cruising
GREEN IS THE NEW OCEAN BLUE Cruise lines clean up their environmental act. BY J.D. BROWN AND MARGARET BACKENHEIMER
GOING GREEN:
Crystal Cruises will replace plastic straws and stirrers with bamboo and metal versions. PHOTOS: Š CRYSTAL CRUISES, Š SABELSKAYA DREAMSTIME.COM
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WITH HYBRID AND ELECTRIC CARS sparking a revolution in land-based vehicles, cruise lines worldwide are riding a green wave as well. Everything from diesel fuel to plastic drinking straws is walking the plank in the name of improving the environment and combating climate change. As cruise ships clean up their act, passengers become more directly involved. Most major lines now have environmental officers to oversee that greener measures take hold from stem to stern. One prime target: the plastic straw as well as the plastic drink container itself. These staples of a happy holiday cruise are on their way out. Crystal Cruises, for example, will replace plastic straws and stirrers with bamboo and metal versions, while Holland America Line and Carnival Cruises hand out plastic straws only upon request. Going a step further, Norwegian Cruise Line and Regent Seven Seas Cruises pledged to eliminate all unreusable plastic water bottles. And Disney Cruise Line aims to reduce plastics in its staterooms by 80 percent by relying on refillable in-room amenities instead. While cruise lines join the crusade to eliminate single-use plastics, they also look to curb climate-changing emissions. One notable green technology routinely incorporated into new ships and retrofits is shore-power hookups
globaltravelerusa.com
APRIL 2020
