WORLD TRAVEL HOLDINGS NAMED 2011 "ELITE TRAVEL PARTNER OF THE YEAR" BY NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

Wilmington, MA - December 5, 2011 - World Travel Holdings (WTH) - the nation's leading cruise retailer - today announced that it has been named Norwegian Cruise Line's 2011 "Elite Travel Partner of the Year."  The company, which includes CruiseOne, Cruises Inc. and numerous other brands, was chosen for its overall revenue, year-over-year growth and commitment to the Norwegian brand.

 

In presenting WTH with this recognition, Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line's president and chief executive officer, said "in 2011, we renewed our commitment to the travel agency community with the introduction of Partners First, our corporate philosophy of putting travel partners first.  Norwegian Cruise Line's success relies on the support of our travel partners and we appreciate their dedication to our brand."

In late 2010, WTH's home-based division - which encompasses CruiseOne franchisees and Cruises Inc. agents - held its annual National Conference aboard Norwegian Epic.  That event was the largest in the companies' history and was instrumental in building upon WTH's relationship with the cruise line, providing firsthand product knowledge to attendees and offering top producers unprecedented access to the Norwegian Cruise Line team.

In accepting this year's award, Brad Tolkin, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of WTH said "I am honored to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the WTH employees, CruiseOne franchisees and Cruises Inc. agents who embraced this relationship and really made it happen in 2011.  We deeply value our partnership with Norwegian and know that their commitment to us has been critical in achieving a mutually successful partnership."

Dwain Wall, Senior Vice President and General Manager of CruiseOne and Cruises Inc., added "Norwegian Cruise Line has taken its commitment to the travel agency distribution model to new levels in 2011 with their Partners First initiative.  As an organization, WTH appreciates all that Norwegian continues doing to help us be successful.  This award signifies what two like-minded companies can achieve together, by supporting each other in every possible way."

UN Agencies Unveil Ten Proposals to Safeguard the Ocean

United Nations agencies in Paris today launched a plan to improve the management of oceans and coastal areas. The Blueprint for Ocean and Coastal Sustainability sounds the alarm about the health of the oceans, and explains how they influence our everyday life by regulating the climate, providing highly-nutritious and by sustaining livelihoods and economies. It recalls that although the ocean accounts for 70 per cent of the surface of our planet, only one per cent of it is protected.

Presented at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters during the 36th session of the General Conference, the Blueprint was prepared for consideration by the UN conference on sustainable development (Rio+20, June 2012).

It proposes a series of concrete measures to:

•        Create a global blue carbon market as a means of creating direct economic gain through habitat protection
•        Fill governance gaps in the high seas, by reinforcing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
•        Support the development of green economies in small island developing states
•        Promote research on ocean acidification- how to adapt to it and mitigate it.
•        Increase institutional capacity for scientific monitoring of oceans and coastal areas
•        Reform and reinforce regional ocean management organisations
•        Promote responsible fisheries and aquaculture in a green economy
•        Strengthen legal frameworks to address aquatic invasive species
•        “Green” the nutrient economy (fertilizers for example) to reduce ocean hypoxia and promote food security
•        Enhance coordination, coherence and effectiveness of the UN system on ocean issues.

The Blueprint was prepared by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

It emphasizes that 60 per cent of the world’s major marine ecosystems have been degraded or are being used unsustainably, resulting in huge economic and social losses. Mangrove forests have lost 30 to 50 per cent of their original cover while coral reefs have lost 20 per cent, increasing the vulnerability of many highly populated coastal areas. The ocean absorbs close to 26 per cent of atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions which is provoking acidification that is already threatening some varieties of plankton and poses a threat to the entire marine food chain and dependant socio-economic activities.

Some of these phenomena are not new but are aggravated by cumulative pressures such as climate change, intensified human activity and technological advances. Furthermore, ecosystems situated in the deep ocean, where biodiversity and habitats often have major value, but are generally not well understood, have virtually no protection at all.

The international community pledged to tackle these challenges at the Summits of Rio (1992) and Johannesburg (2002). However the commitments made remain largely ineffectual and their objectives have not been met. Such has been the case for the pledge to restore fish stocks to sustainable levels by 2015, and the promise to create networks of protected marine areas by 2012. Few countries have adopted legislation to reduce land-based marine pollution, leading to an increase in the number of dead ocean areas. More than 400 marine areas have been listed as “biologically dead” to date.

“The full implementation of many of these goals and targets will require further efforts by States, intergovernmental organizations and the international community,” state the authors of the report. They claim the present situation is the result of insufficient political will and resources, inadequate institutional capacities, insufficient scientific data and market imbalances.

“Greening the Blue Economy will be science and technology driven,” they conclude. “But success will depend on sound policy processes and effective institutional arrangements and will therefore require commitment and funding from the international community as well as nations and industry.”

From "Cruise Industry News", 1 November 2011

Green: Environmental Society on Explorer

Onboard Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, the eco-culture extends from a recently advanced wastewater purification(AWP) system installation to garbage processing, recycling, fuel savings, education and more, as showed by Richard Pruitt, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ associate vice president of environmental programs, and Explorer of the Seas Environmental Officer Bridget Sullivan, on an exclusive ship visit with Cruise Industry News (CIN).

Installing an AWP during a ship’s service life is not exactly plug and play, Pruitt noted.  The ship, launched more than a decade ago in 2000, was in the middle of an AWP installation, using equipment from Scanship. The installation was started in May and scheduled to go online in late September (as this issue went to press).  That meant finding space in mechanical areas on a ship that predated the idea of AWP, which includes mixing tanks and a bioreactor, as well as other equipment. Guidelines set by Royal say existing grey and black water systems will also remain intact as a redundancy.   The vessel’s water-making ability is split between reverse osmosis and evaporators, which borrow heat from the engine room.

“Volume reduction is key (for waste),” said Pruitt, pointing to 1,600 pounds of crushed glass that took up the same amount of space as a small pallet delivery. This gives the line a great opportunity to hold garbage until it has the best opportunity to recycle it.  Other neat toys include a tool to puncture aerosol cans, as well as a fluorescent bulb crusher.

Sullivan pointed out the discharge log on the bridge, which is also available on computers in offices next to the engine control room.  A complicated, attention-to-detail lover’s dream of a color-coded Excel spreadsheet includes specifics such as time, date, position, speed (Royal has specific rules about this), and various other details. Discharge plans are also coordinated and fact-checked by both the bridge and the environmental officer.  As one source put it to CIN: “The logs are the basis of any ship inspection.”

Bilge water is heated to around 50 degrees Celsius, which lets the greatest gravitational separation occur between oil and water, moving oil to the top of tanks – which is then sent to separators to remove oil and other contaminants. The system will continually treat any water that checks in above five parts per million (contamination level) before moving it into the “clean tank.”

With the company calling at more than 400 ports this year, there are some issues, said Pruitt. Some calls require Royal to use a specific vendor, whether they want to or not. Plus, there is always that issue of where the garbage actually goes. But, the line tries to ensure proper handling of all waste, using methods such as compacting volume and storing waste for specific ports. Additionally, Royal set up auditing guidelines (on shoreside facilities) for environmental officers since 2010.  Sullivan said her job as the environmental officer onboard was all about education. “We need to educate people – passengers and crew – about proper separation and recycling. This is a working environment,” she continued.

“There is also a decent turnover with crew,” meaning that new crew members need to be brought up to speed. Sullivan also runs Royal Caribbean’s Save the Wavestraining onboard, which is required training for crew starting a new contract, no matter how long they have been at sea.

From "Cruise Industry News" 8 October 2011

JoAnne Shepler Joins Northwest Indiana CruiseOne

JoAnne Shepler, ACC has joined our CruiseOne franchise as an Associate and is located in the Indianapolis area. JoAnne is a seasoned travel specialist, a CLIA Accredited Cruise Counselor and holder of multiple certifications from the major cruise lines. She is currently pursuing a Master Cruise Counselor designation. Her client base includes couples, families and groups. Aside from cruises, JoAnne specializes in destination weddings, resorts and land based itineraries. Please visit www.cruiseNWI.com for more information

Pollution from Ships Plummets when Vessels Shift to Low-Sulfur Fuels

New clean fuel regulations in California and voluntary slowdowns by shipping companies substantially reduce air pollution caused by near-shore ships, according to a new NOAA-led study published online today in Environmental Science & Technology. The study examined a container ship operating under a 2009 California regulation requiring that ships switch to low-sulfur fuels as they approach the California coast, and also adhering to a voluntary state slowdown policy, intended to reduce pollution. The research team found that emissions of several health-damaging pollutants, including sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, dropped by as much as 90 percent. Findings of this study could have national and global significance, as new international regulations by the International Maritime Organization require vessels to switch to lower-sulfur fuel near U.S. and international coasts beginning in 2012. The research team found reductions in emissions even where none were expected, meaning even greater reductions in air pollution, and associated respiratory health effects in humans, than regulators originally estimated. “This study gives us a sense of what to expect in the future, for the people of California, the nation, and even the globe,” said Daniel Lack, chemist with NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. “This really is where science gets fun – a study with first-rate institutions, equipment and people, probing the effects of policy. It’s important to know that the imposed regulations have the expected impacts. The regulators want to know, the shipping companies want to know, and so do the people.” In May 2010, a NOAA research aircraft flew over a commercial container ship, Maersk Line’s Margrethe Maersk, about 40 miles off the coast of California. Researchers on the aircraft used sophisticated custom instruments to ‘sniff’ the ship’s emissions before the ship switched to lower-sulfur fuels (by law, within 24 miles of the California coast) and slowed down voluntarily. A few days later, scientists aboard the NOAA-sponsored Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute’s research vessel Atlantis sampled emissions of the same ship as it cruised slowly within the low-sulfur regulated zone.  Sulfur dioxide levels, which were expected to drop, did do so, plummeting 91 percent from 49 grams of emissions per kilogram of fuel to 4.3 grams. Sulfur dioxide is best known as a precursor to acid rain, but can degrade air quality in other ways, directly and indirectly through chemical reactions in the atmosphere. In particular, emissions of sulfur dioxide lead to formation of particulate matter in the atmosphere which poses serious public health concerns. Particulate matter pollution, regulated because it can damage people’s lungs and hearts, dropped 90 percent from 3.77 grams of emissions per kg of fuel to 0.39 grams.  Unexpectedly, black carbon levels also dropped, cut by 41 percent, the team reported. Black carbon comprises dark-colored particles that can warm the atmosphere and also degrade air quality. In 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its Canadian equivalent, Environment Canada, estimated that shifting to low-sulfur fuels near coasts could save as many as 8,300 lives per year in those two countries, and ease the acute respiratory symptoms faced by another 3 million. But that 2009 assessment did not include the observed drops in several pollutant categories that Lack and his colleagues found, so the authors suggest the impacts could be greater. Finally, the new paper discusses the net radiative (warming vs. cooling) effect of the ship’s fuel switch. Changes in the emissions of various air pollutants – some which have a warming effect, others which have cooling effects – likely mean net warming.  The project was funded by NOAA and the California Air Resources Board and conducted in close collaboration with the Maersk Line. “These scientific findings clearly demonstrate that ships off our coast now emit significantly less sulfur pollution than in the past,” said California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “This is good news for California and for the nation. When the federal regulations kick in for ships to use low-sulfur fuel, communities throughout America that live near shipping lanes and next to ports will see clean air benefits.” The new paper, Impact of Fuel Quality Regulation and Speed Reductions on Shipping Emissions: Implications for Climate and Air Quality, is available at the Environmental Science & Technology website. Lack’s 28 co-authors are from 10 research institutions from both the U.S. and Canada. From "Cruise Industry News", 12 September 2011

Princess Cruises Honored by Port of San Francisco for Environmental Efforts

Sea Princess has been honored by the Port of San Francisco with its annual “Cruise Ship Environmental Award.”  This distinction was earned for the ship's outstanding record in San Francisco during the 2010 season for air emissions reduction, advanced wastewater management, and recycling and disposal programs.  This is the sixth year Princess Cruises has earned this prestigious accolade. Sea Princess is able to “plug in” at the Port of San Francisco since the port’s new shore power facility launched in 2010.  The cruise ship terminal enables Sea Princess, and other equipped vessels, to use power from the city’s grid instead of the engines to power the ship’s onboard services – reducing emissions when docked in San Francisco.  The port became the fourth in the world where Princess Cruises’ ships can take advantage of this innovative technology. “We’re gratified that our environmental efforts are being recognized in San Francisco again, especially since we’ve been able to utilize our shore power technology at the port’s new facility,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president.  “We’re committed to doing our part to help ensure that pristine and beautiful ports like San Francisco stay that way.” The Port of San Francisco’s “Cruise Ship Environmental Award” is an annual award designed to recognize cruise ships that exceed existing environmental regulations and industry standards to achieve greater protection of the air and water quality of the San Francisco Bay Area.  Introduced in 2005, the award is given each year to individual cruise ships that call four times or more at the Port of San Francisco and demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding the environment  The awards are traditionally presented in the summer to recognize the past year’s cruise season, and Princess Cruises ships have won one or more awards every year. Sea Princess is based in San Francisco for the summer, cruising on 10-day roundtrip Alaska cruises.   Princess Cruises is committed to environmental practices which set a high standard for excellence and responsibility, and which help preserve the marine environment in which its ships operate.  The company’s environmental goals and policies go beyond what is required by law and include a zero solid waste discharge policy, state-of-the-art environmental technology and waste management equipment, programs to minimize waste generated, and recycling where possible.  The company also pioneered the use of shore power programs in the cruise industry to reduce air emissions.

From “Cruise Industry News”,  26 August 2011

2010: Year Of Significant Decreases in Air Pollution at Port of Los Angeles

Facilitating cargo movement while generating less pollution, the Port of Los Angeles continues to make green growth a reality. New data released this week shows that the Port has significantly cut emissions from cargo-handling operations between 2005 and 2010, including a 69 percent reduction in diesel particulate matter (DPM) even as cargo volumes rose by 5 percent during the same period.

“The air quality in the L.A. Harbor is improving as a result of the substantial investments by the Port, its tenants and other Port-related businesses have made in recent years by purchasing cleaner equipment and participating in a variety of emission-reduction initiatives,” said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. “Despite the challenging economy these past several years, our Port and local industry have worked hard to continue lowering emissions, and the five-year report card shows that our collective efforts are paying off.”

On a per-unit-of-cargo basis, the Port’s newly released 2010 Inventory of Air Emissions shows sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions per 10,000 TEUs have plummeted 76 percent and diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions and related pollutants (PM10, and PM2.5)) have dropped 71 percent since the first inventory in 2005. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions have fallen 52 percent, carbon monoxide (CO) 48 percent, and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions 45 percent since the baseline year. DPM is an identified toxic air contaminant and known carcinogen, and NOx and SOx are key components of smog.

Reducing emissions on a per-unit-of-cargo basis is a key objective of the Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). When it adopted the CAAP in 2006, the Port pledged not only to reduce overall emissions but to make sure that each ton of cargo would be moved with fewer emissions in coming years. That way, even if cargo volumes continue to rise, total port-related air pollution decline. The emissions inventory is one of the most important ways the Port measures progress toward CAAP goals.

Even on a year-to-year basis, the 2010 inventory shows impressive progress. Air emissions associated with cargo handling operations at the Port of Los Angeles shows DPM emissions down by 39 percent from 2009, NOx emissions down by 25 percent, and SOx emissions down by 45 percent. Other pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, CO, and HC) showed similar declines compared to 2009. The decrease comes despite a 16 percent increase in the amount of cargo handled at the Port compared to 2009. View the 2010 Air Quality Report Card here.

When linked to a fixed amount of cargo, the decreases are even more dramatic: DPM emissions per 10,000 TEUs of cargo handled dropped 47 percent in just one year, from 1,320 pounds in 2009 to 700 pounds in 2010, SOx emissions dropped by 53 percent, and PM10 and PM 2.5 dropped by 47 percent. The other pollutants in the inventory dropped almost as much: NOx by 36 percent, carbon monoxide by 35 percent, and hydrocarbons by 30 percent.

The emissions inventory uses actual records of activity by ships, trucks, trains, cranes, and other yard equipment; data on the types and ages of the equipment; and up-to-date information on emissions factors for the various engines to calculate the actual amount of emissions produced by port activities over the year. The technique was developed in cooperation with the South Coast AQMD and the California Air Resources Board to ensure accuracy and consistency with the inventory techniques used by those agencies in other applications.

“This is the second straight year we have achieved dramatic reductions in every emissions category,” said Knatz, who cited the state’s clean fuel requirements for vessels, the San Pedro Bay Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) program and the huge reduction in truck emissions resulting from the Port’s Clean Truck Program (CTP) as key factors in the unprecedented decline in pollution stemming from port-related operations since the start of the CAAP.

Additionally, emissions reductions have resulted from the millions of dollars the Port has spent retrofitting cargo handling equipment and harbor craft engines with pollution control devices, and pioneering the use of alternative fuels and power systems. New State air quality regulations also have helped slash emissions from the big diesel engines that power the movement of cargo at the Port.

From "Cruise Industry News" 18 August 2011

Marine Conservation Institute Announces 2011 Tegner Awards

The Marine Conservation Institute has announced the recipients of the 2011 Mia J. Tegner Memorial Research Grants in Marine Environmental History and Historical Marine Ecology. Funded through a partnership between Marine Conservation Institute and Holland America Line, this grant program is one of the first of its kind to support efforts to study past ocean conditions.

The 2011 Mia J. Tegner Memorial Research Grant Recipients are:
• Yulia Ivashchenko, National Marine Mammal Laboratory: “Soviet illegal whaling in the North Pacific: reconstructing catches, preserving memories.”
• Dr. Merry Camhi, Wildlife Conservation Society: “A four-century retrospective of marine fauna and fisheries around New York City.”
• Shaleyla Kelez, Duke University: “Historical baseline of diversity and abundance of Peruvian marine mega-vertebrates to disentangle climate from fisheries effects.”
• Telmo Morato, Universidade dos Açores: “The historical impacts of fishing on seamount ecosystems: Applying an Ecosystem Evaluation Framework for seamount ecology, fisheries and conservation.”

“We are proud to be advancing the science of marine conservation biology and historical marine ecology by supporting these efforts to better understand the history of our oceans,” said Dr. Lance Morgan, Vice President of Science at Marine Conservation Institute. He noted that this year there were an especially large number of deserving projects. “We received proposals from applicants to fund work in areas ranging from Antarctica to the North Atlantic, and the four projects we funded will help establish historical baselines of past ocean and coastal environments to inform conservation and management.

“I am impressed with the passion and dedication of these researchers whose work covers a wide variety of marine ecosystems and animals,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs, Holland America Line. “I am proud that Holland America Line can help support several important research programs again in 2011. Their work is very important to our planet.”

The grant program is a tribute to Dr. Mia J. Tegner, a marine biologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who died in January 2001 while diving off the Southern California coast. Dr. Tegner studied the ecology of kelp forest communities and abalone populations, and was particularly interested in understanding how marine populations and ecosystems have changed as a result of human activities. The Mia J. Tegner Program was established in 2001 to support the efforts of promising young scientists and graduate students to document the composition and abundance of ocean life before large-scale human alterations. This information is essential for helping policy-makers, law-makers, regulators, managers and conservationists set appropriate targets for marine conservation efforts.

The 2011 grants were made possible by a generous donation by Holland America Line. The funding is an extension of “Our Marvelous Oceans,” a three-year program announced by the two partners in 2010. The partnership also includes guest and staff education, support for marine conservation biology research, and the recent creation of a sustainable seafood program with environmentally responsible purchasing practices and menus that showcase sustainable seafood.

From “Cruise Industry News”, 5 August 2011

UN Agencies Commit to Make Tourism Work for Development

Tourism is one of the top three sources of export earnings for nearly half of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and is a priority sector for their further integration in the global economy. The contribution of tourism in advancing development was addressed during a Special Event on tourism for sustainable development and poverty reduction organized by the recently created UN Steering Committee on Tourism for Development (SCTD), during a major UN conference on LDCs (Istanbul, Turkey, 10 May 2011).

The potential of tourism in contributing to lift people out of poverty is increasingly acknowledged and is supported by the growing relevance of the sector for poor countries. International tourist arrivals in the 48 LDCs grew from 6 million in 2000 to over 17 million in 2010. In the same period, international tourism receipts climbed from US$ 3 billion to over US$ 10 billion.

“Most LDCs are rich in resources. All have young and vibrant populations. These men and women need decent jobs, education, training, so they can make the most of their country’s assets - minerals and other commodities, farmland, rich stores of biodiversity and tourism potential”, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon opening the Fourth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV).

“UNWTO is extremely pleased to have tourism playing an active role for the first time in such an important event as LDC-IV”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “In spite of tourism’s proven contribution to foreign exchange generation, job creation and socio-economic development, low priority has so far been assigned to the sector in the development agenda. This is particularly surprising given that tourism has been clearly identified by developing countries themselves as a priority for their economic advancement”, he added.

In his remarks, the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Supachai Panitchpakdi, emphasized the critical importance of quality in the development of a competitive tourism sector in LDCs, including the quality of investment, infrastructure and human resources. “The LDCs should aim at the quality segment in the global value chain and, as the Maldives successfully demonstrated, focus on excellence in the tourism product”, said Mr. Panitchpakdi.

Tourism for development

The Special Event on tourism for sustainable development and poverty reduction brought together representatives from LDCs, including 15 Ministers of Tourism, various UN agencies and donor countries to debate the contribution of tourism to sustainable development. The gathering, which is the first public appearance of the UN Steering Committee on Tourism for Development, reflects the increasing relevance of tourism in the development agenda and represents a clear commitment of the UN system in making tourism work for development.

The Committee outlined the support and technical cooperation that can be provided to LDCs by the UN agencies and programmes on an individual and joint basis. The Services are built around four pillars: building good governance and sustainability in tourism development; promoting investment in the tourism economy; fostering the poverty reduction impact of tourism; and encouraging human resources development, and will contribute to the preservation and safeguarding of natural and cultural assets that form the basis of tourism in LDCs.

The event was hosted by the UNWTO Secretary-General on behalf of the Committee, together with the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, Ertugrul Günay. The debate session was moderated by BBC World News anchor, David Eades.

From "Cruise Industry News", 12 May 2011

Holland America Line Rolls Out Sustainable Seafood Program

In honor of Earth Day, Holland America Line has announced the roll-out of its new sustainable seafood program, which adopts environmentally responsible purchasing practices and features menus that showcase sustainable seafood.

Working in conjunction with the Marine Conservation Institute -- a Washington State partner in promoting sustainable and compatible use of the oceans -- Holland America Line’s program emphasizes adopting sustainable seafood purchasing practices.

To determine the sustainability of a particular seafood item, Holland America Line and Marine Conservation Institute referred to well-established seafood ratings/rankings from Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, Blue Ocean Institute Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood, World Wildlife Fund Sustainable Seafood Guides, Environmental Defense Fund Seafood Selector and others. Marine Conservation Institute then applied their professional judgment to assess the sustainability of the selection. Each seafood item is evaluated for its abundance, how well the fishery is managed and what damage is done to the surrounding marine ecosystem through catching or farming the seafood. The sustainability program places particular emphasis on maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems.

Holland America Line will begin the sustainability program with its 2011 Alaska and Europe cruises -- and the company plans to extend the program worldwide across the 15-ship fleet over the next year. Menus will be reviewed prior to contracting cycles to ensure that all procured seafood meets the program criteria. New seafood options are evaluated and best-choice alternatives are used whenever possible. The line has provided sustainable seafood specifications to all of its suppliers and modified its procurement process to achieve its goal of all seafood items being responsibly sourced.

The sustainability program is an extension of “Our Marvelous Oceans,” a three-year program announced by the two partners in 2010 that includes guest and staff education and support for marine conservation biology research. Support for Marine Conservation Institute’s education program also includes annual grants made to graduate students and young scientists working in historical marine ecology.

Holland America Line’s environmental efforts have been recognized throughout the industry. The line recently was named the World’s Leading Green Cruise Line at the World Travel Awards in London, received a 2010 Rear Adm. William M. Benkert Gold Environmental Protection Award from the U.S. Coast Guard and received a Blue Circle Award from the Port of Vancouver. Other awards include the 2010 Marine Environmental Business of the Year from the Port of Seattle and, in 2009, a Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Award. For more information, call 877-SAIL-HAL or visit http://www.hollandamerica.com/.

"Travel Pulse" - 21 April 2011

CLIA Commemorates Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is highlighting efforts of CLIA member lines and their continued commitment to protecting the environment. This year, 14 new ships join an increasingly modern ocean going fleet, paving the way for the next generation of innovation.

“The strides our cruise lines are making to reduce the impact cruising has on the environment are very impressive,” said CLIA President and CEO Christine Duffy. “This year our industry welcomes 14 new ships to our increasingly innovative industry-wide fleet; it is rewarding to take a look at some of their green initiatives that go beyond the environmental regulations we already meet. From actions as seemingly simple-sounding as recycling and automatic lighting, to larger efforts such as advanced wastewater treatment systems and reducing air emissions through improved ship design, our industry has taken a number of steps to ensure that our oceangoing vessels are pioneers in environmental protection. Protecting the environment and educating our passengers on green initiatives is something in which we take great pride.”

On this Earth Day, CLIA encourages people to take its new environmental quiz to gauge how much they know about the industry’s stewardship. The quiz is posted on CruiseIndustryFacts.com.

Environmental stewardship is an important initiative for passengers and crew members alike. In an effort to raise awareness and promote conservation, a number of CLIA member lines offer a variety of programs designed to raise passenger awareness, including behind the scenes videos, onboard activities, educational partnerships in ports of call, and eco-friendly excursions. Along with these onboard programs, member ships promote recycling and the importance of conservation efforts. On many ships, collection bins are placed throughout the ships that encourage passengers to separate waste into glass/cans, plastic/paper, and food.

“The environmental success of CLIA member line ships depends on the behind the scenes faces that make it all happen,” Duffy said. “People are at the core of our environmental progress, from welders at the shipyards where our hulls are laid and the manufacturers that supply our energy efficient equipment to the environmental officers and engineers aboard our ships and the recycling sorters below deck separating items as diverse as paper, plastic, and cooking oil, our environmental achievements are a credit to the men and women who have pledged a career in our industry.”

CLIA member lines meet and often exceed all applicable environmental regulations on a ship’s voyage. Each country, and often states and localities, a ship visits may have its own rules and regulations and therefore cruise lines and their environmental staff must ensure the ship is compliant at all times. The Fleet of 2011 demonstrates the industry’s continued commitment and dedication to the environment.

Take a look at several notable initiatives employed by the CLIA fleet:

CLIA member lines recycle over 79,000 tons of garbage in a given year including paper, plastic, aluminum cans and glass.

Member lines work with suppliers to reduce the amount of packaging materials coming onto the ships and require that in-cabin amenities be packaged in recyclable materials. As part of this, one of our member lines reduced the amount of waste landed ashore by 19 percent from the previous year and 47 percent from 2007 levels.

Members of the Fleet of 2011 are utilizing highly efficient insulation and heat reflective paint, which diminishes the need for chillers, pumps and distribution piping, allowing one new ship to be constructed with 25 percent less HVAC equipment.

One member line has partnered with non-profit “Clean the World”, to recycle leftover toiletries and donating 388 pounds of soap and 1,203 bottles of shampoos and conditioners in 2010 for distribution to people in need.

One new ship’s public area is served with a clock system which is pre-programmed so that during quiet hours, the lighting automatically lowers to reduce the load and therefore reduces power demand.

A number of member lines use fabric bags – including laundry, dry cleaning, and shoe shine bags – in lieu of plastic bags, thereby reducing plastic from the waste stream.

Many lines are using ecological, non-toxic, slick hull coatings that save as much as 5% of fuel usage for propulsion.

Various ships are installing high-efficiency appliances onboard their ships in order to minimize their impact on the environment. Every type of appliance onboard the ships is evaluated for efficiency, including TV's, coffee makers, ovens and dishwashers.

Halogen and incandescent light bulbs have either been replaced on many lines or are being replaced with LED lights, which last 25 times longer, use 80% less energy, and generate 50% less heat.

A number of lines have invested heavily in the use of shore-based power, allowing ship engines to be shut down while at port.

Many lines are in various stages of employing advanced wastewater purification systems (AWPS) that produce water cleaner than what is discharged from most municipalities.

"Cruise Industry News" - 21 April 2011 

Moving from Cruises Inc. To CruiseOne

I’ve had the good fortune the past couple of years to be associated with the Cruises Inc. organization and the many unselfish agents under its umbrella. As Blue Marble days go, a transition to their “franchise version” sister company CruiseOne, was really not on my radar, at least not for several years.

Well, I need my radar serviced because here I am, a newly minted CruiseOne owner. I soon discovered that I’d fallen into equally good fortune again to now be in the company of unselfish CruiseOne franchise owners.

With this change in venue, I am taking the opportunity to focus personal attention on expedition and exploration travel, activity more aligned with the Blue Marble theme and my particular professional background. While I’ll still represent all of the major cruise lines, I just wanted to do something where I could weave my biology and marine science underpinnings and 30 years working in various environmental disciplines into the fabric of this new CruiseOne enterprise.

Therefore, in the coming months I will be evaluating potential travel partners who practice the established global tenets of sustainable tourism for both land based and cruise oriented exploration travel to promote to my clients. Also, one person won’t be able to do it all so I will be bringing on Associates with diverse travel industry backgrounds and experiences to support our client’s varied needs.

Finally, I’m returning a favor to one of those unselfish CruiseOne franchise owners I reached out to early on in this transition. In the near future I’ll be creating sort of an “Associates” incubator for travel professionals, experienced or new to the field.

This will be an opportunity for like-minded individuals who share my vision of helping people to see the Blue Marble as few will ever see it and to do so with travel partners who possess the greatest respect for and exercise care during their visits to sensitive ecosystems as well as historical and cultural destinations. And that these Associates will ultimately move on to establish their own travel agencies, consultancies or careers with sustainable tourism as a core business value.

They may even find themselves one day as a newly minted CruiseOne owner.

CruiseOne & Cruises Inc. Announce Partnership With Shore Excursions Group

CruiseOne & Cruises Inc., the nation’s leading cruise travel retail network as part of World Travel Holdings, today announced their new partnership with Shore Excursions Group. Known as the experts in delivering exceptional travel experiences to cruise passengers in ports around the world, the Shore Excursions Group partnership will provide CruiseOne franchise owners and Cruises Inc. independent contractors a valuable opportunity to increase sales and deliver an added high quality service to their clients.

“The goal of partnering with Shore Excursions Group is to not only help our agents increase their earning potential, but to also provide better service and a more diverse array of offerings to cruise travelers,” said Dwain Wall, Senior Vice President and General Manager of CruiseOne & Cruises Inc. “We searched for the best partner and ultimately found that Shore Excursions Group is the leader in providing extraordinary, commissionable shore excursions to agents and consumers worldwide.”

CruiseOne & Cruises Inc. agents will earn a very competitive commission on the sale of Shore Excursions Group products. The process of selling excursions has also been simplified, giving customers of CruiseOne & Cruises Inc. agents direct access to dedicated websites with Shore Excursions Group staff handling the rest.

“We are extremely excited to partner with such a highly regarded and prestigious organization,” said Brad Miller, co-founder of Shore Excursions Group. “We look forward to providing CruiseOne & Cruises Inc. customers with high-quality, cost-effective shore excursions that will complement the great vacation experiences their agents are planning for them”.

The CruiseOne & Cruises Inc. corporate marketing and technology teams have already begun integrating Shore Excursions Group information into each agent’s personalized consumer website, and will continue to do so moving forward as part of future marketing programs. The company’s training and sales performance teams also plan to deliver webinars, customized training materials and online Q&A sessions to offer agents additional information on the partnership, as well as on how to most effectively market and sell excursions to their customers.

From "Cruise Industry News" - 2 February 2011

San Diego Launches Shore Power System with Oosterdam

The Port of San Diego is now the second port in California and fifth in the world to use shore power at its cruise ship terminals. The system known as cold ironing is the process of switching from a ship’s onboard diesel power supply to shore-based electrical power while at dock. This process reduces polluting air emissions from the ships since electricity from the grid is much cleaner than generating energy from diesel engines.

The Port of San Diego officially celebrated the installation of the $7.1 million system during a media event on Dec. 11. Port executives, including Commissioner Michael B. Bixler, County Supervisor Greg Cox, and officials from the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District and San Diego and Electric (SDG&E) helped dedicate the system during a ceremony at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal.

“This is an important moment in the port’s history. This installation puts the Port of San Diego into a very exclusive club,” Bixler said. “Clearly, we’re on the cutting edge of this technology, and this dedication underscores the port’s commitment, and the commitment of our board, to address environmental issues.”

Cox said the shore power installation is a joint effort. “This project was made possible by the assistance of the county’s Air Pollution Control District,” Cox said. “The district provided $2.4 million in state grants from the Carl Moyer Program. The benefit to the county’s air quality and public health is substantial.”

Holland America Line’s Oosterdam was the first of the cruise lines to power up using the shore power system. “We can provide up to 12 megawatts of power,” said Michelle White, manager of the Port of San Diego’s Green Port Program. “That’s enough to power a large college campus.”

Initially, one cruise ship can be powered from shore at a time. Eventually, the system will be able to power two cruise ships simultaneously, either at B Street or at the auxiliary terminal, the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier. For more information, visit http://www.portofsandiego.org/.

From "Travel Pulse"

14 December 2010

ENERGY FOR GREEN PORTS - VENICE HOSTS INTERNATIONAL FORUM

An Exhibition Congress organized by VTP Events as an important date for stimulating debate among companies, researchers, academics and technical experts on new technologies and solutions for using ports and harbours to produce renewable energy.

What energy sources of low environmental impact can be used in ports? And how can we efficiently and sustainably use them? These are the focal points of “Energy for Green Ports”, the new exhibition‐congress taking place in Venice (Italy) on the 4th and 5th of February 2010 in the Conference Centre and the exhibition area of the Cruise Terminal of Venice.

Organized by VTP Events, a company owned by Venezia Terminal Passeggeri S.p.A. (which has been managing the passenger terminal since 1997), this event provides a significant meeting opportunity for companies, researchers, sector operators, academics and technicians who want to find out more about the new technologies and solutions available to produce renewable energy in port areas.

It is a highly topical subject as ports occupy large surface areas. Also, in light of the new European, national and regional rules, these areas can be exploited for building innovative energy systems as resources which supply power to not only the port areas and their related transport means (electric wharfs used to power vessels moored with their engines off, allowing sizeable reductions in emissions and noise pollution), but also the vicinity, as is already happening in some pilot projects.

“Energy for Green Ports” is divided into two sections:
A conference programme with an international panel of speakers who will be updating participants on the latest topical environmental issues. The programme includes sessions on: “Planning energy supplies and consumption”, “Costs and Benefits of mature alternative energy sources”, “New technologies in renewable energy and their uses”, “Roll‐out Strategies for the Green Ports” and “Setting up a panel for a national Green Ports programme”.

An exhibition hall devoted to technological innovations in renewable energy, with an area concentrating on “green” technologies (solar‐thermal, photovoltaic, wind, hydrogen, biomasses and biogas), and one on low‐consumption building construction solutions, microgeneration and teleheating. There will also be a review of ideas dedicated to the world’s new ports with a view to matching environmental awareness with energy recycling and saving.The event has the patronage of Venice’s Port Authority, the Veneto Region, Assiterminal (Italian Port Terminals Association), Medcruise (The Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports), Confitarma (Italian Ship owners Confederation), Assomarinas (Italian Tourist Ports Association) and Assonautica (Italian Yachting Association).

From Cruise Industry News
27 Novemebr 2010