Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA)

On Tuesday, August 17th the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association partnered with Belize to conduct a highly successful clean-up campaign of the Belize River and a ‘tourism’ roadway. The FCCA Environmental Awareness Project was made possible by the organizational efforts of FCCA Platinum Associate Member David Gegg, Managing Director – Cruise Solutions Belize, along with Kuljit Saini, Chief Purser – Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Glory, and Tom Lorimer, Environmental Officer – Royal Caribbean International’s Explorer of the Seas.

The Environmental Project is staged a few times a year at various destinations throughout the Caribbean Region. It is intended to enable the Member Lines of the FCCA to:

1. Reinforce the partnership between the cruise industry and our partner destinations
2. Tangibly demonstrate our concern for the destinations that we visit
3. Promote the importance of environmental awareness.

Volunteer crewmembers from Royal Caribbean International’s Explorer of the Seas, along with a dozen or so tour guides from Cruise Solutions Belize, took on the challenge of cleaning the riverbanks of the Belize River along a section utilized by tours provided to cruise passengers. The highly motivated group was eager to get the job done and ultimately became a bit disappointed that they were not allowed to fully complete the clean-up due to time constraints. Nevertheless, they did a marvelous job and promised to return for another go-round in the future.

Crewmembers from Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Glory were presented with an altogether different challenge as they were asked to clean the roadside along a stretch of roadway utilized by numerous tours. The resilient group did not allow the heat to get the best of them and did a remarkable job considering the circumstances.

At the conclusion of the clean-up effort, the nearly 100 crewmembers from both Cruise Lines were brought together at The Bliss, a bayside cultural facility, to jointly celebrate their successful efforts. A delicious lunch was served and the bar was opened as a thank you to all the hardworking participants. After the luncheon, all participants were treated to a newly produced show in the beautiful facility’s theater. The “Mythical Rainforest” show, which is being prepared for presentation to cruise passengers, was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews.

The event was a great success and everyone involved was pleased to have participated in such a worthwhile project. We thank all our good partners in Belize who contributed to the success of the day’s events.

If you would like to see the FCCA Environmental Awareness Project staged in your destination please let us know. The Member Lines of the FCCA stand ready to lend a helping hand.