Cruising provides a lot of bang for your buck. So much bang, in fact, that over 13 million of us sailed the seas in 2009. Cruising is so popular that, since 1990, the industry has had an average annual passenger growth rate of 7.4% per annum.

Many travelers think a cruising vacation is eco-friendly. But according to Climate Care, a carbon-offsetting company, cruise ships emit nearly twice as much carbon dioxide as airplanes.

According to the environmental group Friends of the Earth, a typical one week voyage on a large cruise ship generates:

• 1 million gallons of gray water runoff from sinks, baths, showers, laundry, and galleys
• 210,000 gallons of sewage
• 25,000 gallons of oily bilge water
• 100 gallons of hazardous or toxic waste
• 50 tons of garbage and solid waste
• diesel exhaust emissions equal to thousands of cars on the road.

These facts may make you think twice about booking your cruise. But the industry is working hard to change destructive practices, and not all cruises are equal. For example:

• Norwegian Cruise Lines has a program that offloads used cooking oil and converts it into useable biodiesel fuel for farming equipment
• Disney Cruise Lines sponsors volunteer coastal cleanups
• Holland America has a Ship to Shore program that donates reuseable goods to charities. They also have an Avoiding Whale Strikes program where crews learn to protect the safety of all whale species.
• Carnival Cruises has an environmental officer aboard all ships to make sure that environmental policies and practices are followed. Their ships have on-board recycling, LED lighting, solar panels, and high efficiency appliances.

So if you love to cruise, don’t give it up. GO GUILT FREE.  Before you book take a look at this environmental report card ranking 10 major cruise lines. Choose your cruise wisely. Then follow the tips below.

1. If you live in North America, think about choosing a “Close to Home” North American embarkation port. There are over 30 of them. When you have to fly to your port of departure you’re increasing your carbon footprint.

2. Avoid ports of call in ecologically fragile areas where high volume tourism would hurt local ecosystems.

3. Pack biodegradable phosphorous free soaps, shampoos, and detergents.

4. Recycle whenever possible.

5. Don’t throw anything overboard.

6. Take brief showers to conserve water.

7. Use the stairs.

8. Turn lights out when you’re not in your room.

9. Buffets are tempting, but don’t waste the food.

10. Don’t eat endangered seafood. For a Super Green List connecting human and ocean health click here.

11. Choose environmentally friendly shore excursions.

12.Make sure that your spending in ports of call reaches the pockets of local merchants and craftspeople.

Cruising is not going to disappear, and it may be the best deal financially for you. So if cruising matches your travel style, sail responsibly, sail with pride. And Heritage Traveler, have a great time!

Did you know?

• Since the 1960s, airline passenger traffic worldwide has risen by almost 9% a year.
• Airfares are about 42% cheaper now than they were 10 years ago.
• Air travel emits 700 million tons of carbon each year, about 3% of total global emissions.

Hardliners in the fight against climate change argue that global warning is so serious that it is no longer ethical for leisure travelers to fly. They say that aircraft pollutants released into the high atmosphere have an enhanced greenhouse effect, and that aircraft emissions are at least twice as damaging as ground level emissions. Even short haul flights are thought to be too polluting since planes have to burn large amounts of fuel in order to reach cruising height only to descend very quickly.

Other travelers argue that it’s not fair to focus on flying when so many other things also contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases.

Many who consider themselves to be ethical tourists argue that people living in developing countries are not responsible for global warming, and that many of these individuals would lose their livelihoods if income from tourism were to disappear. So what would happen if travelers decided that long distance travel was no longer an option?

That’s not going to happen, so here are some suggestions for the thinking traveler:

1. Think about where you are going. Could you relax close to home where you could take the train instead of flying?

2. When you do take a long trip, stay as long as you can. Fly less frequently. Take one trip a year instead of 2 or 3.

3. Take long trips every other year instead of every year.

4. Take the bus or train to the airport. Leave your car at home.

5. Pack light. Remember that luggage is weighed at check-in for a reason.

6. Choose an electronic ticket instead of a paper one. Save a tree — or at least a branch.

7. If you’re a business traveler, meet online instead of face to face. Use chat, video conferencing, or Google Docs to conduct your business.

8. Combine work and play. If you must fly to attend a meeting, stay awhile instead of booking a separate vacation. Less travel will go far to reduce your negative environmental impact.

9. Use TerraPass to calculate your carbon footprint. This will help you choose the best transportation alternative.

10. Check out carbon offset flights. These are where the airline charges a little more for your travel and uses the extra money to plant trees. This approach is fairly controversial so make sure to research the pros and cons before making up your mind.

Want to lessen your contribution to global warming and environmental destruction? Fly less and for shorter distances.

Well Heritage Traveler, what do you know? The groundhog saw his shadow and we’re in for 6 more weeks of winter. Just enough time to get ready for the spring and summer travel season. So in the spirit of looking forward to warmth and sunshine, The Heritage Traveler is going to go out on a limb, and give you our take on the top travel trends for Spring and Summer 2010. In no particular order:

1. Slow Travel. Remember? We talked 10 Good Reasons to TRAVEL SLOW early on. Slow Travel is about independence and freedom from rushing from one ‘must see’ location to another. It is about settling into a place for a week or more and seeing it in depth, getting to know its people, connecting to its spirit and culture.

2. Green Travel. Green Travel is designed to reduce the environmental impact associated with tourist activity. It involves a wide range of options that are typically centered around the idea of preserving natural resources and reducing environmental pollution. Like slow travel, taking a ‘green’ approach often makes for a more rewarding, authentic travel experience, encouraging deeper connections with the people and places you visit. Aspects of Green Travel may include:

• Walking, cycling, and using public transport
• Renting “hybrid” vehicles
• Using biodiesel fuels
• Taking advantage of ridesharing and carpools
• Staying at green hotels or lodges
• Booking with a green organization or a green travel provider
• Volunteering some time and giving back to the community you visit
• Offsetting your carbon footprint — making a donation to offset the amount of carbon that your trip expels into the atmosphere.

3. Sustainable Tourism. Sustainable tourism is not the same as green tourism or even ecotourism. It is a way of defining efforts that have a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate income and employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development is a positive experience for local people, tourism companies, and tourists themselves.

4. Community-Based Tourism. Community-Based Tourism is tourism in which local residents (often rural, poor and economically marginalized) invite tourists to visit their communities with the provision of overnight accommodation.

• The residents earn income as land managers, entrepreneurs, service and produce providers, and employees.
• At least part of the tourist income is set aside for projects which provide benefits to the community as a whole.
• Community-based tourism enables the tourist to discover local habitats and wildlife, and celebrates and respects traditional cultures, rituals and wisdom.
• The community is aware of the commercial and social value placed on their natural and cultural heritage through tourism, and this fosters community-based conservation of these resources.

5. Pro Poor Tourism. Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) is tourism that results in increased net benefits for poor people.  It enhances the linkages between tourism businesses and poor people, so that tourism’s contribution to poverty reduction is increased and poor people are able to participate more effectively in product development. The critical factor is not the type of company or the type of tourism, but that an increase in the net benefits that go to poor people can be demonstrated.

6. Ethical/Fair Trade Tourism. To engage in Ethical Tourism you will want to:

• Learn about the country you are visiting. Do your homework. Know something about the history, geography, economic and political situation of a new land before you arrive.
• Know about the cost of your holiday. Think about where exactly your money is going – is it going directly back to locals, or is it maybe filtering out to multinational corporations?
• Bargain responsibly. Consider the price you would be willing to pay for something, and keep in mind that you are most likely wealthy compared to local people.
• Open yourself to culture. Try to learn about the customs and beliefs of the local people – and expect that they are different than your own. Be prepared to adapt the way you dress, talk, and behave.
• Think about you footprint. Consider the kind of ecological mark you are making on the land – think about your waste, take biodegradable products, bring a water bottle, and conserve resources as much as possible.

7. Do It Yourself. It may be a lot of trouble, but do the research yourself and book your own trip. This way you’ll make sure that you get exactly what you want. It will also ensure that your trip accords with your values and ethics. And it may end up being cheaper and more fun.

The last three trends are for all of you Heritage Lovers.

8. Agritourism. Agritourism is recreational travel to agricultural areas or to participate in agricultural activities. Agritourism:

• Can take place on a farm or ranch
• May include the chance to help with farming or ranching tasks
• May use farms or agricultural villages as a base for exploring the countryside
• Is especially prevalent in wine growing regions.

9. Industrial Heritage Tourism. Industrial Heritage Tourism involves exploring the buildings and artifacts of industry which are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. For example, the European Route of Industrial Heritage is a network of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe.

10. Cold War Heritage Tourism. The New York Times recently had a three page article on Biking the Iron Curtain Trail replete with slideshow, and info on ‘where to stay’ and ‘where to eat’.

Whatever your particular interests, these hot trends for spring should give you some good ideas on how to explore in new — and possibly different — ways. Close on the heels of the 10 trends I listed is an up and comer: VIRTUAL TRAVEL. We’ll talk about this in more detail later. And look for our free Sustainable Travel Dictionary coming soon.

Posted by Lisa Reynolds Wolfe.

Photograph by Lisa Reynolds Wolfe.