NORWEGIAN Cruise Line (NCL) and environmental organisation Take 3 for the Sea hosted their first international Beach Clean Up shore excursion at Wailoaloa in Fiji earlier this week, wrapping up the successful second season of their partnership.
TravelBulletin was in attendance for the well-patronised day, which saw around 50 passengers pull on gloves and pick up a gunny sack to salvage trash off Wailoaloa Beach.
The group collected more than 500kg of rubbish, made up of 180kg of tyres, loads of large glass bottles, almost 500 plastic bottles, 242 aluminium cans, 47 shoes, and 851 pieces of plastic and remnants; the haul also included a pool pump, building materials, and 157 pieces of polystyrene.
The excursion, which started last season in Eden, has this year expanded to Brighton, Victoria, and now Fiji, with Norwegian also hosting clean up days with its travel partners around Australia.
Norwegian Vice President & Managing Director Ben Angell told tB the response to the excursions has been overwhelming, with the cruise line even chartering a second coach in both Fiji and Brighton.
“We are thrilled with the impact of our Take 3 for the Sea partnership thus far; NCL is committed to preserving the natural beauty of the destinations that we sail to and this is a practical way that together with our guests we can give back to these beautiful ports and their community,” he said.
“Looking ahead to the 2024/25 season, especially with Norwegian Sun’s arrival into Australia, we will continue to evaluate opportunities to explore fresh avenues to engage, evolve, and enrich our partnership, building upon this year’s success.”
Take 3 for the Sea Head of Business Partnerships Jenny-Lee Scharnboeck told tB its partnership with Norwegian has amplified its message.
“Partnering with an organisation like Norwegian Cruise Line has really opened doors for the Take 3 for the Sea message,” she said.
Scharnboeck said the potential for the shore excursion to grow to other destinations, such as New Zealand, and to expand in Australia, has Take 3 excited about what is possible.
Tourism Fiji Chief Executive Officer Brent Hill, who also filled up a bag of trash on the day, said Fiji is the perfect destination for the expansion of Norwegian and Take 3’s partnership, given tourists to the country visit because of its reputation for natural beauty.
“Our ambition with sustainability is to involve tourists, and we’ve just always felt so much support from tourists, they really get it,” he told tB.
