Porcelain plates and plastic wrap will soon be a thing of the past when it comes to room service breakfasts onboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships, thanks to a new partnership with a reusable plastics company.
The 19-ship Norwegian Cruise Line fleet will begin using bento-box style serveware made from 50% recycled materials for room service breakfast orders. The new serveware is already in use onboard Norwegian Viva, the line’s newest ship, and Norwegian Prima.
The serveware, a product of the company Drinique, will roll out across the remainder of the fleet before the end of 2024. Drinique, which manufactures unbreakable, BPS-free drink-ware and dish-ware, is a supplier to many in the hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants, casinos, and nightclubs, among others.
Onboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships, the serveware will eliminate not only porcelain plates but also the plastic wrap that is used to protect breakfast items. It is made with a durable plastic called Eastman Tritan Renew.
The decision to start using Drinique products is part of the line’s Sail & Sustain environmental policy, which, among other initiatives, made Norwegian Cruise Line the first in the industry to end the use of single-use plastic straws and single-use plastic water bottles in 2020.
The elimination of the two products has so far reduced the use of straws by 77 million and of water bottles by 27 million, the line said.
“As part of our commitment to reduce the use of single plastic on board, we continuously search for opportunities to implement new environmentally friendly practices, while keeping our mission of delivering more experiences so our guests can vacation better with us top of mind,” said Mark Kansley, senior vice president of hotel operations at Norwegian Cruise Line.
“We’re excited to continue to work with Drinique to introduce these new reusable bento boxes across our fleet and continue doing our part to protect and preserve the environment,” added Kansley.
Other projects that are part of the cruise line’s sustainability program include a fleet-wide recycling policy, a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, and the meeting of a target goal of installing shore power technology on half of its fleet by 2024.
Drinique is a family-owned business created by mother and son team Anita and Andrew Elliott. It started with the marketing of one tumbler in 2007 and now provides a variety of serveware styles.
“We are excited to help companies like NCL drive change to meet their environmental goals,” said Andrew Elliott, president of Drinique.
“By leveraging the sustainability and durability of Tritan Renew, we aim to help our partners innovate and continue to provide guests with an effortless dining experience while reducing single-use plastic waste across the globe,” added Elliott.
Read Also: How to Truly Enjoy Your Dining on 3 Major Cruise Lines
Like some other cruise lines, Norwegian Cruise Line charges guests a fee for room service breakfast, $4.95. Other room service orders carry a delivery fee of $9.95. These fees do not apply to guests booked in the line’s luxury level called The Haven.
More Ships on Order Means More Drinique Products
In the coming years, Norwegian Cruise Line’s use of Drinique’s products is likely to increase substantially, since the brand is set to expand by four mega-ships by 2036.
In April 2024, cruise line parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced it would build four 200,000-gross ton ships for the brand, each accommodating upward of 5,000 guests. The ships are slated for delivery in 2030, 2032, 2034, and 2036.
Sister brands Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises will also each receive two new builds in that same order. The use of the new serveware is limited to Norwegian Cruise Line, but it is possible that the new high-tech plastic could be expanded to the sister brands.
