Sustainability - Place

PLACE

Our cruises allow people to visit some of the most beautiful and exciting destinations that the world has to offer – and we want to help to keep them that way.

We want to deliver positive social and economic outcomes for the local communities we visit. Our investments in the development of new sustainable cruise terminals are creating jobs and bringing new visitors to these places.

Collaboration with local authorities, community groups and partners, such as the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), to share information and integrate policies and strategies helps support responsible tourism management.

We are also a member of both the CEO-led Sustainability Committee and the Sustainability Task Force of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), working closely with travel industry partners to develop and implement sustainable solutions for our industry.

Economic Impact: Terminal development

We have invested in the creation of new terminal facilities in Durban, Miami, and Barcelona. These are allowing – or will allow – us to deploy our latest, most modern vessels in these locations. To ensure we are building these terminals with the environment front of mind, all new MSC Cruises’ port terminals are certified to LEED silver or higher. LEED – which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is a widely used global green building rating system. Its rigorous score-based systems ensure high levels of efficiency in both building design and operation.

Miami: our new cruise terminal in Miami, will be North America’s largest and most modern terminal. Our ships at berth at the new Miami terminal will have access to the local power grid, in line with PortMiami’s plans to enable shore power connectivity. A comprehensive environmental and social management system is in place for the construction and subsequent operation of the terminal. At a minimum, the terminal is expected to meet the LEED Silver rating, and a third-party audited system will ensure extensive data collection, reporting and incident notification practices.
Barcelona: The terminal will enable shore power connectivity and will also be ready for LNG bunkering. It is on track to meet the LEED Gold rating, and we will seek LEED Zero Energy and LEED Zero Water certification within 12 months of operation. LEED Zero Energy requires the incorporation of solar panels and the use of renewable energy from the grid, as well as a low energy consumption design. To achieve LEED Zero water, we will demonstrate that the terminal has a low water demand, reuses rainwater, and directs stormwater directly to the sea.

Economic Impact: Terminal development

Terminal development, Sustainability | MSC Cruises

Responsible Tourism

Unmanaged tourism is a challenge for many of the world’s most popular travel destinations, and we are committed to playing our part in addressing this. We work with our tour operators and relevant local authorities to find ways to minimise crowding on city infrastructure and traffic. This includes finding new sites to visit, expanding the area of interest beyond city centres. We are determined to be a positive and engaged player in driving responsible and sustainable tourism.

Transport: The first step in offering greener tours is to consider how we transport passengers from ports to places of interest. We are committed to expanding our utilisation of green ground transportation over time. We were able to replace some fossil-fuelled vehicles to electric and hybrid shuttle buses in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

Protectours: Excursions with a lower carbon footprint are growing in popularity and, we offered more responsible shore excursions called ‘Protectours’ at many destinations. These tours, first introduced in 2020, include walking, hiking, bicycling, canoeing and kayaking excursions ashore – all low carbon activities.

Supporting tour operators: Our partnership continued with Travelife, a training and certification initiative specifically designed to help tourism companies that want to understand their responsibilities and become more sustainable. Travelife provides our tour operators with information and training that allows them to take action to reduce their environmental impact.