Royal Caribbean Cruises Sustainable tours

Royal Caribbean Cruises has announced that no fewer than 1,400 sustainable tours, from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and beyond, are now available for booking. Offered by certified sustainable tour operators, these special tours are available across Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd family of brands - including Royal Caribbean International; Celebrity Cruises; as well as Azamara - and include unique experiences around the world, from kayaking along Majorca’s west coast; to an underground Mayan River Cenote in Cozumel; and grape harvesting at Pizzorno Winery in Montevideo.

The initiative began as part of the company’s 2020 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) target to offer guests 1,000 tours provided by operators certified to the UN-created Global Sustainable Tourism Council standard. By reaching and surpassing the goal nearly one year ahead of schedule, RCL is underscoring its commitment to operate sustainably and provide its guests with responsible options while ashore.

“Our guests are eager to explore and discover new cultures and places, and we want to do our part to ensure those destinations continue to thrive,” said Roberta Jacoby, Managing Director, Global Tour Operations, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.  “Achieving this goal was a truly collaborative process with our motivated tour operators and with the dedicated team at Global Sustainable Tourism Council.”

Engaging with its portfolio of global independent tour operators was a key part of the programme. Together with GSTC, RCL’s Global Tour Operations team conducted informational sessions to educate its tour operators of the company’s commitment, the importance of certification and sustainable operations, and the process to become certified by any of GSTC’s accredited certification bodies.”

GSTC standards, known as the GSTC Criteria, are organised around four main themes: effective sustainability planning, maximising social and economic benefits for the local community, enhancing cultural heritage, and reducing negative impacts to the environment.
“The scale and scope of Royal Caribbean Cruises’ commitment to sustainable shore excursions and accomplishments to date are unprecedented,” says Jim Sano, Vice President for Conservation Travel, WWF.  “This initiative not only helps advance WWF’s conservation mission, it elevates the sustainability bar for the entire travel industry.”