Grand Turk Joins Carnival In Revolutionary Sustainability Effort With Caribbean Officials

Published on October 15, 2025

Grand Turk welcomed one of the first educational events spearheaded by Carnival Corporation. This event was joined by government officials of the Turks and Caicos Islands and executives of Carnival Corporation, aboard the Carnival Cruise Line flagship, Mardi Gras. This visit was aimed at assessing and understanding the cruise line’s growing interest in environmental and sustainable tourism practices, especially in the cruise line industry. This is also aimed at demonstrating Carnival’s commitment to growing responsible tourism and strengthening community relationships in the Caribbean.

Carnival’s Commitment to Sustainability and Transparency

Adapting environmental and sustainable tourism practices as part of cruise tourism operations, as is ubiquitous in the cruise line industry, will help provide a more lasting and rewarding experience to guests. This was the emphasis of the visit as Carnival Corporation executives detailed their designed environmental practices and sustainable tourism operations.

Senior delegates at Carnival Corporation had the chance to share their vision on sustainability concerning local Caribbean partners. It was also the first time the attendees listened to Carnival Corporation’s goal on sustainability, slated for 2030. The Carnival executive team expressed pride in their use of modern technologies to minimize negative impacts to the environment, such as LNG propulsion technologies and sophisticated communication and compliance systems.

Educative Tour for Government Delegates

Led by Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Agriculture, and Fisheries, and Hon. Kyle Knowles, Minister of Health and Human Services, the delegation of government officers had an educational tour of Carnival’s environmental operations. The delegation was joined by other top officials, such as the Permanent Secretary to Tourism, Environment, Agriculture, and Fisheries, Wesley Clerveaux, and the Acting Permanent Secretary to Health and Human Services, Renessa Williams.

Another participant was Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO of Experience Turks and Caicos. He, along with other senior officials on tourism and the environment, and health policies, was able to attend and complete the trip. The incentive for the trip was to witness the technologies and tactics Carnival is using to cruise sustainably.

Carnival’s Environmental Innovations

During the delegation’s tour, participants observed the Mardi Gras ship’s pioneering eco-friendly practices. A detailed presentation on Carnival’s food waste biodigesters, which transform waste into usable resources, was another highlight. This system greatly reduces the costs of waste disposal and minimizes the environmental impact of disposal.

The delegation was also guided through the state-of-the-art recycling center on the ship, where waste management practices were showcased. Carnival’s waste recycling initiatives span the entire fleet, allowing for the sorting and effective recycling of materials to avoid disposal in landfills.

The delegation also visited the Engine Control Room, where they learned about Carnival’s use of LNG-powered engines. This new technology greatly lowers the carbon emissions of the cruise line compared to legacy fuels. Finally, the delegation was told about the ship’s water production systems, which observe the ship’s operational impacts on the freshwater resources of the ports to reduce ecological impacts.

The OneOcean Environmental Compliance and Passage Planning Software was designed to make sure that every Carnival ship surpasses the required national and international regulations. This software monitors emissions and every phase of cruise operations to guarantee environmental compliance during waste disposal and other areas of cruise operations.

Grand Turk Cruise Center

The delegation was not limited to the Mardi Gras. They moved to the Grand Turk Cruise Center, one of Carnival’s owned and operated ports. This was the first of the items on the agenda because of its importance to the Company’s operations in the Caribbean. There, they received a presentation on the port’s sustainable practices and its impact on the local economy and tourism.

The port tour included a discussion of Carnival’s newly announced beach restoration plans following Hurricane Erin. For the Grand Turk Islands, Carnival plans to remove invasive species, restore the island’s beaches to their natural contours, and preserve their natural beauty. This effort will reduce the company’s environmental footprint and make sure Grand Turk is a sustainable tourist destination.

Building Stronger Links with Caribbean Partners

The recent event highlighted Carnival Corporation’s determination to build enduring and mutually beneficial partnerships with Caribbean stakeholders, especially those in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Carnival advocates the need to work with and understand the local governments in the cruise line stakeholders’ sustainability goals, and to appreciate the local destination investment in cultural and environmental tourism.

By discussing and understanding Carnival’s environmental policies and practices diffused into the Caribbean cruise line sector, she hopes to achieve her goals of industry leadership in the tourism cruise sustainability. Moreover, she hopes to achieve sustainable tourism education that diffuses all the way to the Caribbean countries.

Future Looking Partnerships

Partnerships with Carnival Corporation and the Turks and Caicos Islands undoubtedly mark the Caribbean’s trail towards environmentally and sustainably responsible tourism. Local governments, in partnership with Carnival, aim to ensure that the economically beneficial cruise tourism in these icy Caribbean islands will have responsible, eco-tourism sustainable practices. Carnival keeps trying new technologies and practices and aims to meet its sustainability goals by 2030. This visit has highlighted Carnival’s leadership role in sustainable tourism and has shown its value in socially and environmentally sustainable operation.