Green Cruising

As cruise travelers, we all have a part to play, but it is possible to indulge yourself without letting your eco-consciousness be washed out with the tide. Instead of sacrificing comfort and relaxation on your next cruise, all you need to do is research your options and make smart choices. Let's dive a little deeper and check out some cruise lines making good waves for sustainable cruising:

Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines has the first "earth-friendly" dry-cleaning system, which uses environmentally safe detergents and reduces hazardous chemical runoff. Through an alliance with the International SeaKeepers Society, Carnival has installed devices on Carnival Triumph and Carnival Spirit that monitor ocean water quality. The monitor transmits data via satellite to environmental groups, governmental agencies and universities to aid in assessing ocean pollution and researching global climate changes and weather patterns.

Holland America Line
Holland America Line was named most eco-friendly cruise line for its commitment to responsible environmental practices and for its cutting edge emission reduction technology on its ms Zaandam ship. Essentially, a modification to the exhaust stack on the ship, a scrubber reduces engine emissions - using seawater. In addition, Holland America is employing a new hybrid power system combining traditional diesel-electric and newer gas-turbine engines in its new Vista Class fleet.

Where Holland America Line is breaking new boundaries 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.

While stationed in Seattle, Holland America will buy and use electricity ("shore power") provided by Seattle City Light for select ships instead of burning shipboard fuels. This move will reduce both fuel consumption and air emissions.

Norwegian Cruise Line
The only solid waste discharged to sea by Norwegian Cruise Line is food waste, considered safe because either animals consume it or natural elements break it down in the water. Each ship either treats black water, disposes of it on shore or discharges it at sea more than 12 miles from land.

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. Possible activities include a simulated beach cleanup and an environmental poster contest.

Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises has reduced air pollution created by idling vessels in port by modifying their engines so they can be turned off while docked and plugged into a nearby land-based hydro-electric power plant. The electricity from the plant is transferred to the ships via specially designed cables. While this currently exists in only three ports-including Vancouver, at a cost of $9 million dollars alone; the cruise line feels it's worth the environmental investment and hopes to expand this inventive solution.

Princess shore power program made history when it debuted in Juneau, Alaska in the summer of 2001. It expanded to Seattle in summer 2005 and is expected to roll out in other ports that have made commitments to the technology, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises
Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have added alternative engine technology -gas turbine- to their newest ships. This syste reduces nitrous oxide emissions by 80% and sulfur oxide by 98%. As an added bonus, the engine is quieter than traditional ones.

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. As well, the line eliminates all disposable plastic items typically available to guests, such as shampoo bottles, plastic plates and flatware -- in favor of reusable or biodegradable options.

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.

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