Helena Joyce
The cruise industry has long been associated with environmental damage, from air pollution to the discharge of untreated wastewater. However, some cruise lines are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact. American Cruise Lines, for instance, has committed to emissions reductions by utilizing modern, electronically-controlled engines and generators that meet or exceed EPA Tier 3 and Tier 4 emissions requirements. They have also replaced single-use products with reusable or biodegradable options and implemented advanced wastewater treatment systems. Disney also seems to be big on the environment, according to one source, although their newer ships are larger and travel to the Caribbean. Carnival Corporation has also shown interest in pursuing cleaner energies, such as liquefied natural gas. While these efforts are positive, it's important to consider the massive carbon footprint and negative impact on waterways and communities associated with cruising, especially when compared to other forms of travel.
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What You'll Learn
Cruise lines with the best environmental practices
The cruise industry has long been criticised for its negative impact on the environment, climate, and public health of coastal communities, passengers, crew, and coastal and marine ecosystems. However, some cruise lines are trying to improve their environmental practices and sustainability.
The 2024 Cruise Ship Report Card by Friends of the Earth ranks 21 major cruise lines and 243 cruise ships based on four environmental criteria: Sewage Treatment, Air Pollution Reduction, Water Quality/Scrubber Use, and Transparency. The report found that the Norwegian line Hurtigruten and expedition line HX were the top performers, having invested over €100 million in fleet upgrades and introducing battery-powered ships to reduce their environmental impact. Hurtigruten has also achieved a "'Silent-E' certification, reflecting its efforts in reducing underwater noise. Other cruise lines, such as Viking Cruises, are also taking steps to minimise their environmental impact, such as using dynamic positioning systems to avoid damaging seabeds and following whale-safe speeds to protect marine life.
Some other cruise lines that are making efforts to improve their environmental practices include Virgin Voyages, which has eliminated single-use plastics and tackled food waste by removing traditional buffets. They also use environmentally conscious marine fuels and have recycling programmes in place. Oceania Cruises has a 'Sail & Sustain' programme aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, while Regent Seven Seas Cruises offsets any unpreventable carbon emissions by investing in renewable energy and forest conservation projects globally.
While these cruise lines are taking steps towards more sustainable practices, it is important to recognise that the cruise industry as a whole still has a long way to go in terms of reducing its environmental impact. Friends of the Earth's 2024 Cruise Ship Report Card found that most cruise lines are still not doing enough to protect the environment and that stronger regulations are needed to hold the industry accountable.
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Cruise lines that use scrubbers
Scrubbers are special devices that use seawater to spray or ""scrub"" the sulphur dioxide pollutants from the engine's exhaust. While scrubbers reduce some air pollution, critics accuse cruise lines of dumping scrubbed waste into the ocean, turning air pollution into water pollution. According to a report by the environmental organizations Stand.earth and West Coast Environmental Law, an estimated 200 million litres of toxin-laden scrubber washwater are generated on a one-week trip from the northwest US to Alaska and back along the Canadian coast.
Some cruise lines that use scrubbers include:
- Carnival: Carnival has indicated its intention to install scrubbers across its fleet and is investing $400 million to design, build, and install an industry-first exhaust gas cleaning technology (called ECO-EGC) to more than 70% of its fleet.
- Norwegian Cruise Line: In 2014, Norwegian Cruise Line announced its intention to install 28 scrubbers developed by Green Tech Marine across six of its ships.
While scrubbers can help reduce air pollution, it is important to consider the potential environmental impact of discharging contaminated washwater into the ocean. Some nations have restricted or banned the use of open-loop scrubbers in their waters due to the toxic effects on marine life and the environment.
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Cruise lines that use LNG fuel
LNG, or liquified natural gas, is one of the cleanest-burning non-electric marine fuels, reducing sulfur emissions by 99%, nitrogen oxide emissions by 85%, and greenhouse emissions by 30%. It also largely eliminates particulate matter from ship exhaust. As a result, LNG fuel has become increasingly popular among cruise lines.
AIDA Cruises, a cruise line owned by the Carnival Corporation, launched the first-ever fully LNG-powered cruise ship, the AIDAnova, in December 2018. The ship features an LNG-powered drive system and three enormous tanks in its centre that hold enough LNG fuel to power a full two-week cruise. The AIDAnova was also the first ocean cruise ship in the world that could completely sail using LNG. Since then, LNG-powered cruise ships have become more common, with over 20 ships launched in recent years that are powered by LNG fuel.
Disney Cruise Line's Disney Wish, launched in 2022, was the first ship in its fleet to use LNG fuel. Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas, launched in early 2024, is another LNG-powered ship and is currently the world's largest cruise ship. MSC Cruises' MSC World Europa, launched in 2022, is powered by 50-kilowatt LNG fuel cell technology, which further reduces carbon emissions by 25% compared to standard LNG engines.
Other LNG-powered ships include the MSC Euribia, Silver Nova, Costa Smeralda, and Carnival's Mardi Gras. While LNG fuel is a step towards more environmentally-friendly operations, it is not without its drawbacks. Potential leaks could be disastrous for the environment, and the production and transportation of LNG contribute to methane emissions. As such, cruise lines are also exploring other alternative fuels and technologies, such as biofuels, hydrogen fuel cell technology, and nuclear energy, to achieve their net-zero emissions goals.
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Cruise lines with the worst environmental issues
The cruise industry has long been associated with a significant environmental impact. From air pollution to waste generation, cruise ships leave a trail of harmful consequences in their wake. While many cruise lines have come under scrutiny for their environmental practices, some stand out for their particularly detrimental impact.
One of the most notorious cruise companies for its environmental footprint is Carnival Corporation, the biggest cruise company in the world with 10 cruise lines. In 2017, Carnival was fined $40 million for illegal waste disposal and was placed on federal criminal probation. During its probationary period, an inspector found over 800 violations in the first year alone. The company's environmental violations continued, leading to additional fines of $20 million and $1 million in 2022.
MSC Cruises has also faced criticism for its lack of commitment to minimizing its environmental impact. Despite the urgency of the climate crisis, MSC has been accused of using deceptive marketing tactics to portray a "green vacation" image while failing to implement genuine sustainable practices.
Other cruise lines that have been associated with environmental issues include Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean. Princess Cruises, along with Carnival, has been caught lying about its environmental practices in recent years. Royal Caribbean, while investing in new technology and more efficient ships, faces the challenge of balancing these efforts against the massive tonnage and large number of passengers on board.
While some cruise lines are making efforts to improve, the industry as a whole continues to face scrutiny for its environmental practices. With increasing vessel sizes and a growing number of passengers, the environmental challenges faced by the cruise industry are only expected to become more significant.
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Cruise lines that have been fined for pollution
Several cruise lines have been fined for environmental violations and pollution. Here are some examples:
Carnival Corporation:
Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Princess Cruise Lines, was fined $20 million in 2019 for pollution and cover-up charges. The company has a long history of environmental violations, with violations dating back to 1993. In 2016, its subsidiary Princess Cruise Lines was fined $40 million for illegally dumping oil-contaminated waste into the sea. Carnival was also ordered to pay an additional $18 million in fines in 2002 for falsifying records of oil-contaminated bilge water that its ships had dumped into the sea.
Princess Cruise Lines:
Princess Cruise Lines, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, was fined a record-breaking $40 million in 2016 for deliberately polluting the seas and attempting to cover it up. The company pleaded guilty to seven felony charges related to illegal dumping of oil-contaminated waste from its Caribbean Princess cruise ship. Princess Cruise Lines was put on probation for five years and agreed to undergo audits and oversight as part of the deal.
Norwegian Cruise Line:
In 2002, Norwegian Cruise Line pleaded guilty to keeping a false logbook and lying to the Coast Guard about illegal discharges from its Norway liner. The company was fined, although the amount was not disclosed. This was part of a federal crackdown on ocean pollution by cruise ships, and it marked the seventh environmental conviction against cruise lines.
V.Ships Norway A.S.:
V.Ships Norway A.S. pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and was fined $2 million.
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Frequently asked questions
American Cruise Lines claims to have the most environmentally friendly fleet of small cruise ships in the United States. They have committed to reducing emissions by using electronically controlled engines and generators that meet or exceed EPA Tier 3 or EPA Tier 4 and Tier 4 Final emissions requirements. They also provide water bottles and bottle-filling stations throughout their vessels, and have replaced most single-use products with reusable items. Disney also seems big on the environment, but their newer ships go to the Caribbean and are pretty big.
Cruise lines and ships are graded on their environmental and health impacts by Friends of the Earth. Ships that dock at a port and plug into available shoreside power hookups are graded for air pollution reduction. Ships are also given credit for using low-sulfur fuels continuously worldwide at levels lower than required by international law. Ships are downgraded if they have adopted the use of liquified natural gas, which emits significantly more greenhouse gas emissions over the short term than low-sulfur fuel.
Cruise ships produce a large volume of wastes, including sewage, wastewater, hazardous wastes, solid waste, oily bilge water, ballast water, and air pollution. Cruise ships also dump scrubber discharge, which is wastewater created by open-loop scrubber systems that spray sea water into the ship's exhaust to remove sulfur oxides. While scrubbers reduce some air pollution, they create toxic wastewater that is often discharged into the ocean.
