If you’re looking for vacation options that are environmentally
friendly, look at cruising. Most cruise lines operate in compliance with
extensive international guidelines for environmental stewardship, and many do even
more. After all, part of the appeal of cruising is the opportunity to enjoy
beautiful stretches of water and the healthy marine life within.
In addition to the recycling programs that have become common
during the past 20 years, ships are being built or retrofitted with solar
panels, cooking oil-to-biodiesel fuel conversion systems, and energy-efficient lighting
and fixtures.
Here are some other green trends in
cruising:
- · Onboard environmental officers whose full-time job is to ensure the effectiveness of all environmental operations at sea, in port and on private islands.
- · “Zero discharge” for recycling or incinerating all solid waste, either onboard or in appropriate in-port facilities. This includes everything from paper, plastic, glass, and metal to toner cartridges, refrigerants and photo processing liquids.
- · Advanced treatment systems that purify and recycle wastewater.
- · Purchasing more food and other supplies in bulk and/or from environmentally responsible providers.
- · Special hull coatings that reduce surface-to-water resistance and enable ships to be more fuel-efficient.
- · Programs that donate furniture and other usable items from remodeled ships – beds, desks, sofas, linens, unused toiletries and more – to charitable organizations, keeping them out of landfills.
- · The ability to “plug in” to local power sources while in dock, which helps reduce fuel emissions.
Specific cruise lines are making
other special efforts to improve their environmental footprints. Here are a
few:
- · Disney Cruise Line has a program that combines scientific research with hands-on conservation to strengthen the coral reef around the cruise line’s private island, Castaway Cay.
- · Royal Caribbean International has eliminated small, disposable plastic items – such as toiletry bottles, plastic plates and flatware – for reusable or biodegradable items.
- · Viking Ocean Cruises built its new ocean-going ships with dual-fuel systems that produce cleaner exhaust.
While you’re onboard, you can do your part, too. You can turn off
lights and turn down cooling or heating when leaving your stateroom, and use
your towels and linens for more than one day. These practical steps can have a big
impact when practiced by everyone onboard.
To select a cruise line with progressive green policies and practices,
get help from Anita, your Cruise Holidays personal cruise expert.
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