There is no doubt that the halcyon days of ocean bound exploration are long past. Perhaps the last great milestone for maritime explorers, the crossing of the Northwest passage, was first successfully attempted by Roald Amundsen well over a hundred years ago. Nevertheless, the modern age has no shortage of a new kind of explorer - individuals determined to see the remoter corners of the earth's surface, if not for the first time in recorded history, then at least for the first time in their own personal experience.
However, there are some notable points of difference between these explorers and those of previous centuries. Today's variety have traded in salt beef and ship's biscuit for gourmet fare prepared by Michelin starred chefs. Like their ocean going forebears, they enjoy a tipple on occasion, but theirs comes from a fully stocked floating bar. Staterooms aren't only for captains now either; one can be had for a week or two for about the price of a new car.
The urge for exploration marks a shift in what consumers expect from cruise voyages. This is not to say that the traditional haunts of the Mediterranean and the Caribbean are becoming less popular, only that a new opportunity has opened to cater to a different kind of customer. Cruise operators have not been slow to capitalise either. The first cruise vessel to traverse the Northwest passage, the Crystal Serenity, completed its journey in August last year, ferrying 1700 passengers and crew from Vancourver to New York city over the course of 28 days. As of July 2017, over two dozen smaller, purpose built Arctic cruise vessels were under construction.
The industry has been quick to warn that expansion will not come without its risks. Two considerations in particular could spell a potential public relations disaster for the fledgling Arctic cruise industry. One is the impact of such vessels on fragile Arctic ecosystems, already made vulnerable by the effects of climate change. Large numbers of crew and passengers make the output of pollutants from cruise vessels proportionally much higher than might be expected for a typical vessel of their size. According to the 2004 US commission on Ocean Policy, the average cruise ship produces between 532,000 and 728,000 gallons of sewage and a staggering 3.8 million litres of wastewater every week, along with 95,000 litres of oily bilgewater from engines and machinery. Though some forms of waste can be stored aboard the vessel temporarily, Arctic communities simply do not have the resources needed to dispose of them. Cruise operators will need to invest in the onshore infrastructure necessary for doing so if they are to avoid marring the natural splendour their customers pay to see.
Another major hurdle is the difficulty of providing assistance to distressed vessels in Arctic waters. In the case of the Crystal Serenity, this necessitated a support team consisting of an icebreaker and two helicopters tracking the ship's progress over the course of its voyage. But less high profile voyages in the future will be unlikely to have such safeguards in place. When the Clipper Adventurer ran aground on an underwater cliff in 2010, it took 40 hours before rescuers could successfully evacuate the stranded passengers and crew - a worrying precedent. By comparison, the maximum survival time in water temperatures just above freezing is forty five minutes, with unconsciousness setting in at around fifteen. Given the difficulties associated with navigating in such forbidding conditions – only ten percent of the Northwest passage has been charted, and weather patterns in the Arctic circle are unpredictable at the best of times – many salvors have warned that a major catastrophe is not only possible, but inevitable.
When it comes to safety at sea, there are no easy answers. Improving vessel designs, safety training for crews and proper incentives for first responders can all play a part. Perhaps the biggest precaution operators can take, however, is exercising restraint. Between 2005 and 2013 the number of cruise voyages to the Arctic circle doubled in Canada alone. Such growth is of course desirable, but cruise operators must take care that it does not become unsustainable.
On the other side of the world, in altogether different climes, the cruise industry is also experiencing a surge in business. The Philippines has it all – scenic beaches, tropical sun and a tourism department eager to go the extra mile. With 5 million tourists arriving in the country each year, it still lags behind other regional travel hot spots such as Thailand, which welcomed over 32 million visitors in 2016. But tourism in the Philippines is growing rapidly.
The cruise industry in particular has benefited. Between 2014 and 2016, the number of calls by cruise vessels to Filipino ports grew by an average of 27.6% year on year. Partly this trend can be attributed to the burgeoning spending power of the emergent Chinese middle class, but Japanese, South Korean and Western passengers are also signing up in ever greater numbers. It is perhaps no surprise that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, the largest cruise operator in the world, announced a five year recruitment drive for an additional 30,000 Filipino crew members at the beginning of last year.
Cruise lines are quickly realising that the Philippines has become a major contender in the region, but the country still has some way to go before it can live up to its potential. One shortcoming is the quality of its ports, which are better adapted to commercial shipping than to cruise ships. A proposed new cruise terminal in Caticlan, a district which includes some of the Philippines’ most popular beach resorts, is a welcome development. Equally welcome is Royal Caribbean Cruises’ offer of technical and financial support in building the port. The company is setting an example that the rest of the industry should seek to follow: by working hand in hand with local authorities, cruise operators will be able to position themselves as leaders in a rapidly growing regional market.
Another obstacle cruise operators in the Philippines face is the country’s political situation. The institution of martial law in the island of Mindanao by the country’s controversial president, Rodrigo Duterte, has yet to adversely impact tourist numbers. Should the situation deteriorate, however, visitors may well choose to stay away. Obviously the influence of cruise lines on the Philippines’ domestic policy is limited, and their first responsibility will always be to maintain the safety of their passengers. Nevertheless, with the department of tourism declaring Mindanao’s top tourist spots safe for visitors, doing so is not inconsistent with continued expansion. The overall feeling for cruise operators in the Philippines is one of tentative optimism. If they can continue to work closely with regional authorities, the Philippines should have a bright future as one of the world’s foremost cruise destinations.
