Tag Archives: eco friendly

Fincantieri: ‘Covering All Brands’ with Eye on Future Fuels

Posted on by
Reply

Coming off a big newbuild order from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Daniele Fanara, director of new building and after-sales at Fincantieri, is positive about the future.

“We are serving all segments of the market, from small luxury vessels to mega-size vessels to upper premium,” said Fanara, speaking to Cruise Industry News. “This covers all the brands in the cruise industry.”

Fanara said Fincantieri was very proud to be working with a variety of operators and being able to serve each of them in a tailored customized way.

“We have cross-fertilization with our technology, including the capacity to design the vessel,” he added.

NCLH Order

The new Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings order for eight ships includes orders for all three company brands, with new classes of ships for each of them. Norwegian, Oceania and Regent will all get new bigger ships, with orders for the Norwegian brand stretching to 2036.

“We are proud of the trust that Norwegian gave us to develop such an important program,” said Fanara.

Looking at future technologies, Fanara said the ships were being developed.

“Our attention is focused on three main fuels,” he said. “One is LNG, one is methanol, and one is hydrogen. Hydrogen is the most innovative one. We are developing new ideas on how and when we can implement hydrogen onboard the vessels.”

New ships for Oceania and Regent are being developed to be methanol-ready.

“Today there is no real answer on the fuel of the future,” Fanara continued. “It’s a matter of availability. What’s important from our side is that we are always studying the latest technology available. We are also exploring CO2 capture technology.”

Fanara said among the alternative fuels, LNG was notable in the fact it was being used today.

“Ships are sailing on LNG. The other technology is in a different phase of development. We need to monitor them so we are ready to implement them if necessary,” he explained.

Questions are coming in from cruise lines on alternative fuel practicalities, Fanara said, but with the most questions on hydrogen.

“It is the most innovative, it is the most unknown.”

Industry

Fanara called the cruise industry resilient.

“Soon after Covid, the speed at which the industry recovered and came back to strong booking and revenue levels is incredible,” he said.

Fanara expects other orders to follow, citing market demand and the value gap between cruise- and land-based vacations.

Shipbuilding Costs

Costs are up to build ships.

“A greener vessel is for sure more expensive to build,” Fanara noted. “But is the value of this additional cost worth it for the industry?

“The owners can say the ships are more expensive. We had Covid, we had wars and the result of this has been inflation. If you mix inflation and the technology transition, the result is not less expensive ships.”

Carnival Celebration Visits Mahogany Bay for the First Time

Posted on by
Reply

Continuing its first cruise to the Western Caribbean, the new Carnival Celebration arrived at the Mahogany Bay Cruise Center for its maiden call on Thursday.

The call also marked the first time the new Carnival Cruise Line vessel visited Honduras.

After entering service with a transatlantic crossing in early November, the Celebration started its debut season on Nov. 21.

Following a special christening ceremony in Miami, the LNG-powered kicked off a series of week-long cruises to the Caribbean. After leaving Miami on Nov. 27, the ship’s current sailing also included the maiden visits to Mexico’s Cozumel and Costa Maya.

The 5,200-guest ship is now set to make regular visits to Mahogany Bay as part of its year-round schedule of Caribbean cruises.

Departing from Port Miami every Sunday, the itineraries also include visits to ports in the Eastern Caribbean.

Developed by Carnival Corporation in partnership with a local businessman, the Mahogany Bay Cruise Center opened in 2009.

A popular cruise destination in the Western Caribbean, the facility serves the Roatan island in Honduras Bay Islands.

In addition to a two-ship cruise pier, the cruise terminal offers a welcome centre and a variety of retail outlets, including two themed bars, a restaurant and several shops.

A chair lift system takes guests from the welcome centre to Mahogany Beach, a 10-acre private island featuring an 825-foot-long white-sand beach with a beach volleyball court and water sports opportunities.

Along with the new Celebration, the Carnival Pride also visited Mahogany Bay on Dec. 1. The vessel is presently offering a seven-night cruise to Mexico, Belize and Honduras departing from Tampa.

A third ship, the Norwegian Breakaway, was also docked at a different cruise terminal in Roatan. The Norwegian Cruise Line vessel is offering week-long Western Caribbean cruises departing from New Orleans.

Carnival Corporation Releases 2021 Sustainability Report

Posted on by
1

Courtesy of cruiseindustrynews.com

Carnival Corporation ash released its 12th annual sustainability report, detailing the key initiatives and progress made in 2021 toward its 2030 sustainability goals and 2050 aspirations.

The full report is available on the company’s sustainability website at www.CarnivalSustainability.com.

Following the achievement of its 2020 sustainability goals, Carnival Corporation introduced its sustainability goals for 2030 and aspirations for 2050, which incorporate six focus areas that align with the key United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, according to a press release.

These areas include climate action; circular economy; sustainable tourism; good health and well-being; diversity, equity and inclusion; and biodiversity and conservation.

The company has updated the baseline year for its 2030 carbon intensity reduction goals to 2019 from its initial 2008 baseline, measured in both grams of CO2e per ALB-km and kilograms of CO2e per ALBD. Both 2030 carbon intensity reduction goals now require a 20% improvement from 2019. With the updated baseline year, the company strengthened its goal measured in kilograms of CO2e per ALBD since the initial 2030 goal would only have required a further 15% reduction from 2019 levels. Its goal measured in grams of CO2e per ALB-km remains the same. This new baseline year will help the company better communicate recent progress against its climate goals to its investors and stakeholders as well as modernize its disclosures in alignment with developing best practices and reporting standards.

“Thanks to the dedication, support and proactive efforts of our entire global team, ship and shore, we continue to make strong progress in advancing our sustainability program across our six focus areas,” said Arnold Donald, CEO and chief climate officer for Carnival Corporation. “This effort includes our deep commitment to climate action and sustaining positive momentum toward achieving our carbon reduction goals for 2030 while working to be part of the solution to establish a path to net carbon-neutral cruising over time.”

Added Bill Burke, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation: “At Carnival Corporation, our highest responsibility and top priority is always compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we touch and serve, and our shipboard and shoreside personnel. This commitment has guided our sustainability journey and approach over time throughout all aspects of our global operations as we continue to progress our environmental, social and governance focus areas each year.”

Climate Action

  • Carbon Emission Goal: Carnival Corporation remains on track to achieve a 20% carbon intensity reduction by 2030 relative to its 2019 baseline, measured in both grams of CO2e per ALB-km and kilograms of CO2e per ALBD. To reaffirm and strengthen its initial carbon intensity reduction goals for 2030, the company has updated the baseline year for both goals to 2019 from a 2008 baseline.
  • Shore Power: As of the end of 2021, 46% of the company’s fleet was equipped with shore power capabilities, enabling ships to use shoreside electric power where available while in port.
  • Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): As part of its goal to expand its LNG program, the company introduced additional LNG ships to the fleet in 2021, for a total of six cruise ships currently in operation with the ability to be powered by LNG.
  • Advanced Air Quality Systems (AAQS): As of the end of 2021, 90% of the fleet (excluding LNG ships) was equipped with AAQS, capable of removing nearly all sulfur from the exhaust, enabling cleaner air emissions at the port and at sea with no negative impact to the marine environment.
  • New Technologies: The company is investing in a first-of-its-kind lithium-ion battery storage system, installing hull air lubrication systems, testing fuel cells powered by hydrogen derived from methanol, and exploring carbon capture and storage.

Circular Economy

  • Reducing Single-Use Plastics: Achieved goal of reducing single-use plastic items by 50%, despite the pandemic and the need to continue using many of these types of items for public health and sanitation purposes.
  • Food Waste Reduction: Achieved a 24% food waste reduction per person in 2021, making great progress toward its 2022 goal of a 30% food waste reduction per person and its 50% food waste reduction per person by 2030.
  • Biodigesters: As of the end of 2021, the company completed the installation of over 500 biodigesters throughout its fleet, in support of ongoing food waste management efforts.
  • Advanced Waste Water Treatment Systems (AWWTS): Carnival Corporation remains on track to achieve its goal of increasing AWWTS coverage to over 75% of its fleet capacity, with 59% coverage of its fleet capacity as of the end of 2021.

Good Health & Well-Being

  • Employee Outreach and Well-Being: Increased focus on employee outreach and wellness relates to the unique needs of shoreside and shipboard employees.
  • Job Creation: Increased the number of employees on board a number of its ships from reduced levels during the pause in guest cruise operations, in addition to opening a significant number of shoreside positions.
  • Company Culture Metrics: As part of its ongoing effort to establish a measurable company culture metrics and set annual improvement targets, in 2021 the company continued an employee survey program and introduced training sessions and internal communications designed to promote its “Culture Essentials” program focused on further strengthening corporate culture.
  • CSMART Academy Training Update: In 2021, the CSMART Academy – officially the Center for Simulator Maritime Training Academy, part of the Arison Maritime Center – continued to provide online and onboard training to the fleet while also advancing preparations for the restart of onsite training in 2022. The CSMART team has made advances in developing and delivering online curricula through courses, tailored events such as remote ”newbuild training,” and ongoing webinars.

Sustainable Tourism

  • Disaster Relief: Supported disaster relief efforts to the victims of the La Soufrière volcano eruption in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as communities in Barbados impacted by volcanic ash.
  • Destination Partnerships: The company’s Italy-based Costa Cruises kicked off its “Traditions in the Future” project, which supports the preservation of traditional arts and crafts to a new generation of artisans.
  • Community Relationships: Carnival Corporation’s P&O Cruises and Cunard brands partnered with Travelife, a leading certification initiative supporting tour operations and travel agencies toward sustainable tourism. Additionally, in 2021 the company’s European brands donated over 20 tons of food items to address hunger throughout communities in need, in partnership with three regional initiatives, including the European Foodbank, UK Harvest and the Banco Alimentare.

Biodiversity & Conservation

  • NGO Partnerships: In the first quarter of 2022, Carnival Corporation joined the Ocean 100 Dialogues, an initiative supported by the World Economic Forum that accelerates ocean stewardship with a focus on climate change, biodiversity and equity.
  • Ports & Destinations: The company continued its efforts to support biodiversity and conservation, including creating a new mangrove nursery, planting trees and ornamental plants, and collecting waste through coastal cleanup initiatives in the ports it owns and operates.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

  • Catalyst: Carnival Corporation continued to work with Catalyst, the leading U.S. nonprofit with the mission to expand opportunities for women in leadership.
  • Awards & Recognitions: In 2021, the company received a series of recognitions for its companywide operations and dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion, including honours from Forbes on the publication’s annual listings of the World’s Best Employers and World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies. The company was also recognised as a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award Winner, honouring the best 100 U.S. places to work, and on Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, in addition to earning a fifth consecutive perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, designating the company as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.