You’ve heard about plug-in electric cars like the Chevy Volt, but what about a plug-in cruise ship? Carnival Cruise Line is going to retrofit two of its ships to run on electric power next year….kind of.
Two ships, the Queen Mary 2 and the Caribbean Princess, currently dock at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal about 40 times every year, and while in dock, they run off power generated by the ship’s enormous diesel engines. By next year, Carnival will outfit them at a cost of $4 Million to run off “shore power” via what is basically a giant electrical outlet that will be built into the port.
The move comes after lobbying from local citizens that were concerned about the environmental and health risks of having ships idling in their community.
It isn’t the first time Carnival or Cruise Ship terminals have used the technology – power is available in Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles, and Carnival began using the technology 10 years ago in Juneau, Alaska.
Photo: NY Times