape to Paradise" cruise, with Monuriki as its first stop. Blue Lagoon says its top focus now is minimizing any environmental impact and figuring out how to recover the ship, though it notes the current forecast—warning of heavy rain, flash floods, and a tropical cyclone—is working against them.
The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji described "serious damage" to the rear left side of the ship and partial damage to the hull, adding it was "reported to be taking in water," per the Guardian. It said there was no sign of damage to the fuel tanks, carrying 20,000 liters of diesel. Oil spill equipment is now in the area, though officials say it can't be used under the current conditions.
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