Norwegian Cruise Line is expanding its popular shore excursion program on board Norwegian Spirit, where guests can participate in complimentary beach clean-ups, and launching three new opportunities in Eden, Melbourne and Fiji, respectively, in March and April 2024.
This is the first time NCL is offering the excursions in Melbourne and Fiji following the success of the brand’s inaugural clean-up in Eden, NSW in December 2022 which booked out within 24 hours of its launch.
The expansion of NCL’s local shore excursion program underlines the cruise line’s commitment to creating hands-on opportunities for guests to get involved with its partner Take 3 for the Sea, which aims to remove 50 million pieces of plastic from the environment and waterways by 2025.
The Take 3 for the Sea premise is simple – to take three pieces of rubbish each time you visit a beach, park or bushland area to play your part in conserving our oceans.
Guests signing up for the complimentary Take 3 for the Sea shore excursions will enjoy fresh air, ocean views and a sense of camaraderie with fellow guests as they collect rubbish from the beachfront. Participants will be accompanied by Norwegian Spirit’s dedicated NCL representative and guided by an expert from Take 3 for the Sea who will reveal the hidden impact of plastic pollution on our oceans and wildlife.
Following the success of NCL’s first Beach Clean-Up excursion in Eden in December 2022 where over 50 guests collected more than 10kgs of rubbish, the program will commence in Eden at Cocora Beach on 5 March, followed by a clean-up at Brighton Beach, Melbourne on 7 March, before taking the initiative to Wailoaloa Beach, Fiji on 3 April when Norwegian Spirit calls at Lautoka.
The program is supported by Intercruises Australia who are assisting with logistics and endorsed by Cruise Eden, Visit Victoria and Tourism Fiji.
“We are delighted to further expand our partnership with Take for the Sea to bring its important message to life in a meaningful way for a growing number of guests, and to help preserve the environment in more of the destinations we visit,” said Ben Angell, VP and Managing Director, NCL APAC.
“We are thrilled with the response so far from guests, in fact we have already put on an additional bus in Eden to cater for demand, since the initial allotment already booked out. We are grateful for the support of our industry partners including Tourism Fiji to help further extend our positive impact and achieve this milestone and first for our brand.”
Further activities planned for 2024 include a beach clean-up for NCL team members in Sydney on Friday 22 March and NCL’s sponsorship of the annual Take 3 for the Sea’s CEO Beach Clean Up event in Sydney on Friday 27 September, (World Tourism Day).
Jacquie Riddell, CEO of Take 3 for the Sea, said: “It is fantastic to see NCL further elevating its commitment to our cause by adding shore excursions in new locations, and we are excited to welcome more guests of Norwegian Spirit to showcase how taking simple steps can lead to real change.”
NCL has a strong vision to eventually eliminate single-use plastics across all ship operations as part of its company-wide Sail & Sustain program, and the company is proud to have been the first major cruise company to eradicate single-use plastic water bottles from its ships in 2020, and to have kept more than 20 million water bottles and 57 million plastic straws from harming the environment, together with its two sister NCLH brands.
