Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises Honored for Environmental Performance

Royal Caribbean International's Jewel of the Seas and Celebrity Cruises' Constellation have been honored by the Ports of Stockholm with its Environmental Life-Buoy Certificate for their use of low sulfur fuel. Jewel of the Seas and Constellation were recognized for their maritime environmental initiatives, especially their use of a very refined, distillate fuel, which virtually eliminates airborne emissions compared to internal combustion engines. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity each operate four ships equipped with smokeless gas-turbine engines. Gas turbines reduce the emission of nitrous oxides by some 80 percent and sulfur oxides by more than 90 percent. In 2004, Jewel of the Seas was the first international cruise ship to be honored by the Ports of Stockholm with its Environmental Life-Buoy Certificate. Since the mid-1980s, the Ports of Stockholm have worked to reduce emissions of sulfur oxides and nitrous oxides and to improve waste handling onboard commercial vessels. In 2000, the ports began awarding praiseworthy environmental initiatives on the Baltic Sea with the Environmental Life-Buoy Certificate. As certificate recipients, Jewel of the Seas and Constellation are now entitled to reduced harbor fees at the Ports of Stockholm. Jewel of the Seas and Constellation are equipped with LM2500+ gas turbines, manufactured by General Electric Marine Engines. The gas turbines are part of a highly efficient propulsion and power system called COGES -- COmbined Gas turbine and steam turbine Electric-drive System. Two gas turbines and one steam turbine, each connected to generators producing 11,000 volts, are integrated into a system creating electricity for propulsion, lighting, air conditioning and all other electrical needs. Jewel of the Seas and Constellation, like all Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships, also operate under the companies' Save the Waves program, a comprehensive environmental protection program. The program operates on three key principles: to reduce the creation or generation of waste materials; to recycle as much as possible; and to ensure the proper disposal of any remaining waste. The program is part of Royal Caribbean's and Celebrity's commitment to environmental innovation and improvement. It assists the cruise lines in progressively advancing their environmental performance in ways that go above and beyond regulatory compliance.