The topic of emissions has been discussed at length within the cruise sector this year, as the industry’s biggest players strategise how to move forward.
The most recent exec to touch on the issue is Regent Seven Seas Cruises President and CEO Jason Montague, who says the company is committed to preserving the world’s oceans and environment.
Speaking to Travel Weekly, Montague said the mission of Regent Seven Seas is “to bring travellers to experience new destinations and all the different cultures in this wonderful world, which we also want to protect for future generations to enjoy and benefit from”.
“We are in a highly regulated industry and Regent Seven Seas Cruises already complies with all the environmental standards set by international and regional regulatory agencies,” he added.
For Montague, while he acknowledges the industry has a long way to go, he also hoped to highlight the huge steps it’s taken to combat the issue.
“I think the industry has come a long way and we are all dedicated to exploring new ideas and applying new technologies in our ongoing efforts to minimise our impact on our environment,” Montage said.
His comments come only a few months on from an explosive UK-lead investigation from July which claimed cruise ships’ air pollution is as bad as some of the world’s most polluted cities.
From the UK’s Channel 4, Dispatches, the report found that even out on the open waters, air pollution on some cruise ships is double that of central London.
Per Dispatches, the exhaust fumes that flood out of the ship when out at sea are not covered by regulations on land that limit emissions, and the fuel oil used to power cruise ships is allowed to carry 3,500 times more sulphur than road fuel.
In response to the report, The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia MD Joel Katz told Travel Weekly environment is paramount for the industry.
“Environmental sustainability is at the heart of the cruise lines’ economic model.”
Making up less than one per cent of the global maritime community, cruise lines are, according to Katz, leaders in “developing responsible environmental practices and innovative technologies that lead the world’s shipping sector in reducing emissions and waste”.
At the time, Katz said, “CLIA members have invested more than a billion dollars in the technology to minimize emissions and 87 alternative fuel ships are in the pipeline between 2017 and 2026.”
