10 Cruise Lines Going to Inspiring Lengths to Protect the Planet

AmaWaterways

AmaWaterways, a cruise line that takes travelers on the rivers of Europe, Asia, and Africa, has been improving its fleet's sustainability for 15 years. Its 22 ships are outfitted with energy-saving LED lights and insulated windows, plus a system that uses membrane technology to filter and recycle wastewater. The company keeps its Zambezi Queen boat especially green, since it plies the Chobe River's sensitive waters. Instead of the typical propeller system, the Queen uses water jet propulsion to prevent riverbed damage. During the day, the 28-passenger safari cruise runs on fuel-efficient, low-emission generators; after dark, it uses battery power. Hot water onboard is solar-heated, soaps and detergents are biodegradable, bathrooms have low-flow showers and faucets that dispense purified river water, and there's an onboard sewage processing plant. So breathe a little easier as you marvel at African hippos, elephants, and birds from your balcony stateroom.

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Delfin Amazon Cruises

Delfin Amazon Cruises operates two vessels, the 12-passenger Delfin I and the 30-passenger Delfin II. Both take passengers along a stretch of Peru's Amazon River and into the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, a highly protected biodiversity hotspot—native naturalists guide guests through remote jungle villages. Both boats are nearly carbon neutral and produce no wastewater runoff, thanks to top-of-the-line infrastructure onboard, including a sewage treatment plant. The ships' dining rooms serve Peruvian cuisine made from local, sustainably sourced Amazonian ingredients, and the boats' interiors are decorated with crafts and art, most of it for sale, handmade by locals who might otherwise resort to making an income by hunting endangered species. Delfin's founder and CEO, Aldo Macchiavello, also started the Kuyapa Foundation, a nonprofit that supplies the people living along the Amazon River with medical services, school supplies, and disaster relief.

Disney Cruise Line

It's surprising to have a mega line on this list—yet here Disney is. Maybe because it's a company whose key clientele are next in line to inherit Earth, Disney's sustainability efforts are significant. Its cruise line's list of planet-protecting actions includes excellent sewage treatment systems, a recycling program that diverts more than 900 tons of trash from landfills annually (all guestrooms have a recycling bin), fuel-saving hydrodynamics, and a nontoxic hull coating that reduces surface resistance. All DCL ships are in the process of converting to eco-friendly lighting and each week, the boats' kitchens save more than 1,000 gallons of used cooking oil to be turned into biofuel. Staffers use organic and biodegradable cleaning products wherever possible. On the line's private island, Castaway Cay, there's an elaborate coral reef restoration project, and solar power heats water for crew areas. The most recent Friends of the Earth Cruise Ship Report Cards (see here and here) gave Disney a higher grade than any of the other 15 major lines.

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Ecoventura

Woven into its very name, sustainability is at the heart of Ecoventura's mission. In 2006, Ecoventura, determined to preserve the delicate, one-of-a-kind ecosystems that it brings travelers to see, became the first carbon-neutral company in the Galapagos (and all of Ecuador) thanks to efforts to cut and offset emissions. In 2008, the company's M/Y Eric became the first hybrid yacht in the Galapagos after a $100,000 installation of 40 solar panels and two wind turbines, supplanting almost 20 percent of the boat's fuel needs with renewable energy. Its longtime partnership with the World Wildlife Fund resulted in the Galapagos Marine Biodiversity Fund to support eco-literacy and marine conservation, and its Smart Voyager designation (a certification developed by the Rainforest Alliance) attests to Ecoventura's commitment to sustainable tourism. Food onboard is centered around Galapagos-derived ingredients, many of them organic, with vegetarian and vegan options available upon request. And the company has teamed up with Pack for a Purpose to encourage passengers to bring needed items to Ecuadorian students with disabilities.

ExporingCircle

If you haven't heard of ExploringCircle, that's because it's a new company, founded in August 2015. Offering family-friendly small-ship cruises of Alaska (plus trips to the Arctic, Antarctica, the Amazon, and other eco-destinations), the line bills itself as an "environmental crusader with a strong sense of purpose." Part of that purpose is getting young people to see and care about Alaska's spectacular coves and glaciers. Before embarking, families are expected to read about ExploringCircle's six environmental causes (they include clean water, plastic pollution, and sea level rise), pick one, and pledge support to it. ExploringCircle then donates up to 5 percent of your client fee to your chosen environmental cause. Once onboard one of ExploringCircle's two expedition vessels—either the 84-passenger M/V Safari Endeavour or the 60-passenger M/V Wilderness Adventurer—naturalists guide you and your kids (who get a discounted rate) on outdoor adventures that might include kayaking, hiking, exploring tide pools, and wildlife sightings. (Another great company for eco-friendly Alaska cruising is Discovery Voyages.)

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Holland America

Holland America's sustainability initiatives have earned the line a roster of honors, including two Benkert Awards for environmental protection from the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Sustainable Tourism Award from HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International) and National Geographic Traveler. Year after year, Ethisphere names it one of the most ethical companies in America. Even though it's owned by Carnival, one of the poorer performers on FOE's cruise report card, Holland America as a subsidiary does a good job of taking care of the environment. In 2010, the line partnered with the nonprofit Marine Conservation Institute to support ocean-saving scientific research, to bring sustainable seafood to ships' menus, and to raise eco-awareness among passengers and staff. In recent years, Holland America has cut its fuel consumption more than three percent, refrigerant releases five percent, greenhouse gas emissions seven percent, and particulate matter 8 percent. Its ships are propelled by diesel electric generators, which are more efficient than traditional marine propulsion systems; and the ships will alter course if there's a chance of hitting marine mammals, an effort that involves hiring highly trained experts and working with government agencies. To reduce trash, Holland America employees take recyclable and reusable materials out of trash piles and donate used goods. The line's Bahamian private island, Half Moon Cay, is only 4 percent developed, with the rest protected as a migratory bird reserve.

INCA

INCA, which stands for International Nature and Cultural Adventures, is an adventure operator that's been taking travelers to the Galapagos for 40 years—its founder, Bill Roberson, started his career as a scientist and professor. Over the decades, the company added itineraries (most are limited to 16 passengers) to Antarctica, Alaska, Chile and Patagonia, Peru, Turkey, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Offering what it calls "adventures with a conscience" aboard two yachts, the Integrity and the Reina Silvia, naturalists guide travelers through some of the planet's most impressive wildlife scenery. At the same time, INCA's partnership with the Galapagos Conservancy raises funds for the species-defending organization and inspires guests to make "significant" contributions to the nonprofit's research and education initiatives. INCA even runs an annual cruise specifically to raise money for the conservationist group.

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Lindblad Expeditions

Perhaps the most authentically responsible cruise company of them all, Lindblad Expeditions, sums up its approach this way: "One of our governing principles is to positively impact the areas we explore." At the 2015 World Travel Awards, Lindblad was named the World's Leading Green Cruise Line, due in no small part to the fact that the company partners with more than a dozen nonprofits "that share our goals of social responsibility and environmental stewardship," including the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Blue Ocean Institute (Sven Lindblad is an active member of the board of trustees), the Alaska Whale Foundation, and the Children & Nature Network (its cofounder, Richard Louv, has been a host aboard Lindblad's National Geographic Explorer). The Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund directs millions of dollars toward researching and protecting what Lindblad calls "the last wild places in the ocean." Onboard, chefs maintain the company's strict commitment environmental protection by using locally grown produce and sustainably sourced fish: "We choose not to purchase or serve species," the company policy says, "that are considered overfished or caught by practices that have serious environmental impact."

Ponant

Ponant, a French-flagged cruise line offering polar expeditions aboard small luxury ships, is deeply committed to environmentally responsible tourism. As a member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and a signatory of France's La Charte Bleue d'Armateurs ("The Shipowners' Blue Charter"), Ponant is required to follow strict rules that protect the ecologically fragile places it visits. Ponant's four boats, L'Austral, Le Boreal, Le Soleal, and Le Lyrial, have all gotten the "Clean Ship" nod from the certification firm Bureau Veritas, thanks to the ships' thoughtful design and operations. Their electric propulsion system reduces fuel consumption by up to 30 percent, while anchor-free stopping technology protects reefs and other sensitive ecosystems. The boats' sewage is never dumped in the water (only ashore), and water used in showers and washing machines gets recycled to clean the decks. The boats' LED and CFR lights use up to 10 times less electricity than conventional lighting, and the ships' navigators use technology that includes sonar and 3D mapping to avoid injuring marine mammals. Guests get to ride Zodiac landing craft, letting them, as Ponant's website puts it, "personally experience each polar region as few can, complete with awe-inspiring wildlife and the towering frozen vistas of earth's farthest reaches."

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Windstar Cruises

Wind-powered anything is better for the environment than fuel-powered anything, an axiom which definitely applies to boats. Though Windstar's vessels—which carry around 150 to 300 passengers at a time through Europe, the Caribbean, Tahiti, and Central America—do rely on their engines a fair amount, their massive masts can add more than five knots to the ships' speed, especially when breezes prevail. Plus, the fuel is sulfur-free to reduce emissions. Onboard, the crew uses biodegradable cleaning supplies, reduces food waste, and recycles cooking oil into fuel. Bathrooms in the lovely guestrooms are outfitted with water-saving showerheads and taps. All Windstar staffers get environmental training every year, and all Windstar boats have a designated environmental officer onboard. Windstar's parent company, Xanterra, is a member of World Wildlife Fund's Climate Savers program and a major national parks concessionaire, operating at Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Zion. It claims to be "one of the world's most environmentally responsible travel and hospitality companies" (even though it's run by a conservative oil heir).

If you're interested in going "all wind," however (and don't mind a taste of ruggedness), book with Maple Leaf Adventures, a deeply green Canadian company that offers expedition cruises in British Columbia and Alaska aboard classic wooden schooners.

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Avital Andrews also covers travel and the environment for USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, Outside, Sierra, and Frommer's. Follow her on Twitter @avitalb or on Facebook.