Thank you for your continued support,
Frank Del Rio
President and Chief Executive Officer, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
A LETTER FROM OUR CEO
2019 was another remarkable year for our Company, with approximately 2.7 million guests visiting more than 490 destinations worldwide. We welcomed the highly anticipated 27th ship in our fleet, Norwegian Encore, and prepared for the early 2020 arrival of our 28th ship, Regent’s Seven Seas Splendor, all while delivering record financial results. At the same time, we made substantial progress on our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts including our global sustainability program, “Sail & Sustain,” and on our environmental goals to reduce CO2 emissions, invest in emerging technologies, minimize waste to landfills and increase sustainable sourcing. We have experienced rapid and significant impacts across our operations after the emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic earlier this year.
STEWARDSHIP REPORT
2019
YEAR FOUNDED
Flawless Execution Dedication to Family and Community Spirit of Entrepreneurship Financial Excellence and Environmental Stewardship
VALUES
To be the vacation of choice for everyone around the world.
VISION
To provide exceptional vacation experiences, delivered by passionate team members committed to world-class hospitality and innovation.
MISSION
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) is a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. With a combined fleet of 28 ships with approximately 59,150 berths, these brands offer itineraries to more than 490 destinations worldwide. The Company will introduce nine ships with approximately 22,950 berths across its three award-winning brands through 2027.
1966
SHIPS IN FLEET
28
Guests Carried in 2019
~2.7 million
SHIPS ON ORDER
9
TEAM MEMBERS
~36,000
NATIONS REPRESENTED
120
GLOBAL OFFICES
15
GLOBAL DESTINATIONS
490+
CONTINENTS
6
ISLAND DESTINATIONS
2
+
Regent Seven Seas Cruises is the leading luxury cruise line, delivering An Unrivaled Experience™ for over 25 years. Carrying no more than 750 guests, the line’s spacious and stylish ships - Seven Seas Explorer®, Seven Seas Mariner®, Seven Seas Navigator®, Seven Seas Splendor™ and Seven Seas Voyager® - form The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet and explore more than 450 immersive destinations globally. A sixth ship will join the fleet in 2023. Guests enjoy sumptuous all-suite accommodations, nearly all with private balconies, which are among the largest at sea, as well as highly personalized service throughout lavish public areas and expansive outdoor spaces. Unique to Regent Seven Seas Cruises, unlimited complimentary shore excursions are available in every port, making it the only truly all-inclusive cruise line. Voyage fares also include round-trip business-class air on intercontinental flights from the U.S. and Canada, gourmet cuisine in a range of specialty restaurants and al-fresco dining venues, fine wines and spirits, entertainment, unlimited internet access, free valet laundry, gratuities, ground transfers and one-night, pre-cruise hotel packages for guests staying in Concierge-level suites and higher.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
Oceania Cruises is the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line. The line’s six small, luxurious ships carry only 684 or 1,250 guests featuring the finest cuisine at sea and destination-rich itineraries that span the globe. Expertly curated travel experiences aboard the designer-inspired, small ships call on more than 450 marquee and boutique ports across Europe, Alaska, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, New England-Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Tahiti and the South Pacific in addition to the epic 180-day Around the World Voyages. The brand has two 1,200-guest Allura-class ships on order.
OCEANIA CRUISES
As the innovator in global cruise travel, Norwegian Cruise Line has been breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising for 53 years. Most notably, the cruise line revolutionized the industry by offering guests the freedom and flexibility to design their ideal vacation on their preferred schedule with no assigned dining and entertainment times and no formal dress codes. Today, its fleet of 17 contemporary ships sail to over 300 of the world’s most desirable destinations, including Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas, and its resort destination Harvest Caye in Belize. Norwegian Cruise Line not only provides superior guest service from land to sea, but also offers a wide variety of award-winning entertainment and dining options as well as a range of accommodations across the fleet, including solo-traveler staterooms, mini-suites, spa suites and The Haven by Norwegian®, the company’s ship-within-a-ship concept.
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Norwegian Cruise Line HOLDINGS LTD.
PAMELA THOMAS-GRAHAM Former Chief Marketing and Talent Officer, Credit Suisse Group AG
STEVE MARTINEZ Senior Partner, Private Equity and Head of Asia Pacific, Apollo Global Management, LLC
CHAD A. LEAT Former Vice Chairman of Global Banking, Citigroup Inc.
MARY E. LANDRY Rear Admiral, USCG, Retired
STELLA DAVID Former Chief Executive Officer, William Grant & Sons Limited
JOHN W. CHIDSEY Chief Executive Officer, Subway Restaurants
ADAM M. ARON Chief Executive Officer and President, AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
DAVID M. ABRAMS Chief Investment Officer, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment
FRANK J. DEL RIO President and Chief Executive Officer, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
RUSSELL W. GALBUT Chairman of the Board Managing Principal, Crescent Heights
A Letter from OUR CEO
Tri-Brand Overview
nclh board of directors
Sail & Sustain
NCLH STEWARDSHIP REPORT OVERVIEW
SUPPLY CHAIN
Environmental Management
Public Health & Safety
Community Involvement
STEWARDSHIP REPORT introduction
Norwegian Encore
Riviera
Regent Seven Seas Splendor™
Our mission is to continually improve our sustainability culture through fresh innovation, progressive education and open collaboration.
OUr Mission
Our sustainability commitment is continually evolving and expanding into additional areas of our operations, both shipboard and shoreside. Our industry is inextricably linked to our oceans and as such, continual improvement is one of our core responsibilities. In line with this accountability comes our environmental commitment to preventing incidents involving pollution, reducing the environmental impact of our operations, managing waste through methods that promote recycling and reusing materials and ensuring continual refinement of our ISO 14001 certification objectives and targets.
Our Commitment
Current objectives
Minimize Waste to Landfills
Reduce Our CO2 Emissions Rate
Increase Our Sustainable Sourcing
Invest in Emerging Technologies
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
NEXT SECTION
The fluidity of this new operating environment has required us to be nimble and adapt swiftly which resulted in the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily suspend global cruise operations in March to do our part in containing the spread of the virus. Our number one priority continues to be the health, safety and security of our guests, crew and the communities we visit. As such, together with Royal Caribbean Group we formed the Healthy Sail Panel, comprised of globally recognized public health experts, which has provided comprehensive recommendations including 74 detailed best practices to inform us on the development of a science-backed plan for a safe and healthy return to cruising. Despite the public health challenges we currently face, our commitment to protect and preserve our oceans, the environment and the destinations we visit remains at the very core of our everyday business operations. We also remain committed to maintaining our culture of diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace. We are pleased to present our 2019 Stewardship report, which highlights several initiatives that support our core values of Flawless Execution, Dedication to Family and Community, Spirit of Entrepreneurship, Financial Excellence and Environmental Stewardship. While there were many important initiatives in 2019, one of our key highlights for the year was the announcement for Norwegian Cruise Line to become the first major global cruise company to be plastic water bottle free through its partnership with JUST Goods, Inc. Our strong focus on reducing single-use plastics is expected to result in the elimination of over 11 million single-use plastic bottles and 50 million plastic straws annually across our entire fleet and two island destinations. In addition, we relaunched our Hope Starts Here hurricane relief campaign in partnership with All Hands and Hearts and donated $3 million of cash and in-kind donations to assist in emergency relief efforts after Hurricane Dorian. We also honored deserving teachers around the country through our Giving Joy campaign. Team members also played a role in our sustainability efforts and donated over 1,000 hours giving back to our communities through events such as beach cleanups, Habitat for Humanity, and dinner services at the Camillus House Campus emergency housing facility. Since 2017 we have partnered with the Florida Diversity Council, joining like-minded organizations to find ways to promote and expand diversity and equality in the workplace. We continue to reach out to diversity organizations on college campuses to present our hiring managers with a diverse slate of candidates. We have also recently launched diversity, equality and inclusion online training, including unconscious bias training, as one of our essential steps to increase awareness and to foster a workplace that is aligned with our core values of Family and Community. Another key highlight of 2019 was the establishment of the Technology, Environmental, Safety and Security (TESS) Committee of our Board of Directors to oversee matters related to corporate social responsibility and sustainability. We are taking a proactive approach to strengthen our ESG efforts, and in early 2020 we announced the creation of a dedicated ESG department. This new function will further enhance the overall ESG strategy while coordinating closely with departments across the organization including Health, Medical, Safety and Environmental Operations, Human Resources, Legal and Supply Chain. We are proud of our accomplishments to date and remain committed to driving a positive impact on society and the environment through the advancement of our global ESG strategy. I invite you to join our “Sail & Sustain” journey and look forward to continuing to build on this foundation for years to come.
Please read this important disclaimer concerning forward-looking statements.
COMMUNITY involvement
Through our outreach initiatives and corporate partnerships, we remain committed to having a positive impact on our local communities, the communities we visit and on the local ecosystems through which we cruise.
Norwegian Encore Hosts Boys & Girls Club Gala
In November 2019, Norwegian Encore hosted an exciting overnight charity event to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. The nonprofit’s 13th annual “Wild About Kids” Gala was a huge success, raising $1.4 million as patrons enjoyed a festive evening aboard Norwegian Encore
Philanthropy
CELEBRATING EVERYDAY HEROES
The month-long campaign awarded nominees with the most votes from their state, province or territory their choice of a three- to five-day cruise for two on almost any Norwegian Cruise Line ship. The 51 winners were treated to an afternoon appreciation event and award ceremony aboard Norwegian Bliss, where they enjoyed performances of the recently debuted Six: The Musical and the Tony Award®-winning Jersey Boys and an elegantly prepared lunch. “It is truly inspiring to be here with these individuals who put their family, friends and communities before themselves,” said Harry Sommer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We believe it is important to recognize the honorable people in this world who are doing good and we are proud to provide a platform to recognize these heroes who go out of their way to lift people up.”
Norwegian Cruise Line celebrated hardworking teachers through the Giving Joy campaign. In Spring 2019, the public nominated and voted for teachers in the U.S. and Canada who inspire joy in the classroom.
HELPING CHILDREN IN NEED IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Virlanie Foundation was established by Dominique Lemay in 1992 in Manila, Philippines, with the goal to assist the city’s street children through the creation of the Manila Youth Reception Center and the Reception and Action Center. Since its founding, Virlanie has helped more than 17,000 children in need of special protection through the foundation’s various programs and services. Norwegian Cruise Line first connected with this important foundation in 1999 with the purchase of Orient Lines and the MS Marco because the previous owner had sponsored the Virlanie Foundation’s Herrod Home, the Marco Polo Home and the Marco Polo Care Center (MPCC).
The Virlanie Foundation’s Marco Polo Care Center is the first home for children aged 4-6 years old when they are admitted to Virlanie. During the children’s stay, Virlanie’s social workers handle their cases and assess whether they can be reunified with their families. If it is not possible, they will either be put up for adoption or stay in other Virlanie homes for long-term care.
PRIDE OF AMERICA INSPIRES NEXT GENERATION
In February 2019, Pride of America hosted “Careers at Sea Day” on Kauai, Hawai’i, for over 90 Kauai High School Travel and Tourism students. While on board Pride of America, students visited several venues and met with ship staff to gain insight into careers in the cruise industry, including hearing Captain Ron Chrastina speak about bridge officers’ roles and Executive Chef Errol Brissett discussing the responsibilities of chefs, cooks, and supporting kitchen staff. Before departing the ship, students were treated to lunch in the Aloha Café. The students and teachers expressed their gratitude to Norwegian Cruise Line for this unique opportunity.
PARTNERSHIPS
In alignment with our core values, we are committed to supporting the communities and environments in which we operate. To do so, we have formed important partnerships with governments and non-profit organizations to foster positive change both within the U.S. and abroad.
Make a Wish
Since 2009, our Company has been a proud partner of Make-A-Wish . We have worked closely with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America through our Welcome Aboard Wishes Program, which grants more than 100 wishes annually by giving children with special needs and life-threatening medical conditions a cruise vacation they will always remember. We help create lifelong memories for each child whose dream is to visit one of the amazing destinations we visit or experience all that our ships have to offer. Our attentive shoreside staff and shipboard crew coordinate every detail of the cruise to ensure the children and their families are treated like VIPs.
Camillus House
In 2011, our Company made a $5 million commitment to Camillus House, an organization that provides humanitarian services to the poor and homeless of Miami-Dade County, Florida. In recognition of our pledge — the largest corporate contribution in Camillus House’s history — the charity named its 340-bed facility “Norwegian Cruise Line Campus of Camillus House.” The campus services more than 3,000 people in employment training, social services and clinical treatment programs. Today, team members continue to conduct supply and holiday gift drives, serve dinner at the campus kitchen and assist with various shelters and housing beautification projects.
Ocean Conservancy & Trash Free Alliance
Guy Harvey
At each port of call, Dr. Harvey and a team of experts led interactive presentations at local schools. They educated children on a variety of marine life and ocean conservation topics, with the goal of promoting environmental awareness for the future of our oceans and inspiring the next generation of scientists.
Nova Southeastern University
Our private island Great Stirrup Cay (GSC) is bordered by a coral reef, which is a critical marine ecosystem that is among the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the planet. Unfortunately, a 2017 habitat assessment by the Bahamas National Trust found coral reefs in this area were severely degraded due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic stressors.
Alaska Raptor Center
“The aim is to connect people to the natural environment through educational recreation,” said Cross. “For a number of years, our guests have demonstrated an eagerness to stretch their legs and explore their new surroundings. The nature walk enriches their experience here as they learn more about the ecology of Southeast Alaska.”
Disaster Relief
In January 2019, Company officials were joined by representatives from All Hands and Hearts and the local community for the grand opening celebration of Morne Prosper Pre and Primary Schools in Morne Prosper Village, Dominica. This was the second school to benefit from our Hope Starts Here hurricane relief campaign, which raised $2.5 million to assist All Hands and Hearts' Hurricanes Irma and Maria recovery efforts.
Hurricane Dorian Relief
After Hurricane Dorian caused extensive damage to The Bahamas in September 2019, our Company was quick to respond to the crisis by providing both supplies and funds to assist the victims of the natural disaster. We committed $2 million to All Hands and Hearts to help fund their ongoing response efforts.
HARVEST CAYE
Located off the coast of southern Belize, Harvest Caye is considered the Caribbean’s premier resort-style destination. While developing the island, we worked closely with the Belize government to ensure the protection of the area’s natural habitats, and we remain committed to having a positive impact on the local communities and ecosystems.
The Harvest Caye Conservation Foundation (HCCF) was established in 2016 in partnership with Belize Island Holdings Ltd. (BIHL) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. as a non-governmental organization whose primary goal is to promote wildlife conservation. The HCCF is dedicated to working with other NGOs in Belize and to undertake advocacy and outreach work with schools and communities to promote conservation and awareness of threatened species. The HCCF operates on Harvest Caye with a small collection of Belize’s native wildlife as charismatic ambassadors to educate guests on local conservation and give visitors an opportunity to contribute to conservation efforts in Belize. In 2019, the HCCF donated funds to two outstanding members of Belize’s conservation community. The awardees were Southern Environmental Association (SEA) and Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary. These organizations have persevered to protect and conserve Belize’s natural resources for future generations. It is with great pleasure and honor that the HCCF can extend a helping hand to assist these organizations in achieving their objectives as stewards of the environment.
Scarlet Macaw Release
In July 2019, BIHL and the HCCF were honored to support and participate in the release of 13 Scarlet Macaws into the wild in the Parque Nacional Sierra del Lacandón, along the Usumacinta River of northern Guatemala.
Manatee Health Assessment and Tagging
Harvest Caye works closely with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute to protect manatee populations in the most critical areas of Belize. In May 2019, we donated funds through the Harvest Caye Conservation Foundation for a manatee health assessment and tagging program for the second year. Wildlife experts worked with local wildlife veterinarians and volunteers to safely capture, conduct medical examinations, and tag manatees in the Southern and Placencia Lagoons. Twelve manatees were assessed and four were tagged with specially designed satellite tags to help researchers understand the animals’ migration and behaviors while also providing valuable data that is used to develop safer boating guidelines. In addition to funding, Harvest Caye provided four volunteers for eight days, and made available the use of three small vessels with captains and crew, as well as lunch made by Harvest Caye’s Food & Beverage Department. Island staff also assist throughout the year to collect data by observing the behaviors of manatees around the island, which is then provided to local manatee experts.
Caps for Smiles
Caps for Smiles was started in Monterrey, Mexico, by Alianza Anticancer Infantil to raise funds for treatments for children in Belize with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses. Currently there are limited cancer treatment options in Belize, making this an important program for affected children while also keeping plastic out of the environment. For every 1,000 plastic bottle caps received, a child from Belize gets one free chemotherapy or dialysis session. Plastic bottle caps are collected in Belize and sent to Mexico for recycling.
To help reverse this decline, we partnered with the Perry Institute of Marine Science and Dr. David Gilliam with the Coral Reef Restoration, Assessment and Monitoring (CRRAM) Lab at Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Oceanographic Center.
In 2018, researchers from NSU established three in-water Acropora coral nurseries around the island using fragments collected from wild colonies throughout the Berry Islands and Nassau area. Fragments of two Acropora coral species (staghorn and elkhorn) and their hybrid (fused staghorn) are currently being grown in the nurseries.
Researchers have been monitoring monthly the growth and health of the corals to better understand them and improve restoration techniques. Once the fragments grow large enough, they will be transplanted to the local reef.
The Alaska Raptor Center (ARC), located in Sitka, Alaska, is an avian hospital and rehabilitation center that in 2019 cared for over 190 injured birds of prey. We first partnered with ARC in 2017 to help reduce the center’s energy consumption and waste production by installing recycling bins and high-efficiency dryers at the facility.
“Environmentally conscious travelers really appreciate the green option of recycling their cans and plastic containers. With about 50,000 visitors each year, these seemingly small changes really make a difference,” said Elizabeth Cross, Executive Director of the Alaska Raptor Center.
We continued our efforts to help the center inspire visitors to protect the environment by funding an interpretive nature trail on ARC’s 17-acre conservation property. Our funds were utilized for trail building and signage development and installation detailing vegetation and animal habitats to guests. This trail officially opened to the public in 2019, further enhancing the guest experience at ARC.
In March 2019, Harvest Caye added bottle cap collection into the established recycling program and announced their first Caps for Smiles contest. Island staff created teams and were instructed to bring clean bottle caps from home for the entire month of March. In one month, Harvest Caye employees collected over 82,000 plastic bottle caps, providing 82 medical treatments for children in Belize. Not only did the Harvest Caye team help children, they also kept over 500 pounds of plastic out of the environment. The collection continues as part of the recycling program with many team members regularly donating caps from home to support this cause.
PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY
2019 STEWARDSHIP REPORT INTRODUCTION
PREVIOUS SECTION
Harvest Caye Conservation Foundation
These Scarlet Macaws were captive-bred at ARCAS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Petén, Guatemala, and trained with the necessary skills to survive in the wild. We hope this conservation project helps rebuild the fragile population of Scarlet Macaws in Guatemala, which is estimated to be around 350. Their status is currently listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services.
We also continued to transport supplies to The Bahamas each week on Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun to support shelters in Nassau for Abaco evacuees.
Norwegian Breakaway departed from Miami on September 9th with hurricane relief supplies donated by our employees in addition to items collected by the City of Miami, Baptist Health South Florida, the 305 Gives Back foundation and other organizations, which were delivered to Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay.
For the primary school, two classrooms that were completely destroyed were rebuilt while new, much-needed kitchen and water, sanitation and hygiene facilities were also constructed for the school. The entire pre-school was also rebuilt with the addition of a new playground.
In 2017, Norwegian Cruise Line was one of the first cruise lines to provide aid to the Caribbean after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the region. We partnered with All Hands and Hearts — the world’s leading disaster relief organization — to help provide immediate relief in Key West and reconstruct schools and critical infrastructure on affected islands in the Caribbean, including St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Tortola.
Guests zoomed around the ship’s multi-storied race track, got their game on in the Galaxy Pavilion and battled their way through the lost city of Atlantis during a thrilling game of laser tag. They also were able to rock out to the Tony Award®-winning musical Kinky Boots and enjoyed cuisine from several of the ship’s delicious restaurants.
Our Company was honored to partner with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) and NSU’s Guy Harvey Research Institute to host the third annual ocean conservation-themed Cruising for Conservation with Dr. Guy Harvey. This unique cruise showcased the importance of conserving the beauty and well-being of marine life.
Guests who sailed on this unforgettable cruise experienced a week full of opportunities to meet Dr. Harvey, world-renowned marine artist, scientist, conservationist, entrepreneur and hull artist of Norwegian Escape, as he hosted curated events about ocean conservation on board and at various ports of call.
Guests learned about the GHOF’s efforts to conserve the ocean environment and hear from a panel of marine life experts and scientists from NSU and the University of Rhode Island about the importance of continued support for cleaner and safer waters through conservation and sustainability efforts. Dr. Harvey also treated guests to live painting sessions where he also discussed how he transformed from marine biologist to one of the world’s foremost marine wildlife artists.
For the first time in three years, the conservation cruise sailed to Canada and New England from New York with visits to Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
As much as 150 million metric tons of plastic waste already pollute the world’s oceans, with more making its way into the sea every year. Traces of plastic have been found in birds, sea turtles and more than 25% of fish in seafood markets worldwide. We continue to build on our global sustainability program Sail & Sustain by joining several of the world’s leading corporations and organizations in Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance® to support our shared vision of a world with waterways, beaches and oceans free of plastic waste.
Marco Polo Care Center
Virlanie Foundation
Total capacity is approximately 80 children and young adults, ranging in age from toddlers to 18 years. The MPCC will also have classrooms and therapy rooms, as well as serve for administrative functions. The center will be exclusively run and operated by the Virlanie Foundation with financial support from our company and employees.
From 1999 to 2011, Norwegian Cruise Line collected donations for the foundation through various events, and in 2012, formalized the foundation partnership with the creation of Project Tulong and the official signing of a MOA with Virlanie. As of today, approximately 3,000 of our crew members donate to Project Tulong.
Guy Harvey Ocean FoundatioN
All Hands and Hearts
The 30 educators with the most votes each won 7-day cruises for two and became eligible for three grand prizes — a chance to win $10,000, $15,000 or $25,000 for their schools. A panel of Norwegian Cruise Line executives selected the three grand prize winners based on the relevancy of contestants’ submissions to the contest theme, teachers’ lasting impact on their students and content and originality.
This successful campaign generated more than 46,000 nominations and 1.43 million votes.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Encore Moments Campaign was introduced as a platform to reward those selfless individuals in the U.S. and Canada who are committed to bettering the lives of others.
Among their many achievements, the organization helped get legislation passed to protect oceans and reduce plastic waste. Ocean Conservancy staff also lead the annual International Coastal Cleanup, which has engaged more than 14 million volunteers who have removed over 250 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways around the globe since it began more than three decades ago.
Images courtesy of Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation
®
From 1999 to 2011, Norwegian Cruise Line collected donations for the foundation through various events and, in 2012, formalized the foundation partnership with the creation of Project Tulong and the official signing of an MOA with Virlanie. As of today, approximately 3,000 of our crew members donate to Project Tulong.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. takes great effort to maintain a safe and clean environment and to have stringent protocols in place for cleaning and sanitation on all our ships.
Approved Chemical List Our Company maintains an Approved Chemical List, which catalogues products approved for onboard use and helps identify toxic or hazardous materials for removal from our ships. Every Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for approved chemicals is available on a shared site that is accessible to all ships. The SDS provides necessary information for handling, labeling, and storing chemicals and required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
PUBLIC HEALTH
Chemical Management
OUTBREAK PREVENTION & RESPONSE
Our Outbreak Prevention & Response Plan (OPRP) is designed to mitigate and help prevent the spread of communicable diseases such as coronavirus, norovirus and influenza-like illness (ILI) while maintaining the ability to adjust and respond to new and emerging health issues on our ships and at our private destinations. We continually seek the most advanced technologies, based on sound scientific methods and applications, to enhance our OPRP program.
SAFETY AT SEA
Our continual public health training includes summits, which feature representatives from various government agencies and vendors. We have created an interactive public health training platform that will teach crew members what to look for in order to maintain a strong public health culture. We implemented a stringent water safety program and are constantly evaluating our programs through outside independent laboratories. We conduct legionella testing and mandate monthly Recreational Water Facility (RWF) testing and quarterly testing of 50 potable water samples throughout the ship, along with technical water sampling.
Continual Public Health Training
The safety, health and well-being of our guests and crew are our highest priority, not only on board the ships we embark upon, but also in every terminal where we dock. In this shifting global environment, we continue to maintain stringent and comprehensive public health programs. The Company is committed to meeting this challenge and is continually advancing with scientifically proven technologies.
SHIP HEALTH & SANITATION
Guests and Crew Do Their Part
Proper handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself, your family and fellow guests from getting sick. We are further enhancing our stringent hand-washing initiatives by increasing signage around the ships and making daily announcements about the importance of handwashing. Hand sanitizer stations are strategically placed throughout our ships and terminals to help maintain the highest sanitation standards on board.
GUEST HEALTH ON BOARD
Our Company works closely with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program. Many of our officers attend a United States Public Health Seminar where, through discussions and training, they receive new insight into what to look for when conducting public health inspections. In the U.S., we must meet the U.S. Public Health Service’s requirements, which include vessel ratings by inspectors from the CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vessel Sanitation Program. Our vessels saw an average decrease in external public health deficiencies (average decrease of two findings per inspection compared to 2018).
We also collect health questionnaires prior to embarkation to identify any guests who have symptoms of certain illnesses. Detailed health information fact sheets are placed in each stateroom to identify potential symptoms of concern and instruct guests on what to do if they experience those symptoms. Guests are also encouraged to wash their hands regularly and use the hand sanitizer dispensers placed throughout the ships.
Our Company’s Public Health program utilizes several external and internal public health professionals who visit every ship to verify that our 24/7/365 public health compliance culture is strong and sustainable fleetwide. We will further enhance our stringent hand-washing initiatives by strategically placing signage around the ships and at every terminal reminding guests and crew of the importance of handwashing.
Starting in 2018, we partnered with EcoloxTech, a Miami-based company, to provide our ships with onboard equipment to generate Electrolyzed Oxidizing Water hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a powerful oxidant that kills bacteria, bacterial spores, and viruses including enveloped viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.* The system develops a disinfectant made from salt, water and electricity that is all-natural, pH neutral, non-toxic and non-hazardous. This product is used aboard ships for general daily sanitation, sanitizing fruits and vegetables and for other aspects of the OPRP. This is an all-natural, eco-friendly and FDA and USDA organic safe alternative that further reduces our reliance on purchasing and storing large amounts of standard toxic chemicals on board.
Through our Chemical Management program, we are working to identify hazardous chemicals that can be replaced by environmentally friendly alternatives with the same or better operational performance. The goal is to implement environmentally friendly chemicals across our fleet. In one project, we substituted three chemicals for two environmentally friendly alternatives. The volume of the three chemicals consumed in 2016 was an estimated 158,000 liters while the estimated reduction of usage for the substituted chemicals in 2020 is projected to be 46,000 liters, a 71% reduction in consumption.
We place the utmost importance on the safety of our guests and crew. We operate all of our ships to meet and exceed the requirements of Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and International Safety Management (ISM) Code for the Safe Operation of Ships — the international safety standards that govern the cruise industry.
Our ships are audited by a Recognized Organization (RO) to verify compliance. Our ships are flagged/registered in the Marshall Islands, U.S. and The Bahamas, so each ship also has a flag state inspection by their respective flag state. Our internal audit team conducts yearly audits on all ships as well. Our fleet has continuously been upgraded to ensure ships are equipped with modern navigational control and fire prevention and control systems.
These Safety Officers undergo additional yearly training above the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) requirements. Prior to every cruise setting sail or upon departure, we hold a mandatory safety drill for guests and show a safety video, which runs continuously on stateroom televisions.
Ship crews participate in regular safety trainings, exercises and drills on board and shoreside, including basic first aid, fire-fighting and security awareness. Every ship has a resident Safety Officer, with experience ranging between 10 and 20 years in various roles at sea.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Onboard Sanitation
External public health inspections on board our ships are carried out by multiple government agencies — such as the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program, Public Health Agency of Canada, Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) and the European Commission Directorate General for Health and Food Safety SHIPSAN — and are a strong testament to our stringent 24/7/365 Public Health program. Our Company works very closely with all public health agencies and government officials, including the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO), to facilitate not only our compliance with basic public health guidelines, but the ability to exceed global public health expectations.
During the voyage, we will have numerous mitigation measures such as reduced capacity and venue occupancy, physical distancing, face coverings, enhanced cleaning and disinfection, upgraded ventilation, promotion of positive personal hygiene and extensive signage and communication to reinforce these protocols.
We will also collaborate with local authorities to only visit highly monitored ports and use cruise line-sponsored or verified shore excursions to extend our health and safety standards to the shoreside experience.
Lastly, we will have contingency plans to detect, trace and respond to potential cases, a pre-established risk escalation process and enhanced medical resources including additional staff and equipment so we can quickly respond to any event and facilitate safe passage home for our guests and crew.
These protocols may be changed or modified over time as our knowledge and understanding of SARS-CoV-2 improves, technology advances and the public health environment evolves.
Our crew members are highly trained in this program, and we are continually updating our staff on the latest company innovations and methods, including health screening, surveillance measures, isolation of guests and crew who are ill and more. As the global public health environment is in constant flux, we are continually updating our OPRP procedures so that we can successfully meet new challenges and stay ahead of the ever-changing landscape when it comes to pathogenic organisms and their potential to cause disease. Our proactive strategies and surveillance measures are designed to keep communicable diseases from entering the cruise ship environment and to prevent an outbreak.
Our Outbreak Prevention & Response Plan has been re-designed in response to the significant impact the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020 has had on the global public health environment. We have developed a robust, comprehensive and multi-layered strategy that spans the entire cruise journey, starting prior to embarkation and continuing post-cruise. Each crew member is highly trained in the handling of COVID-19 concerns and their respective role in mitigating risk. Prior to embarkation, we will have several measures in place to reduce the risk of introducing SARS-CoV-2 to the cruise ship environment, including but not limited to universal testing of guests and crew, enhanced health screenings and questionnaire, temperature and pulse oximeter checks and modified check-in and embarkation protocols.
COVID-19 Protocols in An EVER-CHANGING World
*According to EcoloxTech research which can be found here.
Environmental protection is an essential part of our company’s mission and culture. This extends from our Board of Directors to each of our ships and offices worldwide. Objectives: reduce CO2 emissions rate and increase diversion from landfill.
ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICERS
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT
Environmental Training
ENERGY & EMISSIONS
Water
Through a combination of onboard initiatives and progressive technologies, our ships are consistently improving their water production rates while simultaneously working to decrease consumption.
In 2019, ~86% of water was produced on board
Water Conservation
Some of our water conservation efforts include installing water flow reducers on sink taps, shower heads and galley sink taps. We have increased or upgraded onboard RO plants and plan to install additional water meters to measure water consumption in more locations to better strategize how to reduce our usage.
Underwater Sound Emissions
In partnership with DNV GL, we completed underwater sound surveys for three ships in service, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Bliss, and during sea trials for Norwegian Encore. Conducting these measurements and monitoring provided the opportunity to demonstrate a low environmental footprint. Monitoring our underwater sound emissions is just another way in which we are working to minimize our environmental impact.
Shipboard Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP)
Every ship in our fleet is required to sail with an Environmental Officer (EO) whose job includes the implementation, training, oversight and verification of shipboard environmental compliance, in addition to providing shoreside assistance for developing environmental policies and procedures. The EO is also available on board to answer guests’ environmental questions and provide hands-on crew trainings.
Prior to assuming their shipboard duties, all crew members learn the basic requirements for verifying environmental compliance on board through our Environmental Familiarization Training. Each crew member also receives further specialized training that is appropriate to their individual job and responsibilities.
As leaders in the cruise industry, we must work to help mitigate actions that negatively impact our planet. To reduce our impact on the environment, we have several initiatives aimed at lowering energy consumption, and therefore reducing our carbon footprint.
The SEEMP is a ship-specific plan that focuses on improving energy efficiency. We do so through improving voyage planning, speed optimization or operating engines on their most economic loads, optimization of the air conditioning system and improving our ships’ hydrodynamic capabilities by upgrading the propulsion systems with more efficient propellers. Onboard energy management meetings are also held quarterly to discuss energy conservation projects, tracking energy efficiency initiatives and future projects. One of the most successful programs implemented on our ships is Waste Heat Recovery (WHR). This process works by recovering heat from the engines and transferring it to freshwater piping — allowing us to utilize a free source of energy for improving water production and saving fuel.
2019 Energy Savings Highlight
Propulsion power represents just over 50% of the total energy usage on a ship. To help increase propulsion efficiencies, we have applied low- friction hull coating to 96% of our fleet. The combination of propulsion hydrodynamic upgrades and the application of low-friction, silicone coatings on the hull have resulted in major savings of more than ten percent of propulsion power. Detailed itinerary planning is another measure our Company utilizes to reduce energy. To achieve average speed, we utilize specific speed parameters based on ship itineraries and the number of engines required to reach voyage leg optimization. We also identify high-speed legs for the fleet, opportunities to further decrease the average speed of voyage legs, and look for potential fuel and cost savings based on estimated fuel costs and how speed reduction directly correlates with fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. When designing the new classes of vessels for each brand, energy efficiency is a key priority, and significant investments have been made to optimize fuel consumption and reduce the impact on the environment. Broadly speaking, when a new Norwegian vessel is introduced to the fleet, its energy efficiency investments result in a 1% decrease of annualized fuel consumption per capacity day for the entire tri-brand fleet. The smaller footprint of the new vessels will also broaden deployment opportunities around the world.
Energy Saving Measures
In 2018, we developed a greenhouse gas inventory management strategy. This enables us to account for our GHG emissions and have our annual emissions verified by a third party.
The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) convention entitled Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) has set a new global limit on fuel sulfur content of 0.5% (reduced from the 3.5% global limit), beginning January 2020. Various compliance methods, such as the use of alternative fuels or exhaust gas cleaning systems that reduce an equivalent amount of sulfur emissions, may be utilized. MARPOL also requires stricter limitations on sulfur emissions within designated Emission Control Areas (ECA), which include the Baltic Sea, the North Sea/English Channel, North American waters and the U.S. Caribbean Sea. Ships operating in these waters are required to use fuel with a sulfur content of no more than 0.1% or use approved alternative emission reduction methods. ECAs have also been established to limit emissions of oxides of nitrogen from newly built ships.
Air Emissions
One innovative technology our ships use to decrease exhaust emissions is an Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS). This technology reduces the amount of sulfur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter emitted from the ship by cleaning, or scrubbing, the emissions before they are released from the stack. On occasion, a white plume may be visible from the funnel of the vessel when an EGCS is in use, which is a result of vapor/steam mixing with the regulatory compliant emissions.
Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS)
In 2018, we signed the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) historic commitment to reduce the carbon emissions rate industry-wide by 40% by 2030. This is another important step we are undertaking to help reduce our impact on the environment, in addition to meeting the new, more stringent air emissions regulations.
CO2 Emissions Monitoring
Onboard Production
On board a ship, water is primarily used in staterooms for showers, bathtubs and sinks, as well as being utilized in galleys, laundry, pools, whirlpools, spas and for cleaning public spaces. Our Company has increased onboard water production with evaporators and Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants that use seawater as the source, which reduces the need for the bunkering of fresh water. This is particularly important in countries where fresh water is limited and best reserved for local populations.
Waste Mitigation
Our Company is committed to reducing onboard waste, both from food and wastewater, through innovative technologies, staff training and implementing stringent recycling programs.
As one of our Sail & Sustain objectives, our progressive waste mitigation program lessens the environmental impact of our operations, reduces pollution, promotes diversion of material from landfills, conserves natural resources and saves energy. We reduce waste through reusing and recycling, with clear benchmarks serving as the measurement.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Our crew adheres to a rigorous recycling program to ensure that our ships take advantage of every opportunity to recycle and reduce waste to landfill. Over the past decade, the availability of recycling programs has increased, and we continue to focus on working with vendors who are committed to this as well.
Solid waste materials are collected, processed, palletized and landed for recycling and disposal shoreside or are incinerated on board our ships. Solid waste consists of aluminum and tin cans, glass bottles, cardboard, office paper, food preparation and table scraps, plastic bottles and containers, packaging, expired light bulbs, paints and chemicals, refurbishment debris and medical waste.
Refurbishments & Donations
Our ships routinely go into dry dock every few years for technical maintenance and enhancements, which can produce a large amount of waste. But before initiating a new ship refurbishment, we set internal recycling and donation targets and look for ways to minimize the amount of waste sent to landfills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdanukcZOvM
Donated items from ships can help support communities while also mitigating waste. In 2019, our ships donated goods to the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Women Helping Women Shelter and to local organizations in various international ports.
Wastewater Treatment
Our company has strict discharge standards and policies for all wastewater generated on board. We have installed the latest technologies which are designed to produce a higher effluent quality. This is primarily done during the newbuild process; however, we continually look for opportunities to upgrade systems on our legacy ships.
Gray & Black Water
To treat wastewater on board, all of our ships are equipped with internationally compliant wastewater treatment systems where wastewater is treated prior to discharge. This produces effluent that meets or exceeds international sewage regulations and many municipal wastewater facility standards. Ninety-six percent of our ships have been installed with Advanced Wastewater Purification (AWP) systems that meet the stringent Baltic Standards. Weekly internal testing and routine external testing help verify we continue to meet compliance.
Bilge Water
Wastewater collected in machinery and engine spaces is known as bilge water. To ensure compliance, bilge water is treated before running through an oil content meter, which will analyze and record the oil content of the bilge water. All ships are equipped with an automatic stopping device so that if the clean bilge water does not meet requirements, discharging is automatically stopped and the bilge water is reprocessed until the standards are met. Bilge water that cannot be discharged is collected and landed ashore to an approved vendor.
We have established priorities that reduce our ships’ environmental footprints while working in tandem with our mission to provide truly exceptional cruise vacation experiences. The future of our business is closely intertwined with the health of our oceans and the destinations we visit. Environmentally friendly practices not only help protect our oceans, but also allow our business to thrive.
Environmental Officers receive two weeks of on-the-job training before beginning their first contract, and they are required to attend a week-long Environmental Summit. Every quarter the ship’s EO coordinates with onboard senior management to conduct an in-depth self-assessment of all onboard environmental programs. During this assessment, all systems, logs, documents, records and procedures are evaluated in each department for compliance with Company procedures. These assessments are then submitted to the Corporate Marine Operations Department for review.
Every shoreside employee must complete the Company’s online environmental familiarization training course annually. This training includes information about our environmental strategy, our Sail & Sustain program and the policies, objectives and targets related to wildlife protection, water conservation and more. We also offer competitive internships for students interested in a career in the marine environmental protection sector. Our interns come from both maritime colleges and graduate universities, and many have gone on to work for us, both on our ships and shoreside.
We are ISO 14001 certified and have an Environmental Management System that encourages continuous development of our environmental performance. The ISO 14001 Certification helps us identify, manage and control the onboard activities that may have an environmental impact.
Environmental Management System
“As an EO, I feel like I am playing my role in protecting the world from pollution.”
Oceania Cruises: Salvatore Giunta
Mr. Giunta was born in Pozzallo, Italy, a small town on the east-Sicilian coastline. He joined Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 2006 and Oceania Cruises in 2009 and is currently serving as the EO on board Regatta.
MEET SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICERS
"I am proud to do my best to conserve the oceans. Working at a cruise line that takes environmental issues seriously makes all the difference.”
Ms. Ribeiro was born in Brazil and joined the company in 2015. She has served on both Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Jewel.
Norwegian Cruise Line: Alana Reis Enes Ribeiro
“I enjoy having a chance to help save our planet and working with people from all around the world.”
Mr. Staroveski was born in Zadar, Croatia, and had an early interest in the ocean. He joined the company in 2009 and has served on several Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises ships, most recently on Seven Seas Splendor.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Matija Staroveski
There are many important factors in creating a successful waste mitigation operation, including proper training. Our environmental familiarization training emphasizes the importance of separating at the source and also helps identify which materials can be recycled and how to properly handle those items. As a result of onboard operations, Norwegian Cruise Line was awarded the 2018 USCG William M. Benkert Marine Environmental Protection Award – Gold, as well as receiving the award in 2012 and 2014.
4% decrease in water consumption over 3 years
278 276 274 272 270 268 266 264 262 260 258 256
Liters/Day/Person
2015
2016
2017
2018
275.9
271.3
264.6
268.4
263.4
~4.5%
Fleet Average Water Consumption
ISO 14001 Target:
The company qualified for and received SILENT-E (Environmental) class notation, which applies to vessels demonstrating a controlled environmental noise emission and ensures that vessels do not exceed typical average-to-moderate underwater noise levels. Vessels with this notation are able to document noise performance for authorities or others requiring proof of noise emission for transit through vulnerable areas.
4.00 3.90 3.80 3.70 3.60 3.50 3.40 3.30 3.20 3.10 3.00
Fleet Average Boiler Fuel Consumption per Day
MT/Day
3.88
3.40
3.35
3.61
Estimated decrease in boiler consumption of 13.7% per day since 2016.
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Bunkered Fresh Water (Total m³)
RO Production (Total m³)
4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0
m³
2018 & 2019 Norwegian Sky — RO Production vs. Water Bunkered
Monitoring plans submitted to accredited verifier
31 August 2017
First Reporting Period
1 January - 31 December 2018
Verified annual emission report
30 April 2019
Publication of data by EC
30 June 2019
1 January - 31 December 2019
Ch 4 of MARPOL Annex VI enters into force
1 March 2018
SEEMP Part II assessed for compliance by Flag/ RO. CoC (Certificate of Compliance) issued.
31 December 2018
Companies create annual reports and submit to Flag/ RO
31 January 2020 (& yearly)
Statement of Compliance issued
31 May 2020 (& yearly)
2020
EU MRV
In 2019, an additional Reverse Osmosis plant was installed on board Norwegian Sky with a 600 m3/day capacity, which doubled the RO water production. Norwegian Sky bunkered ~99,000 m3 less water than the prior year.
IMO DCS
7,698 Mature Trees
Represents enough saved timber resources to produce 130,866,000 sheets of printing and copy paper.
6,442 Cubic Yards of Landfill Airspace
Enough airspace to fulfill the annual municipal waste disposal needs for 8,272 people.
4,442,702 Kw-Hrs of Electricity
Enough power to fulfill the annual electricity needs of 425 homes.
PREVENTED 3,714 Metric Tons of GHG Emissions
The recycling of these materials prevented these GHG emissions.
4,490,500 Gallons of Water
Represents enough saved water to meet the daily fresh water needs of 59,873 people.
Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, International Aluminum Institute, National Association for PET Container Resources, Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Earth Works Group Recycler’s Handbook, One Earth Recycle, Bring Recycling.org, National Recycling Coalition, US Forest Products Laboratory, and Waste Management. © Waste Management 2017
We utilize food digesters to reduce the amount of food waste discharged to sea or landed. Food digesters use air, water and microbiology to safely turn food waste into liquid. Our crew receives training on how to use them and what types of food waste are better digested. More than 30% of our ships have onboard food digesters.
In 2015, the European Union (EU) established the EU Monitoring, Reporting & Verification (MRV) regulation to monitor and assess the shipping industry’s CO2 emissions. Beginning January 1, 2018, vessels sailing in the EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) jurisdiction were required to collect fuel usage and emissions data for every voyage during the year.
We partnered with a third-party company to create a reporting portal to provide quick reports and data on fuel use and CO2 emissions throughout the year. This data is being reported to and published by the European Commission (EC). The reports include information on the fuel consumed, distance traveled and time underway for the year for each of our ships sailing in the European Union.
Similar to the EU MRV, the IMO Data Collection System (DCS) focuses on accurate reporting of fuel consumption. Collection and reporting methods are included within the vessel’s SEEMP. The reports and emissions are then verified and reported to the IMO database by the ship’s flag state.
Our ships continue to generate their own power while in port, providing heat, air conditioning, lighting and hot water for guests and crew. A small number of the ports we visit have installed infrastructure for cruise ships to connect to onshore electrical power grids to supply much of the power needed while docked — a process known as cold-ironing. Thirty-five percent of Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships are equipped with cold-ironing capabilities, also referred to as shore power. We are continuing to evaluate the availability of shore-power connections for future new builds and itinerary planning.
Cold-Ironing
Ships equipped with this technology can reduce SOx emissions by up to 99%. Ninety-one percent of systems installed on our ships can operate in open or closed-loop, which is known as a hybrid system. This allows the ships to operate the systems within compliance in expanded areas of the world.
RREVERSE OSMOSIS (RO) CASE STUDY: NORWEGIAN SKY
Reverse Osmosis (RO) produces fresh and technical water from seawater using high-pressure pumps and sophisticated water filters and treatment components. RO plant production can range from 250 cubic meters (m3) to 825 m3 per day, based on the size and capacity of the plant. We currently have 45+ RO plants across our fleet and are continually evaluating further installations. Evaporators produce fresh water from seawater utilizing heat sources such as exhaust gas boilers, oil-fired boilers or wasted heat recovered from the main engine high-temperature cooling system. Bunkered Water is potable water acquired in port for use on board.
2019-REPORTED FLEETWIDE WATER PRODUCTION
Water Bunkered 14%
Reverse Osmosis Total 42%
Evaporation Total 44%
public health & safety
“Our refurbishment program is paramount in order to maintain our competitive advantage by keeping our fleet in pristine condition,” explained Robin Lindsay, Executive Vice President, Vessel Operations. “The projects we undertake, both behind the scenes and in guest-facing areas, are an investment to enhance the vacation experience. Not only are we able to revitalize public spaces, entertainment venues and staterooms, we are able to take advantage of emerging technologies that result in more energy-efficient and technologically advanced vessels.”
In 2019, vessels who offloaded with Waste Management® in Florida were able to recycle over 2,300 tons of aluminum, cardboard/paper, scrap metals, plastics, wood pallets, and glass. These recycling efforts conserved the following resources:
Working with Waste Management:
"I love being able to engage with guests and educate them about the measures we have in place to protect the environment."
Ms. Harris-Browne graduated from Massachusetts Maritime Academy and joined the company in 2017. She has served on board Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Jewel.
Norwegian Cruise Line: Cameron Harris-Browne
OPEN LOOP
closed LOOP
Our Company is committed to working with diverse partners across the supply chain to source safe, high quality, ethically responsible and sustainable products for our guests. These supply chain initiatives contribute to several of our Sail & Sustain objectives: reduce CO2 emissions rate and increase diversion from landfill.
Supplier diversity is a business strategy that ensures a diverse supplier base in the procurement of goods and services for any business or organization. It emphasizes the creation of a diverse supply chain that works to secure the inclusion of diverse groups in the procurement plans.
Supplier Diversity
In January 2019, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises pioneered a ground-breaking sustainability initiative to eliminate millions of plastic water bottles per year through a new partnership with Vero Water®. Vero is the gold standard for on-premise water purification systems in luxury hotels, resorts and Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide. Vero uses a proprietary five-stage Nano-Filtration process to reduce impurities, chemicals and imperfections – resulting in a perfectly refreshing and smooth taste. Vero’s onboard purification and filling process will enable the cruise lines to purify, chill and serve in Vero luxury glass bottles both still and sparkling water across their fleets. During the first phase of the initiative to remove single-use plastics, all plastic water bottles from staterooms and restaurants were eliminated. During phase two, the focus will be on removing small single-use plastic water bottles and provide guests with sustainable metal water bottles for them to use during their cruise and after returning home.
Eliminating Single-Use Plastics
Vero Water
As a member of Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance®, we launched an initiative in 2018 to eliminate single-use plastic straws from our two private island destinations and our fleet of 28 ships, which includes Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.* It is estimated that this will eliminate more than 50 million straws from the fleet per year.
The Last Straw
Looking Ahead
We are continuously searching for new ways to reduce waste and further minimize our environmental impact. In the coming years, we expect to replace the current garbage bags used on board our ships to a more efficient sizing that will result in the elimination of over 600,000 pounds of plastic and 30,000 boxes consumed annually.
Cage-Free Eggs
In 2015, we committed that by the end of 2025, all of the eggs we purchase from U.S.-based suppliers will be from suppliers who use cage-free environments for their hens. We will phase in the purchase and use of cage-free eggs as supply allows. Cage-free confinement systems are considered to be more humane for laying hens as they allow greater freedom of movement and space to express more natural behaviors than conventional methods.
GAP Certified Chickens
We have begun to work with our suppliers to encourage humane treatment of animals used in our supply chain. To that end, we have committed to adopting a standard for suppliers promulgated by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP). By 2024, we expect all of the chicken we purchase in the U.S. and Canada will be sourced from suppliers who meet the GAP standards for raising, housing and processing chicken, and we are currently identifying vendors who can assist with a phased-in approach.
Sustainable Seafood
The oceans sustain us, and, in turn, we prefer and support seafood suppliers that uphold sustainable fishing practices. While a significant portion of our current seafood purchases globally are certified by either the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), over the coming five years, our goal is to source all seafood globally from sustainable and certified sources.
New Plant-Based Menus
In 2019, Oceania Cruises rolled out more than 200 new, healthy plant-based dishes across its fleet, offering the most extensive and creative plant-based menus at sea. The talented culinary team is turning out these healthy and lower planet-impact menu selections in The Grand Dining Room and Terrace Café at breakfast, lunch and dinner, in addition to the already expansive gourmet offerings.
To further minimize waste to landfills and reduce CO2 emissions rates, we have shoreside procedures and best practices in place for our warehouses. Workers avoid using single-use plastic water bottles through our investment in water and soda machines and providing all employees with refillable coffee and water containers. Beginning July 2020, plastic stirrers will no longer be used. Quarterly calibration of shrink-wrapping machines at the warehouses ensure that the proper amount of plastic is used on each pallet, further minimizing plastic usage. Our warehouse offices recycle all glass, paper and plastic waste. Empty wooden pallets offloaded from our ships at all Florida ports are recycled, and we are looking to expand this program to other U.S. ports.
Sustainable Initiatives
Sustainable INITIATIVES
JUST Water
In 2019, Norwegian Cruise Line partnered with JUST® Goods, with the goal to eliminate all single-use plastic water bottles across its fleet by January 1, 2020. JUST® Goods, Inc. is the parent company of JUST® Water — an innovative approach to sourcing and packaging the world’s most valued resource, fresh water. Founded by American rapper, songwriter, actor and activist Jaden Smith and family, JUST packages in a plant-based carton. The carton is refillable and made from trees grown in responsibly managed forests while the cap and shoulder are made from a sugarcane-based plastic. This innovative partnership is estimated to reduce use of six million plastic water bottles from our ships per year.
As part of our environmental program, Sail & Sustain, we’ve partnered with BarLab to develop eco-friendly cocktails. Our guests can enjoy drinks made with surplus ingredients such as pineapple rinds, orange peels, spent coffee grounds and more.
SAIL & SUSTAIN COCKTAIL
We are also working to reduce waste by replacing plastic foodservice containers and accessories with an unbleached wheat straw fiber option. This is the plant material that remains after wheat grain and chaff have been extracted — a byproduct waste that was once discarded is now used to substitute plastic resins. We are also reviewing how to best replace ship plastic cutlery with other biodegradable substitutes or stainless steel.
In the coming year, we aim to have transitioned away from traditional single-use plastic cups by introducing bio-based cups on our ships, which are made from a plant-based resin derived from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugarcane. Some onboard restaurants have already replaced plastic cups with reusable glass cups and dishes.
A supplier diversity program is a proactive business program that encourages the use of historically underutilized businesses as suppliers. Supplier diversity programs recognize that sourcing products and services from previously underused suppliers helps to sustain and progressively transform a company’s supply chain. This quantitatively reflects the demographics of the communities in which it operates by recording transactions with diverse suppliers.
Our supplier diversity initiatives directly support the corporate mission statement, specifically aligning with dedication to family and community. We recognize the value and importance of a diverse supplier base and make the commitment to the communities that we serve, to facilitate and encourage the growth of small and diverse suppliers as our Company grows. In 2019, our spend with diverse vendors in the United States grew by 36% over 2018.
ADVANCED WASTEWATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM (AWPS): A biological treatment plant on board the vessel that treats the wastewater generated on board to internationally established standards. APPROVED CHEMICAL LIST: Company-specific list of chemicals that have been approved for use on board by the shoreside office. BALLAST WATER: Fresh or seawater stored in a vessel’s tanks to improve ship stability. BALLAST WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM (BWTS): System installed on board a vessel to treat ballast water in order to prevent the spread of non-native aquatic species. BALTIC DISCHARGE STANDARDS: MARPOL Annex IV recognizes the Baltic Sea as a special area and prohibits the discharge of sewage effluent from passenger ships operating in special areas, unless a passenger ship has in operation an approved sewage treatment plant implementing effluent standards and performance tests defined in the 2012 Guidelines on implementation of effluent standards and performance tests for sewage treatment plants. BERTHS: Double occupancy per cabin (single occupancy per studio cabin) even though many cabins can accommodate three or more passengers. BILGE WATER: Oily wastewater collected in machinery and engine spaces. BUNKERING: To provide fuel or water for a vessel. CAPACITY DAYS: Available berths multiplied by the number of cruise days for the period. COLD-IRONING: The process of providing shoreside electrical power to a ship at berth while its main and auxiliary engines are turned off; also known as Alternative Marine Power and Shore Power. DRY DOCK: A structure able to contain a ship and to be drained or lifted to leave the ship free of water with all parts of the hull accessible for repairs, painting, etc. ELKHORN CORAL: Acropora palmata, a reef-building branching coral of shallow waters of southern Florida and the West Indies.
Vero Water® is a sustainable alternative to traditional bottled water and is expected to eliminate approximately five million single-use plastic water bottles across the Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleets, reducing carbon emissions every time it’s served.
One of the Miami warehouses has moved entirely to LED lighting, a natural first step as lighting uses a significant amount of energy in the warehouse. Currently, 80% of the warehouse forklifts have been changed to electric.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
EU MONITORING, REPORTING & VERIFICATION (MRV): The European Union (EU) introduced the shipping monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) regulation, which is designed to gather data on CO2 emissions based on ships’ fuel consumption. EVAPORATORS: Evaporators produce fresh water from seawater utilizing heat sources such as the exhaust gas boilers, oil-fired boilers or wasted heat recovered from the main engine high-temperature cooling system. EXHAUST GAS CLEANING SYSTEM (EGCS): A system that reduces the amount of sulfur oxide and particulate matter emitted from the vessel by cleaning, or scrubbing, the fuel before the emissions are released from the stack. HAZARDOUS WASTE: Any waste material that is corrosive, flammable, toxic or reacts with other materials. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF SHIPS’ BALLAST WATER AND SEDIMENT: Also known as the Ballast Water Convention, adopted in 2004, this IMO convention establishes procedures for management of ships’ ballast and ballasting operations, in order to limit the spread of non-native aquatic organisms. INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO): The United Nations agency responsible for regulating shipping. ISO 14001 STANDARD: A standard under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) which establishes criteria for a company’s Environmental Management System (EMS) which maps out a framework that a company or organization can follow. MARPOL: International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. An international convention regulating the disposal of bilge water, garbage, sewage and hazardous materials from ships and the emissions generated from marine engines. OIL CONTENT METER: Part of the oily water separator system on board a vessel that continuously monitors how much oil is in the water.
OILY WATER SEPARATOR (OWS): Piece of equipment on board a vessel that separates oil and water mixtures into separate components. PARTICULATE MATTER (PM): Mixture of organic and inorganic particles that may be emitted from a vessel due to the burning of fuel. PASSENGER CRUISE DAYS: The number of passengers carried for the period multiplied by the number of days in their respective cruises. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE): Respiratory protection, protective clothing or other safety equipment that ensures the safe handling of a chemical. REVERSE OSMOSIS PLANTS: Plants that produce fresh and technical water from seawater by utilizing high-pressure pumps and sophisticated water filters and dosing (or treatment) components. SHIPBOARD ENERGY EFFICIENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN (SEEMP): Vessel-specific document and management tool that outlines measures that can be implemented on board to improve efficiency. SOLID WASTE: Solid waste consists of aluminum and tin cans, glass bottles, cardboard, office paper, food preparation and table scraps, plastic bottles and containers, packaging, expired light bulbs, paints and chemicals, refurbishment debris and medical waste. STAGHORN CORAL: Acropora cervicornis, a branching, stony coral with cylindrical branches ranging from a few centimeters to over two meters in length and height. SULFUR OXIDE (SOX): Vessel-related emissions as a result of fuel use; any of several oxides of sulfur. VESSEL SANITATION PROGRAM (VSP): Program with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that assists the cruise ship industry to prevent and control the introduction, transmission and spread of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses on cruise ships.
CONTACT US
Toll-Free: 1-877-501-5976 International: 1-305-436-4003 environmentalhotline@norwegiancruiseline.com environmentalhotline@oceaniacruises.com environmentalhotline@rssc.com
Some of the statements, goals or projections contained in this report are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this report, including, without limitation, those regarding our business strategy, plans, prospects, and objectives of management for future operations (including those regarding our charitable, social, supply chain, or environmental programs and goals, expected fleet additions, our voluntary suspension, our ability to weather the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of and effectiveness of our health and safety protocols) are forward-looking statements. Many, but not all, of these statements can be found by looking for words like “expect,” “anticipate,” “goal,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “will,” “may,” “estimate,” “intend,” “future” and similar words. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and may involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Examples of these risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to the impact of: the spread of epidemics, pandemics and viral outbreaks and specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic, including its effect on the ability or desire of people to travel (including on cruises), which are expected to continue to adversely impact our results, operations, outlook, plans, goals, growth, reputation, cash flows, liquidity, demand for voyages and share price; our ability to comply with the CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order and to otherwise develop enhanced health and safety protocols to adapt to the current pandemic environment’s unique challenges once operations resume and to otherwise safely resume our operations when conditions allow; coordination and cooperation with the CDC, the federal government and global public health authorities to take precautions to protect the health, safety and security of guests, crew and the communities visited and the implementation of any such precautions; our ability to work with lenders and others or otherwise pursue options to defer, renegotiate or refinance our existing debt profile, near-term debt amortization, newbuild related payments and other obligations and to work with credit card processors to satisfy current or potential future demands for collateral on cash advanced from customers relating to future cruises; our potential future need for additional financing, which may not be available on favorable terms, or at all, and may be dilutive to existing shareholders; our indebtedness and restrictions in the agreements governing our indebtedness that require us to maintain minimum levels of liquidity and otherwise limit our flexibility in operating our business, including the significant portion of assets that are collateral under these agreements; the accuracy of any appraisals of our assets as a result of the impact of COVID-19 or otherwise; our success in reducing operating expenses and capital expenditures and the impact of any such reductions; our guests’ election to take cash refunds in lieu of future cruise credits or the continuation of any trends relating to such election; trends in, or changes to, future bookings and our ability to take future reservations and receive deposits related thereto; the unavailability of ports of call; future increases in the price of, or major changes or reduction in, commercial airline services; adverse events impacting the security of travel, such as terrorist acts, armed conflict and threats thereof, acts of piracy, and other international events; adverse incidents involving cruise ships; adverse general economic and related factors, such as fluctuating or increasing levels of unemployment, underemployment and the volatility of fuel prices, declines in the securities and real estate markets, and perceptions of these conditions that decrease the level of disposable income of consumers or consumer confidence; any further impairment of our trademarks, trade names or goodwill; breaches in data security or other disturbances to our information technology and other networks or our actual or perceived failure to comply with requirements regarding data privacy and protection; changes in fuel prices and the type of fuel we are permitted to use and/or other cruise operating costs; mechanical malfunctions and repairs, delays in our shipbuilding program, maintenance and refurbishments and the consolidation of qualified shipyard facilities; the risks and increased costs associated with operating internationally; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; overcapacity in key markets or globally; our expansion into and investments in new markets; our inability to obtain adequate insurance coverage; pending or threatened litigation, investigations and enforcement actions; volatility and disruptions in the global credit and financial markets, which may adversely affect our ability to borrow and could increase our counterparty credit risks, including those under our credit facilities, derivatives, contingent obligations, insurance contracts and new ship progress payment guarantees; our inability to recruit or retain qualified personnel or the loss of key personnel or employee relations issues; our reliance on third parties to provide hotel management services for certain ships and certain other services; our inability to keep pace with developments in technology; changes involving the tax and environmental regulatory regimes in which we operate; and other factors set forth under “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Additionally, many of these risks and uncertainties are currently amplified by and will continue to be amplified by, or in the future may be amplified by, the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. There may be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. The above examples are not exhaustive and new risks emerge from time to time. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates and projections regarding our present and future business strategies and the environment in which we expect to operate in the future. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change of events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement was based, except as required by law.
Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
*Straws at onboard Starbucks® are excluded from the campaign due to contract details with the coffee company.
26
Guests Carried in 2018
~2.8 million
11
SHORESIDE EMPLOYEES
~3,200
SHIPBOARD EMPLOYEES
~30,000
450+
=
downloadable PDFs
Thank you for your trust, your hard work, your business, and your continued support,
The oceans we sail on, the communities where we do business, our ports of call - and the people who make it all happen - are what make Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. such a remarkable company, one I am proud to lead. Together, this remarkable organization shows that business can be an agent of world benefit. I invite you to join our ‘Sail & Sustain’ journey, in this more interactive report.
Together, we will continue to raise the bar to advance the wellbeing of People, the Planet and Prosperity each day. Each year we pledge to improve our performance, to be even better stewards of the planet, to take care of our team members and communities, while we delight our guests with truly exceptional vacation offerings worldwide. In 2020 and beyond, our reporting will be strengthened as we plan to launch a strategy process in 2020 to identify the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) topics that matter most to all stakeholders. In 2020, we will also create a new ESG department to further advance these critical topics.
• Environmental Stewardship: As a part of our commitment with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) to reduce the carbon emissions rate by 40% across the industry fleet by 2030, our ongoing investments in systems and technology have allowed us to reduce our fuel consumption per capacity day by approximately 26% from 2008 to 2019 for the Norwegian brand (and 17% at the NCLH corporate level).
• Spirit of Entrepreneurship: We continue to find creative ways to engage our team members, whether it be to improve safety and health or to eliminate single use plastic items from our supply chain. Together, all three brands eliminated 11 million single-use plastic bottles per year. In addition, the brands eliminated 50 million straws per year across the fleet of 28 ships and two island destinations.
• Dedication to Family and Community: We were pleased to continue our long-standing support for All Hands and Hearts which helps communities affected by disasters. From our support of over $2.5 million to assist with hurricane Irma and Maria recovery efforts, to a donation of over $4 million for victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, we are committed to giving back. We also donated 250,000 (AUD) to help victims of the recent fires in Australia. Team members also donated over 1,000 hours of time to our communities through beach clean ups, Habitat for Humanity, and dinner services at the NCL Camillus House Campus emergency housing facility, to name a few.
2019 was another historic year for our company, with almost 3 million guests visiting 490 destinations worldwide, and it was the sixth consecutive year of record revenue and earnings per share. We welcomed our 27th ship, Norwegian Encore, to our fleet and grew to over 33,000 team members. As we grow, our commitment to our core values remains steadfast. We are pleased to present the 2019 Stewardship report, highlighting how our environmental performance and community engagement speak to our core values of Flawless Execution, Dedication to Family and Community, Environmental Stewardship, Financial Excellence and Environmental Stewardship. Touching on just a few of these core values below, I’m proud to lift-up some our company’s many accomplishments in 2019.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers an unrivaled experience to luxury travelers, visiting more than 450 iconic and immersive destinations around the world. The cruise line’s modern fleet recently expanded with Seven Seas Splendor™ in 2020 as the fleet’s fifth ship and then will grow by a sixth ship in 2023. All luxuries are included in Regent Seven Seas Cruises voyages, such as all-suite accommodations, round-trip business-class air on intercontinental flights from U.S. and Canada, the largest collection of unlimited shore excursions, unlimited internet access, highly personalized service, exquisite cuisine, fine wines and spirits, gratuities and ground transfers.
Oceania Cruises is the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line. The line’s six intimate and luxurious ships which carry only 684 or 1,250 guests offer an unrivaled vacation experience featuring the finest cuisine at sea and destination-rich itineraries that span the globe. Expertly crafted voyages aboard designer-inspired, intimate ships call on more than 450 ports across Europe, Alaska, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, New England-Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Tahiti and the South Pacific and epic 180-day Around the World Voyages. The brand has two 1,200 guest Vista-Class ships on order for delivery in 2022 and 2025.
Through our outreach initiatives and corporate partnerships, NCLH remains committed to having a positive impact on our local communities, the communities we visit and on the local ecosystems through which we cruise.
health & safety
Health & Safety
HEALTH
Supply Chain
Fuel & Energy Efficiency
COMMUNITY Outreach & Partnerships
In November 2019, Norwegian Encore hosted an exciting overnight charity event to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. The nonprofit’s 13th annual “Wild About Kids” Gala was a huge success, raising $1.4 million as patrons enjoyed a festive evening aboard Norwegian Encore.
The campaign ran from September 18 – October 19, 2019 where the nominees with the most votes from their state, province or territory won their choice of a three-to-five-day cruise for two on almost any Norwegian Cruise Line ship. The 51 winners were treated to an afternoon appreciation event and award ceremony aboard Norwegian Bliss, where they enjoyed performances by the recently debuted Six: The Musical and the Tony Award®-winning Jersey Boys and an elegantly prepared lunch. “It is truly inspiring to be here with these individuals who put their family, friends and communities before themselves,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We believe it is important to recognize the honorable people in this world who are doing good. We are proud to provide a platform to recognize these heroes who go out of their way to lift people up.”
The Virlanie Foundation was established by Dominique Leman in 1992 in Manila, Philippines with the goal to assist the city’s street children through the creation of the Manila Youth Reception Center and the Reception and Action Center. Since its founding, Virlanie has helped more than 17,000 children in need of special protection through the foundation’s various programs and services. Norwegian Cruise Line first connected with this important foundation in 1999 with the purchase of Orient Lines and the MS Marco because the previous owner had sponsored the Virlanie Foundation’s Herrod Home, the Marco Polo Home and the Marco Polo Care Center.
The Virlanie Foundation’s Marco Polo Care Center (MPCC) is the first home for children aged 4-6 years old when they are admitted to Virlanie. During the childrens’ stay, Virlanie’s social workers handle their cases and assess whether they can be reunified with their families. If it is not possible, they will either be put up for adoption or stay in other Virlanie Homes for long-term care. A parcel of land measuring almost 30,000 sqft at the site of the Norwegian Cruise Line Center of Excellence (NCLCEI) in Imus, Cavite has been set aside for the construction and exclusive use for the Virlanie Foundation and MPCC. The new center will consist of four separate homes, each with a capacity of 20 residents.
On February 21, 2019, Pride of America hosted “Careers at Sea Day” on Kauai, HI for over 90 Kauai High School Travel and Tourism students and two teachers. While on board Pride of America, students visited several venues and met with ship staff to gain insight into careers in the cruise industry, including hearing Captain Ron Chrastina speak about bridge officers’ roles and Executive Chef Errol Brissett discussing the responsibilities of chefs, cooks, and supporting kitchen staff. Before departing the ship, students were treated to lunch in the Aloha Café. The students and teachers expressed their gratitude to Norwegian Cruise Line for this unique opportunity.
Since 2009, Norwegian Cruise Line has been a proud partner of Make-A-Wish®. Our Welcome Aboard Wishes Program grants wishes annually by giving children with special needs and life-threatening illnesses a cruise vacation they will always remember. Our attentive shoreside staff and shipboard crew coordinate every detail of the cruise to ensure the children and their families are treated like VIPs. The company helps create lifetime memories for each wish child whose dream is to visit one of the line’s amazing destinations or experience all that the fleet has to offer.
In 2011, Norwegian Cruise Line made a $5 million commitment to Camillus House, an organization that provides humanitarian services to the poor and homeless of Miami-Dade County, Florida. In recognition of Norwegian’s pledge—the largest corporate contribution in Camillus House’s history—the charity named its 340-bed facility “Norwegian Cruise Line Campus of Camillus House.” The campus services more than 3,000 people in employment training, social services and clinical treatment programs. Our team members conduct supply and holiday gift drives, serve dinner at the campus kitchen and provide assistance with various shelters and housing beautification projects.
At each port of call, Guy Harvey and a team of experts led interactive presentations at local schools. They educated children on a variety of marine life and ocean conservation topics, with the goal of promoting environmental awareness for the future of our oceans and inspiring the next generation of scientists.
On January 10, 2019, officials from NCLH and All Hands and Hearts, along with local representatives from Dominica, attended the grand opening celebration of Morne Prosper Pre and Primary Schools in Morne Prosper Village, Dominica. This was the second school to benefit from our Hope Starts Here hurricane relief campaign, which raised $2.5 million to assist All Hands and Hearts Hurricanes Irma and Maria recovery efforts.
After Hurricane Dorian caused extensive damage to the Bahamas in September 2019, our company was quick to respond to the crisis by providing both supplies and funds to assist the victims of the natural disaster. We committed $2 million to All Hands and Hearts to help fund their ongoing response efforts.
Located off the coast of southern Belize, Harvest Caye is considered The Caribbean’s premier resort-style destination. While developing the island, we worked closely with the Belize government to ensure the protection of the area’s natural habitats, and we remain committed to having a positive impact on the local communities and ecosystems.
In 2019, the Harvest Caye Conservation Foundation (HCCF) donated funds to two outstanding members of Belize’s conservation community. The awardees were Southern Environmental Association (SEA) and Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary. These organizations have persevered to protect and conserve Belize’s natural resources for future generations. It is with great pleasure and honor that the HCCF can extend a helping hand to assist these organizations in achieving their objectives as stewards of the environment. The HCCF was established in 2016 in partnership with Belize Island Holdings Ltd (BIHL) and NCLH as a non-governmental organization whose primary goal is to promote wildlife conservation. The HCCF is dedicated to working with other NGOs in Belize and to undertake advocacy and outreach work with schools and communities to promote conservation and awareness of threatened species. The HCCF operates on Harvest Caye with a small collection of Belize’s native wildlife as charismatic ambassadors to educate guests on local conservation and give visitors an opportunity to contribute to conservation efforts in Belize.
In July 2019, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) in conjunction with Belize Island Holdings Ltd (BIHL) and Harvest Caye Conservation Foundation (HCCF) was honored to support and participate in the release of 13 Scarlet Macaws into the wild in the Parque Nacional Sierra del Lacandon, along the Usumacinta River of Northern Guatemala.
Harvest Caye works closely with Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute to protect manatee populations in the most critical areas of Belize. In May 2019, NCLH donated funds through the Harvest Caye Conservation Foundation for a manatee health assessment and tagging program for the second year. Wildlife experts worked with local wildlife veterinarians and volunteers to safely capture, conduct medical examinations, and tag manatees in the Southern and Placencia Lagoons. Twelve manatees were assessed and four were tagged with specially designed satellite tags to help researchers understand the animals’ migration and behaviors while also providing valuable data that is used to develop safer boating guidelines. In addition to funding, Harvest Caye provided four volunteers for eight days, and made available the use of three small vessels with captains and crew, as well as lunch made by Harvest Caye’s Food & Beverage Department. Island staff also assist throughout the year to collect data by observing the behaviors of manatees around the island, which is then provided to local manatee experts.
Caps for Smiles was started in Monterrey Mexico by Alianza Anticancer Infantil to raise funds for treatments for children in Belize with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses. Currently there are no cancer treatment options in Belize, making this an important program for affected children, while also keeping plastic out of the environment. For every 1,000 plastic bottle caps received, a child from Belize gets one free chemotherapy or dialysis session. Plastic bottle caps are collected in Belize and sent to Mexico for recycling.
To help reverse this decline, Norwegian Cruise Line partnered with the Perry Institute of Marine Science and Dr. David Gilliam with the Coral Reef Restoration Assessment and Monitoring (CCRAM) Lab at Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Oceanographic Center.
In 2018, researchers from NSU established three in-water Acropora coral nurseries around the island using fragments collected from wild colonies throughout the Berry Islands and Nassau area. Over 160 fragments of two Acropora coral species (staghorn and elkhorn) and their hybrid (fused staghorn) are currently being grown in the nurseries.
The Alaska Raptor Center (ARC), located in Sitka, Alaska, is an avian hospital and rehabilitation center that in 2019 cared for over 190 injured birds of prey. NCLH first partnered with ARC in 2017 to help reduce the center’s energy consumption and waste production by installing recycling bins and high-efficiency hair dryers at the facility.
“Environmentally conscious travelers really appreciate the green option of recycling their cans and plastic containers. With about 50,000 visitors each year, these seemingly small changes really make a difference,” said Jennifer Cross, Executive Director of the Alaska Raptor Center.
In March 2019, Harvest Caye implemented bottle cap collection into the established recycling program and announced their first Caps for Smiles contest. Island staff created teams and were instructed to bring clean bottle caps from home for the entire month of March. In one month, Harvest Caye employees collected over 82,000 plastic bottle caps, providing 82 medical treatments for children in Belize. Not only did the Harvest Caye team help children, they also kept over 500 pounds of plastic out of the environment. The collection continues as part of the recycling program with many team members regularly donating caps from home to support this cause.
These Scarlet Macaws were captive bred at ARCAS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Peten, Guatemala and trained with the necessary skills to survive in the wild. We hope this conservation project helps rebuild the fragile population of scarlet macaws in Guatemala, which is estimated to be around 350. Their status is currently listed as an endangered species by the US Fish & Wildlife Services.
We also continued to transport supplies to the Bahamas each week on Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun to support shelters in Nassau for Abaco evacuees.
Norwegian Breakaway departed from Miami on September 9th with hurricane relief supplies donated by our employees, in addition to items collected by the City of Miami, Baptist Health South Florida, the 305 Gives Back foundation, and other organizations, which were delivered to Nassau and to Great Stirrup Cay.
For the primary school, two classrooms that were completely destroyed were rebuilt while new, much-needed kitchen and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities were also constructed for the school. The entire pre-school was also rebuilt with the addition of a new playground.
In 2017, Norwegian Cruise Line was the first cruise line to provide aid to The Caribbean after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the region. We partnered with All Hands and Hearts — the world’s leading disaster relief organization — to help provide immediate relief in Key West and reconstruct schools and critical infrastructure in affected islands in the Caribbean, including St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Tortola.
Norwegian Cruise Line was honored to partner with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) and Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Guy Harvey Research Institute to host the third annual ocean conservation-themed Cruising for Conservation with Guy Harvey. This unique cruise showcased the importance of preserving the beauty and well-being of marine life.
Guests who sailed on this unforgettable cruise experienced a week full of opportunities to meet Guy Harvey, world renowned marine artist, scientist, conservationist, entrepreneur and hull artist of Norwegian Escape, as he hosted curated events about ocean conservation on board and at each port of call.
Guests learned about the GHOF’s efforts to conserve the ocean environment and hear from a panel of marine life experts and scientists from NSU about the importance of continued support for cleaner and safer waters through conservation and sustainability efforts. Guy Harvey also treated guests to live painting sessions where he also discussed how he transformed from marine biologist to one of the world’s foremost marine wildlife artists.
As much as 150 million metric tons of plastic waste already pollute the world’s oceans, with more making its way into the sea every year. Traces of plastic have been found in birds, sea turtles and more than 25 percent of fish in seafood markets worldwide. We continue to build on our global sustainability program Sail & Sustain by joining several of the world’s leading corporations and organizations in Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance® to support our shared vision of a world with waterways, beaches and oceans free of plastic waste.
Marco Polo Care Center (MPCC)
Total capacity is 80 children and young adults, ranging in age from toddlers to 18 years. The MPCC will also have classrooms and therapy rooms, as well as serve for admin functions. The center will be exclusively run and operated by the Virlanie Foundation with financial support from our company and employees.
From 1999 to 2011, Norwegian Cruise Line collected donations for the foundation through various events, and in 2012, we formalized the foundation partnership with the creation of Project Tulong and the official signing of a MOA between NCL and Virlanie. As of today, approximately 3,000 of our crew donate to Project Tulong.
The 30 educators with the most votes each won 7-day cruises for two and became eligible for three grand prizes – a chance to win $10,000, $15,000 or $25,000 for their schools. A panel of Norwegian Cruise Line executives selected the three grand prize winners based on the relevancy of contestants’ submissions to the contest theme, teachers’ lasting impact on their students and content and originality.
485+
As the innovator in global cruise travel, Norwegian Cruise Line has been breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising for over 53 years. Most notably, the cruise line revolutionized the industry by offering guests the freedom and flexibility to design their ideal vacation on their preferred schedule with no assigned dining and entertainment times and no formal dress codes. Today, its fleet of 17 contemporary ships sail to nearly 300 of some of the world’s most desirable destinations, including Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas and its resort destination Harvest Caye in Belize.
Our environmental commitment is continually evolving and expanding into additional areas of our operations, both shipboard and shoreside. Our industry is inextricably linked to the condition of our oceans and as such, continual improvement is one of our core responsibilities. In line with this accountability comes our commitment to preventing accidents and incidents involving pollution, reducing the environmental impact of our operations, managing waste through methods that promote recycling and reusing materials and ensuring continual refinement of our ISO 14001 certification objectives and targets.
Our objectives
Reduce our CO2 Emissions Rate
