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Three Princess Cruises ships -- Sapphire Princess, Sea Princess and Star Princess -- have been named as gold-level winners of the Port of San Francisco 2009 Cruise Ship Environmental Award.

The awards honour the ships’ “outstanding record in safeguarding the environment and protecting the air and water quality of San Francisco Bay during their port calls.” This is the fifth year Princess ships have earned this prestigious distinction.

The annual award recognized the vessels for demonstrating "the strong environmental commitment of Princess Cruises in the areas of air emission reduction, waste water treatment, and recycling and disposal programs for solid waste."

The honours are determined by San Francisco’s Cruise Terminal Environmental Advisory Committee (CTEAC), which operates a program to recognize cruise lines that are committed to environmentally responsible operations, include the deployment of ships using reduced emission system technology or cleaner-burning fuel.

The San Francisco awards follow on the heels of other environmental honours earned from ports where Princess ships call, including the Venice Blue Flag, recognizing the line’s commitment to reducing polluting emissions by burning cleaner fuels, plus the Port of Los Angeles Vessel Speed Reduction Recognition Flag for actions to reduce air emissions.

“We are gratified that our environmental efforts are being recognized in many different ways in places around the world,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “We make our living taking people to beautiful destinations. We’re committed to doing our part to make sure they stay that way.”

Princess Cruises said it is committed to environmental practices which set a high standard for excellence and responsibility, and which help preserve the marine environment in which its ships operate.

The company pioneered the use of shore power programs in the cruise industry to reduce air emissions. In 2005, the company joined with the Port of Seattle, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) and Seattle City Light to bring the first shore power connection to the Pacific Northwest. Holland America Line followed in 2006 with a second connection.

These shorepower connections are said to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent per vessel call.