Why even the environment hates cruises

by Aaron Hotfelder on

As if the cramped cabins, lame entertainment, and superficial shore excursions aren’t enough for you to hate cruises, here’s another reason: they’re pretty bad for the environment too.

A new article on Slate, “A Supposedly Green Thing I Might Do Again,” (get it?) details the disturbing amount of damage that cruise ships do to our air and water. From the smokestacks spewing pollutants on top, to the noxious bilge water that is released (usually treated, but not always) below, cruise ships are some of the modern world’s biggest floating polluters.

And don’t forget about the sewage. According to a report from the non-profit advocacy group Oceana, “the average cruise ship with 3,000 passengers and crew generates about 30,000 gallons of human waste and 255,000 gallons of non-sewage gray water every day.” Yet United States law allows cruise ship operators to dump as much raw sewage as they want into the ocean as long as it’s not done within three miles of the U.S coast.

In addition, Oceana reports that cruise operators are permitted to dump ground-up garbage into the ocean as long as they are three miles from shore. Once they’re 11 miles from shore, the cruise ships may even dump garbage that hasn’t been ground up.

Check out more from Oceana on cruise ship pollution here. Nina Shen Rastogi’s full article on Slate is here.

On a more positive note, several months ago Treehugger wrote about 7 Ocean-Friendly Eco Cruises Hitting the High Seas.

Carnival Cruise Lines is looking for a Godchild for their newest ship

by Scott Carmichael on

In just 33 days, the newest addition to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet will be unveiled.

The Carnival Dream will be the largest ship in their fleet, and like all new cruise ships being built nowadays, the Dream comes with a whole linup of amazing innovations.

Guests on the Carnival Dream can enjoy an outdoor theater, a 24 hour pizzeria, a burrito bar, a mongolian wok, a sushi bar, 3 different kids clubs, a dance club, various lounges and bars and – get this – a 6 slide water park.

To celebrate the launch of their ship, Carnival is asking kids between 7 and 12 to “share their dreams”, for a chance at becoming the world’s first cruise ship Godchild. Click her to visit the Carnival Book of Dreams site, where you will see how kids can enter the contest.

In addition to the honor of being named Godchild, the winner will also be invited to christen the WaterWorks aqua park, and bring their family along to sail on the 3 night inaugural voyage of the ship. Carnival will even provide airfare for the lucky winner. Four runner-ups will each receive a digital camera and various Carnival logo items.

As if that wasn’t enough, each entry in the contest means Carnival will donate $2 to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital and $1 for each vote.

The contest started yesterday, and runs till September 18th 2009.
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Cruising the Northwest Passage

by Kraig Becker on

Global climate change has had an undeniable effect on the planet, with weather patterns changing dramatically, polar ice caps melting, and sea levels rising, altering coastlines and reshaping boundaries. For evidence of these changes you only need to look north, where global warming has caused arctic pack ice to break-up and melt, opening the legendary Northwest Passage for navigation for the first time.

For centuries explorers and merchants sought out a sailing route north of Canada that would link the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Such a route would have made travel to the far east much easier and faster, but all attempts to uncover such a path, which was dubbed the Northwest Passage, were met with thousands of miles of impenetrable ice. Famous adventures, such as John Cabot and Captain James Cook, risked their lives, and their ships, to find the Northwest Passage, but no one was able to complete the navigation until Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen made the voyage back in 1908 aboard a specially designed ice vessel. Amundsen’s journey took three years however, and was not commercially viable for merchant ships.

Fast forward to last year, when the route was declared navigable by the Candian Coast Guard, and the first commercial ship made its way through the Passage. By late summer, the waterway was said to be nearly completely free from ice, and safe for ships to pass through, and it remained that way until the arrival of winter, when the route froze shut once again.The cruise industry has never been one to miss a business opportunity, and there have been a number of tour operators that have begun offering Northwest Passage cruises for 2009. Most begin in Nome or Anchorage, Alaska, but others can be found departing such places as Ottawa, Canada or even Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. The cruises vary in length from two to three weeks, which is a far cry from Amundsen’s three year voyage, and they remain on the expensive side now, with most staring around $10,000 and up.

A Northwest Passage cruise is a true adventure into mostly unknown waters, and a travel experience that few have had the opportunity to witness. But with increased traffic along the route, and plenty of ice to contend with, we can only hope that the ships don’t suffer an accident such as the ones that have occurred in Antarctica, where several ships have run aground, and another has sunk after striking an iceberg. However, those that do take a cruise through the Passage are booking a trip into history, as they pass through a realm that has been, until now, off limits to all but the hardiest polar explorers.

Four of the most expensive travel products you can waste your money on

by Scott Carmichael on

Forget the recession, forget the “staycation” (I hate that term). If you still haven’t lost all your money in the global economic meltdown, then here are 4 of the most expensive travel items you can spend/waste your money on.

In the lineup, you’ll find how you can spend $2.6 Million on one airline ticket, a cruise, a rental car and one RV. Yes – this is how you can really burn through your cash like it is going out of style!




The most expensive airline ticket

If you book your own tickets (ie. you don’t get them issued through work), you’ll have often whined about wasting $400 on airfare. If you go abroad a lot, you’ll most likely have clicked “buy now” on a $900 airline ticket. But those are nothing compared to the most expensive commercial airline ticket available – the “first class six continent round the world” on the One World alliance. All for a mere $16,900.

Assuming you ignore private jet rates and airline seats auctioned for charity (someone once paid $100,000 for a charity seat on the Airbus A380), nothing costs more than this round the world ticket.

Even tickets on Concorde used to cost less than this. The ticket allows you 16 flight segments in first class to 6 continents, allowing you to circle the globe in comfort. Best of all, a smart mileage planner can earn enough miles for another free round trip in first class and elite status on any airline in the alliance (as long as they were smart enough to add their frequent flier number to the itinerary).


The most expensive rental car

The most expensive rental car in the world won’t come with one of those stupid “number 1” stickers found on Hertz vehicles, and you won’t earn any upgrades for being a member of the frequent rental program. But if you have a spare $75,000 lying around, you can rent yourself a Bugatti Veyron for the weekend. You’ll also need a spare $262,000 on your credit card for the deposit, so be sure you don’t crash the damn thing.

Of course, your $75,000 does get you the fastest production car ever built, and if you feel lucky, you may be able to bring her to her top speed of 253 mph. Just keep the tires in good shape – a set of spares costs another $40,000. Also, be sure you don’t get too attached to this beauty – she’ll cost a sweet $1,400,000 to purchase.


The most expensive RV

For some people, a mobile home or RV is considered luxurious if it features a shower. Others demand a bit more.

Anderson Mobile Estates designs mobile homes for the rich and famous. Their rigs have 2 stories, and up to 1,100 square feet of space. The entire home is designed with luxury in mind – exotic wood, granite, marble and fine china.

Flat panel TV’s and gaming consoles are everywhere, residents can get online using satellite uplinks and if you find yourself in a party mood, you can invite 30 of your closest friends for a bit of fun in the upper deck. Creative minds can even take advantage of full sound booths and editing suites, complete with their own entrance.

The price for this much luxury? Start thinking $2 Million and you’ll be getting close. Best of all, this thing can be set up in just 10 minutes.


The most expensive cruises

For $319,560 you can spend your next 69 days in total luxury on board the Seabourn Odyssey (that works out to be $4631 each day – per person).

This of course does not include any of the prices you could end up paying for your own private yacht rental, which can easily exceed $120,000 per day!

Other luxury cruise line prices are equally expensive – another of the priciest cruises will sail you around the world in 108 days, for $509,490, also on Seabourn. Of course, these fares are for their best possible suite with 2 bedrooms, a whirlpool tub, walk in closets and of course, butler service.

Norweigan Cruse Line offers one of the largest cruise suites in the world – at 5,750 square feet, this accommodation offers 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, butler service, a baby grand piano and a private terrace with enough room for 100 people!

At $25,000 a week (a mere $3500/day), it isn’t as expensive as the Seabourn cruise line suites, but the amenities sound like a ton more fun. Imagine inviting 100 of your new friends up to your terrace for a private party?

Unexpected trip plan change? Make lemonade out of a lemon

by Jamie Rhein on

For circumstances beyond my control, my mom isn’t going on our cruise to Greece in August. Originally the trip was my idea to help fulfill a longtime dream of hers–take a Greek cruise. When I found out that MSC Cruise lines was offering quite the deal I was on it. We booked the cruise in March.

All details fit into place including hotel rooms in Venice, the cruise’s port and frequent flier flights for my son and me. Because he is seven, the cruise is free for him.

Now that my mom is unable to go, and it’s less than two weeks from the trip, rather than go with my son on my own–or lose 100% of the money we’ve paid for the cruise, we’re switching my teenage daughter for my mom. Here’s what the change has involved so far.

  • $100 to make the ticket switch with the cruise line.
  • 75,000 in frequent flier miles. Amazingly enough, I could get her on the same flight to Venice with my son and me for 30,000. She’s on a different flight back for 45,000.
  • $165 for taxes and fees for her plane ticket.

Now that she’s going on the cruise instead of my mom, there are her expenses of drinks and shore excursions which I expect won’t be particularly inexpensive. Plus, I’ll have to feed her in Venice.

All in all, the lemonade isn’t too sour. What’s $1,000 more dollars? That’s what I’m anticipating the total cost for my daughter’s trip will be. It’s better to over budget than under budget when it comes to making lemonade.

When I told her the ship has a no shorts or jeans dress code after 6 p.m., her response was. “Geez, it’s like middle school.” Teenagers.