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The term "green cruising" might seem like an oxymoron for an industry that has long been condemned
for paying little mind to the natural resources that fuel its success. Indeed, billowing smokestacks
and highly publicised incidents of offshore dumping are enough to convince some readers that waste
and pollution - in the sky and sea are major issues.
When polled, 39 percent of cruisers at IndependentTraveler.com's sister site, Cruise Critic, said that lines
"do only what's required", though interestingly enough, almost the same number, 38 percent
felt that cruise lines "are very environmentally conscientious."
No matter what side of the fence you're on, it's no secret that recent oil spills have brought the cruise industry's
responsibility to the environment front and center. When Louis Cruise Lines' Sea Diamond
sank off the coast of Santorini in April 2007, the wreck oozed as much as 100 tons of fuel into the Aegean Sea
Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry has since fined parent company Louis Group, operator Louis Cruise Lines
and Greek captain Yiannis Marinos a total of 1.17 million euros ($1.57 million) for pollution.
Just a few months earlier, Hurtigruten's Nordkapp ran aground and leaked diesel fuel in fragile Antarctic waters
(fortunately, there was no environmental damage in that case). Editor's Note: Hurtigruten was previously
known as Norwegian Coastal Voyage.
Also, a survey conducted earlier this year by the World Wildlife Fund revealed that most cruise and ferry
companies operating in the Baltic Sea have failed to "voluntarily ban" the polluting practice of waste water
dumping.In a recent campaign, 50-plus companies were contacted -- and 11,
including Peter Deilmann and Hurtigruten, pledged to stop discharging untreated wastewater.
Among those that didn't agree are Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Hapag-Lloyd and AIDA.
However, despite the bad rap, it's important to know that all cruise lines do follow their own set
of environmental policies; major components of these include recycling, as well as incinerating
and processing waste onboard. In 2003, the International Council of Cruise Lines
(now part of Cruise Lines International Association) joined with Conservation Internationa
l on a variety of initiatives, including developing a global map for charting areas along cruise
navigation paths where wastewater discharge should be avoided.
Even newer and more innovative initiatives go beyond these efforts.
Norwegian Cruise Line recently donated used cooking grease to an organic farmer in Miami
and has been doing the same in Hawaii (last year, NCL and NCL America ships recycled
approximately 40,000 gallons of used cooking oil in the state).
Several ships in Holland America's and Princess' fleets "plug in" to shore power in Northwest ports to reduce
emissions and reduce consumption of shipboard fuel.
Holland America is also testing out emission reduction technology on its Zaandam via a cutting-edge
seawater scrubbing system (more on that later).
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean is making a lot of small changes that add up to big impact, such as tweaking
the arrival and departure times at some ports of call so ships can save fuel while sailing to the next port,
altering the speed of ships while at sea to gain the greatest fuel efficiency, and using special window tinting
to keep ships cooler and reduce the load placed upon the air conditioning systems.
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are also installing Advanced Wastewater Purification (AWP) systems
onboard all their ships.
What's your favorite cruise line doing to protect the regions in which it sails? We've rounded up the responses
of several companies below. But first, here are some "Did you know?" tidbits -- compiled by the North West
CruiseShip Association, Cruise Lines International Association and yours truly - for those who want to get
into the nitty-gritty of cruise ship pollution and conservation:
There are three types of waste water: bilge water, black water (or sewage) and grey water.
Bilge water is oily engine run-off and condensation that collects in the bilge, a compartment at the bottom
of a vessel's hull where water collects and is later pumped out. Grey water comes from showers and sinks.
Black water, perhaps the most damaging to the environment, comes from the toilets and from the drains
and sinks of the infirmary.
When water is treated to reduce its oil content below 15 parts of oil per million parts of water,
the law allows it to be discharged virtually anywhere.
Although accidents have happened, cruise ships' environmental standards meet or surpass all U.S.
and international laws;
the cruise industry represents only 0.2 percent of all ocean-going vessels worldwide.
Ships are required to reduce the solid waste they generate by: purchasing
in bulk, encouraging suppliers to use more efficient packaging,
reusing packaging when possible and packaging more environmentally
friendly materials. In addition, ships must actively recycle glass, metals,
wood, cardboard and paper.
In the last 10 years, cruise ships have cut their waste and garbage almost in half,
while sustaining a growth in cruise capacity averaging 7.6 percent annually.
CARNIVAL cruises
Onboard Policies: Although international law allows disposal of some items at sea,
Carnival chooses to recycle, incinerate or offload all waste materials
(plastic, glass, rags, metal, fluorescent lamps, batteries and medical waste)
from its ships for disposal on land. Ships process and incinerate solid waste onboard
whenever possible or send it to an approved shoreside facility for treatment, recycling or disposal.
Conscious Crew: All Carnival Cruise Lines employees attend a familiarization course,
which provides instruction on shipboard waste management. The line also provides specialized
training to all shipboard and relevant shoreside employees, with advanced training required
for key positions.
Special Projects/Awards: Through an alliance with the International SeaKeepers Society,
Carnival has installed devices on the Carnival Triumph and Carnival Spirit that monitor
ocean water quality. The monitor, mounted in the ship's bow, tracks water temperature and salinity,
pH, oxygen and redox (reduction/oxidation reaction) levels, as well as air temperature, wind speed
and direction, solar radiation, barometric pressure, and relative humidity.
Data is transmitted via satellite to environmental groups, governmental agencies and universities
to aid in assessing ocean pollution and researching global climate changes and weather patterns.
The line also supports community programs and local initiatives such as the
Coral Reef Task force and beach clean-ups ashore.
Green Guests: Specially marked containers are scattered throughout each ship in the fleet to encourage
cruisers to recycle. Designated bins, located in public areas and on open decks, collect food, glass,
aluminum and plastic products; recycling bins are also located in steward stations,
galley and crew areas, room service pantries, and bar pantries.
Carnival parent Carnival Corporation -- which also owns Holland America, Princess,
Cunard and more -- has set up a dedicated e-mail address for employees and cruise passengers
worldwide who have questions or need to draw attention to a concern regarding environmental
management systems. That address is environmental@carnival.com.
Special Projects/Awards: Costa was the first cruise line to be awarded a Green Star notation (in 2005)
for its entire fleet by RINA, Italy's Shipping Classification and Certification Agency.
The notation is based on the highest environmental standards for pollution prevention and marine
preservation and is stricter than the provisions of the international
MARPOL (short for "marine pollution") convention, which most cruise lines follow.
Costa is also RINA-certified with BEST 4, Business Excellence Sustainable Task,
voluntary certifications in social accountability, environmental protection, and workplace
health safety and quality.
Costa supports the World Wildlife Fund (through donations) in three of the most endangered
marine regions in the world: the Mediterranean Sea, the Greater Antilles and northeastern Brazil.
The cruise line has also introduced a new aluminum recycling initiative for its ships calling
on the Port of Savona in 2007 and 2008.
Green Guests: Costa provides its guests with informative material that highlights its efforts onboard
and with the World Wildlife Fund; children who participate in Club Squok activities receive special
educational opportunities, such as learning about endangered species.
CUNARD
Onboard Policies: Special compactors process garbage; the one on Queen Mary 2 is four decks high.
Conscious Crew: The line apprises all crew of strict environmental policies when they join or return to a ship.
This training includes the way in which waste is separated, the reasons why waste is separated
and the importance of following and maintaining these strict protocols.
Special Projects/Awards: Cunard only purchases seafood from sustainable sources.
Green Guests: The Daily Program, distributed to every guest's stateroom, explains the ship's disposal
and recycling procedures, though Cunard staff further separates waste in the pantries. During some voyages,
the Environmental Officer will appear as a guest on the morning TV show to further discuss and explain what
the company does to protect the environment.
DISNEY
Onboard Policies: Disney Cruise Line follows international federal and state laws for environmental
standards.
Energy- and water-saving efforts are unique: rerouted excess heat generated in the ships' engine boilers
efficiently powers evaporators used in the process of turning sea water into potable water.
Plus, up to 33 percent of the water used onboard the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder is reclaimed from
condensation in the shipboard air conditioning units and then re-used to wash the decks.
Conscious Crew: Ships have onboard Environmental Officers responsible for overseeing and verifying all
environmental systems, procedures and equipment; officers also oversee shipboard recycling,
waste minimization and water reclamation efforts, particularly on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.
The officers also supervise shipboard environmental education classes, which highlight waste minimization,
separation and recycling efforts, for all new and returning crew members.
Special Projects/Awards: The utilization of a new hull coating applied to the Disney Wonder will increase
fuel efficiency; the coating is completely non-toxic and reduces surface resistance in the water.
The Disney Wonder is the first ship in the cruise industry to utilize this innovative coating.
Green Guests: Disney encourages guests -- and crew members -- to take part
in the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund donation program, which supports
conservation efforts, scientific research and habitat protection for wildlife
around the globe. To date, the fund has raised over $10 million,
supporting more than 650 wildlife projects in 110 countries worldwide.
The cruise line also sponsors educational programs for adults and kids,
including Jiminy Cricket's "Environmentality" Quiz Show.
HOLLAND AMERICA
Onboard Policies: As with other lines, Holland America purifies wastewater onboard, and all ships
have recycling, as well as garbage and hazardous material programs. Where Holland America
is breaking new ground is in the details. For example, it prints all onboard materials with soy-based inks.
Dry cleaning machines that use non-hazardous detergents formulated with soy, banana and orange
extracts are replacing standard equipment.
And in the medical center, Holland America is implementing digital technology onboard to eliminate
the chemicals used by traditional X-ray machines.
Conscious Crew: Stationed on every ship, Environmental Officers provide environmental training
and oversee shipboard compliance with environmental requirements.
Special Projects/Awards: While stationed in Seattle, Holland America will buy and use electricity
("shore power") provided by Seattle City Light for Westerdam, Noordam and Oosterdam instead
of burning shipboard fuels. This move will reduce both fuel consumption and air emissions.
The line is also testing out cutting edge emission reduction technology on its Zaandam.
Essentially a modification to the exhaust stack on the ship, a scrubber reduces engine emissions -
using seawater.
Green Guests: Each ship's Environmental Officer offers environmental presentations on every cruise.
On cruises to Alaska and Antarctica, enrichment speakers also deliver a variety of environmental
and ecological presentations.
LINDBLAD
Onboard Policies: Partnered with the National Geographic Society,
Lindblad concentrates on extensive environmental research, with the goal to
"positively impact the areas we explore and in which we work."
In addition to the usual re-use and recycle programs, Lindblad donates materials such as crockery,
linens, lifejackets, Zodiacs, outboard motors,
books, field guides and surplus food (past recipients of donations include
the American Red Cross and Salvation Army Homeless Youth Shelter.
Conscientious Crew: Linblad encourages its employees to participate in volunteer programs
and employee
charity matching programs have donated to organizations including the Andrew Glover
Youth Program and Camp Hope. The line often donates ship space for environmental conferences,
symposia and fundraising activities.
Special Projects/Awards: Lindblad only uses seafood farmed from sustainable sources.
The line asks suppliers where catches were made, and by what method,
purchases and serves species not over-fished or caught through environmentally
harmful practices. Lindblad also supports fisheries that minimize ecosystem damage.
The effectiveness of this program -- called Seafood for Thought was confirmed
when Lindblad won the 2007 Seafood Champion Award by
(2006 recipients included celebrity chefs Rick Moonen and Jacques Pepin).
Lindblad also won the 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Global Tourism Business Award
at the 7th Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
Lindblad Expeditions started the Galapagos Conservation Fund (GCF) in 1997 as an opportunity
for guests
to contribute directly to local conservation projects; the fund has raised more than $3.5 million
(as of July 2006).
Green Guests: The line gears certain sailings toward environmental education even more than others;
in July, a voyage to Arctic Svalbard aboard National Geographic Endeavour featured three experts
in the field of global warming. These leaders also form the core of a steering committee for an Arctic Summit
Lindblad is hosting in 2008 aboard Endeavour. The voyage will serve as a venue for a world forum intended
to bring together a coalition of individuals committed to hope and action.
NCL
Onboard Policies: The only solid waste discharged to sea is food waste,
considered safe because animals consume it or natural elements break it down
in the water. Each ship treats black water, disposes of it on shore or discharges
it at sea more than 12 miles from land. Gray water is either treated or discharged
at sea more than four miles from land. Incinerators burn oil, paper,
cardboard and some plastics onboard. What can't be burned,
or where incineration isn't permitted, solid waste is brought ashore for recycling
or licensed disposal.
Conscious Crew: A shoreside department is devoted to environmental protection, and trained environmenta
l officers sail onboard every NCL ship. All crewmembers also receive training.
Special Projects/Awards: In Hawaii, all NCL and NCL America ships offload their used cooking oil for recycling
to bio-diesel. Norwegian Cruise Line recently completed an initiative at the Port of Miami to recycle
used cooking grease from Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Pearl as well; the line donated
approximately 1,300 gallons of oil to an organic farmer who converted the oil to 870 gallons
of bio-diesel to power farming equipment.
NCL will also utilize Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) -- a.k.a. shore power when it becomes
available to cruise ships at the Port of Los Angeles in 2008.
Green Guests: The line encourages its guests to recycle. Young cruisers who participate in Kid's Crew
can learn about the importance of clean water, and the effects and prevention of marine pollution through
Officer Snook's Water Pollution Program (Officer Snook is a cartoon fish).
Possible activities include a simulated beach cleanup and an environmental poster contest.
High school students can earn between one and five hours of community service for participating
in the program.
PRINCESS
Onboard Policies: Information was not supplied by press time; we'll keep you posted.
Conscious Crew: Information was not supplied by press time; we'll keep you posted.
Special Projects/Awards: In the Pacific Northwest, eight ships currently "plug in" to clean,
local hydroelectric when they dock in Seattle and Juneau. The line has signed an agreement committing
to doing the same in 2008 with its vessels when they dock at the Port of Los Angeles.
Green Guests: Specially marked containers are scattered throughout each ship in the fleet
to encourage cruisers to recycle.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
Onboard Policies: Information was not supplied by press time; we'll keep you posted.
Special Projects/Awards: Regent was one of the first cruise lines to take a stand against visiting
sites that hold dolphins in captivity. This is a cruel practice against animals that occurs mainly
in the Caribbean. RSSC also recently expanded its partnership with Jean Michel Cousteau's
Ocean Futures Society, which offers enrichment programs for adults and youth on the topic
of conservation and marine life.
Green Guests: The line offers a special "Circle of Interest" cruise for youths
Ambassadors of the Environment onboard Seven Seas Mariner in Alaska.
Ambassadors (children ages 10 to 17) will look for whales,
hike forest trails and learn about the state's many sea creatures.
Parents are encouraged to join their children on these eco-excursions.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN/CELEBRITY
Onboard Policies: As part of the company's Save the Waves program,
an advanced purification system treats all wastewater onboard. There's a zero discharge policy on
solid waste; food waste is pulped and discharged more than 12 miles from land.
To nip unnecessary waste in the bud, the line eliminated all disposable plastic items typically available
to guests
such as shampoo bottles, plastic plates and flatware in favor of reusable or biodegradable options.
Conscious Crew: An environmental officer maintains the overall program on each ship.
All crew receive training on their environmental responsibilities within their first few hours onboard.
Special Projects/Awards: Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas is equipped with an
atmospheric and oceanographic laboratory to help scientists conduct ocean and climate research.
The lab, operated by the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
(RSMAS), can track pollutants in the air and sea, measure the flow of currents to understand the balance
and distribution of heat on the planet, collect data to use in ocean and hurricane models and monitor
populations of organisms living in the sea. Although the focus is long-term scientific study and analysis,
the National Hurricane Center also uses the data to improve storm track predictions.
The company is installing new generators, which will produce electricity much more efficiently,
on Radiance- and Millennium-class ships.
The Ocean Fund, established in 1996 by Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises,
has since awarded $7.1 million in grants to marine conservation organizations dedicated to protecting
the ecosystems of the world's oceans.
Green Guests: Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean program offers children and teens hands-on
science experiments involving the environment. In the Caribbean, for instance, young cruisers can
analyze the region's clouds, air temperature, precipitation, humidity and more in special
"edu-tainment" classes.
SEABOURN
Onboard Policies: Seabourn operates, as do most cruise lines, under an extensive grid of international
guidelines and restrictions meant to minimize its ecological footprint.
Special Projects/Awards: Seabourn's fleet operations department has worked very hard
in the past year to attain ISO 14001 certification, which is an international standard that requires
lines to set environmental performance goals and to monitor and report progress.
Green Guests: Recycling is encouraged.
