A green cruise is a kind of cruise that is enjoyed aboard a ship that is outfitted to reduce its impact on the environment, both in terms of the amount of energy that it uses and the amount of waste that it produces. In recent years, the cruising industry has come under fire for massive oil spills, the dumping of waste water, and generally following environmentally unfriendly practices. Some critics say that even the greenest of cruise ships are still rather bad for the environment, but many of the cruising companies that are retrofitting their ships or even building new environmentally friendlier ships seem to be proud of their progress.
There are a number of features that may be found on a green cruise ship that reduce the amount of energy the ship consumes. Some green cruise ships have tinted windows that keep the rooms inside of the ship cooler and reduce the need to use air conditioning. Others may be outfitted with appliances that are more energy efficient. There are also green cruise ships that have been altering their speed at different points within the trip to ensure better fuel efficiency.
The fuel that is consumed as part of a cruise is also an issue for people who are environmentally conscious. In addition to altering cruising speeds, some green cruise ships are also using alternative energy sources. Some ships have been outfitted with solar panels. Others are finding ways to use discarded cooking grease as a biodiesel. Not only does this recycle a product that otherwise becomes waste, but it is also a cleaner fuel than regular diesel.
Some cruise liners are becoming more efficient by accepting cargo. When rooms on the ship are left unfilled by passengers, they are rented out as cargo holds. This helps to maximize the usefulness of each voyage and also helps cruise companies to make a bit of money on unsold rooms.
A number of the methods described above can be used to retrofit old cruise ships into vessels that are more friendly to the environment. There are other techniques, however, that are used when building entirely new green cruise ships. One of the key features of many new green cruise ships is the weight of the materials that are used to build them. By choosing lighter materials and reducing the overall weight of the boat, the amount of fuel required to propel the vessel is reduced.
