Thursday, May 30, 2024 - 12:18 by ce-press
When it comes to sustainability, senior director marine & port operations Holland America Line/Seabourn, Chris Martin is in no doubt that “we have to work together”.
On the subject of onshore power, while Marie Blitza, director port operations Carnival Maritime, emphasised the importance of its role in the Europe and with EU regulations, Martin said it is “key as a short and long-term solution.” However, he added what many will be relieved to hear: “You don’t have to invest in shore power to see our ships. It is not the only solution to help us with our efforts”.
Michal Forland, port director Port of Bergen, pointed out that 70 percent of cruiseships connected to OPS in Bergen in May. “This decrease in emissions needs to be put forward to the public in some way to take away the message of cruise being as bad as it used to be.” Martin responded: “We want to get the message out there. If there is anything we can do to support this we will.”
The topic of proactively promoting what the industry is doing in the face of criticism was then expanded on by Nikos Mertzanidis, vp ports & destinations & taxation Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), in discussion with moderator Nigel Lingard: “I think the great challenge for all of us is how we share the facts confidently and lightly as an industry. If you look at lobbying enterprise, this means research, then input and then communication.”
Sourcing alternative fuels is on the rise with solutions so far being scarce. Blitza commented that there are “very limited ports that can provide alternative fuels,” but Martin advised that HAL is testing biofuel with the Port of Rotterdam.
The point was made a couple of times about the advantage cruise has over land-based tourism. Maria Tauschke, head of shore operations TUI Cruises, explained: “Cruise tourism is managed tourism.” Everyone knows when the ships are coming, how long they are staying and how many passengers there are. However she cautioned destinations not to take on too much: “Even if a port can handle six to seven ships, it may not be able to handle all the passengers.” This is another reason why cruise networks are vital to the success of a call for both the community and the passengers.
Martin made it clear that speaking up is good for everyone: “If you have concerns about capacities, the number of guests in port on a day, please discuss this with us so we can make it work for everybody.”
