Speaking during the 2023 Clia Conference on Saturday (13 May) onboard Celebrity Silhouette, Royal Caribbean vice-president EMEA and Clia chair Ben Bouldin said the sustainability conversation will "continue to dominate" conversations. 

"I urge you all to come away and get up to speed with what the industry is doing," he advised delegates.

“[Sustainability] will continue to dominate our work for the coming year and beyond. We all know what it’s like to continue to push boundaries, so we must collaborate not only as sector, but with external companies and governments."

Despite "not having all of the answers today", Bouldin assured the industry will meet its ambitious 2050 net-zero emissions goal.

"It’s a challenge for the industry, but we’re used to overcoming those, demonstrated by our very successful wave this year. We are back stronger than ever," he said. 

In 2022, 1.7 million Brits took a cruise holiday. "We will surpass two million in 2023," Bouldin added. 

"Never before has there been such open-mindedness by consumers to take a cruise. The world is waking up to what a cruise holiday is all about."