Despite my wallet being a little slimmer these days, I find myself gazing wistfully at vacation ads, clicking through travel websites for exotic cruise line packages. . .
The cruise industry has, since its inception, boasted the entire package: trips ranging from as few as three days to weeks at sea. . . casinos, restaurants, pools, dancing, entertainment, stuff for the kids. . .
Cruises offer the vacationer the ultimate dichotomy of relaxation and the chance to party, without ever leaving a grandiose ship. And they're becoming one of the most affordable options in today's vacation unfriendly economy.
But for many, the cruise line industry proposes an ethical dilemma alongside the ultimate-getaway-package for cheap.
It's no secret that ocean cruise lines serve up more than just the chance to sip margaritas on the top deck. . .
According to Oceana, the average cruise ship produces the following volume of waste, daily:
- 25,000 gallons of sewage from toilets;
- 143,000 gallons of sewage from sinks, galleys and showers;
- seven tons of garbage and solid waste;
- 5 gallons of toxic chemicals;
- 7,000 gallons of oily bilge water
Cruises have, for decades, been under the scrutiny of environmentally-conscious passengers, as well as conservation groups like Oceana. Since 2003, Oceana has been a major catalyst in drumming up research, support, and reform to establish national standards for discharges from cruise vessels into the waters of the United States, and for other purposes. The Clean Cruise Ship Act, first introducted in 2003, was most recently reintroduced to Congress last year. It has yet to be passed into law.
And while the bill is obviously heavily disputed and opposed by the cruise industry, the message sent by cruise passengers and protestors who would like the industry to clean up their act seems to have been heard. . .
Port Metro Vancouver (Can), a major hub for the ever-popular Alaskan cruises, just this week showcased its electrical grid powered by British Columbia's local utility, BC Hydro. The third of its kind worldwide, a nearby land-based hydro-electric power plant transfers power to docked ships via specially designed cables. BC Hydro boasts this power source is "90 percent nonpolluting."
Princess Cruises is among those which have modified their engines so that they "plug in" at night, turning off engines and cutting down on idle time and subsequent pollution.
This electrical grid parking option comes at a pretty penny — $4.5 million dollars — but Princess feels "it's worth the environmental investment and hopes to expand this inventive solution."
Holland America equipped one of its ships to use "shore power" for the 2009 Alaska season, which began in May and will run through September.
"This project will significantly improve local air quality by reducing air emissions from cruise ships in downtown Vancouver throughout the cruise ship season," said Andrew Saxton, a Member of Parliament for North Vancouver.
Seems that most cruise lines are making greener efforts these days. . .
Royal Caribbean Cruises has invested close to $100 million dollars in Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) technology, a system that treats water so it is safe to discharge at sea, to upgrade its entire fleet. Norwegian Cruise Lines and Celebrity Cruises have already both revamped their ships with AWT.
Celebrity Cruises has also added gas turbines to their newest ships in an effort to reduce nitrous oxide emissions by 80 percent and sulfur oxide by 98 percent.
Holland America boasts Vista-class fleets running on diesel-electric or gas-turbine engines, and is in the process of testing new technology that allows them to reduce smokestack emissions with seawater.
So if you're looking to take a more consumer-conscious vacation this year, there's still a few weeks left in the Alaska cruise season for you to check out what technology and an effort to reduce waste at sea can do when they're put to good use by big ships.
If the cruise industry's green credentials aren't on par with your own, there are other options for environmentally-conscious getaways, including eco-resorts like Maho Bay Camps and Estate Concordia Preserve on St. John, Virgin Islands. Members of the International Ecotourism Society, Maho Bay has been recognized as an award-winning sustainable vacation destination. The resorts combine a tropical setting with activities like scuba diving and yoga, while their accommodation uses solar energy and low-flush toilets.
Eco-resorts are growing increasingly popular among those who wish to enjoy a week in paradise, or who are looking to learn about environmental preservation and conservation through eco-seminars. . . all the while, leaving as small a footprint on their destination as possible.
Brigid Darragh
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