How to be a More Eco-Conscious Cruiser: Top 8 Tips
When it comes to going on holiday, more and more people are looking for ways to improve the carbon footprint they leave. Even the smallest of actions whilst on holiday can help the environment, and if every holiday goer follows suit, the impact that these small changes have will be immense.
Being more eco-conscious on a cruise is a hot topic in particular, with people looking at what the most environmentally friendly ships are, what the cruise line itself is doing to help the environment and what they can do to support these efforts.
Sustainable tourism is rapidly picking up traction, with cruise lines taking steps such as organising beach cleanups, highlighting the importance of buying local when on shore and assisting with local environment initiatives.
If you’ve booked a cruise getaway in the near future and are looking for ways to be more eco-conscious whilst on board, here are some top tips you can use!
Bring a Reusable Water Bottle
This might sound obvious, but by bringing a reusable water bottle onboard, you’re contributing to less plastic waste. Even though many cruise lines offer recycling facilities onboard, by opting to bring your own water bottle, you can use it throughout the cruise (both onboard and on shore) without having to throw the bottle away. Plus, many cruise ships have water bottle filling stations that you can use during your holiday to top up your water whenever you need it.
Don’t Over Order on Your Food
Cruise lines often have lots of choices when it comes to food onboard; especially in their buffet restaurants. However, it can be easy to overindulge in these; resulting in lots of food being wasted. Yes, there are lots of options and it’s hard to choose only a few things. But by only taking what you can physically eat from the buffet or not over ordering at the a la carte restaurants, it will help to positively contribute to the amount of food that will go to waste.
Virgin Voyages are a great example of a cruise line that’s supporting sustainable tourism. For example, they are helping to reduce the amount of food they waste onboard by not having any buffet restaurants.
Reuse your towels
Being on holiday is a great excuse to relax, unwind and not worry about household chores like washing. But this luxury leads to many people wanting new towels every day. However, whilst this is a nice perk of being on holiday, the amount of water and electricity it takes to clean these towels is immense on a cruise ship. To help reduce this, opt to reuse your towels; even if it’s just for one extra day, it will make a difference in the long run.
Choose Excursions Carefully
When booking a shore excursion, there are often lots to choose from. And one way you can contribute to sustainable tourism is by booking a tour with a local business. By choosing a local, native company, you’ll be putting money back into the community- which can only benefit the area.
Another way you can help is by opting for a shore excursion with a low carbon footprint. For example, MSC Cruises offer walking tours, cycling tours and kayaking tours in many destinations. Alternatively, many cruise lines will offer shore excursions with a smaller capacity or ones that venture further afield to help prevent ‘over tourism’ in the area.
Go Paperless
Traditionally, cruise lines would print off all of their daily programmes, daily bills and other information which they then would drop off in your cabin. And although many cruise lines still do this, more are opting to put all of the information on their app. It’s still possible to request paper versions, but by using the app and other online information, you’ll help to contribute to less paper waste.
Don’t Litter
This might also seem obvious, but whilst you’re onboard, make sure that you don’t throw any litter into the sea and you are using the recycling/bin receptacles. And whilst onshore, you’re throwing all of your litter away.
Bring Reusable Bags
A lot of people have started to use reusable bags whilst doing their weekly food shop. And these reusable bags should be also used on holiday. By bringing reusable bags, you won’t have to opt for plastic bags; which wear out after a few uses and then can’t be recycled. It’s no secret that a lot of plastic is going into the ocean and it’s destroying marine life as well as damaging local coastal communities, so by bringing reusable bags with you, you’ll be making a positive step to reducing the amount of plastic waste.
Respect Marine Life
There are several ways you can help the local marine life whilst on a cruise. Firstly, you can opt to use sun cream that’s considered reef safe. Look for sun cream that has no parabens, Oxybenzone, Octinoxate or Octocrylene. Another step you can take is to ‘look, but not touch’ the local marine life, such as turtle nests. By respecting the marine life around you whilst on holiday, it will help it to thrive.
Book a Getaway with Iglu Cruise
Cruising is a wonderful way to see the world. With so many different cruise lines to choose from, visiting a number of different destinations, you’ll be able to find a cruise getaway that suits your preferences and budget. Book a getaway with Iglu Cruise and find the perfect cruise for you. Discover our extensive selection of cruise deals here.