sciencetech-blog

comments

We're regularly encouraged to pay close attention to the environmental cost of our holidays, but now there's a cruise to take a tour of the devastation that mankind has allegedly caused.

Tourists can now take a trip through the melted Northwest Passage to see the sights of the Arctic, while it still exists as we know it.

The luxurious month-long grand tour will give climate-curious tourists the chance to see endangered Arctic animals such as polar bears in their quickly disappearing natural habitat.

The ultimate journey? Departing from the Gulf of Alaska, (mapped) the 31-day journey will navigate the Northwest Passage, around Alaska and into the Beaufort Sea, through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and on to Greenland, before ending in New York City

Conservationists claim that warmer temperatures are threatening the animals' existence and the cruise is designed to give wildlife enthusiasts the chance to see a plethora of creatures unique to the Arctic, while they still can, tapping into what some might say is a form of 'disaster tourism'.

There is no mention of the environmental impact of the journey itself, however, with some experts estimating that cruise trips are far more damaging than journeys taken by aeroplane.

The 'once-in-a-lifetime expeditionary voyage' is being offered by Crystal Cruises from almost £14,000 ($24,000) and is set to appeal to wildlife lovers and those curious about our changing world.

The luxurious Crystal Serenity cruise ship will be the first to traverse the Northwest Passage, 'a mystical Pacific-Atlantic sea route far beyond the Arctic Circle that for centuries captured the imaginations of kings, explorers and adventurers,' the firm says.

It is only in recent years that the passage has become passable in the summer, because of melting ice.

Until 2009, the Arctic pack ice prevented regular marine shipping throughout most of the year, but climate change has reduced the pack ice and made the waterways more navigable.

Departing from the Gulf of Alaska, the 32-day journey will navigate the Northwest Passage, around Alaska and into the Beaufort Sea, through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and on to Greenland, before docking in New York City.

'The company says: 'Here in the Land of the Midnight Sun, you will bear witness to breath-taking landscapes that few have ever seen, from spectacular glaciers to towering fjords, and experience nature that is truly wild.'

The trip is two years in the making and the first cruise will depart on August 16, 2016.

In the lap of luxury: The luxurious Crystal Serenity cruise ship (pictured) will be the first to traverse the Northwest Passage, 'a mystical Pacific-Atlantic sea route far beyond the Arctic Circle that for centuries captured the imaginations of kings, explorers and adventurers,' the firm says

See them while you can: Tourists will be taken on 'unplanned expedition days' to take in wildlife such as of polar bears (stock image pictured left), narwhals, (right) musk oxen and Caribou. But the company warns that endangered animals such as the polar bear may prove elusive

Tourists will be taken on 'unplanned expedition days' to take in wildlife such as of polar bears, narwhals, musk oxen and Caribou.

They could also go kayaking in protected bays and trekking in the tundra with professional guides and scientists as well as taking a tour of the environment in small Zodiacs – rubber motorised boats.

An escort vessel will follow the cruise ship packed with 'adventure equipment' including a platform for wilderness landings and a helicopter.

The crew will be accompanied by a 14 naturalists, explorers, scientists, historians and photographers to point out and document the sights.

'Once-in-a-lifetime experiences include the chance to see rare wildlife in its purest form - from humpback, beluga and bowhead whales, to seals and walruses, musk-oxen on shore and teaming colonies of kittiwakes, guillemots and murres in flight,' according to the brochure.

Holidaymakers will also have the chance to meet indigenous people in small groups, which the firm says is designed to benefit and not disrupt the locals and their way of life.

The cruise claims to balance 'rare adventure with intimate exploration,' but there is no mention of its carbon footprint, which may seem unusual seeing as the itinerary is designed to appeal to people who love the great outdoors and are interested in the rapidly changing landscape.

Crystal Cruises has not disclosed figures showing the cruise's environmental impact on its icy surroundings.

But estimates made in 2013, indicate that the carbon footprint of a cruise ship can be three times as large as a flight, if measured per customer, PopSci reported.

A spokesman for the company told MailOnline: 'Crystal Cruises will, as it always has, meet or exceed all environmental regulatory requirements for the regions in which our ships sail with respect to air, water and garbage discharge. 

'For the Northwest Passage transit this includes the voluntary use of  0.1per cent sulfur content Marine Gas Oil which is extremely clean burning and is well in excess of the existing environmental regulations.  This, along with a relatively slow transit speed and using one third of our engines for a vast majority of the cruise, will achieve our goal of minimising our carbon footprint.'

Getting less icy: The trip is two years is two years in the making and the first cruise will depart on August 16, 2016. This satellite image of the Northwest Passage shows the ice retreating in August 2012

In 2008, cruise company Carnival said that on average, its ships released 712kg of carbon dioxide per kilometre.

Taking into consideration the number of passengers they carried, experts worked out that a journey was 36 times as damaging as a Eurostar trip when it came to carbon emissions, although unlike the Eurostar, people were living on board for a period of time.

As well as damaging emissions, the United Nations Environment Programme's magazine, Our Planet, estimated that the average cruise ship generates 7.7lbs (3.5kg) of rubbish per holiday maker, every day, The Telegraph reported.

Some of the ships also emit sewage and bilge water, with one cruise ship estimated to produce 19 tonnes of solid waste daily, according to Outside Online.

As the ships are designed like small floating cities, they are more than a mode of transport and cannot be directly compared to flights, but like cities consume large amounts of power.

In a book entitled Paradise Lost at Sea: Rethinking Cruise Vacations, expert Ross Klein claims that some ships have a carbon footprint that is three times as large as a Boeing 747, if averaged out by the number of passengers on board.

Figures from a carbon offsetting business, Climate Care, suggest that the ships emit twice as much carbon dioxide per mile as aeroplanes and can also belch out sulphur - which causes acid rain - if barrel bunker fuel is used, which is less refined than diesel.

Amazing scenery: Holidaymakers could go kayaking in protected bays and trekking in the tundra with professional guides and scientists who will help them understand the various animals and landscapes of the Northwest Passage (pictured)

Air pollution from ships can equivalent to 12,000 cars and one estimate places it as high as 350,000 cars, Resource UK reports.

A spokesman for the cruise company said: 'Crystal has a well-trained and environmentally-conscious crew, and we will operate, as we always do, with a "nothing overboard" policy. No garbage or food waste of any kind will be thrown overboard.

'Some garbage will be burned in the incinerator on board, while other trash, recycling and food waste will be collected and stored on board the escort vessel. This waste will then be offloaded outside of the Arctic communities into specific collection facilities that are equipped to handle these waste streams.'

Rod Downie, polar programme manager at WWF-UK, old MailOnline: 'The loss of Arctic summer sea ice is perhaps the most visible sign of climate change on our planet.

'With new international shipping routes such as the Northwest passage opening up as a result of less sea ice, the risk of major shipping accidents and trans-boundary oil spills increases.

'These would have massive long-term impacts for Arctic communities and wildlife, including polar bears and beluga whales. It is increasingly urgent that the International Maritime Organisation in London agrees a robust Polar Code for safe and environmentally responsible shipping in the region.'