Travel
Is the future of cruising threatened by overtourism? Navigating the industry’s troubled waters
Many cruise lines have pledged to have net zero emissions by 2050.
Since travel resumed post-pandemic, cruising has made a swift comeback.
This resurgence has rekindled the debate over its environmental impact and strain on popular destinations.
In 2023, cruise travel surpassed 2019 pre-pandemic levels recording 31.7 million passengers, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) 2024 State of the Industry Report.
With 84 per cent of baby boomers and Gen Xers and 81 per cent of millennials planning to return to sea, cruises remain a dominant and enduring travel choice.
However, industry leaders still need to work to address passengers’ sustainability concerns.
Cruise ships banned from dozens of overwhelmed destinations
The cruise industry travels to every part of the world, including Antarctica.
However, some ports have responded to cruise guests by implementing tourist fees, limiting the number of ships in port, or prohibiting ships from docking altogether.
Venice banned cruise ships from docking at its port. Many cruise lines still offer ‘Venice’ itineraries, but they now dock in nearby cities, such as Trieste or Ravenna, and bus passengers into the city.
The Alaskan capital Juneau faces overwhelming cruise traffic during its short season. Welcoming 1.6 million visitors annually, the city plans to limit daily cruise passengers in 2026.
Santorini in Greece sees more cruise visitors than its population can handle, prompting local authorities to limit the number of ships allowed to dock daily.
On this popular Greek island, cruise passengers frequently encounter tension from locals, even with just one ship in port.
Cruise passengers are increasingly suffering the wrath of locals fed up with overtourism, as residents greet ships with protests and chants. In extreme cases like in Barcelona, citizens are spraying water on tourists, forcing them to leave the city’s main attractions.
Recently, locals in Amsterdam protested and prevented Royal Caribbean’s nine-month world cruise ship from docking by blocking locks that the boat needed to use to enter the port.
Cruising damages waterways and threatens ecosystems
As well as contributing to overtourism, those opposing cruise travel say that the industry destroys the planet with high emissions, and damages waterways and reef systems.
They worry that with more and bigger ships environmental damages will increase.
“I would not go on a cruise for several reasons,” says Emese Maczko, owner of Eco Lodges Everywhere. “These megaships have a huge environmental footprint and are overwhelming small destinations.”
Staggered arrivals and private islands: How cruises are becoming more sustainable
One way cruise lines can make their type of tourism more sustainable is by staggering their arrivals into frequently overcrowded ports.
Itineraries can limit the quantity of ships in a single port by scheduling arrivals on different days or spending less time in port.
In Mykonos, for example, ships stagger arrival times, with one docking in the early morning and another in the afternoon.
This strategy reduces overcrowding while still allowing cruise passengers to experience popular destinations.
Some cruise lines purchase islands and incorporate those stops into their most popular itineraries.
It’s planned that 10 cruise line-owned destinations and five new private islands or beach clubs will open in the next two years.
Some of the most popular private island experiences are in the Bahamas, where cruisers enjoy crystal-clear water and powdery white sand.
Disney now owns two private stops: Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
Carnival Corporation has Half Moon Cay and Princess Cay, and plans to open Celebration Key in July 2025.
Royal Caribbean offers its popular private island, Perfect Day at Coco Cay, on most Bahamas itineraries. It’s a favourite stop for cruisers – and some passengers select their itineraries specifically so they can visit it.
Virgin Voyages, the adults-only cruise line owned by Richard Branson, doesn’t have an entire island but instead offers a beach club option in Bimini, a chain of Bahamian islands east of Miami.
How cruise ships are becoming less environmentally damaging
CLIA highlights the goal of many cruise lines to have net zero emissions by 2050.
To achieve this, cruise lines have invested in technological advancements aimed at reducing their environmental footprint.
Around 32 pilot projects and collaborative initiatives are underway with fuel producers and engine companies testing sustainable fuels and technologies.
In its 2023 report, CLIA outlines several key initiatives to make cruise travel a sustainable form of tourism for years to come.
With Advanced Wastewater Treatment Systems (AWTS), CLIA cruise lines pledge not to discharge untreated sewage during regular operations.
These high-tech AWTS systems often surpass standards set for coastal cities and international regulations.
Some cruise lines also use advanced infrastructure to produce up to 90 per cent of their water on board, reducing the need to take water from areas with limited resources.
To reduce the impact on marine life, CLIA members are expected to slow down in sensitive areas and use technology to reduce underwater noise and vibrations.
Some ships also host scientists to support marine life research.
Certain ships repurpose all waste, use excess heat from machinery for water heating, and reduce food waste with bio-digesters.
In terms of greener fuels, ships with flexible propulsion systems will have the potential to adapt to bioLNG, synthetic LNG or methanol when these become more readily available.
Travel
‘Stranded’: Bali travel chaos after flights grounded due to ash cloud from deadly volcano
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano has so far killed 10 people and injured dozens of others.
A volcano on a remote Indonesian island continues to spew towering columns of hot ash into the air, making it too dangerous for flights to land or depart from Bali’s international airport.
Travellers have been stranded at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport since flight cancellations began at the weekend.
“The airline did not provide accommodation, leaving us stranded at this airport,” said Charlie Austin from Perth, Australia, who was on vacation in Bali with his family.
It is unclear when the ash cloud will clear and allow the airport to resume normal operations.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano on the island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province has been shooting hot ash high into the air since it first erupted on 4 November, killing ten people so far and injuring dozens of others.
The 1,584-meter volcano shot up ash at least 17 times on Tuesday, with the largest column recorded at 9 kilometres high, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation said in a statement.
Bali flights: Are all departures and arrivals cancelled?
I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport’s website currently shows most international departures for today (Wednesday) as either cancelled or delayed, while a few flights, to destinations such as Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur, do appear to be taking off as scheduled.
The advice to passengers is to contact your airline or check their website or social media channels before leaving for the airport.
Sicne the weekend, 84 flights, including 36 scheduled to depart and 48 due to arrive, were cancelled or delayed.
Airport authorities said that at least 26 domestic flights and 64 overseas ones were cancelled on Wednesday alone, including airlines from Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar, India and Malaysia. For these cancellations, the airlines were offering travellers a refund, or to reschedule or reroute.
Air New Zealand cancelled a flight to Denpasar scheduled for Wednesday and a return service to Auckland due to depart Bali on Thursday. Passengers would be rebooked and the airline would continue to monitor the movement of ash in the coming days, Chief Operating Officer Alex Marren said.
Jetstar Bali flights: Australian airlines worst hit by cancellations
Australian airlines use Bali’s international airport more than any others, since Bali is a very popular holiday destination with Australians.
Budget airline Jetstar has paused its flights to Bali until at least Thursday, it said on its website, saying it was “currently not safe” to operate the route.
They say they understand that some passengers may no longer wish to fly to Bali, in which case anyone with flights booked between 13 and 17 November have the option to postpone their flight by three weeks or get credit to use with the airline. For full details on your options, check their website.
Jetstar’s statement went on to say:
“We understand that this is a difficult situation for impacted customers. Safety is always our number one priority and we thank customers for their patience and understanding.
Impacted customers will be notified directly and will be provided with a range of options.
Capacity on our existing scheduled services is limited and we understand that some customers may be concerned about how quickly they can rebook their flights.
We continue to monitor the situation closely and are planning to add extra flights to get customers to their destination as soon as possible.
We will provide an update on flights scheduled to operate after 12noon AEDT on Thursday.”
Virgin Australia’s website showed 10 services to and from Bali were cancelled on Wednesday. Qantas said it has delayed three flights. Some airlines are offering fare refunds for upcoming Bali flights to passengers who don’t want to travel.
Are passengers on Bali flights entitled to a refund or compensation?
Rules vary by country or region but EU airlines have to offer a refund or new flight if they cancel your flight. However if the cancellation is due to weather-related events, they sometimes claim this is an “act of God” to get out of paying passengers.
However for this volcano affecting Bali, some airlines have already said they will cover refunds or offer new flights so the chances are quite good.
Travel insurance is designed to cover unforeseen events, such as emergency medical expenses, lost or stolen belongings and last-minute cancellations.
In some cases, you can be reimbursed if your trip is cancelled due to extreme weather – but certain conditions usually apply.
Check your policy for a list of covered reasons for trip cancellation, as these vary by provider. Some may provide add-ons for weather-related circumstances.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano: 9 kilometre high ash cloud
Authorities on Tuesday expanded the exclusion zone as the volcano erupted again to 9 kilometres high. Volcanic materials, including smoldering rocks, lava, and hot, thumb-size fragments of gravel and ash, have been thrown up to 8 kilometres from the crater since Friday.
About 6,500 people were evacuated in January after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki began erupting, spewing thick clouds and forcing the government to close the island’s Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport. No casualties or major damage were reported, but the airport has remained closed because of seismic activity.
Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of a pair of stratovolcanoes in the East Flores district of East Nusa Tenggara province, known locally as the husband-and-wife mountains. ‘Laki laki’ means man, while its mate is Lewotobi Perempuan, or woman. It’s one of the 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago of 280 million people.
The country is prone to earthquakes, landslides and volcanic activity because it sits along the ‘Ring of Fire’, a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.
Travel
What would a single-ticket booking system mean for your next European train adventure?
The complexity of train travel across Europe’s borders could soon be made easier with plans for a single ticket.
Have you ever travelled by train to visit several European destinations in one interrailing adventure and wished there was a simpler way to cross borders?
Right now, you probably have to have your wits about you as you navigate through a myriad of booking platforms and work out the different ways in which rail providers sell their seats and arrange their schedules.
But it’s not only the inconvenience of booking that’s the issue with the current system.
If you’re committed to more sustainable travel options or simply enjoy the more leisurely experience offered by train travel, then you tend to pay a lot more money than opting to fly between destinations on a budget airline.
The good news is that this could change in the next two years, with the launch of a single European booking system for train tickets.
What this means is that you could travel to multiple destinations on just one ticket with your full travel schedule clearly mapped out.
This new hassle-free experience probably won’t interest you if you have an adventurous spirit and like to regale your friends with stories of missing departures and negotiating cultural differences at the railway station.
But if you’re on a budget or have a time limit on your trip, and you can’t afford to miss connections or pay for new tickets out of pocket, then the new single-ticket system will definitely appeal to you.
How will the new single European booking system work?
Right now, most travellers rely on experts such as Mark Smith, the brains behind Seat61.com, one of the earliest websites offering tips and solutions to the frustrations of travelling across Europe by train.
While it’s early days, a few platforms are already in place that could inspire this new booking system.
For example, Rail Europe and Omio already offer train trips across international borders, yet they still sell each part of the journey on separate tickets.
This new single-ticket proposal is just one of several made by the new EU transport commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who is focused on promoting sustainable transport and decarbonisation solutions.
“It is unbelievable that we do not have this in 2024,” says Tzitzikostas, who adds that it would make booking trains as easy as booking a flight.
Tzitzikostas has also proposed ambitious plans for a European high-speed rail network that will better connect Europe’s capitals, including using night trains.
His goal is that by coupling green and digital innovations, travelling through Europe will “remain safe, accessible and affordable”.
As Euronews Travel has previously reported, European sleeper trains are undergoing a renaissance.
More exciting routes are being added, including one that allows you to have dinner in Brussels and wake up in Venice early enough to still catch the bustling morning ‘Mercati di Rialto’ (Rialto market).
The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), which represents over 70 railway companies and national associations across Europe, was one of the first supporters of the proposed scheme. It says, “This recognition that digitalisation is essential to help modernise the transport system is vital.”
The new pan-European train booking system is due to launch at some point in 2025.
Travel
All aboard the future: How high-speed battery-powered trains will change European rail travel
Will you be getting on board the latest revolution in rail travel: battery-powered trains?
Battery-powered trains are looking to shape the future of Europe’s rail after the first successful trial of an intercity battery train in the northeast of England. This ‘tribid’ train easily switches between battery, diesel, and electric power.
Right now, the UK’s railways run diesel trains, which draw their power from overhead electrified wires or onboard diesel generators. However, the last generation of diesel trains is due to be replaced, and so a phase-out to cleaner alternatives is underway.
The trial happened in the region that first brought coal-powered engines to the world and as Britain celebrates 200 years of the modern railway next year.
High-speed and cheaper? Battery-electric trains show promise
Using just one powerful 700kw battery, this innovative technology can run trains at speeds over 75mph (120kph), making them high-speed.
During the trial, the train operated solely on battery power for 70km before switching back to its diesel engine, but the engineers say this range is enough to cover a typical intercity route that includes bridges, tunnels, and stations.
When launched, it’s expected that the train will have a range of between 100 and 150kms.
Single-battery trains not only boast superior performance, but they’re also more cost-effective than diesel trains.
They can reduce fuel costs by around 35 to 50 per cent, according to this trial which was run by Angel Trains, Hitachi Rail, and TransPennine Express.
Passengers will no doubt hope that any cost savings will be passed on to them, particularly given rising ticket costs, which go up every year in many parts of Europe.
Battery-powered trains are more environmentally considerate
Electric trains are currently considered the best solution to delivering clean trains as part of the global railway industry’s transition to net zero. Other options, such as trains that use grey hydrogen, are carbon-intensive, as Euronews Green has previously reported.
Using battery-powered trains reduces the need for rail operators to install or upgrade overhead wires on any unelectrified tracks. In turn, this could save Europe billions of euros in electrification projects.
It’s good news for those who live near train stations, too. Battery-run trains can enter and leave stations in zero-emission mode, drastically reducing noise and air pollution.
“The success of this trial will pave the way for even greener, more reliable journeys for millions of passengers,” said the UK’s rail minister, Lord Hendy.
When will everyone get to travel by battery-powered trains?
The evolution of battery-electric technology is moving quickly.
Hitachi Rail is already considering this next-generation technology for railway networks and other large vehicles globally. This latest success comes after delivering the world’s first passenger battery train in Japan and Europe’s first battery ‘tribrid’ train in Italy, the Masaccio, a couple of years ago.
A EuroMasaccio platform is already on track to be rolled out across European countries, and if Italy’s project is any indication, this could immediately cut CO2 emissions in half when replacing existing diesel train fleets.
Meanwhile, Siemens Mobility has also developed bi-mode battery trains that are already being used by passengers in the Ortenau region of Germany, saving 1.8 million litres of diesel every year. Plans are underway to roll them out across more countries, including the UK and more regions in Germany, within the next decade.
Siemens’ new trains only require small sections of track to be electrified, as the company supplies its own fast-charging points along the route, known as Rail Charging Converters (RCCs).
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