According to a new poll from Mundy Cruising, Luxury cruise customers believe the sector is making progress towards a sustainable future reports Travel Weekly.
Survey results
The below findings were the latest from the agency’s Cruise Expert Panel, launched in October to coincide with the company’s 50th anniversary.
Nearly 69% of the 240 consumers surveyed said they believed that the development of zero-emission cruise ships is either fairly likely or very likely by 2050.
While 44% felt that zero-emission air travel was possible on the same timescale.
Despite this predicted roll-out of sustainable ship technology, 70% believed that cruise vessels would be banned from operating in Antarctica within the next 30 years.
Just 32% expect a 10,000-passenger cruise ship to be launched by 2050.
The cruise specialist agency said this forecast mirrored previous research indicating a shift towards smaller vessels following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cruise industry towards sustainability
Mundy Cruising managing director Edwina Lonsdale said: “Although some of these predictions may seem fanciful, it is perhaps underappreciated just how much the cruise industry is doing on sustainability.”
Hybrid-powered ships
“We are already seeing the roll-out of hybrid-powered ships by the likes of Hurtigruten and Ponant, along with cutting-edge technology to reduce emissions such as Ulstein’s X-BOW design, which has been embraced by Aurora Expeditions, Lindblad Expeditions and others.”
Shoreside power connectivity
“Here in the UK, we’ve also seen the recent announcement of a new cruise terminal at Southampton with shoreside power connectivity, allowing ships to ‘plug in’ while in port rather than running their engines.”
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Source: TravelWeekly
