CruiseDirect is proud to announce that our One Tree Planted program has won a 2025 Travel Weekly Magellan Award in the Travel Advisor Organizations: Marketing, Promotions with Purpose category.
This recognition celebrates marketing initiatives that create meaningful social or environmental impact—and highlights our commitment to making every cruise booking contribute to a healthier planet.
The Magellan Awards are among the travel industry's most prestigious honors, recognizing companies that demonstrate excellence, innovation, and leadership. Winning in the "Promotions with Purpose" category validates what we've believed since launching this partnership: travel companies have a responsibility to protect the destinations we all love to explore.
Why Sustainability Matters in Travel
The travel industry exists because of natural beauty—pristine beaches, lush forests, vibrant coral reefs, majestic mountains, and thriving wildlife. Cruise travelers, in particular, are drawn to these wonders. Whether you're exploring Alaska's glaciers, snorkeling in the Caribbean, or witnessing wildlife in the Galápagos, the environment isn't just a backdrop to your vacation—it's the main attraction.
But tourism, including cruise travel, has an environmental footprint. Ships consume fuel, ports generate activity, and millions of travelers visit fragile ecosystems every year. The industry has made significant progress in sustainability—newer ships are more fuel-efficient, waste management has improved dramatically, and cruise lines invest heavily in environmental technology.
Still, companies can do more. Sustainability isn't just about reducing harm—it's also about actively contributing to environmental restoration. That's where the One Tree Planted partnership comes in.
How the One Tree Planted Partnership Work
Since launching our partnership with One Tree Planted, CruiseDirect has committed to planting one tree for every cruise booking that sails with us. The concept is simple, but the impact compounds quickly.
When you book a cruise through CruiseDirect and complete your voyage, we plant a tree on your behalf through One Tree Planted, a nonprofit organization focused on global reforestation. You don't pay extra for this—it's our contribution to the planet, made possible by your business.
One Tree Planted works with local communities and environmental organizations around the world to plant trees where they're needed most:
- Restoring forests damaged by wildfires, deforestation, or natural disasters
- Creating habitats for endangered species and supporting biodiversity
- Filtering air and water to improve environmental and human health
- Providing employment and supporting local communities through reforestation projects
- Combating climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Every tree planted contributes to these goals. As our customer base has grown and more travelers book cruises with CruiseDirect, the environmental impact of this partnership continues to expand.
What "Promotions with Purpose" Really Means
The Magellan Awards category we won—"Promotions with Purpose"—specifically recognizes marketing initiatives that go beyond profit to create genuine social or environmental benefit. This award isn't given for greenwashing or superficial corporate social responsibility. It honors programs that demonstrate authentic commitment and measurable impact.
What makes our One Tree Planted partnership qualify for this recognition? Several factors set it apart:
- Automatic participation: Travelers don't need to opt in, add a donation, or take extra steps. Every eligible cruise booking automatically triggers tree planting. This ensures maximum environmental impact without creating friction in the booking process.
Long-term commitment: This isn't a limited-time promotion or seasonal campaign. Since 2021, we've maintained this partnership consistently, planting trees year after year regardless of market conditions or business challenges. - Transparency: We're clear about what the program does and doesn't do. One tree per booking is straightforward and honest—no inflated claims or vague promises.
- Real environmental benefit: One Tree Planted is a respected nonprofit with documented reforestation projects worldwide. The trees get planted, the forests get restored, and the impact is real.
Why This Award Matters
Winning this Magellan Award matters because it validates sustainable business practices in an industry that's sometimes criticized for environmental impact. It shows that travel companies can be profitable while also contributing to planetary health—and that customers appreciate these efforts.
The award also amplifies an important message: every booking can make a difference. When travelers choose CruiseDirect, they're not just getting competitive prices and excellent customer service—they're also participating in environmental restoration. That combination of value and values resonates with modern travelers who want their spending to align with their principles.
For the broader travel industry, this recognition encourages other companies to adopt similar initiatives. When purpose-driven programs win prestigious awards, it signals to the market that sustainability isn't just good ethics—it's good business. More companies adopting environmental programs means greater collective impact.
The Bigger Environmental Picture
Tree planting addresses multiple environmental challenges simultaneously. Forests absorb carbon dioxide, which helps mitigate climate change. They provide habitat for countless species, supporting biodiversity. They prevent soil erosion, protect watersheds, and contribute to cleaner air and water.
These benefits matter everywhere, but they're particularly important in popular cruise destinations:
- Caribbean islands facing challenges from hurricanes and coastal erosion benefit from mangrove restoration
- Alaska's forests support salmon runs and wildlife that cruise passengers come to see
- Mediterranean coastal areas need trees to prevent soil degradation and protect water quality
- South American rainforests that travelers explore on Amazon cruises depend on reforestation efforts
The program helps protect the very destinations that make cruise vacations special.
Beyond Environmental Impact: Social Benefits
Tree planting isn't just about trees—it's also about people. One Tree Planted's reforestation projects create employment in communities where economic opportunities may be limited. Local workers plant saplings, maintain growing forests, and monitor reforestation progress. These jobs provide income while building valuable environmental skills.
Reforestation projects also strengthen communities' resilience to climate change and natural disasters. Restored forests reduce flood risk, prevent landslides, and provide resources that communities can sustainably harvest. The environmental and economic benefits reinforce each other.
When you book a cruise with CruiseDirect, you're contributing to these social impacts along with the environmental ones. That's what "Promotions with Purpose" really means—creating ripple effects that extend far beyond a single transaction.
What's Next for CruiseDirect and Sustainability
Winning this award isn't a finish line—it's validation that we're on the right path and motivation to keep pushing forward. The One Tree Planted partnership will continue planting trees with every cruise booking, growing our environmental impact as our customer base expands.
We're also exploring additional ways to enhance our sustainability efforts. The travel industry is evolving rapidly in its approach to environmental responsibility, and we're committed to staying at the forefront of these changes.
The future of travel must be sustainable. Destinations can't remain beautiful and accessible if they're not protected. By making environmental contribution an automatic part of every cruise booking, we're helping ensure that the places travelers love today remain healthy for future generations.
Book Your Cruise and Make a Difference
Ready to plan your next cruise vacation? When you book with CruiseDirect, you're choosing a company that's won recognition for both innovation and environmental responsibility. Our 4.9-star Trustpilot rating reflects our commitment to customer satisfaction, and our Magellan Award for the One Tree Planted program demonstrates our dedication to protecting the planet.
Every cruise booking you make through CruiseDirect plants a tree—contributing to reforestation, supporting biodiversity, and helping create a healthier world. You'll get competitive pricing, excellent customer service, and the satisfaction of knowing your vacation contributes to environmental restoration.
Explore our cruise options today and see why customer satisfaction remains our top priority, both in the service we provide and the values we uphold. Book with CruiseDirect and make your next vacation one that gives back to the planet.
