The Republic of Kiribati (pronounced Keer uh bas) is part of the Gilbert Islands and is across the date line. You actually sail across the date line and get an 8 day cruise if you want to think about it that way.  It takes a solid day to get there and get back, and both going and coming it rained all day, but it was nice the day we were there. I took the Fanning Island Photo Safari with the ship’s photographer (Marcell Puzsar). It cost $50 and was well worth it. You got a free 36 exposure roll of film, free processing, and a free 8 x 10, which more that made up the cost of the outing. If you were using digital media, you got free printing and a free enlargement. The photographers took you to places others did not see, to shoot things others did not see. I got some pictures of the boat and other things that I know others did not get. This was the single best and most important part of the cruise for me. I learned some interesting and important tips from the professionals (and I am an experienced amateur who reads the popular photography magazines cover to cover every month). There were some rank amateurs who got even more out of the experience. If you take a camera on this cruise, you owe it to yourself to look up Marcell in the photo lab and set yourself up for this experience because you will not be disappointed. You get a 1 hour lecture (or longer if need be) before you get to the Island, up to 2 hours shooting with the pros on the island, and a critique after the photos are back that lasts another 2 hours or more. This WWII wreck was something the photographers took us to photograph.  We were able to get close and personal with the flowers on Fanning because of the photographer’s knowledge of the area. Interested in becoming a travel agent? Follow this link to find out more. Home Based Travel Agent