Forget offsites. Take your meeting offshore! If you’ve never considered holding a meeting aboard a cruise ship, now is the time to start. Hotel demand is growing, causing nightly rates to rise. Why not consider this out-of-the-box solution to your venue selection woes?

Last year, Smart Meetings covered the benefits of cruise meetings in a three-part series. We found that there are numerous reasons to consider a cruise meeting, such as unique meeting spaces, enticing excursions and all-inclusive pricing. Now you can add sustainability to that list.

The world’s largest cruise industry association, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), recently did an in-depth analysis of the industry’s environmental practices. The study found that CLIA-member lines are strong performers that limit their emissions to the air and have implemented excellent wastewater treatment policies. These cruise lines are also industry leaders in continually developing innovative policies and processes that benefit the environment.

The study, performed by Energy and Environmental Research Associates (EERA), found that CLIA members met and often exceeded legal requirements for environmental protection. These practices include designing and using innovative systems that reduce air emissions, taking advantage of alternative fuels, refraining from discharging untreated sewage, and developing and implementing advanced wastewater treatment systems.

“Safeguarding and preserving the world’s precious natural resources is not only the right thing to do, but it is essential to the cruise experience for generations to come,” said Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA.

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