Ocean giant Ambience: From the cruise to the island in the sea!

Ocean giant Ambience: From the cruise to the island in the sea!

The history of the cruise ship "Ambience" of the British Ambassador Cruise Line is a real roller coaster ride. Originally put into service under the name "Regal Princess" for Princess Cruises, the ship was built by the renowned Italian shipyard Fincantieri and baptized by the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The renowned architect Renzo Piano delivered the design that survived several name changes since then and with tens of thousands of passengers while traveling, such as Uckermark Kurier reported.

A remarkable turning point in the history of the ship came in 2019 when it was bought by the Ocean Builders, a group of libertarian idealists. These planned a transformation to a "state -free island" in the Gulf of Panama, a concept known as Seasteading. According to the Seasteading Institute , this concept is to create living and habitats at sea, far from state control. Interestingly, it was also considered to name the ship to Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto. However, the initiative stalled, since legal hurdles, especially with regard to environmental requirements and insurance issues, prevented implementation.

rescue at the last minute

so it happened that the ship should be sold to India during a crossing to Panama. However, this project was stopped by the Basel Convention. The rescue was rescued by the newly founded Ambassador Cruise Line, which the ship acquired for around $ 12.5 million. After a comprehensive modernization, it shone under the new name "Ambience" from 2022 and has been on the world again since then. On September 4, 2023, the “Ambience” will run in Warnemünde.

This team on cruise ships is by no means an individual case. There are over 400 cruise ships worldwide, each of which have a capacity of around 4000 passengers. In 2024, the new cruise ship "Icon of the Seas" will be put into operation with a capacity for 7600 passengers, as can be read on Planet Knowledge . But while such numbers are impressed, they also throw a shadow on sustainability and ecological effects of cruise tourism.

sustainability and ecological challenges

cruise ships that often use heavy oil, in the debate about sustainable trips, raise considerable environmental issues. These heavily oils are not only more environmentally harmful than the fuels used in cars or trucks, but they contribute to air pollution due to their high sulfur content and have been classified as potentially carcinogenic by the WHO. A boat trip from Great Britain to New York can cause up to 9 tons of CO2 equivalents per passenger, while a return flight from Düsseldorf to New York only causes 2.8 tons.

The problem is increased by the fact that passengers generate more than 300 liter wastewater every day and produce garbage that also includes toxic components. Tragically, 20-40% of cruise tourists often do not come ashore, which minimizes the economic benefit for the cities that have started. Cities like Venice have already drawn consequences and introduced an anchor ban for large cruise ships.

Although the "Ambience" tells an exciting story of rescue and fresh start, there is a bigger problem behind it that stimulates thinking. It is to be hoped that future initiatives, such as those of the Ocean Builders, will find new ways to solve these challenges - far from conventional approaches and with a clear focus on sustainability.