The Swanson's Norwegian Star Cruise

Fanning Island -- June 4, 2003

Fanning Island was a fascinating part of this cruise. The people there are living much like their "cousins" in Hawaii did 300 years ago. No electricity, no flush toilets, food comes from pigs, dogs, chickens, and the sea. Twice a year, the boat arrives from Australia with beer and cooking needs (oil, flour, rice). Norwegian Cruise Lines has built a school, but they need materials. We walked to the school and gave the teachers some colored pens for the children to color with. Hopefully, they will have paper from some other cruisers. They were very appreciative of our gift. We only spent about 2 hours on island, while many passengers spent the day swimming and sunning on a perfect beach. The island itself is almost at the Equator, and is everyone's idea of a "tropical island".

The people of Fanning did not have a cash economy to speak of, before the cruise ship arrived. Now, they have a "marketplace" with handicrafts. Many of the people are helpful to visitors with no expectation of payment, but have begun to receive "tips" for their trouble. There is still no begging, unlike tourist areas of Mexico and the Caribbean. Let's hope these folks have a good transition into the 21st century. To us, the school seems to be a good start.

Around the island, the water is too deep to anchor (1,500 feet deep), so they keep the ship in place with engines and thrusters, assisted by GPS. Tenders take everyone to and from the ship. They even have a 2-level cat that stays at the island all the time. Very comfortable ride into the lagoon through its tricky entrance.

The "thumbnails" following this narrative show some views of Fanning Island and its people. They may be "enlarged" by clicking on them with your mouse pointer. Enjoy!

Approaching Fanning Island -- It is 6 Feet Above Sea Level	Launching the Tenders with Fanning in the Background	Tenders at the Ready [they take all materials in first, then the passengers, and at the end return EVERYTHING back to the ship, including all garbage and unused food]	Loading Food for the Island Visit	Close-Up of Tender Rigging
Entrance to the Lagoon [sailboats inside are the only other visitors to the island]	Two-Level Cat that Stays On-Island Permanently	Houses and Boats [note thatched roofs]	Main "Road" of Island with Houses	Beach and Lagoon in Background
We Called Him "Clyde" [he followed us around the island during our walk]	The School	More of the School	Sandi at School Sign	Island Houses
Boat and Lagoon	More Action on the Main Road	Children Helping to Drum Up Business at the Marketplace	Marketplace with Lagoon in Background	Young Men of Island Danced and Sang [they had a box for donations, which are used to finance the school]
Wreck in Lagoon	Lagoon View	Leaving the 2-Level Tender	Tender Landing in Lagoon	Looking Toward Island -- Market on Left, NCL Swimming Area on Right
Lagoon View	Lagoon Entrance with Star in Background	Heading Back to the Star [those waves breaking are across the entrance to the lagoon]	Tenders Arriving at the Star [area below the spherical radome is the luxury penthouse suites. Very fancy!]

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