A-ROSA IS THE BEST EXAMPLE. Even though river cruises are often lumped together with ocean cruises, they actually have a completely different carbon footprint. Learn more about our company philosophy and environmental responsibility at A-ROSA. There is a lot going on at sea in terms of sustainability. Shipping companies are working hard to develop sustainable solutions. A-ROSA Flussschiff GmbH is leaps and bounds ahead of them all as the market leader in the premium segment for cruises on Europe’s longest rivers – the Danube, Rhine, Seine, Rhône and Douro – for the last 20 years. Our proximity to shoreline landscapes and their inhabitants has increased our awareness of our responsibility to do everything we can to find climate-neutral solutions. “We take our responsibility very seriously. The existing prejudices are directed in particular at ocean cruises,” says the naval architect responsible for innovations at A-ROSA, Matthias Lutter. River cruising fleets are not only significantly smaller and carry around 200 passengers; “They are also one of the modes of transport with the smallest carbon footprint,” Lutter elaborates. “We use the same low-sulphur diesel fuel that cars and lorries do, but in very low quantities.” There are also promising concepts ashore: ships are to be run on onshore power as soon as they land in a port. “Our entire fleet is equipped to use this kind of power supply,” saysMatthias Lutter. The grid in western Europe has already been broadly expanded for this, and the company hopes that other ports will follow in the next few years. Cleaner and quieter With the new, innovative E-Motion ship, the company put its first hybrid into service in 2022. “We have optimised our hulls according to the computational fluid dynamics principle, so they consume as little fuel as possible,” explains the expert. “We have also installed a combination of a diesel engine and a large battery pack, which makes it possible to turn off the engine before the ship enters the port,” he says, summing up the concept. This technological leap is a bonus for noise levels too: thanks to the battery, noise in the port is reduced – on top of the fact that river cruise ships generate far less noise pollution than lorries anyway. While the ships are permitted to emit 65 decibels, the upper limit for a lorry is set at 85 decibels. Fully cleared and free from toxins Everything seems to be calibrated towards reducing the consumption of resources with A-ROSA. The ventilation systems – the second-biggest energy consumers on board – have been optimised to facilitate total heat recovery. What’s more, the entire fleet is equipped with ultramodern waste water systems. “The water is completely purified and free of pollutants,” says Lutter. The leftover sludge is disposed of at large ports by a specialist company every three weeks. A bottle for everyone The company has also come up with a systematic approach to tackling plastic waste. The first generation of A-ROSA ships is equipped with a water dispenser, and more will follow. Each guest receives a reusable bottle so that they can get fresh water whenever they like. Guests also play an important role when it comes to food waste. “We have seen that many guests are now aware of the issue of food waste,” observes Tobias Rüdiger, Corporate Food and Beverage Manager at A-ROSA Flussschiff GmbH. “We are seeing increasing acceptance for the fact that we don’t restock our buffets with large amounts of food right up to the last moment; instead, items are provided in smaller bowls depending on demand.” SUSTA INA BL E CRU I SING? I T ’ S POS SIBL E ! “WE HAVE SEEN THAT MANY GUESTS ARE NOW AWARE OF THE ISSUE OF FOOD WASTE.” “WE TAKE OUR RESPONSIBILITY VERY SERIOUSLY.” 15 SUSTA INAB I L I T Y
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