Cruises go kinder on chickens

Royal Caribbean to shift by2022,Carnivalby’25

Ships say they will switch to serving free-range eggs.

Two major cruise companies have joined the growing list of U.S. corporations committing to using only cage-free eggs.

Global cruise giant Carnival Corp. last week announced plans to switch completely to 100 percent cage-free eggs across its 10 cruise brands by 2025.

Carnival, headquartered in Miami, said the move is the latest step in its years-long effort to address animal welfare in its supply chain — an important issue overall for travelers sailing on its ships.

“We have been working with our suppliers in this area and look forward to continuing our efforts as we work towards our goal of 100 percent cage-free eggs,” spokesman Roger Frizzell said.

Carnival’s cruise brands are Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Costa Cruises, Seabourn, Cunard, AIDA Cruises, P&O UK and P&O Australia, and its newest, Fathom.

Many ships from these cruise lines are either based at Port Everglades and Port-Miami or make port calls at these South Florida seaports.

Carnival’s move follows an earlier announcement this month by rival Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which said it intends to use only cage-free eggs aboard its ships by 2022.

Royal Caribbean said it first introduced cage-free eggs into its supply chain in 2010.

Mike Jones, vice president of supply chain at Royal Caribbean, described its move to 100 percent cage-free eggs as “acting responsibly when it comes to the welfare of animals in the food system.”

The Miami-based cruise company also has made efforts in recent years to provide sustainably sourced foods for passengers aboard its ships, including sourcing pork from producers that don’t use confining gestation crates to raise their pigs.

The world’s second-largest cruise company said it’s committing to sourcing all its pork from non-gestation crate producers by 2022.

The cruise company owns Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Club Cruises and CDF Croisières de France, as well as TUI Cruises through a 50 percent joint venture.

“Royal Caribbean … remains committed to keeping the treatment of animals in consideration when supplying its fleet with

food,” Jones said.

The two cruise giants are among several corporations this year that have committed to using 100 percent cage-free eggs in the near future.

Others include Taco Bell, Costco, Nestle, Subway and McDonalds, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

The growing number of U.S. corporations embracing cage-free eggs is a major win for animal rights and welfare, experts say.

“Companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean are giving a much better life to [egg-laying] hens,” by making this commitment, said Matthew Prescott, the Humane Society’s senior food policy director.

The majority of egg-laying hens in the U.S. are confined to cages so small that the birds aren’t able to spread their wings, explained Prescott. That means for its entire life, the hen only has a space smaller than a sheet of single paper on which to live.

The lack of space in these “battery cages” also doesn’t allow the hens to engage in natural behaviors such as nesting and perching, both considered important for their welfare, according to the Humane Society.

Cage-free hens however are able to walk, spread their wings and lay eggs in nests. Many live in large flocks, typically on farms.

As more companies make the switch to cage-free eggs, suppliers are stepping up and switching to cage-free systems, Prescott said. “The demand creates the supply.”

A handful of travel and hospitality companies — Hyatt, Marriott and Virgin America — have already made the switch to 100 percent cage-free eggs, according to the Humane Society. Hilton, Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, Canopy and Double-Tree hotels plan to make the move by December 2017.

“[This list] is growing almost everyday, but there are still others that need to make this commitment,” Prescott said.