Environmental Ship of the Year Awards Announced
March 17, 2005
After audit reports on nineteen of Royal Caribbean International's ships and nine Celebrity Cruises ships, the joined companies took a moment to honor their respective crews from Jewel of the Seas and Constellation, both of which earned Environmental Ship of the Year awards yesterday afternoon.
External auditing firm, CoVeris, conducted judging for the awards which are designed to foster a friendly competition that encourages the progression of environmental advancements and furthers their achievements well passed regulatory compliance.
Selection of the Environmental Ship of the Year awards covered 2004 operations and was based on the following six criteria: findings related to environmental performance, timeliness and effectiveness of corrective actions related to audit findings, reports of near incidents and non-conformities, the submission of weekly and monthly environmental status reports, the performance of environmental equipment and last but not least---innovative thinking.
Jewel of the Seas' crew was commended for successfully dealing with issues related to fresh water and energy consumption, waste minimization and pollution prevention. Flow meters were installed to monitor laundry and boiler water usage onboard. Water conserving showerheads were installed in crew quarters and the ship's daily water consumption data was posted for review to keep them mindful of waste. Waste-minimization efforts included the recycling of clothes hangers, salvaging china and cutlery from the waste stream, reducing onboard printing and more efficiently managing recyclable glass.
The management team on board Celebrity's Constellation was praised for its involvement in the oversight of daily environmental matters. The captain and senior officers joined their environmental officer in daily walk-arounds, which also created time for interaction with crew members, from stateroom attendants to those working in the incinerator room and trash sorting room. Due to high scores on various internal and external audits throughout the year, the crew was commended for their effort in honoring the company's "Above and Beyond Compliance" policy.
Last year, the Royal Caribbean International crew onboard Explorer of the Seas was honored the Best Environmental Innovation of the Year award for their 'Sludge Buoy System' which skims off the thin layer of oil floating at the top of bilge water holding tanks. By doing this, the 'Sludge Buoy System' makes it easier and more efficient to run bilge water through oily water separators. New reference documents entitled "Dry Dock Environmental Controls and Checks" as well as a training manual to keep employees informed regarding the company's 'Save The Waves' environmental protection program and ISO 14001 environmental standards.
Royal Caribbean International has also received applauding for their commitment to the environment from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. A Grand Prize was awarded for the development of their Environmental Management System (EMS) and Environmental Officer (EO) training programs. Royal Caribbean was the first in the industry to develop these programs which have now become the industry standard. EO and crew training have streamlined environmental operations and ensured continued performance improvement and waste reductions.
Jewel of the Seas currently sails the Caribbean in the winter, Alaska in the spring and summer and Bermuda for a short autumn run. Explorer of the Seas calls the Caribbean her home, offering two different 7-day itineraries year-round out of Miami, Florida. And Celebrity's Constellation, in addition to several Caribbean cruises, will be making a British Isles/Norway cruise in July and a few New England/Canada trips this fall.
Meghann PorterBook your cruise online
