How and will “climate change” affect cruising?

I’ve already written a blog about cruiseline environmental efforts  in my blog Cruise and number 2s, what really happens with cruise waste? but what about environmental circumstances that might effect a cruise itinerary as there are many, some clearly man made, others just earth going through its natural motions.

A disclaimer here – it is my nature to be somewhat skeptical about science and the clear intentions of some to cash in on it, “climate change” or “global warming” or whatever the current buzzword is, it’s been cunningly changed from one to the other of those since I was at school you see.

There is more than just the good of environment in play when the environmental hype train gets going but there is obviously a responsibility on everyone to this planet we live on and how we effect it and the main message is right. Let’s find ways that we can be greener and let’s do it quickly as I am 100% all for us protecting the planet in realistic and attainable ways but everyone has to do their bit and put petty business interests aside if this is to have any credibility, which some may find hard.

The reality is the environment and conditions cruise ships operate in are either evolving or changing and these things do effect how we travel now and are likely to in the future. So its a serious point and one that cruise-line operators should take serious notice of in their environmental policies and indeed their forward business planning as evidenced in my blog link above.

Low river level on the Danube Regensburg, Germany

Take river cruising for example, its no secret that waters on the Rhine and Danube for example had been low at times last year and that companies had to alter their cruise schedules and program to make parts of the itinerary accessible. Not ideal at all when you have paid top dollar for a river cruise and may put people off moving forward if it becomes a yearly thing. Surely if the scientists are right it will keep occurring year on year so watch this space…?

High water can be just as disruptive to these sort of itineraries and does happen (thats the global warming rather than the climate change happening to be clear), so it’s a constantly moving problem and theory as you would expect with something involving water.

Also take the Mekong river for example. There is certainly direct correlation here between mans activities and the river. It has been effected by mining on an epic scale and man made dams at the north of the river, this sort of stuff is unavoidable in a country trying to find its feet and where corruption unfortunately reigns supreme, mores the pity.

The river cruising industry here is pretty much in its infancy for western style cruising and there are only a few operators like APT that ply the river. The Mekong being a massive length of water has ample opportunities to explore Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma and even China.

Tonle Sap Cambodia

Cambodia, Laos and Yunnan province in China are amazing places I’ve been to with incredible culture and some crazy scenery and geological wonders so hopefully the countries will find ways to keep the Mekong unspoiled and use tourism as a way to make money avoid its destruction. (ideally both things hand in hand rather than becoming overrun).

(Below stone forest Yunnan province, China)

Then you have ocean cruises, the northwest passage between Canada and Greenland has until fairly recently only been open to only very small specialized ships but as of 2017 Crystal Serenity which for this route is a huge old ship (1600 odd passengers) has made the trip twice. It docked in the mainly Inuit town Cambridge bay and doubled the towns population for the day both times! Is that to do with the climate, oceanology or geology of the area changing, undoubtedly, any of those factors could be the cause.

There are other phenomenons like land erosion and sinking ports ,Venice for example. Venice is a hugely interesting one as the locals are very critical of tourism in general from what I’ve seen and read but it is also the gateway port to get to the wonders of the Adriatic and the Greek islands which really is all the rage cruise wise at the moment. Some of this is environmental, some of this is to do with people wanting Venice to keep its characteristics (little Venicers’ they must be I guess???) but there it is.

The local objections in Venice are so much so that big cruise ships are now banned from operating out of the port there so you only get the smaller Royal Caribbean, MSC ships operating from this port, which has a knock on effect on costs of your cruise.

Anyway the water in Venice is rising, contradictory to the Danube and Rhine, which are also in Europe when I last looked and not too far from Venice, it’s hard to follow I know but alas Venice is on the way to sinking into the sea permanently. The same can also be said for the Maldives and sadly parts of the South Pacific which I know and love.

But with earths patterns there are always new islands like this one https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-47153797 forming all the time, maybe we should chill out and accept its just the circle of life. We are but a small fraction of history and maybe one thing sinks and another thing comes up from the ground to replace it and that’s just how it goes.