Sections
The average consumer can trim back on road trips and turn up the thermostat a few degrees to conserve energy. But imagine tackling energy management for a company with a projected 2008 fuel bill of $772 million.
Clobbered by soaring fuel costs, Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises has brought in a vice president of energy management, tasked with scouting the company for ways to save energy and spend less for it.
''You can't have an impact without this jumping to the top of the agenda,'' said Patrick Sinclair, whom Royal Caribbean hired this spring to do the job.
Sinclair, 39, a South African with a shock of red hair and a ready grin, acknowledges the position is so new that his responsibilities are still being defined. But what's clear is that his search for energy savings has no limits, and that he'll take good practices from one ship to others in the fleet, which includes five brands with 37 ships and seven under construction.
So far, the line is doing things big and small to save energy, ranging from revamping cruise itineraries and slowing ships down to using energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances.
Tweaking itineraries typically involves adjusting departure and arrival times and sometimes dropping one port in favor of another....
Visit website
Cruise News
