In the Caribbean, many cruise companies have bought islands and turned them into private resorts for the exclusive use of cruise passengers who cavort in enormous wave pools, rush down 135-foot water slides with names like Daredevil’s Peak, and zip-line across wide beaches.
But on Ocean Cay, an island 20 miles south of Bimini that MSC Cruises began leasing from the Bahamian government in 2015, there is no theme park, no giant water slide.
Oh, there are plenty of bars, shops and wave runners. But the general aim is to provide a serene getaway and largely quiet activities — snorkeling, swimming and lounging on beach chairs — while scientists and students from the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale research how to reverse the decline in coral reefs and develop reefs that can withstand climate change.
MSC, which has a 100-year lease with the Bahamian government, invested $200 million to transform the island from a barren industrial site that had once been used to mine sand into a 103-acre haven of native plants and trees, surrounded by a 64-square mile marine reserve.
The island, according to MSC, is the centerpiece of an overall plan to make the company more sustainable. It is only one among a flurry of plans and initiatives cruise companies have been announcing in recent years as they try to convince the public they are serious about combating climate change.
More ideas to escape the cold:
7 New Escapes in the Caribbean: From an off-the-grid tropical hideaway to a reefside diving resort, these new hotels will take you far from anything that resembles snow and cold.
Can Responsible Travel to Hawaii Be Fun?: It turns out that farm stays and eco-friendly snorkeling trips really are more entertaining than sitting on a beach with a mai-tai.
The Key to Vacationing With a Toddler? A Wave-Free Beach: A family-friendly guide to destinations that are basically bathtubs — even in the winter.
Going Local on the Island of St. Lucia: Creole cooking classes, boisterous street parties, a tour of a cacao plantation and visits with islanders preserving local traditions.
How Green is Your Cruise?: As cruise companies head into their busiest season, they say they have ambitious plans to curb greenhouse emissions and find cleaner sources of fuel.
Viking, a luxury line whose passengers tend to be wealthy and college-educated, said it is building ocean ships that will run on hydrogen fuel cells, an investment that its chairman, Torstein Hagen,…
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