Environmentally Friendly Cruise Ship Development
Cruising companies have recently felt the persuasive powers of various governments, who have asked them to clean up their act and develop ships that are more sustainable and environmentally viable. The extent to which cruise ships damage the environment really entered the public's consciousness a few years ago with a number of critical expert reports released to the media, and this is something cruise companies wish to put behind them. 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.
More Efficient Ships. Not only are ships now being made from more sustainable materials and but they are also being designed and constructed to more efficient specifications. 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 Vessels. 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 berthed, a ship simply plugs in to the shoreside power supply and charges its batteries, what could be easier
Cargo-Pooling. A great idea being trialled by Oceania Cruises is ‘cargo sharing’. When a cruise ship has spare room onboard, they effectively rent it out to companies wishing to transport cargo to the destination on the ships path. A few extra bucks are earned by the cruise companies who would have otherwise wasted space, the company who are shipping the cargo massively save on costs and less pollution is released into the environment. Everyone's a winner.