Luxury cruise customers believe the sector is making progress towards a sustainable future, according to a new poll from Mundy Cruising.
Nearly three quarters (69%) of the 240 consumers surveyed said they believed that the development of zero-emission cruise ships is either fairly likely or very likely by 2050.
Only 44% felt that zero-emission air travel was possible on the same timescale.
Despite this predicted roll-out of sustainable ship technology, 70% believed that cruise vessels would be banned from operating in Antarctica within the next 30 years.
Just 32% expect a 10,000-passenger cruise ship to be launched by 2050. The cruise specialist agency said this forecast mirrored previous research indicating a shift towards smaller vessels following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The findings were the latest from the agency’s Cruise Expert Panel, launched in October to coincide with the company’s 50th anniversary.
More: UK sailing return framework given mixed response by luxury cruisers
Your Stories: Mundy Cruising celebrates 50 years of trading
Mundy Cruising managing director Edwina Lonsdale (pictured) said: “Although some of these predictions may seem fanciful, it is perhaps underappreciated just how much the cruise industry is doing on sustainability.
“We are already seeing the roll-out of hybrid-powered ships by the likes of Hurtigruten and Ponant, along with cutting-edge technology to reduce emissions such as Ulstein’s X-BOW design, which has been embraced by Aurora Expeditions, Lindblad Expeditions and others.
“Here in the UK, we’ve also seen the recent announcement of a new cruise terminal at Southampton with shoreside power connectivity, allowing ships to ‘plug in’ while in port rather than running their engines.”