Environmental consciousness is on the rise. With global warming and the extinction of many of the earth’s endangered species, people are considering these Eco Cruises a viable holiday option. These tours allow people not just the fun and relaxation of a cruise but also to do so in a responsible manner that helps in conserving the environment so find a great cruise deal and get on some nice green cruise.
Responsible Tourism
Eco Tourism, from which Eco Cruises stem from, came about because of the need to change the way people go about their sightseeing and vacations.
Several concerned people noticed years back that the debris that came in the wake of a tour group was causing damage to the environment. The need to act more responsibly while on a tour so later generations would enjoy the same captivating scenery arose from this.
These green cruises is a major advocacy today of Cruise Lines International Association. This group has as its members many of the major cruise companies such as American Cruise Lines, Carnival, Royal Caribbean International, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruise Lines to name a few. They provide ships that have low carbon emissions as well as other features that have low impact on the environment’s delicate balance.
Family Fun plus Learning Activities
Aside from featuring nature’s beauty and diversity, some cruises also teach people about the earth’s ecology. A good example of this is Ecoventura’s Family Expedition Cruises to the Galapagos Islands. An entire yacht is dedicated for the family and activities are conducted that take into account what guests of different ages are likely to enjoy.
Parents who would like to instill environmental awareness and conservation into their children will enjoy what this company offers. For teens, they inculcate these lessons through more physically demanding adventures like kayaking and snorkeling. Being a family friendly cruise, they also offer discounts for children between 15 to 25 percent depending on the child’s age. The company is based in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Variety
Eco Cruises today also include overland travel to spice up the journey. This adds a different dimension to the traditional cruise vacation. Great examples of these are the Southeast Asian Tours provided by Zegrahm and Eco Expeditions.
One of their cruise start with visits to Laos and Myanmar that feature overland mini-van trips to the Golden Triangle, the Pakdu caves, and the Shwedagon Pagodas. Another cruise they offer begins at Angkor Wat followed travel by land to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where their guests embark on a thousand mile cruise of the Vietnamese coast and Perfume River.
Cost
The cost varies depending on the season, the accommodations, the places visited, the inclusions and the length of the cruise. From time to time these Cruise Lines put their cruise packages on sale such as the New Year Sale offered by Princess Cruises where they are giving out ten percent discounts on top of other discounts they already offer with a package.
All in All
Enjoying a cruise today can be fun for the whole family, rich in variety, and friendly towards both the environment and the pocket through the various Eco Cruises.
