Cruise Lines Highlight Make a Difference Day
In honor of Make a Difference Day (October 27, 2018), the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is highlighting some of the initiatives cruise lines are taking part in to help make a difference at sea and beyond:
Donations and Partnerships
Costa Cruises, in partnership with the Francesca Rava Foundation, has built the Costa Crociere Foundation to assist rebuilding Norcia, Italy, after the earthquake of October 30, 2016, which damaged the town’s schools. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, Costa started donating one Euro for every Amatriciana pasta dish served at its onboard restaurants. Guests also were be able to make donations in support of the project that helped rebuild the town’s schools.
Carnival Cruise Line works in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to support the organization’s many lifesaving initiatives through innovative fundraising efforts both onboard and ashore. Since the partnership began in 2010, Carnival has raised more than $16 million for St. Jude.
Community Outreach
Paul Gauguin Cruises promotes sustainable travel to the island communities the line cruises to. With itineraries designed around the mission of giving back to local residents and supporting the local economy, the line encourages travelers to experience the local communities each trip visits. Paul Gauguin offers guests a chance to immerse themselves in the community by learning bark weaving and plant conservation from locals in the botanical gardens; boosting the economy in the local marketplace; and responsibly exploring ancient temples, pineapple plantations, and locally owned black pearl farms with local guides.
Educational Efforts
AmaWaterways, sponsors the ODA Free Village English School in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The school was established in 2011 in association with Opportunities of Development through Art (ODA). The cruise line’s support of the school brings critical English-language skills to local children to help improve their lives and support their success.
At-Sea Sustainability
From clean technology to bans on disposable items to recycling efforts, nearly all cruise lines are constantly updating their sustainability practices. For instance, MSC Cruises is heavily invested in cleaner emissions and other environmental technology solutions including LNG-powered cruise vessels that create cleaner exhaust and produces energy with approximately 20 percent less CO2 emissions. The line is also investing in selective catalyst reduction systems, a solution that helps reduce nitrogen oxide into harmless nitrogen and water through advanced active emissions control technology.
To cut down on disposable waste, when Virgin Voyages launches its first ship in 2020, there will be an onboard policy that bans all single-use plastics including plastic straws, bottled water, shopping bags, beverage stirrers and more.