P&O Cruises is adding new options to its sustainable Green World Tours programme next year following its first season.
The charitable and responsible tourism-based shore experiences are designed to support towns and communities visited on longer itineraries and operate in 16 destinations.
The tours vary in price and are non-profit making. Some include a donation and others just cover costs and passengers are free to donate as they choose.
New for 2012 is a trip to a Vietnamese children’s village (£26), a township from Walvis Bay in Namibia (£99), and a kibbutz in Israel (£44).
The trips are offered in ports of call such as Limon, Bali, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Port Kelang (Kuala Lumpur), Phuket and Port Elizabeth.
They are available on Oceana’s 24-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise departing on February 26 and world cruises by Arcadia, Aurora, Oriana and Adonia in 2012.
Expansion of the programme follows the line receiving an environmental initiative award for its contribution to advancing the environmental aspect of cruising.
P&O Cruises managing director Carol Marlow said: “We have seen an excellent response to this new collection of tours and this shows that our passengers and crew really value the destinations that they visit and want to give something back.
“The recent environmental initiative award for this programme is fantastic recognition for the steps these Green World Tours are taking to advance the environmental aspect of cruising and we will continue to expand this programme to offer tours to even more passengers in more ports of call.”