CRUISE SHIPS GO GREEN!
More than 200 cruise ships operate worldwide, stopping in over 1800 ports across the seas. In 2009, in excess of 13.5 million people around the globe took an ocean cruise. To meet an increasing demand for cruise vacations, 68 new ships were launched between 2000 and 2005, with 14 more in 2007. In 2009, cruise lines launched 20 new vessels, 10 of which were riverboats and 10 ocean-going vessels. The largest cruise ship ever built, the “Oasis of the Seas”, 220,000 tons with 5,400 passengers made a huge splash went it went into service in 2009!
It is perceived the combined environmental impact of all of this sea-faring travel can be significant, but green requirements are being implemented to make these floating cities environmentally acceptable.
In the United States waters cruise ships must abide by all U.S. environmental, health and safety regulations enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice and Centers for Disease Control, and the International Maritime Organization.
Members of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA – an association that includes most of the major cruise lines worldwide) has voluntarily agreed to follow strict environment standards that go above and beyond all U.S. and international regulations. For example, CLIA cruise lines don’t discharge any wastewater into coastal waters unless it’s treated by advanced wastewater purification systems which ships have implemented.
Ships are protecting the environment by offering training and information programs for crew members and passengers. Installation of state-of-the-art solid waste grinding and incineration equipment is happening in newer ships, in addition to the installation of cleaner gas and diesel engines. Importantly, older ships have been retrofitted to address a significant number of these issues. Many cruise lines have invested millions of dollars on high-tech wastewater treatment, onboard recycling and eco-friendly corporate policies.
Cruise lines use green cleaning products, recycle cans, paper, glass and cooking oil, and have introduced orange extract for dry cleaning. Toilets and showers are being changed to low-flow water conservation systems.
The elevators on the elegant Celebrity Cruise Lines Solstice-class ships are designed to run on solar power, which is an industry first.
Some cruise lines are partnering with universities and institutes to create ocean study programs. Many also participate in local beach cleanups. The crew on the Cruise West ship “Spirit of the Oceanus” picked up trash on an Andaman Sea beach (located in the Indian Ocean) and brought it onboard for proper disposal. Both Holland America and Princess Cruises have installed new equipment to tap into cleaner land-based power while their ships are docked in Juneau, Seattle and Vancouver, as well as California.
In 2008, “Friends of the Earth”, an environmental advocacy group, graded all the major cruise lines. The highest grade, “B”, went to Holland America Line. Steven Kruse, president and CEO of Holland America Cruise Line takes this issue very seriously believing it is the “right thing to do to protect our environment”.
Lindblad Expeditions operate smaller cruise ships (most with fewer than 100 guests) on ocean adventures around the world. Chefs on board specialize in using local foods whenever possible, including locally grown produce. Lindblad is dedicated to conservation and is partnered with the National Geographic Society, featuring soft adventure activities and renowned environmentalists as guest speakers on a majority of their cruises.
Also on the rise are new technologies for smaller vessels. Ecoventura, a family-owned company in Ecuador operating cruises in the Galapagos, recently unveiled one of the first hybrid-energy motor yachts. Sponsored by Toyota, a supporter of the World Wildlife Fund, the yacht, which sleeps 20, has 40 solar panels and two wind turbines on the upper deck, providing enough power to support approximately 17 percent of the energy formerly produced by two carbon fuel-based generators.
On Disney Cruise Line, the laundry facilities all use water that is generated from the air conditioning system--specifically 280 tons a day of water, all of which is generated on board. Excess heat is used to power evaporators that turn 1,200 tons of seawater into potable water each day. Each ship has an environmental officer onboard to monitor the ship and teach environmental education classes to both staff and guests. All staff members are involved in the environmental initiatives department which includes cast and crew from the resorts as well as the cruise lines to come up with new ways to improve the environmental footprint of the entire company.
Norwegian Cruise Lines was the first to install an eco-ballast system to ensure that water leaving the ship does not send out toxins or other invasive species, the only system to be approved by the State of Washington for use in the "pristine" waters of Puget Sound. The ships also donate their used cooking oil to farmers in port cities, as both a way to get rid of garbage on board and provide free fuel for farmers.
The cruise industry policies have changed dramatically in recent years. The vision of birds following the path of a cruise ship discarding garbage is non-existent. Today’s ships are designed for fun, exploration and the creation of vacation memories, and not at the expense of future generations.
