I always knew that Seatrade Cruise Global 2022 would be hard to beat. But my time last week at Fort Lauderdale in Florida during Seatrade Cruise Global 2023 was so incredibly inspiring and full of industry knowledge and passion, I am now even more excited and uplifted about the future of Cruise.
The event was inevitably packed full of discussions and topics, and I could spend days going through it all. So, instead, I’ve picked my big three takeaways from Seatrade Cruise Global that I think indicate what is round the corner. And what Tower can do to help keep Cruise on course towards reaching their goals…
One of the standout messages to come from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), was that they have two big strategies that they’re focussing on: 1) Net Zero 2) Responsible Tourism.
The good news is that Cruise lines are currently well on the way to carving a path towards decarbonisation. This is especially true in the advancements we’ve seen in technology, infrastructure, and operations. As an Executive Partner to CLIA, Tower was also at CLIA’s launch of their sustainable Cruise toolkit.
The industry discussed the implementation of the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII). This will be principally used to improve the operational performance of existing ships. CII uses a rating scale from A to E (with A being the best) as a form of reporting and level indication - like what is used to evaluate electrical goods at home.
A speaker at the event said something that summed up Cruise’s current stance on sustainability very well: “Cruise can’t talk about sustainability anymore…it’s the only path to take.” That means that there is no longer a choice about sustainability. There is no turning back. The markers have been laid. The goals have been set.
The industry announced that 2023 will deliver the youngest, cleanest, and most technologically advanced fleet ever. I believe Tower can support this new fleet with its global sourcing experience and our ability to fulfil with near shore logistics. This can greatly help to eliminate CO2 in the provisioning section of the supply chain.
That’s not all. Tower’s vast product range continues to expand with innovation meeting sustainability at every turn. A great example is CtrlFlow, our flagship sustainable cleaning solution. Used by P&O Cruises, CtrlFlow reduces plastics, costs, logistics, and transport, by replacing up to 90% of cleaning and disinfectant products.
As a leading trade partner to the Cruise industry, I was glad to see that the industry regards distributors and suppliers as vitally importantly to achieving all the industry’s goals. We heard how the passion, purpose, and perseverance of suppliers such as Tower will play a big part in driving Cruise business forward.
Speaking of rewarding perseverance, Cruising is set to return to pre-pandemic levels with an expected 27 to 33 million passengers worldwide this year. In the Seatrade conference keynote address it was quoted that by 2026 the global figure will reach almost 39 million passengers. That’s 30 percent higher than in 2019!
We pride ourselves on being a proactive partner in the market. And as I soon I heard those figures confirmed I was glad that Tower are already expanding in readiness with a new, dedicated, Cruise distribution centre that’s just opened to serve UK and European business. And we’re poised to expand to worldwide logistic hubs too!
Tower are a Tier-1 CLIA Diamond Executive Member in the Hotel Ops, Food & Beverage community. We partner with the industry to make Cruise the safest and best holiday option for now and the future.
