Technology, efficiency and fuels

Energy efficiency is an essential element of our drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Initiatives include installing LED lighting, heat recovery systems, anti-fouling paint that reduces drag, sailing at lower speeds, and optimising the ship's trim (balance).

Operating the heating, ventilation and cooling systems is one of the most energy-intensive operations on board. We maximise energy-efficiency through self-adjusting heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, influenced by numerous sensors installed throughout the ship.

As a result of our energy-saving efforts, we have been certified to ISO 50001. We are on track to achieve the industry’s 40% carbon intensity reduction goal, well ahead of the 2030 target. ISO 50001 outlines the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an energy management system. This enables us to follow a systematic approach in achieving continual improvement of energy performance, including energy efficiency, use, and consumption.

Shore power
As an important part of our strategy to lower emissions, and reduce potential pollution at destinations we visit, we have fitted shore power capability as standard on all our ships since 2017 and ahve a retrofit program for older vessels.. This allows our ships to plug into a port's electrical grid at berth and shut down the vessel's engines. Using shore power benefits port areas and local communities by significantly reducing air pollution from docked ships, which otherwise would burn fuel for power.

Additionally, it lessens noise pollution, creating a quieter environment. Shore power also supports local energy markets and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to efforts against climate change.

As of 2025, over 70% of our fleet is equipped with shore power capability, and we continue to work closely with ports and local authorities to support the development of onshore infrastructure. We recently signed an agreement with Cruise Baltic to access shore power in the Baltic Sea region and look forward to further agreements worldwide. The design of our new passenger terminals in Barcelona and Miami includes shore power infrastructure. The challenges we currently face is the limited availability of shore power, but we will always use it whenever it is available to us.


Digitalisation
Digital technologies can help us achieve further significant energy-efficiency savings. In 2024 we rolled out a new cruise itinerary optimisation tool – OptiCruise – to enable efficiency measures to be incorporated into the itinerary planning process. Now, when new itineraries are planned, several years before they happen, this model allows many factors that influence an itinerary’s efficiency, including sequencing of the port calls, departure and arrival times at ports, a ship’s speed, the appeal and attractiveness of destinations for a holidaymaker, shore excursions, and operational costs such as fuel, port charges and food provisions to be taken into account in developing the detailed schedule.

Additionally, we use an energy monitoring system onboard all our ships. Oceanly Performance collects and analyses thousands of data points from shipboard operations, allowing continual adjustment to be made to improve overall efficiency.

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