5 Questions To Ask Before Taking a Cruise

Ecotourism: If You Want to Go Green, Check Yourself, and Question Your Guide Ecotourism is increasingly popular way for conscious consumers to get away from it all without checking their green concerns at the door. By choosing vacation plans that compliment your interest in environmental protection, you can have a good time without feeling guilty afterward.

Here are six questions, defined by The Christian Science Monitor, that can help you enjoy a greener cruise:

• Ask cruise lines about recycling, food and water use, fuel type and efficiency, and any environmental or labor citations the ship has been slapped with.
• Ask if your ship will be calling at ecologically fragile ports, or long-established ports that are used to handling boat loads of people.
• Ask yourself if you've packed well. Pack phosphorous-free and biodegradable soaps, shampoos, and detergents.
• Ask what fish will be served, and compare the list against the Seafood Selector guide published by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which lists the dos and don't of eating sustainably.
• Ask if yourself if you're ready to act responsibly. Conserve water by taking brief showers, and refrain from littering the high seas.

We'll add another. Before you book, read up on your options. Several environmental groups, like The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International and the Sierra Club, which publish guidelines for consideration and even lead eco-tours.

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