The world has changed and so have cruises…
Nowadays, cruising looks a little different than what you are used to. The world too cruises for the good of the environment, he had to submit to certain sustainable practices.
Disposable plastic
Many cruise lines have eliminated plastic straws from their offerings in recent years. Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten is working to become the first plastic-free cruise line, and a popular one is following suit Royal Caribbean. The online platform Muster Station calculated that the average guest on a cruise ship uses five straws a day. With around 420,000 people cruising at any given time, that means over 2 million straws are used on ships every day. So 750 million every year! As many as 11 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year, so this is a small but important step on the way to a clean environment.
Printed daily trailer
After dinner, you sometimes returned to your cabin, where a towel animal was waiting for you on your bed, with a printed trailer of the next day's events next to it. Last year, however, cruise lines stopped printing trailers and encouraged guests to access the program via a mobile application. Not all cruise lines have taken this kind of measure so far, but it seems that from now on the trailers will only be available online or at guest information.
Cruising without a destination
Some cruise lines offered guests to board a ship and then sail for several days in international waters, with no port or destination. So-called Aimless Cruises have been a short but relaxing escape for many. Nowadays, however, they are no longer offered by many cruise companies such as Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.
Filming with a drone
Drones make for some amazing footage, but they've been banned by many cruise lines ever since. Reason? Safety of the captain, ship, crew and other passengers. “There have been some cases where drones have caused problems. We also recently had a case where a drone crashed very close to a ship in port," Carnival representative John Heald wrote on Facebook. Drones are therefore prohibited in many ports, and the fine can amount to several thousand euros (including the destruction of the drone).
Disposable bottles
Norwegian has eliminated single-use bottles. At one time, the aforementioned company counted as many as 6 million used bottles annually. Instead, they now offer water in fully recyclable paper packaging with a sugar cane cap. The cruise line is also working to replace the plastic packaging of shampoos and conditioners. The moves are part of Sail & Sustain's environmental program to reduce waste and carbon emissions.
Cabin lights on
Like most European hotels, many cruise lines now use a system to control the lights and electrical outlets in their cabins. This means that when you enter the room, you insert the card into a special device, and as a result, the electrical wiring in your room starts up. When you leave and take the card that unlocks the room, it dims, meaning you won't need to charge your electronic devices while you're away.
