Windstar Offers $50 "Eco-Friendly" Credit

Yesterday I mentioned an eco-initiative from Crystal Cruises. Now here's one from Windstar:

As we're all continually challenged by the media and various organizations to become more conscious of the environment, cruise lines are taking note—albeit in small ways. Windstar Cruises just launched its e-Sail Docs program.

The line will now offer electronic distribution of its cruise documents in PDF format via e-mail. If you select to receive your paperwork this way, the information will be delivered shortly after final payment and the cruise line will gift you with a $50 per person future cruise certificate.

You may still opt to receive cruise docs the old-fashion way: through the mail. However, Windstar's president Diane Moore hopes everyone will consider taking advantage of the new e-Sail Docs program. "Windstar is extremely committed to environmental protection and we continue to look for practices we can engage in to safeguard our environment. Ideally, we would like to get 100 percent guest participation."

Windstar has designated environmental officers stationed on each of her three motor-sail-yachts—Wind Spirit, Wind Star, and Wind Surf—and takes part in various recycling and waste reduction efforts as well as fuel and water conservation.

For those who'll inevitably scoff at the program, saying it will barely make a dent in the amount of paper and plastic we're awash in every day, it's important to remember that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one simple step.

For more information, talk with your travel agent or visit Windstar Cruises' website.

Eco-Initatives Score an Award for Crystal Symphony

For those of us who aren't engineers or environmental scientists, it may be difficult to brainstorm ways that cruise lines could save energy while safeguarding the environment. Yet, cruise lines across the globe are spearheading fuel conservation initiatives and are creating plans to lessen the environmental impact their ships have on the world's waterways.

And, sometimes, it's the simple things that make a big difference. Consider the 100 percent recyclable EcoHangers that Crystal Cruises recently brought on board the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. This new option will help decrease the nearly 9 billion wire and plastic hangers that end up in landfills each year.

Other Crystal eco-initiatives include using washable, reusable garment bags instead of plastic bags for laundry purposes and a lighting and energy consumption survey that pointed out ways to save 960,000 kWh—that's like saving 200 tons of fuel a year or eliminating more than 5,000 lightbulbs!

Crystal's environmental initiatives have been noticed by the industry in the past and the Crystal Symphony was just awarded The Environmental Buoy Diploma from the Ports of Stockholm for the third year. She was chosen from among 80 vessels that cruise the Baltic Sea annually.

For more information about Crystal Cruises, talk with your travel agent or visit their website.

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