6 ways to be a more conscious cruiser

Going on a cruise is a great way to discover new places, experience different cultures and make new friends. What’s more, you can incorporate many eco-friendly habits during your travels. Here, we chat with bloggers about how to be a more conscious cruiser:

The shops are full of natural toiletries from toothpaste to haircare. Packing as many natural products as possible is one way to be a more eco-conscious traveller. Yanar from Brighter Shade of Green recommends using companies that pride themselves on being kind to the environment. “My favourites are anything from Weleda, Green People and Neal’s Yard Remedies. They are always in my travel bag and they all do minis. I also love multi-tasking eco-products such as Dr Bronner’s liquid soap.”

Cosmetics company Lush is on a mission to reduce the amount of plastic packaging for its products. “Packaging is rubbish and for too long we’ve had to suffer excessive amounts of it,” they say on their website. “Now that the true financial and environmental costs are becoming obvious, customers are challenging manufacturers and retailers to cut the wrap.” Cutting back on plastic packaged toiletries not only helps reduce waste but also helps save space in your suitcase.

“Bring your own reusable water bottle, especially on shore excursions and port days,” Ian from Travels and Whims explains. Filling up your reusable bottle instead of buying single-use containers saves you money and reduces the amount of plastic waste. 24 Bottles has pledged to help make a greener future by offering stylish stainless steel water bottles. Each 500ml bottle is printed with the figure 0,08, which is the amount of Co2 saved from being released into the atmosphere each time the bottle is refilled instead of buying a disposable plastic one.

Being mindful of electrical appliances is something Ian advises, “Save energy by turning off the AC before leaving your room and save electricity by using solar chargers to charge up your electronics and mobile devices.” Not only are solar chargers great when you urgently need to charge your phone or device but they can also come in handy when you’re in port exploring the locality or off on an excursion.

Shopping is a popular pastime when exploring a new port. With this in mind, it is worth taking a reusable shopping bag with you instead of using a single-use plastic carrier bag. Reusable shopping bags are much sturdier than standard carrier bags. What’s more, many companies create bright totes that can add a bit of colour to your holiday wardrobe. Eco Right offers a fantastic range of colourful shopping bags and totes brandished with quirky quotes.

Brightly coloured inflatables are often seen bobbing around hotel pools. But on a cruise, pool noodles, beach balls and inflatables are banned. This is because there is potential for them to be lost overboard, which is a violation of the maritime disposal ordinances. Fear not, though. There are lots of alternative ways to spend an action-packed day by the pool. Many larger ships have an array of added extras including waterslides and whirlpools.