Cruise shipping is currently one of the fastest growing sectors in tourism. In 2015 the industry attracted more than 22 million passengers around the world. In the last fifteen years the amount of cruise customers has grown at an annual rate of 7,8 %. As the number of customers continues to grow, so do their expectations for a more sustainable footprint of cruise lines. The frontrunners of the industry are focused on improving guest experience, safety, energy efficiency and subsequently minimizing the impact on the environment. Being environmentally responsible is expected by customers who want to cruise on a clean ocean. This makes investing in greener solutions good business and is in the interest of cruise lines as well. Energy efficiency is all about taking a bird’s eye view of all the operations of a vessel. A high level of energy efficiency is achieved by reducing the energy consumption of a ship, decreasing its operating costs and lowering its emissions. …show more content…
A good example of other actions an operator can take to be more energy efficient is the new practise of cruise lines using shore power instead of using their engines while in port. Other examples include the use of recycled hot water to heat passenger cabins and the installation of special window tinting to keep hallways cooler while using less air conditioning. Switching to low-energy LED lights means they need to be replaced less often, use less energy and generate less heat. All of these actions help cruise lines become more energy efficient, save them money and help the operators become more profitable. Energy efficiency solutions should not be seen as costs. Revenue is increased by lowering operating costs as well as creating a sustainable brand image which in turn leads to a higher utilisation rate and on-board