Green Cruise – 10 Tips for Finding a Truly Eco-Friendly Cruise

There is a big difference between a cruise that does the minimum to be green and a cruise that is designed from green principles. Many ethical companies provide exceptional trips of the highest quality – and do it with nature in mind.

I hope these tips to help you find a truly green cruise will let you avoid disappointment, and instead experience the joy of travelling with people who embrace a light touch on the planet.

1. Hunt Around a Bit to Find a Green Cruise

Companies that offer green cruises, from sailboats to small power boats, exist in many parts of the world, including popular cruising destinations like Alaska. But they are often smaller companies, who cannot afford the large ads that some of the bigger companies can afford. They also attract smaller numbers of people online. So use the Internet to search, and be sure to check the second and third page of search results on Google. And use the words green or ecotourism with your other search terms.

2. Green Cruises Have Very Low Impact on the Planet

Look at the company’s brochures and website. Do they mention how they ensure a very low impact on the planet? Do they build structures on shore? Do they recycle the majority of their waste? Do they discharge oily bilge water into the ocean or do they filter and clean it?

3. Small Group Size

Do they limit the size of their groups to a small number of people (about 10 or fewer in some cases) to respect the carrying capacity of sensitive ecosystems and the tolerance levels of wildlife? Do they respect wildlife and allow them to continue their natural behaviour?

4. Properly Trained and Educated Guides

Are the guides familiar with wildlife viewing guidelines? Have they training and experience guiding you around wildlife? Are they educated in wilderness travel and navigation? Check these things out.

5. Cruises Are Run By Residents and Locals

Green companies ensure they are socially responsible. Often this is because they are run by the people that live in the area. Ask what percentage of the crew are local to the area. Ask if the business is registered in the country you’re visiting. You might be surprised to find how many cruise ships are registered in far away countries! This will benefit you, as well as the local economy, since you’ll have truly local experts as your guides and crew.

6. The Majority of the Business’ Money is Spent in the Area You Are Visiting

Ask where and how the ship is supplied for your trip. Green companies want to support the area they travel in, so they will supply the ship locally.

7. Education of Nature, Culture & Their Status

Key tenets of ecotourism, which is a good metric to use (see The International Ecotourism Society for details), are:

• Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
  
• Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
  
• Raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climate

8. Money and Time Dedicated to Conservation – In Proportion With Overall Revenues

If you’re having an amazing bear viewing or whale viewing experience, or you’re thrilled with the plumage and behaviour of seabirds, you want to know that your vacation is helping protect that wildlife. Find out what proportion of the company’s revenues (not profits, a number that is far smaller, but revenues) are given to conservation.

If you focus on the percentage, you’ll see that a smaller company that dedicates 1% of revenues is giving proportionally more money to conservation than a large company that dedicates 1% of profits – even though the dollar value of the larger company’s contributions may be higher.

9. Ask About These Things

If you aren’t sure that the website and brochure answered your questions, just call or email the company and ask. A truly green cruise company will be happy that you did.

10. Ask For a Customer Reference

Finally, if you’d like to get a candid report of another guest’s experience on a trip – just ask for it. Most companies have guests they know who would agree to speak to someone considering a trip. If you love the planet and its natural systems, it’s only right to choose a truly green cruise.

But there’s an additional benefit: a 2010 study of Travelocity hotel customers found that they consistently rated green hotels with a higher satisfaction rate than non-green hotels. The theory is that people who are proactively making their businesses green are caring people. And caring people give you better hospitality than uncaring ones!

So go ahead – reward caring people with your business. It may take you longer to find them, but I bet you’ll be glad that you did. As my husband, who runs a green cruise business says: you only get to vote about once every four years, but you vote every day with your dollars – so use those dollars to elect a better world.

Tags: bilge water, sensitive ecosystems, wilderness travel