To be globally responsible, cruise companies recognize the importance of environmental protection, especially to sustain the very destinations they travel to, and Norwegian Cruise Line continues to go green by retrofitting more of its existing ships with gas scrubber technology.

It’s all part of Norwegian’s Eco-Smart Cruising program, and the Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem sister-ships now tout their own Exhaust Gas Cleaning systems to greatly reduce air emissions. The new technology will cut down an equivalent of about 1,500 tons of Sulfur Oxide, SOx, gas in the coming years.

READ MORE: Norwegian to Install Exhaust Scrubbers on Six Ships

Retrofitting the ships took two years’ time and over 100,000 man-hours for each. The completed system is a Scrubber Hybrid developed by Yara Marine Technologies, capable of running in Dry mode, Open loop and Closed loop. To reduce sulfur emissions by up to 99 percent and particulate emissions by 85 percent, five scrubbers were installed for each engine across three ships: the Pearl and Gem as well as the previously completed Norwegian Jewel.

“Safeguarding the protection and preservation of the environment is a paramount core value at Norwegian Cruise Line,” said Robin Lindsay, Executive Vice President of Vessel Operations for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. “With three vessels successfully retrofitted with exhaust gas cleaning systems in 2016, Norwegian Cruise Line is proud to see this new technology in place to help maintain a clean environment for our guests to enjoy for generations to come.”

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The three Jewel-class vessels also join the Norwegian Escape and Pride of America, all outfitted with Exhaust Gas Cleaning System technology. The line’s upcoming Norwegian Joy will also showcase hybrid scrubber technology when it launches in April 2017, and the last remaining Jewel-class Norwegian Jade will receive the system in early 2017, as well as the Norwegian Sun in the second quarter of 2017.

Norwegian is on its way to meet its MARPOL Annex VI compliance objective to reduce its global sulfur cap from 3.5 percent to 0.5 percent by 2020. In total, the line’s Eco-Smart Cruising environmental stewardship program extends to its Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Caye destinations in addition to its ships, which each have a dedicated environmental team overseeing the highest standards of recycling, garbage disposal, fuel efficiency and more.

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