Norwegian Cruise Line has announced that the use of plastic straws across all 26 ships and at two private island destinations are to be eliminated. This means over 50 million plastic straws throughout the fleet each year will no longer be used.
NCL Eliminates Plastic Straws
The cruise line has eliminated plastic straw usage on all ships in the fleet. NCL will go even further to reduce its impact on the environment by also doing the same at two private island destinations of Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Caye. The island resorts which are exclusive to Norwegian Cruise Line passengers will stop using the plastic straws by August 2018.
Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, said:
“Eliminating single-use plastic straws across our global fleet and island destinations builds on our global environmental program ‘Sail & Sustain’ and further reduces our environmental footprint,”
“As a member of the Trash Free Seas Alliance®, we are committed to doing our part to protect the world’s oceans for future generations to enjoy.”
The cruise line is making a major effort in not just taking away plastic straws but also other aspects which impact the environment. Efforts are already underway to increase sustainable sourcing, minimize waste to landfills, invest in emerging technologies and reduce CO2 emissions.
Norwegian Cruise Line also has six Leonardo-class vessels on order which will be more environmentally friendly than the current ships in the fleet. The first one will join the fleet in 2022.
Royal Caribbean is planning on removing plastic straws on all cruise ships by 2019 as announced in June. Carnival Cruise Line has also reduced plastic straw usage with guests having to request one.
