1 9 2 guests a warm traditional welcome. “Passengers love it and it really impacts the first impression.” Ingenuity, sustainability and variety of excursions was routinely encouraged during discussion, and panellists also commented on the need for greater transparency in port bookings. The pandemic has reduced the availability of guides and buses in some destinations, risking their ability to fulfil shoreside programmes on a particularly busy day. Brochet concluded the session with a nod of gratitude to port partners, saying: “We plan two years in advance, and we always make it work in the end. I thank you all for that!” During the final conference session on sustainability, each of the panellists shared some of their port and destinationrelated priorities, offering guidance that will be valuable for project planning and investment decision-making. Linden Coppell, vice president of sustainability and environmental, social and governance at MSC Cruises, referenced shore power, minimising local pollution and responsible tourism. Within her last point, Coppell specifically highlighted sustainable terminals, ecotours, appropriately sized tour groups and more generally encouraged the adoption of Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s approach to sustainable tourism practices. Meanwhile, Sandra Bratland, director of destination affairs at Carnival Group Norway, considered the sustainability issues that impact deployment and planning. She cited industry regulatory requirements and local considerations, sustainable infrastructure within ports, and how to achieve efficiencies by better managing distances sailed and time in port. Both Peter Wright, head of commercial and planning at Saga Cruises, and Kai Algar, marine and port planning manager at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, spoke of their concerns about the potential return of port congestion. They fear that it will have a negative impact on passengers’ port experiences and potentially lead them to be dissatisfied with shore excursions if tour sites are overcrowded. Most industries are only a few steps into their sustainability journey and so it is inevitable that there are currently more challenges to report than there are success stories to share. However, we must never tire of the topic at industry events because talk does lead to action, especially in this industry, and Cruise Europe’s annual conference remains an important forum for change. Regardless of the size of the hurdles we may face in the future, we can take inspiration from event host Rob Mason, head of cruise at Forth Ports, who shared some sage advice he received from an industry friend: “above the clouds, the sky is always blue.” And it certainly was in Edinburgh. CFR CFR’s Jon Ingleton (far right) joins delegates at a gala dinner at the National Museum of Scotland during the Cruise Europe Conference EUROPE: REPORT “ If the cruise industry is anything it’s resilient” Crystal Morgan, Princess Cruises
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