Travelling by cruise ship is the ultimate holiday for some. With everything you could want aboard a luxurious ship out in the middle of the ocean, it is easy to see why. In fact, the cruise ship industry has projected that more than 27 million people will take a cruise this year alone and those figures have risen by 20% in just the last five years. Whatever it is that draws you to the sights, smells and sounds of the ocean, choosing a sustainable cruise holiday is important.
What To Look For In A Cruise Ship
When choosing a cruise line for your sustainable holiday travel, there are many things to look for to ensure it is as sustainable and environmentally friendly a mode of travel as possible. Here are some basic questions to ask:
- How is the cruise ship line decreasing emissions?
- What do they do to reduce power usage?
- Do they use shore power when docked so they can turn off the engines and reduce air pollution?
- How does the cruise line deal with wastewater and do they use low-flow showers and a purification system aboard the ship?
- What do they treat their ballast and bilge water with?
- What happens to the ship’s passenger waste?
- Do they use natural, plant-based cleaning supplies?
- Is the fish/seafood onboard sustainably sourced?
How You Can Minimise Your Environmental Impact When Travelling By Cruise Ship
While these are all important questions to ask when choosing a cruise line for your next holiday, there are some things that you can do to minimise your own environmental impact when travelling by cruise ship.
Keep Your Own Waste To A Minimum- just like at home, reduce and recycle wherever possible and don’t throw any waste overboard.
Reduce Your Plastic Usage- be sure to bring along a refillable water bottle to avoid using disposable plastic bottles while on holiday and bring a canvas shopping bag to reduce your use of plastic shopping bags while shopping on holiday.
Reduce Your Energy Consumption- always turn off the lights you are not using in your cabin and unplug your electrical devices such as phone chargers.
Reduce Your Water Usage- again, just like at home, reduce your water usage by taking shorter showers, reusing your towels and turning off the tap when not in use.
Know of a sustainable cruise line? Tweet us suggestions @SustyTrip
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