Small group travel and tour outfitter, Peregrine Adventures wants cruise travelers to be able to make a social impact wherever they go, and the company has a number of suggestions on how they can do so, augmented with some of our own.
Make Donations at Cruise Ports
Non-profit organizations Together for Good and Pack for a Purpose allow cruisers the opportunity to make donations like school supplies, personal care items and diapers to needy groups such as orphanages and schools. Travelers even have the chance to deliver their donations in person.
Also, luxury cruise line Silversea Cruises hosts 360 Degrees of Giving, an opportunity for guests to make donations that are collected and distributed equally to destinations in need as aboard its expedition sailings.
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Book Give-Back Experiences at Ports
Despite forfeiting its dedicated ship in the near future, Fathom's impact travel opportunities are not dead. In fact, they are set to thrive through Carnival Corporation's other brands, but they are not the only cruise lines to give back with volunteer shore excursions.
Crystal Cruises also presents guests with its "You Care, We Care" program, where travelers can participate in activities including serving meals at food banks and teaching kids in orphanages. Additionally, non-profits like Hope Floats offer other volunteer opportunities throughout the Caribbean.
Cruise Carbon-Neutral
Peregrine Adventures recently unveiled 10 carbon-neutral adventure sailing itineraries to destinations encompassing Croatia, Cuba, Iceland, Portugal, Panama, and the Greek Islands. Via carbon offsets, these voyages make a positive environmental impact onboard ships that carry no more than 50 guests for genuine discoveries.
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"Traditional cruises do a great job of catering to those travelers who enjoy an all-inclusive beach resort, but tourism is changing and there is no real option on water for our travelers who prefer small hotels and Airbnb-style local authenticity," says James Thornton, Managing Director of parent company Intrepid Group.
"We're just a start-up in the fast-growing cruise market, but we think it is ripe for disruption because the big companies have not responded quickly enough to demand for genuine local experiences that benefit both travelers and the places and people they visit."
Intrepid Group has been carbon-neutral since 2010 and is a signatory of the UN Global Compact committed to environmental, social and economic transparency and sustainability.
Thornton added, "One evening we relaxed in Mykonos watching the sunset with locals in a taverna, while the passengers from a big cruise ship were ferried back for a formal meal and evening entertainment. The ship was long gone by the time we stopped off for an amazing seafood meal in a village in Syros that relies on small boats to survive. That's when it hit home to me that the only thing an adventure cruise has in common with a traditional cruise is that it's on water."
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