Cruise lines dispute damning report

The cruise industry has defended itself against a series of accusations in a report by Leeds Metropolitan University.

The report, published in the latest issue of the journal Tourism Management, claims cruise lines are failing at corporate social responsibility to their staff, the environment and the destinations they visit.

It said the sector is failing to provide meaningful data about what it is doing to minimise its environmental and social impact and demonstrate what progress it is making.

It even went as far as accusing cruise companies of violating the rights of some workers, not doing enough to protect marine eco-systems, having a negative economic impact on some of the destinations they visit, and not being transparent with reporting data.

But in a statement released on Friday, CLIA UK said it found the report "deeply disappointing" and claimed it was "seriously flawed with inaccuracies and subjective commentary which fly in the face of the facts of the achievements that the cruise industry delivers throughout the world".

"The cruise industry is highly regulated on an international basis to exacting standards towards both the environment and labour welfare," it said.

"In both areas we go above and beyond those high thresholds to enable our 21 million annual global customers to enjoy the seas in which they cruise and be cared and looked after by a motivated and content workforce.

"We put great store into our social responsibilities and we make an enormously positive impact on national economies all around the world, to the tune of €37.9 billion a year in Europe. A recent study also shows cruising contributes €72 billion to the global economy, supports more than 775,000 jobs, and pays €24 billion in wages."

Cruise giant Carnival, which owns P&O Cruises, Cunard, Princess Cruises and seven other cruise brands, also disputed the report’s findings.

Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation, said the group places the "upmost importance on being a responsible and sustainable corporate citizen".

"A review of Carnival’s sustainability reports very clearly shows a compilation of hard facts and figures tied to specific goals and results that are set in advance and measured on an ongoing basis," he said.

"We absolutely understand the important of being open and transparent. For that reason, we have published sustainability reports for 2012, 2011 and 2010 on our website, and we expect our 2013 report to be completed soon. Our reports contain very detailed measurable goals and results, often tied to global ISO standards, as well as details on the company’s actions and direction."