HUNDREDS of cruise ship passengers visiting the Isle of Man during March will take part in beach cleaning sessions with Beach Buddies on the southern coastline.
Beach Buddies is teaming up with Cruise Isle of Man to host the events for passengers on two Hurtigruten cruises which visit the Isle of Man on March 2nd and 11th. It is believed to be the world’s first ever event of this kind for cruise ship passengers.
Kris Willassen, itinerary planner at Hurtigruten, said, “We’re guests in these destinations, so we want to ensure that every shore visit enriches the lives of the local communities, as well as our passengers and crew. Our aim is to only ever leave a footprint that we’re proud of.”
Hurtigruten has sailed coastal and expedition cruises to some of the most environmentally sensitive areas in the world, such as Norway’s fjords, Iceland, Greenland, the Northwest Passage, Alaska and Antarctica. The brand is acutely aware of its responsibility to protect these destinations for the local communities and future generations of explorers.
Guided by the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, Hurtigruten aims to go above and beyond to minimise the impact its ships and guests have on every destination they visit. To achieve this, Willassen’s team works closely with local communities – before, during and after each cruise ship call.
The ship visiting the Isle of Man is the newest in the Hurtigruten fleet. The ‘Fridjtof Nansen’ has hybrid-technology and other efficiency improvements which will reduce fuel consumption by approximately 20% and CO2 emissions from the ship by 20%. This amounts to more than 3000 metric tons of CO2 per year.
A spokesman for Cruise Isle of Man said, “We look forward to welcoming Hurtigruten’s newest ship to the Isle of Man on the 2nd and 11th March when their guests will participate in a beach clean with Beach Buddies”.
Bill Dale, founder of Beach Buddies, said, “We are really pleased to be asked to host the two beach cleaning events for Hurtigruten’s passengers. We also have other environmental projects under discussion for future visits. We don’t know of anything else like this anywhere else in the world, so this is another major ‘first’ for Beach Buddies and the Isle of Man and will showcase just what a very special place this is.”
• Beach Buddies is sponsored by FIM Capital.
