Cruise Ship Hits Reef Near Survivor Island Days Before Start of Season

Fortunately, these cruise passengers didn’t have to outwit, outplay and outlast each other.

On April 4th, the Fiji Princess, a cruise ship operated by Blue Lagoon Cruises, ran aground on a reef near Monuriki Island in Fiji. The ship was carrying 30 passengers and 31 crew members. Fortunately, everyone on board was safely moved off the vessel, according to the Fiji Maritime Safety Authority. Monuriki Island is also the location where the TV show Survivor will begin filming its 51st season on April 15th.

After the incident occurred, Blue Lagoon Cruises announced the ship would be taken out of service and explained the circumstances of how it ran aground.

Blue Lagoon Cruises reported on Facebook that one of their ships, which had been with the company for over 22 years, came loose from its anchor during bad weather and ran aground on a nearby reef. Fortunately, all passengers and crew were able to get off the ship safely.

In a statement on April 13th, the organization explained that Tropical Cyclone Vaianu made it impossible to safely refloat the Fiji Princess after it ran aground on April 4th. The cyclone also caused additional damage, ultimately leading to the ship being taken out of service.

Blue Lagoon Cruises stated the ship remains at Monuriki Island and expects removal to take one to three months.

As a longtime fan, I was so glad when Survivor finally settled down in Fiji! After traveling all over the world for years, they made the beautiful Mamanuca Islands, including the famous Monuriki Island, their permanent home back in 2016. It’s just a perfect backdrop for the game, and it’s great to see them consistently filming there.

The island of Monuriki, which was used as the location for the “Edge of Extinction” on the show, is also famous as the setting for the 2000 film Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks.

Fiji’s Maritime Safety Authority announced on April 13th that filming for the show Survivor will start on April 15th and continue until July 3rd.

Before you find out about season 51, let’s take a look at the contestants on Survivor‘s special 50th season.

Season 37 (DAVID VS. GOLIATH)

Survivor seasons 12 (Panama – Exile Island), 16 (Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites), 20 (Heroes vs. Villains), and 34 (Game Changers) are considered particularly memorable.