Cruise Ships Pollute Our Oceans: What's The Real Cost?

Cruise ships are a major source of air, water, and land pollution, affecting fragile habitats, areas, and species, as well as posing potential risks to human health. They generate billions of gallons of waste, including sewage, greywater, scrubber discharge, oily bilge water, and solid waste, which is pumped into the ocean, damaging marine ecosystems and threatening marine life. In addition, cruise ships emit sulphur oxides, contributing to air pollution and acid rain, and their increasing traffic has negative impacts on whale and dolphin populations. With the cruise industry expanding, the environmental laws have not kept pace, and new regulations are urgently needed to address the pollution crisis caused by these ships.

Cruise ships generate billions of gallons of waste that is pumped into the ocean

The impact of cruise ship pollution on the environment is far-reaching. Cruise ships have been caught discarding trash, fuel, and sewage directly into the ocean, with some companies being fined for illegal dumping. In 2019, Carnival Cruise Lines was fined US$60 million for obstructing justice and illegally dumping oil, plastics, and garbage into the sea. Princess Cruise Lines was also convicted of illegally dumping oil-contaminated water into the ocean and was fined $40 million.

The pollution generated by cruise ships has aggravated environmental groups and governments, leading to widespread condemnation of the industry's practices. The dumping of sewage and other pollutants into the ocean has negatively impacted marine life and ecosystems, including coral reefs and whales. The air pollution caused by cruise ships has also been linked to increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, contributing to respiratory diseases and other health issues.

To address the issue of waste being pumped into the ocean, some cruise operators are investing in liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a cleaner alternative fuel. However, LNG-powered ships can produce methane emissions, which are potent greenhouse gases. Other solutions, such as onboard incineration plants and recycling programs, have also been proposed, but without homogenized standards and strictly enforced international rules, the cruise industry is likely to continue sidestepping these possible solutions.

The rapidly expanding size and number of cruise ships in U.S. waters have triggered a national cruise ship pollution crisis, and new laws and standards are urgently needed to protect the environment and public health from the impacts of cruise ship waste.

Cruise ships discard trash, fuel, and sewage directly into the ocean

Cruise ships are a major source of ocean pollution, discharging trash, fuel, and sewage directly into the ocean. With thousands of passengers and crew members, these ships produce a large amount of waste that ends up in our oceans, causing significant harm to marine life and ecosystems.

One of the main concerns is the dumping of sewage and wastewater. Cruise ships generate billions of gallons of sewage annually, which is released into the ocean along with chemicals, pharmaceuticals, bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals. This adds to the problem of ocean pollution and oxygen depletion, leading to the suffocation of coral reefs and marine life. Despite regulations, such as the Marine Sanitation Devices requirement, contaminants are often left behind, posing risks to the environment and public health.

Cruise ships also discard fuel waste into the ocean. They often use cheap, heavy fuel, which results in harmful emissions. To comply with regulations, some ships use scrubbers to clean their exhaust. However, the resulting scrubber wastewater is then discharged into the ocean, adding more pollution and harmful substances like heavy metals and suspended particulate matter.

In addition to sewage and fuel waste, cruise ships also illegally dump trash and plastic into the ocean. This increases plastic pollution, endangering marine wildlife. Food waste is also commonly discharged, with cruise ships liquefying uneaten food and pumping it into the sea. The impact of these practices on the environment is significant, and the cruise industry has been criticized for its poor waste management practices.

The pollution generated by cruise ships extends beyond just waste disposal. The ships themselves burn large amounts of fuel, contributing to air pollution and increased carbon dioxide levels. The energy consumption and extravagant amenities of these ships result in high greenhouse gas emissions, with a single cruise ship's carbon footprint surpassing that of 12,000 cars.

Overall, the dumping of trash, fuel, and sewage by cruise ships into the ocean has severe consequences for the environment and marine ecosystems. While some cruise operators are investing in cleaner alternatives, the impact of the cruise industry on our oceans remains a pressing issue that requires urgent attention and stricter regulations.

Cruise ships are responsible for injuring and killing marine life

Cruise ships have been criticised for their harmful effects on the ocean, including the dumping of sewage and wastewater, emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases, and the use of heavy fuel oil. These floating cities generate billions of gallons of waste that is pumped into our oceans every year, including sewage, solid waste, oily bilge water, scrubber wastewater, and greywater from sinks, showers, and laundry. All of this waste contains toxins harmful to marine life, such as bacteria, heavy metals, and nutrients.

In addition to water pollution, cruise ships also emit large amounts of air pollutants, including nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxides, and particulate matter. These emissions contribute to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and air pollution in port cities, surpassing pre-pandemic pollution levels. The noise from ships' machinery and entertainment activities also causes noise pollution, which disturbs marine animals such as whales, dolphins, and killer whales, whose sensitive hearing gets harmed and can lead to their death.

The impact of cruise ships on marine life is not just limited to pollution. The massive size of these ships makes them responsible for injuring and killing marine life, particularly whales. Humpback whales, blue whales, fin whales, and other species can be hard to spot, and even with whale avoidance programs, they are still hit and killed by these large vessels. In the last five years, at least 112 whales that washed up dead had injuries consistent with ship collisions, according to the NOAA.

Cruise ships also pose risks to other marine life, such as turtles, fish, and coral reefs. Debris from ships, including plastics, non-recyclables, and poisonous materials, can choke and kill these animals, and chemicals in the treatment process can harm their reproductive systems. The increase in marine transport substantially increases ship pollution, and with environmental laws failing to keep pace with the industry's growth, cruise ships continue to dump waste into our oceans, polluting beaches and destroying valuable marine ecology.

Cruise ships dump treated sewage into oceans without ensuring it is properly treated

Cruise ships have long been celebrated for their ability to offer a unique travel experience, but they have also been criticised for their harmful effects on the ocean. One of the main concerns is the dumping of sewage and wastewater into the ocean, which can contain bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and nutrients that are harmful to marine life and ecosystems. While some waste is treated before dumping, much of it is dumped directly into the ocean without proper treatment.

Cruise ships generate billions of gallons of waste that is pumped into the oceans each year, including sewage, solid waste, oily bilge water, and scrubber wastewater. This waste contains toxins that can harm marine life and ecosystems, such as coral reefs. The large amount of waste produced by cruise ships, which can be compared to the waste produced by a small city, has led to concerns about the impact on fragile habitats and wildlife.

In the United States, there are some laws and regulations in place to address cruise ship pollution. For example, the Clean Water Act prohibits the dumping of untreated or inadequately treated sewage from vessels into navigable waters. However, cruise ships are exempt from the discharge permitting program of the Clean Water Act, and are not required to have permits to dump raw sewage into the ocean beyond 3.5 miles from the shore. This has led to concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in the cruise industry regarding their environmental practices.

Environmental groups and cruise passengers have called for stronger laws and regulations to stop cruise ships from dumping waste into the oceans. They advocate for the upgrade of onboard waste treatment facilities to ensure that sewage is properly treated before being released into the sea. Some cruise lines have been caught dumping garbage into the ocean, including oily waste and food waste, which can have harmful effects on marine life and the environment.

The impact of cruise ship pollution is not limited to the ocean; it also affects the air quality in port cities. As the cruise industry continues to grow, with larger vessels and increased energy consumption, the environmental issues associated with cruise ships will become more significant. It is important for the cruise industry to address these concerns and take action to reduce their impact on the environment and public health.

Cruise ships produce exhaust fumes that contribute to air pollution

Cruise ships have a significant impact on the environment, contributing to both air and water pollution. One of the main ways cruise ships pollute the air is through the emission of exhaust fumes, which contain a variety of harmful substances.

Cruise ships' engines emit large amounts of sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2), phosphorus (P4), soot, heavy metals, and other particulates. These emissions contribute to air pollution, ocean acidification, and soil acidification. In 2017, Carnival's cruise ships alone caused ten times more sulfur oxide (SOx) air pollution than all of Europe's cars combined, as their fuel emits about 2,000 times more sulfur oxides than normal diesel fuel. Similarly, a medium-sized cruise ship can emit as much particulate matter as one million cars. The air at the back of cruise ships, where the smokestacks are located, has been found to have levels of ultra-fine particulate matter comparable to some of the world's most polluted cities, such as Beijing and Santiago.

In addition to the emissions from burning fuel, cruise ships also release hazardous chemical waste and sewage into the ocean. This waste can contain bacteria, heavy metals, and other contaminants that pose risks to marine life and ecosystems. The dumping of oily bilge water and scrubber wastewater contributes to water pollution as well.

The impact of cruise ship pollution is particularly evident in port cities, where the increased air pollutants from ships have negatively affected air quality. Barcelona, for example, was Europe's most sulfur-polluted cruise port in 2022. The Mediterranean region, including Italy and Spain, bears the brunt of cruise ship pollution due to less stringent marine sulphur fuel standards, allowing ships to burn highly sulphurous fuel.

While some cruise operators are investing in liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a cleaner alternative, LNG-powered ships can still produce methane (CH4) emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. To reduce emissions, catalytic converters or scrubbers can be installed, but there are concerns about the illegal discharge of sulfur extracted from the fumes into the sea. As the cruise industry continues to grow, with larger vessels and more passengers, the environmental impact of cruise ship pollution will become even more significant.

Frequently asked questions