A luxury cruise line that prides itself on being environmentally friendly has reportedly halted its practice of serving cocktails chilled with iceberg chips after a social media post by Martha Stewart generated a tidal wave of controversy.
Stewart, 82, a publisher and TV personality, mentioned in a recent Instagram post that she was in a fjord off the coast of Greenland aboard a Swan Hellenic cruise liner, where they had “captured a small iceberg for our cocktails tonight.”
Many people responded with apparent shock.
“Martha the ice caps are melting don’t put them in your drink,” one commenter posted.
“Feels a bit irresponsible with global warming,” another chimed in.
Another commenter got a bit more personal. “Martha I love ya. But weren’t you just talking about climate change with your wash out on your driveway in NY? Melting icebergs for a cocktail surely won’t help. I’m not even going to talk about the boat you’re on and how that can’t be good for climate change either.”
Some were downright hostile about it, including the accuser who ranted: “So as the climate warms due to the profits of a couple thousand people, billionaires vacation to the melting icebergs, scoop them up and use them to keep their cocktails cold. That sounds like a line from a dystopian novel. Can’t make this s*** up lol.”
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Many others discounted the alarmists. “This is normal on those excursions,” one explained. “The ice is already floating, not part of the ice mass, it is slowly melting in the ocean. Every tour company does it. We did it in Alaska and Patagonia. We did NOT disturb the glaciers.”
Another pointed out, “News flash: there’s companies who mass produce beer and vodka and other products from icebergs. It has no effect on the environment, the ice is harvested on the coastlines well beyond the glaciers. Iceberg ice/water is also the tastiest water you’ll ever drink, try it sometime.”
Multiple news outlets, including the Washington Post, Vanity Fair and People, covered the issue.
“This ice queen knows luxury,” Vanity Fair quipped.
The Washington Post interviewed multiple glaciologists who said the practice is “no big deal.”
“It is not like she went to a glacier and carved a piece of ice off it,” one told the Post in an email. “Icebergs float at sea already and slowly melt. Whether they melt in the ocean or in your glass does not make a difference.”
Nevertheless, the uproar prompted a Swan Hellenic representative to announce it was “suspending its practice of bringing ‘small fragments of floating ice on board’ to be examined by guests,” Huffpost reported.
The incident is perhaps more embarrassing to Swan Hellenic than it would have been to other companies, as it touts itself on the company website as “committed to environmentally responsible travel and tourism” and “[a]llowing you to visit the remotest areas without leaving any sign of your visit and without disturbing any inhabitants.”
“Whether it’s hiking through the pristine Antarctic wilderness or exploring fragile coral reefs, our experts are dedicated to keeping all guests informed of how we can act to keep nature pure and unspoiled,” according to their “About Us” page.
Swan Hellenic caters to a more exclusive clientele than mainstream cruise lines, offering its guests “authentic, intimate and unforgettable moments in extraordinary locations and remote landmarks,” according to the cruise line’s website. “All the while enjoying a sophisticated elegant atmosphere onboard.”
That “sophisticated elegant atmosphere” comes with a five-figure price tag, with fares on one of their Greenland cruises ranging from around $12,823 to $24,583 per person.
“Think high-end boutique hotel with contemporary sophistication,” the site boasted.
