
William Shatner Split - H 2016
Courtesy of Photofest; Getty Images- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Tumblr
William Shatner and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have urged a popular cruise line to stop offering “swim with dolphins” experiences on their upcoming Star Trek: The Cruise voyage.
PETA on Thursday released a letter to Norwegian Cruise Line in which Shatner, who hosted an earlier Star Trek cruise on the Norwegian Jade, asked the shipping company to end Trekkies boldly swimming with dolphins.
“Aboard the USS Enterprise, it was Captain Kirk’s duty ‘to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations’ in order to advance and diversify our own,” Shatner wrote Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank J. Del Rio. “The exploitation of any species for profit and entertainment would have violated the Prime Directive,” he added.
The next Star Trek: The Cruise, this time not hosted by Shatner, will set sail in January 2018 from Miami and make stops in Honduras, Belize and Mexico. Shatner argued he’s “happy” his fans can sail on the themed Norwegian Jade voyage but insisted that condemning captive animals to a “lifetime of suffering” for entertainment cannot be justified.
“Surely, Star Trek fans would appreciate the decision to allow dolphins to remain in the wild — and prosper,” he urged.
Norwegian Cruise Line could not be reached for comment.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day