Cruise Ship Employee Inquiry on Industry Eco-Regulations

My name is Erin.

I work as a cruise ship employee, and lately I’ve been thinking about how we can do better.

This is a proposal I am trying to put together to pitch to the cruising industry. Cruise ships are not and never will be environmentally friendly, but if given the chance I believe plenty of vacationers would be happy to do the planet some good on their vacation. I do not make any money on this, I just believe it is the right thing to do.

I would like to find a way for environmental organizations to partner with cruise companies so that ships can offer tours to the guests that are actually helpful to the port they are visiting. My question to your organization is, what could you do with a nearly endless supply of volunteer labor?

Could you add a plastic-collecting session to a diving tour? 

Do you need people to plant trees, dig up invasive plants, clean up trails? 

Could people help with water quality sampling or data collection of some sort?

Would you teach people about sustainable farming or animal husbandry or local wildlife?

The benefits to the partnering organizations should be manifold. This could be a chance to help raise environmental awareness with people from all over the world, publicize the work you’re doing, and work with nearly endless supply of enthusiastic volunteers. 

Cruise ship guest are only in a port for a day, and the average shore excursion lasts anywhere from three to eight hours. While that may not seem like a lot of time, busy ports can get multiple ships a day every day for an entire season. That adds up quickly. The tour groups can be as large or small as your organization would feel comfortable working with- from ten people to fifty. How your organization would structure your time with the guests is up to you (and I would love to hear ideas.)

This is all still hypothetical. I’m still in the data collection phase, and I need to know that there are organizations who would be interested in the partnership before I pitch this idea to a cruise company.  By replying to this email you are not signing up for anything or obliged to anyone, just helping to get this project off the ground. If you’re not interested or this does not sound like a fit for your organization I completely understand. Any advise and additional ideas would be wonderful. If you know of environmental organization in the area that would be interested in hearing about this or having input, feel free to pass it on. I only ask that this be confined to strictly nature related environmental organizations. 

Again, this is not a business venture for me, but I do think I have an opportunity to make a difference for the better so that I what I am trying to do.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely, 

Erin

Please email nsenvironmentalnetwork@gmail.com to connect with Erin!