Cruise Ships Strive To Be Environmentally Friendly
January 24, 2010 by admin
Filed under Green Holidays
Cruise lines have recently come under a great deal of pressure from governments to clean up their act and make cruising a more sustainable and environmentally friendly activity. Cruise ships have long been known to be one of the more ‘unclean’ modes of transport, which is an image many cruise lines are keen to move away from. Add to this the fact that many governments are now charging cruise companies extra in tax for high carbon emissions, and cleaning up cruises suddenly seems like a good idea to companies. Here are 3 of the latest ‘green’ cruising developments.
Improved Ship Efficiency. Old ship designs really didn’t have their environmental impact in mind, but the latest ships are built from sustainable materials and put together using eco-friendly techniques. The materials are getting lighter so less energy is needed for propulsion, soft sails are often being included, and a company in Ireland have pioneered a biogas-powered engine, set to soon be used by Cunard Cruises. The very same Irish company are also working on hydrodynamic hulls that actually convert wave energy into forward momentum.
Hybrid Boats. Automobiles that rely on both fuel combustion and battery power have been around for a little while now and have proved very popular. Now ship builders such as those making boats for Silversea Cruises are getting in on the action and making boats that couple the traditional diesel power with electrical power. When a ship comes into harbor it is connected to the shoreside power source and gets a quick charge up of its huge batteries
Cargo-Pooling. A great idea being trialled by Oceania Cruises is ‘cargo sharing’. If a cruise ship has not filled all its spaces, it can offer to carry commercial cargo for other companies sending things to the same place, for a small commission of course. The cruise company wins as they get money they would otherwise not have got, the cargo company does not have to charter its own boat, and energy is saved that reduces carbon emissions.
