5 Ways Royal Caribbean Practices Sustainability
Royal Caribbean understand that our desire to explore our natural ocean surroundings depends on the sustained beauty of that very environment. That is the reason Royal Caribbean has spent decades protecting the destinations that we visit and the communities that call them home.
Here is an overview of five key steps they take towards those goals from conserving heat from engines, producing fresh water and reducing single-use plastics.
1️⃣ Sustainable Energy
Cruise ships use A LOT of energy - from the smallest light or tap (faucet) to powering the ships themselves. That’s why Royal Caribbean ships feature energy-efficient appliances and LED and fluorescent lights that use less energy. Several ships, including Icon, Wonder and Odyssey of the Seas, also have shore power connectivity. This means that emissions are removed while ships are docked at ports that permit them to “plug in” such as the Port of Miami.
Royal Caribbean’s most sustainable ship yet is debuting in January 2024. Icon of the Seas is the first ship in the fleet to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fuel cell technology. LNG is considered the cleanest burning marine fuel available, and fuel cells power the engines and produce no pollutants.
2️⃣ Sustainable Water
From the showers in cabins/staterooms, water slides, to the fabulous swimming pools onboard, Royal Caribbean produce 90% of fresh water used on board by utilising desalination and reverse osmosis systems. They also have innovative ways of conserving water such as treating and repurposing condensation from AC units to use for laundry. On Royal Caribbean’s private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, there is even a water specialist, overseeing the irrigation system that takes treated water from Thrill Waterpark to water the landscaping.
Water onboard is also heated sustainably -the heat naturally created by the ship’s engines is captured and reused to heat whirlpools and even our hot showers. This helps reduce the amount of fuel the ship uses.
3️⃣ Sustainable Waste
For many years, Royal Caribbean ships have been enabled to become landfill-free, resulting in an average of 85% of waste never ending up in landfill. To help with this, single-use plastics such as straws, water bottles and stirrers have been reduced onboard Royal Caribbean ships.
4️⃣ Sustainable Sources
As the food industry ashore moves toward sustainable sourcing and improving animal welfare, Royal Caribbean is endeavouring to do the same.
As part of this, Royal Caribbean are committed to conserve global fish stocks. They have set a goal to source 90% of wild-caught seafood and 75% of farmed seafood from sources certified by Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, for its onboard restaurants. This is a first in the cruise industry,
5️⃣ Sustainable Tourism
Sustainable tourism is the touchstone of the cruise industry. Royal Caribbean had set a goal to offer more than 1,000 shore excursions around the world certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) by 2020. Now, in 2023, , more than 2,000 Royal Caribbean excursions are GSTC-certified meaning they are respectful of the environment and local cultures.
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