All around the world, ephemeral blooms add a magical new layer to our favorite travel destinations.
27.04.2024 - 20:17 / forbes.com
Cruises are increasingly popular but not the most environmentally-friendly option for travelers keen to keep carbon emissions low. It's also true that cruise companies need to meet goals of being carbon-neutral by 2050—one possible solution then, would be to start building nuclear-powered cruise ships.
Using nuclear power for shipping is not new. There are currently 200 nuclear reactors on ships globally, mostly submarines and naval ships. In the 1950s, the U.S. government built a passenger boat run on nuclear power—it could hold 60 travelers and lots of cargo—but it was rife with issues, not entirely related to its energy source. Now, the NS Savannah sits inside a dock in Baltimore, designed more as a proof-of-concept than anything else, reports NPR.
The forward part of the ship held a pressurized water reactor that used low-enriched uranium to produce heat—the steam that was produced ran the ship's turbines, spun the propellors and so produced electricity to power the ship up to 20 knots, equivalent to the speed of many cruise ships today. The Russian government also commissioned Sevmorput, a nuclear-powered cargo ship in 1988, that's still in operation. Two other boats—the Japanese Mutsu and the German Otto Hahn—started out life as nuclear but were fitted to take diesel later on.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations agency that regulates global shipping and it's set a target of carbon neutrality by 2050 for the cruise industry—shipping currently produces 300 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, around 3% of global emissions.
This obviously poses some issues, because while boats are being built more efficiently, cruise ships are increasing in size—the largest, Icon of the Seas, set sail this year, and ships are installing ever-more diverse activities onboard, such as go-karting, moving bars, zip lines, rollercoasters and skydiving and surfing simulators.
Most ships still run on diesel fuel with about one quarter now using alternative fuels such as liquefied natural gas, methanol, or hybrid propulsion—all lower in carbon emissions. According to the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) there are 25 ships using Liquified Natural Gas that will start operating in the next five years. Seven ships belonging to Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, and Disney Cruise Line are also coming online that are methanol ready or methanol capable. Carnival is also looking to retrofit ships to take methanol. One of the issues though is that these fuels could be used for other purposes, as could the green power that produces them.
At the annual Seatrade Cruise Global conference that took place in Miami this month, industry leaders believe that using nuclear technology is
All around the world, ephemeral blooms add a magical new layer to our favorite travel destinations.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, May 16. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, May 16. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Last year, when Micha Pycke, 40, and Albane Paret, 39, bought an apartment in Ostend — a once run-down Belgian seaside town that, in recent years, has become a favorite of artists and designers — they knew they wanted the place to be, says Pycke, “something more than an Airbnb or holiday home.” Instead, the couple, who co-own the Ghent-based arts- and design-focused communications agency Club Paradis, envisioned what he calls “a new kind of space”: essentially, a gallery where guests could stay overnight. To that end, they’ve filled the 1,000-square-foot two-bedroom, which is on the eighth floor of a ’60s-era building overlooking the North Sea, with works by some of their favorite artists and designers, many of whom are also their clients. In the living room, a lacquered wood coffee table by the Dutch designer Linde Freya Tangelder’s studio, Destroyers/Builders, sits atop a limited-edition rug by the Swiss textile artist Christoph Hefti woven with images of foxes. In one of the bedrooms, a copper-colored, ruched-felt tapestry by Rooms Studio — a women-led company from Tbilisi, Georgia — hangs above a Duo seat by the Belgian team Muller Van Severen for Valerie Objects. And if you like something, you can probably take it with you; most of the pieces are for sale, and Pycke and Paret are also happy to connect guests directly with designers. . —
I have to admit that on trips to Thailand and China I was not adventurous when it came to lunch and dinner. I must have set a record for ordering vegetable pad Thai in Thailand. But with May now officially Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we should take advantage of restaurants offering these tasty cuisines in the Times Square area.
Antigua and Barbuda have reached a significant milestone in their tourism industry, welcoming the 500,000th cruise passenger of the year at St. John’s Harbour on May 9, 2024. The historic event occurred in under five months, showcasing a rapid increase in cruise traffic compared to previous years. Antigua Cruise Port’s Operation Manager Rawle Reynolds, highlighted the exceptional growth to the local media, saying, “In the years of being a cruise tourism destination, this is the first time at such a fast pace in the 4th month of the year that we’ve been able to reach 500,000 passengers at this time of the year.”
Self-guided adventure travel is having its moment right now and there are many reasons for its rise in popularity. No one knows this better than Neil Lapping, founder of Macs Adventure, which offers more than 500 self-guided hiking and biking adventures in more than 40 destinations worldwide.
Norwegian Cruise Line is celebrating educators by offering discounted cruises and rewarding 20 teachers with a free cruise on the company’s newest ship.
A cruise port on Florida’s Space Coast is going bigger, planning to build a brand-new cruise terminal to meet demand.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tony Fernandes, a 60-year-old founder and CEO of UEGroup based in San Francisco, about his experience working remotely on a cruise ship. It's been edited for length and clarity.
As Star Wars fans around the world celebrate May the Fourth, what better way to immerse yourself in the galaxy far, far away than by visiting real-life locations that served as backdrops for some of the most iconic scenes in the saga? Solos was founded in 1982 and now offers a wide range of holidays for globetrotters. From Costa Rica to Canada, Africa to America, India to Iceland, Croatia to the Caribbean, Uzbekistan to the UK, and Norway to New Zealand, Solos has divided its holidays into easy-to-select categories depending on interests. Solos is also keen to challenge the assumption that solo travel is purely for single people. Regardless of age, ability, circumstance, background, gender – there really is something for everyone – especially on these exciting trips below.
Munich, Germany’s third-largest metropolis, is a city of tankards and tech, artworks and eccentricity. It's generally a safe place to visit, and few travelers have problems.