Photographing lava flow at night from a cruise ship can be a risky undertaking with the crowds, darkness  and the movement  of  the ship.   The crowds alone make it difficult to get a location to take the picture.  You will find yourself with just enough room for you and the camera, forget the tripod which may also be a tripping hazard for others.   The close quarters were find with me because the people around me were pleasant with an interest in my photography.  The volcano was too far away for any kind of flash, which would have probably ruin the effect of the red light in the darkness.  The ship’s  engines and the positioning of it for people to get good view made for a great deal of pulsation.  To solve these problems I used a vibration reduction telephoto lens.  I set my ISO to 1600, which gave me  a speed of 1/5 of second at F9 which enable me to get the photograph of  the lava.