Britain's eco-conscious Prince Charles will tour the Caribbean in a luxury yacht in what is being billed as an environmentally friendly, cost-cutting move.

Charles's Clarence House office said Friday that the prince and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, had rented the 75-metre vessel Leander from businessman Donald Gosling for their 11-day trip next month.

The royal couple will visit Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Jamaica and the volcanic island of Montserrat on a trip that begins March 4.

Clarence House said the trip would "advance key British government priorities in the promotion of sustainable development, environmental protection and youth opportunity."

The office said sailing rather than flying between islands would reduce the trip's carbon footprint. It will also be cheaper than traveling by chartered plane.

Charles and Camilla will fly to and from the region on scheduled flights.

The Leander has a crew of 24 and facilities including a bar, gym, sauna and hot tub. There are two master suite cabins, three en-suite double guest cabins and five twin guest cabins.

Charles, 59, a champion of environmental causes, promised last year to cut his emissions of the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. He has reduced the number of plane and helicopter journeys he takes, introduced green electricity at his Highgrove country estate and converted his official Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles to run on biodiesel fuel from used cooking oil.