Featured Image Credit: Business Insider
By: Lindsay Edgar
Are you planning a cruise this summer?
What better way to travel and enjoy the open ocean than climbing aboard a ship that’s essentially it’s own floating city. Complete with casinos, restaurants, theaters, and even water parks, cruise ships have entertainment for everyone. Every amenity imaginable is at a guest’s fingertips.
Amidst of all of the wow-factors, there lies a more concerning reality of cruise travel: It’s all fun and games until the ocean gets polluted.
Because of the recent explosion in popularity, the cruise industry has put certain stresses on the ecosystems that the ships sail through. The ships run on tons of fuel and emit underwater noise, while the passengers generate billions of tons of waste in the forms of sewage and trash.
Since the thousands of vacationers are happily enjoying their leisure time on these massive ships, the waste left behind goes unnoticed. But believe us, the environment notices.
Photo Credit: Source
According to an annual report card done by Friends of the Earth (FOE), patrons can access ratings of their favorite cruise lines and are able to make informed decisions about choosing an eco-conscious one.
The report card made by FOE gives each cruise line a letter grade, similar to if they were being assessed in the classroom. The categories under scrutiny are: sewage treatment, air pollution reduction, water quality compliance, transparency, the change from 2014, and the overall final grade. To sum it up, Disney Cruise Line scored at the head of the class while other crowd favorites fell behind.
As a multi-billion dollar industry, cruise lines are adept at listening to their guests’ needs and their feedback. Because of the public’s growing concern for the environment, many of them have stepped up their game in the “green” department and have made moves to become more environmentally friendly.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Larino / Carnival Cruise Lines via nola.com
After all, the industry does rely on the existence of beautiful places around the globe. Why wouldn’t they want to preserve those wonderful habitats?
Cruising while having concern for the ocean’s future also places part of the responsibility in the hands of the guest. So, do your background research and check the ship’s policies before you head out to sea.
The ocean will thank you!