Cruises are a great travel option for many people who are looking to bunch their destinations into one big catered-for pressie! But as everyone’s consciousness leans further and further towards eco tourism, the cruise industry has had to find ways to transform itself into a sustainable method of travel. And thus, the birth of the eco cruise! Here are a few ways in which eco cruises have adjusted their services to become less detrimental to our environment…
Energy Efficiency
Let’s start with the basics: energy. Cruise ships are no little dinghies…they are absolutely massive ships with approximately three times the capacity of the Titanic (just for comparison) and therefore suck up a whole lot of energy. Eco cruises have become much more energy efficient though the use of solar powered ships, LED bulbs throughout and low flow showerheads. All creating a marvellously low energy cruise!
Waste
Waste reduction is key to transforming cruises into eco friendly environments. This can be accomplished through various methods such as water filtration systems, which turn all black water and waste water into a much cleaner condition before being returned back to the ocean. We’re sure the fishies are especially thankful for this one! Waste reduction also applies to other areas – like the kitchen, who can save their cooking oil to be transformed into fuel for other parts of the ship. Generally, keeping in line with the phrase ‘nothing goes overboard’ has meant ensuring that everything is being recycled and has even brought about the abolition of plastic bottles and disposable utensils on board. Eco friendliness is being brought down to the absolute detail here!
Routes & Fuel
For ships still consuming fuel, alternative measures can be put into place such as shorter routes, which lower the amount of fuel used. In addition to this, tide schedules can be maximised to reduce fuel usage and some ships even use plug in power at port so they’re not running off fuel unnecessarily.
Staff
It’s not just the ships that can be upgraded – staff knowledge can too! Eco cruises ensure that all members of staff are eco educated, with some ships even having environmental officers on board to ensure all requirements are being adhered to.
Amenities
Like any hotel, lodge or chalet, the guests on a cruise expect a certain level of amenities to be available to them. Such as towel changes, free toiletries and crispy white linens. All this takes a lot of energy and a lot of product. So things like towel reuse can be put in place, products can be changed to non-toxic biological cleaning solutions and bed changes can be made optional instead of by default. It may seem like small steps but every little helps to create change on a grand scale.
We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this subject. Have you been on an eco cruise yourself? Do you think that all hospitality sectors should be offering eco-friendly versions of their services? What else do you think can be done to reduce our carbon footprint on the world? Get in touch!
We need your consent to travel on! By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
