The crew of Cunard's flagship ship Queen Mary 2 kicked off the holiday last month by participating in a coastal clean-up at Salisbury Beach on Dominica's west coast.
The call to Dominica was part of a roundtrip Caribbean celebration cruise from New York.
The two-hour effort was jointly organized by the ship's Environmental Compliance Officer, Robert Price, with representatives from the Discover Dominica Authority and Salisbury Council.
A massive cleaning operation
The Cunard team, along with 12 local volunteers, scoured 20,000 square meters of beach front, collecting hundreds of discarded items, an impressive 25kg of waste in a total of 30 bags of rubbish.
The team removed an array of glass, plastic, fishing nets, ropes, metal bars and rows of bottles.
Ship Captain Asim Hashmi said: “Our wonderful team of volunteers are very proud to participate in Queen Mary 2's first ever Dominica beach cleanup and help make a big difference to the local marine environment through their passion for sustainability and environmental protection. This initiative is a reflection of our shared responsibility to preserve the beauty and health of this vital ecosystem for future generations. By working together with local communities, we aim to inspire meaningful change and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future.”
The initiative complements a series of UK beach cleans in support of the Marine Conservation Society, which Cunard's shoreside teams have conducted throughout 2024.