Cruise Ship Hits Reef Near the Island Where Tom Hanks' “Cast Away” Was Filmed
Cruise Ship Hits Reef Near the Island Where Tom Hanks' “Cast Away” Was Filmed
Raven BrunnerSun, April 5, 2026 at 3:57 PM UTC
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Blue Lagoon Cruise Ship, Tom Hanks in 'Cast Away.'Credit: Blue Lagoon Cruises; 20th Century Fox -
A cruise ship hit a reef near the island where the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away was filmed
Thirty travelers were rescued from the boat during the April 4 incident
The mishap may have been caused by rough weather conditions in the area
A cruise ship hit a reef near the island where the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away was filmed.
Blue Lagoon Cruises’ Fiji Princess vessel struck the reef near Monuriki Island on Saturday, April 4, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) reported.
Fiji Navy sources told ABC that the ship, which was on a seven-day trip, had 30 passengers and about 30 crew members on board at the time of the incident.
Blue Lagoon Cruises ship.Credit: Blue Lagoon Cruises
The cruise operator transported the passengers back to Port Denarau on Fiji's main island, Viti Levu, ABC reported, citing a government spokesperson.
Fiji Navy sources told the outlet that some crew members may have remained on the ship.
"There were no reported injuries, and all were safe,” the Fiji Navy sources said, per ABC. “The company is working on salvage and recovery of the vessel."
The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji is currently investigating.
PEOPLE reached out to Blue Lagoon Cruises, the Republic of Fiji Navy and the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji on Sunday, April 5, but did not immediately receive responses.
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FBC reported that the incident may have been caused by rough weather conditions in the area.
At the time of reporting, the FBC said the vessel was still at the site.
Monuriki Island.Credit: Getty
An itinerary on the Blue Lagoon Cruises website shows that Monuriki is the first stop on the Escape to Paradise trek.
Activities include seeing the filming locations of the 2000 movie Cast Away, which follows a FedEx analyst (Hanks) who becomes stranded on a deserted island after his plane crashes, as well as a Captain’s dinner.
The cruise line's Fiji Princess ship joined the fleet in 2026. It is about 179 feet and features an open-air sun deck, a splash pool and spa facilities, and it can accommodate up to 64 passengers.
Tom Hanks in 'Cast Away.'Credit: 20th Century Fox
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According to Travel Online, Monuriki is an uninhabited area of about 100 acres in the Mamanuca Islands.
It is surrounded by coral reefs and features volcanic rocks, lagoons and small white sand beaches.
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