What is wrong with the cruise industry?

Although the cruise industry unabashedly promotes itself as environmentally friend, the reality is that there is a long history of breaking the law, seeking all kinds of concessions and non-regulation by lobbying and local regulators; in addition to the progressive accumulation of hundreds of pollution violations, ...



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Cruise ships are a catastrophe for the environment — and that's not an overstatement. They dump toxic waste into our waters, fill the planet with carbon dioxide, and kill marine wildlife. Cruise ships' environmental impact is never ending, and they continue to get bigger. They once were small ships, around 30,000 tons.

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The most polluting cruise ships operator was MSC Cruises – whose cruise ships emitted nearly as much SOx as all the passenger vehicles in Europe. Accounting for all of its subsidiaries, the Carnival group polluted the most. Many cruise operators like MSC are investing in fossil gas (LNG) as a cleaner alternative.

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Cruise ships emit more carbon per passenger kilometre than flying, even considering the extra damage that emissions cause at high altitude. It's thought that the Queen Mary II emits 0.43kg of CO2 per passenger mile – that's even worse than the 0.257kg for a long-haul flight.

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In 2023, a decade-high number of cruise ships have reported an unwelcome passenger on board: norovirus. Outbreaks of the stomach bug have surged on cruise ships this year, reaching the highest levels seen in 10 years.

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The 2023 cruise industry is booming. It has far surpassed 2019 levels, breaking sales records in a furious, post-pandemic comeback. Like most tourism sectors, cruising is reaping the benefits of “revenge travel”— vacationers making up for the time that was lost during the pandemic.

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1. The Norwegian company Hurtigruten. Among the most environmentally sustainable ships are certainly the ships of the Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten. The company has already eliminated heavy fuel oil (HFO) for more than a decade and uses alternative and greener fuels such as marine diesel oil and biofuels.

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The wastewater that the cruise ship uses is heavily treated. It is either discharged into the water in designated areas of the ocean or released onshore into the local water treatment system.

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During a typical one-week voyage, a large cruise ship (with 3,000 passengers and crew) is estimated to generate 210,000 US gallons (790,000 L) of sewage; 1 million US gallons (3,800 m3) of graywater (wastewater from sinks, showers, and laundries); more than 130 US gallons (490 L) of hazardous wastes; 8 tons of solid ...

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Some of the environmental challenges that cruise lines need to address are air pollution from heavy oil, wastewater discharge issues, habitat disruption, and overtourism. The 'elephant in the room' is that cruise lines are currently using heavy oil – also known as the dirtiest of the dirty oils.

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CLIA forecasts passenger numbers will not only meet but exceed pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023. And according to Cruise Industry News' cruise ship orderbook for ocean-going vessels, nearly 40 new ships are lined up to debut this year alone, with more than 75 vessels on order through 2027.

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AE: A passenger ship's design life is normally 30 years. It's the age used as the basis for the design and production of all major elements, including the steel structure and machinery.

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Cruising in 2023 is mostly back to normal following the pandemic-induced changes implemented across the industry in 2021 and 2022. Pre-cruise testing has been almost entirely abolished, ships are sailing at full capacity, and new ships are being constructed.

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Respiratory Illnesses. Respiratory illnesses are the most common medical complaint on cruise ships.

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Cruise ships release large amounts of harmful gas emissions, contributing significantly to air pollution and global warming. Air pollutants like nitrogen oxide and sulfur from cruise ships pollute the air and contribute to respiratory problems.

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Cruise ships, huge compared to other vessels, end up burning more heavy fuel oil, one of the dirtiest fossil fuels on the market. This oil contains dangerous levels of sulfur and heavy metals etc. It is estimated that cruise ships use, on average, 150 tons of heavy fuel oil every day.

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