Kiera Jefferson
Cruise ships have long been associated with glamour and luxury, offering travellers a chance to explore new destinations in style. However, this industry has a darker side, with cruise ships contributing significantly to pollution and posing serious environmental and health risks. From air pollution to sewage dumping, the impact of cruise ships on our planet is a growing concern. Despite some efforts to reduce emissions and improve waste management, the cruise industry continues to face scrutiny for its role in polluting our oceans and contributing to climate change. With an increasing number of ships sailing each year, the question of how much cruise ships pollute is becoming ever more urgent.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Emissions | As much particulate matter as emitted by one million cars or 700 trucks. |
| Fuel Used | Heavy fuel oil, a residual of the petrol industry, which contains toxic substances. |
| Fuel Consumption | A mid-sized cruise ship can use up to 150 tonnes of fuel per day. |
| Air Pollution | Twenty times higher than on a main road with a lot of pollution. |
| Carbon Footprint | A passenger's carbon footprint triples when taking a cruise. |
| Waste Generation | 800 cubic meters of sewage per week for 3000 passengers. |
| Hazardous Waste | Photo processing, equipment cleaning, dry cleaning, oily bilge water, sewage sludge, garbage, and other toxic chemicals. |
| Water Pollution | Dumping of sewage, fuel, and other waste into the ocean, including in sensitive marine areas. |
| Compliance Issues | Cruise lines have been fined for illegal discharges, bypassing pollution control devices, and falsifying records. |
| Visual Pollution | Large cruise ships can spoil the view and invade ports, as seen in Venice. |
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What You'll Learn
Cruise ships emit as much as 1 million cars
Cruise ships are a major source of pollution, and their environmental impact has been a growing concern in recent years. One of the most shocking revelations is that cruise ships emit as much particulate matter as one million cars every day. This means that the air quality on the deck of a cruise ship can be comparable to that of the world's most polluted cities.
The German environmental group Nabu has released annual reports highlighting the cruise ship industry's poor environmental management. According to Nabu, the industry has failed to take adequate steps to minimize pollution. Despite claims from cruise companies that newer vessels are more environmentally friendly, measurements have shown that their attitude towards the environment remains poor.
The main issue lies in the fuel used by cruise ships. They run on heavy fuel oil, a residual product of the petroleum industry that is highly toxic and contains numerous pollutants. A mid-sized cruise ship can burn up to 150 tonnes of this fuel every day, leading to the emission of particulate matter equivalent to that produced by one million cars. Additionally, almost none of the cruise ships have catalysts or particulate filters, which further exacerbates the problem.
The impact of these emissions on human health cannot be understated. In France, for example, 10% of air pollution in the port city of Marseille has been attributed to the shipping industry, including cruise ships. It is estimated that over 50,000 Europeans die prematurely each year due to shipping-based pollution. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, emissions from the shipping and cruise industries are estimated to cause the premature deaths of between 40,000 and 100,000 Britons annually, with port cities like Southampton, Grimsby, and Liverpool being particularly affected.
To make matters worse, cruise ships also produce various other types of pollution. They generate large amounts of sewage and waste, which are often improperly disposed of. Several cruise lines have been caught releasing thousands of gallons of oily waste and greywater directly into the ocean, contaminating sensitive marine ecosystems and even causing illnesses among swimmers. Additionally, the sheer size of cruise ships contributes to visual pollution, as they can spoil the views of ports and natural landscapes.
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Cruise ships' fuel and emissions
The cruise industry transported over 26 million customers in 2017 and was worth upwards of $117 billion. Market projections show that the industry will continue to grow as operators build new ships, but there are growing concerns about pollution and emissions.
A single large cruise ship emits over five tonnes of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and 450 kg of ultrafine particles per day. This is the same amount of sulfur dioxide as 3.6 million cars. In addition, cruise ships emit about the same amount of particulate matter as a million cars. Research shows that cruising emits up to four times more CO2 per passenger than flying. While air travel costs between 0.11 and 0.16 kg per passenger per kilometre, a cruise ship journey produces a staggering 0.40 kilograms per kilometre.
Cruise ships run on heavy fuel oil, a residual product of the petrol industry that is highly polluting and toxic. In 2019, German watchdog Nabu surveyed 77 cruise ships and found that all but one used this type of fuel. In 2018, Nabu also reviewed the emissions of 77 cruise ships and found that only one was not powered by heavy fuel oil but by liquefied natural gas (LNG), which reduces NOx and particulate emissions by about 80%. However, LNG also contains methane, a potent greenhouse gas that could increase global warming through leaks and incomplete combustion.
In recent years, there have been efforts to reduce ship pollution. International law has reduced the maximum allowed sulfur oxide concentration in cruise ship emissions from 3.5% to 0.5% from 2020 onwards. However, as of 2019, the commonly used heavy fuel oil still had a sulfur content of around 2.7%. Cruise operators have been urged to switch to cleaner fuel alternatives with lower sulfur content, but few have complied.
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Cruise ships' sewage and waste
The cruise industry transported over 26 million customers last year, and its environmental impact is massive. A single large cruise ship emits over five tonnes of NOX emissions and 450 kg of ultrafine particles per day, as much particulate matter as a million cars. A mid-sized cruise ship can use up to 150 tonnes of fuel daily, and a large ship with 3,000 passengers can generate 790,000 litres of sewage during a one-week voyage.
Cruise ships generate a variety of waste streams, including sewage, wastewater from sinks, showers, and galleys (greywater), hazardous wastes, solid waste, oily bilge water, ballast water, and air pollution. Sewage and wastewater from sinks, showers, and laundries can all be discharged into the ocean if the ship is more than three nautical miles from shore. While modern cruise ships have sophisticated water treatment facilities, some waste streams, such as sewage, are not adequately filtered by onboard treatment systems.
To comply with regulatory standards, settlement tanks, filters, chemical treatments, and water quality tests are used to treat greywater. Solid waste is also well-regulated, but there are gaps in the regulation of other waste streams. For example, sewage is treated on some ships using Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) systems, but these are only moderately effective in removing dissolved metals and nutrients.
In addition to the liquid wastes, cruise ships also produce solid waste. Passengers can produce up to 7.7 pounds of solid waste in a single day, which must be appropriately stored and dealt with to prevent unpleasant odours and the buildup of flammable gases. Even non-odorous solid waste, like scrap paper and plastic, must be dealt with appropriately to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the ship.
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Cruise ships' environmental impact
Cruise ships have been described as "floating cities", and for good reason: they are massive, and they produce pollution on a massive scale. A single large cruise ship emits over five tonnes of NOX emissions and 450 kg of ultrafine particles a day. To put that in context, that's the same amount of sulphur dioxide as 3.6 million cars. In fact, research shows that cruising emits up to four times more CO2 per passenger than flying.
Cruise ships are also major producers of sewage and wastewater. An average-sized cruise ship with 3,000 passengers and crew will dump 30,000 gallons of sewage into the ocean every day. That's almost 800 cubic metres of sewage per week. They also produce what's known as "grey water" from laundries, showers, sinks and dishwashers—a staggering 255,000 gallons of this are poured into the ocean every day by a mid-sized cruise ship.
Cruise ships also produce hazardous wastes, including oily bilge water, sewage sludge, garbage, and other wastes from onboard activities like photo processing, equipment cleaning, and dry cleaning. These wastes are supposed to be treated and disposed of in permitted onshore facilities, but the laws surrounding this are complex and weakly enforced, and cruise ships have often been caught dumping waste illegally. From 1993 to 1998, cruise ships were involved in 87 confirmed cases of illegal discharges of oil, garbage, and hazardous wastes into US waters, and have paid more than $30 million in fines. In 2001, Royal Caribbean admitted in court that it had installed special piping to bypass pollution control devices and pleaded guilty to dumping toxic chemicals.
The air pollution produced by cruise ships is also a major concern. In the French port city of Marseilles, 10% of air pollution can be attributed directly to the shipping industry, and locals have noticed an increase in health issues with more luxury cruise liners docking in the harbour. Cruise ships emit nitrogen oxide, which has been linked to acid rain, higher rates of cancer, and other forms of respiratory disease.
In addition to all of this, cruise ships also produce visual pollution, spoiling the views of ports, towns, and islands with their massive size.
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Cruise ships' air pollution
The cruise industry has long been criticised for its contribution to air pollution. Cruise ships are often described as "floating cities", with some emitting as much air pollution as one million cars per day. The air quality on deck can be worse than in the world's most polluted cities, impacting both passengers and crew members.
The primary source of cruise ship air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels, particularly heavy fuel oil or bunker oil, which is highly polluting and relatively cheap. These fuels emit large amounts of sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), contributing to air pollution and acid rain. In 2022, Europe's 218 cruise ships emitted as much SOx as one billion cars, and cruise liners run by Carnival Corporation emitted nearly ten times more SOx pollution around European coasts than all of Europe's cars combined. In addition, NOx emissions from cruise ships in Europe accounted for about 15% of the NOx emitted by Europe's passenger car fleet. NOx emissions have been linked to serious health risks, including lung cancer, throat cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular diseases, and childhood asthma.
Cruise ships also emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), with the largest and most efficient cruise ships emitting around 250 grams of CO2 per passenger per kilometre. This is considerably higher than the carbon intensity of short-haul flights, and a passenger's carbon footprint triples when taking a cruise. According to a 2021 tool from Cornell, a five-night cruise covering 2,000 km would result in 500 kg of CO2 emissions per passenger, while the same person flying by jet would emit only 160 kg of CO2.
Some cruise lines have taken initiatives to reduce air pollution by exploring alternative energy sources such as shore power, battery power, fuel cells, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). LNG, for example, is a much cleaner and less expensive source of energy than oil, and transitioning away from oil will help cruise liners combat bilge pollution. However, the use of LNG in cruise ships has been associated with "methane slip", where unburned methane is leaked into the atmosphere during combustion, resulting in higher life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than using low-sulfur marine gas oil.
To address air pollution from cruise ships, there have been proposals to relocate cruise ship terminals away from densely populated areas to surrounding towns or villages. This strategy, suggested for ports such as Venice, Antwerp, and Amsterdam, aims to reduce the number of local inhabitants exposed to air pollution and spread mass tourism more evenly. Additionally, environmental groups and governments have implemented emissions tests and issued fines to offending cruise lines.
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Frequently asked questions
Cruise ships emit large amounts of pollution, including nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, ultrafine particles, and sewage. A single large cruise ship emits as much pollution as one million cars.
Cruise ship pollution has been linked to acid rain, higher rates of cancer, and other forms of respiratory diseases. It also contaminates sensitive ocean waters and destroys valuable marine ecology, including coral reefs.
There have been efforts to implement emissions tests and issue fines to offending cruise lines. Environmental groups have urged cruise operators to switch to cleaner fuel alternatives, but few have heeded these calls. Some states, like Alaska, have stricter laws and technologies in place to reduce pollution, but these are not widely adopted.
