Carnival Australia
Cruising and the Environment
No-one really talks about it...
But everyone thinks about it…
But everyone thinks about it…
And it can be quite confronting when you do it for the first time on a cruise ship…
However, as your intrepid cruise reporter, I thought it was my job, nay my doo-ty to find out more about all the doo-dos and doo-don’ts of cruise ship doo-doo. And so I asked Carnival Australia’s Environmental Manager Natalie Vecchione, “What do you do with the doo-doo?”
However, as your intrepid cruise reporter, I thought it was my job, nay my doo-ty to find out more about all the doo-dos and doo-don’ts of cruise ship doo-doo. And so I asked Carnival Australia’s Environmental Manager Natalie Vecchione, “What do you do with the doo-doo?”
If you still haven’t cottoned-on to what I’m going on about, it’s the natural bodily function that gets vacuumed away with one loud swoosh from our cabin bathrooms. Not only are we talking about Number 1s but also Number 2s. Now, when you’re on land, we have this ingenious thing that was invented in ancient Roman times called sewers. After you flush, your waste is treated before being released into the ocean. When you’re at sea, however, human poop needs to be stored, treated, and then released into the ocean. However, there seems to be a ship load of myths and misinformation about this process, and luckily Natalie was able to enlighten me while I was visiting the Carnival Legend in Sydney.
So, firstly I wanted to know, does raw sewage get released straight into the ocean? The simple answer is no. Natalie, who is a wealth of knowledge, informed me that Carnival has very strict procedures in place to treat and release all our extra-ment. There’s actually a three stage process before it is released, and once it is part of the ocean, it’s indistinguishable to the rest of the blue sea. And Carnival does not just release it anywhere wee-lly-nilly, but at least 12 nautical miles from the outer reef (much further than is required by law) and the ship must be travelling at a speed of at least six knots (which is about 11 km/hr).
So, firstly I wanted to know, does raw sewage get released straight into the ocean? The simple answer is no. Natalie, who is a wealth of knowledge, informed me that Carnival has very strict procedures in place to treat and release all our extra-ment. There’s actually a three stage process before it is released, and once it is part of the ocean, it’s indistinguishable to the rest of the blue sea. And Carnival does not just release it anywhere wee-lly-nilly, but at least 12 nautical miles from the outer reef (much further than is required by law) and the ship must be travelling at a speed of at least six knots (which is about 11 km/hr).
As I was getting schooled on the intricacies of this very detailed process, it dawned on me that in this day and age of conservation and protection of our environment, any breach of maritime laws would ensue in some pretty hefty fines. As we walked through the Legend’s loading bay and down into the cleanest garbage room I’ve ever been in, I posited this thought to Vice President Australia for Carnival Cruise Line Jennifer Vandekreeke who simply, succinctly and truthfully answered, “everyone that works here loves the ocean, and we all want to do the right thing.”
Since I started cruising, I have read a lot of articles and have been bombarded with a lot of information and misinformation in regards to the environmental impact of my most loved pastime. There are a lot of fallacies that surround the truth, and it can be quite distressing when you’re faced with large numbers and scientific words. I, just like most people I know, recycle and do our best to minimise our carbon footprint. And, when we see these huge ships, we might feel a little overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation, and possibly even a little guilt. Cue Natalie Vecchione to clear up some of my questions.
Since 2005, Carnival has reduced their Co2 emissions by 26.3% and have introduced clean-up and reduce technologies in the form of the Advanced Air Quality Systems. This reduces the particulate matter and sulphur compounds from the ship’s engine exhaust, whether it’s in port or at sea. In simple terms, Carnival is working really hard to reduce the amount of pollution the ships release.
Natalie further informed me that at nearly every opportunity, Carnival ships are methodical in playing their part in conserving water, energy, and of course increase recycling. It astounded me that 50% of all solid waste onboard ships in Australia is recycled! This massive feat is partly due to the recycling partners Carnival has on shore.
Natalie further informed me that at nearly every opportunity, Carnival ships are methodical in playing their part in conserving water, energy, and of course increase recycling. It astounded me that 50% of all solid waste onboard ships in Australia is recycled! This massive feat is partly due to the recycling partners Carnival has on shore.
“We donate a lot of things to charity, including furniture and mattresses,” Natalie said.
“And, believe it or not, we even remove - and store - the propellants from all aerosoles before recycling. We even recycle all the plastic from the cigarette butts!”
On top of these measures, crew all take part in environmental training to ensure they are across all the recycling and conservation efforts of the cruise line.
But how about the passengers? I wanted to know if there were any actions I can take while aboard.
“There are simple things that passengers can do that can make a big impact. Don’t keep taps running and turn off the lights in your cabin when you’re not inside,’’ Natalie said.
“There are simple things that passengers can do that can make a big impact. Don’t keep taps running and turn off the lights in your cabin when you’re not inside,’’ Natalie said.
“And if your sheets and towels don’t need changing, let your steward know. This all helps to save water,” she said.
It would be naive to think that the cruising industry has no negative effects on the environment, and with over 20 million people cruising every year (and of these over 1 million Australians - and growing) the industry as a whole needs to keep working hard at reducing both the impact in the air and in the sea.
It is refreshing and reassuring to know that Carnival takes a head-on approach in finding new ways to combat this impact, while still providing an incredibly enjoyable experience for cruisers on board.
It is refreshing and reassuring to know that Carnival takes a head-on approach in finding new ways to combat this impact, while still providing an incredibly enjoyable experience for cruisers on board.
