Why Are Cruise Ships Bad For The Environment

In fact every persons carbon footprint on a cruise is about three times as high as it would be on land.

Why are cruise ships bad for the environment. When you hop onto a cruise your carbon footprint rises. With limited regulatory oversight wastewater is often discharged into. For example the cruise ship industry is not subject to the same.

Even while at dock cruise ships often run dirty diesel engines to provide electrical power to passengers and crew. In 2014 nine norovirus outbreaks were reported through the CDCs Vessel Sanitation. A 20 million fine levied on Carnival Cruises for improper waste disposal demonstrates that the industry is not above bending environmental rules.

It should be noted that larger cruise ships have capacities of up to 8000 passengers. Cruise ships large tankers and bulk cargo carriers use a huge amount of ballast water which is often taken on in the coastal waters in one region after ships discharge wastewater or unload cargo and discharged at the next port of call wherever more cargo is loaded. On top of the pollution caused by their exhaust fumes cruise ships have been caught discarding trash fuel and sewage directly into the ocean.

Cruise ships generate significant quantities of wastes that the industry disposes of with surprisingly little regulation. Cruise ships have been accused of being as polluting as a million cars. Cruise ships do pose some additional environmental risks compared with other vessels.

Emissions from cruise ship engines include nitrogen oxides sulfur. Tourists sleep and eat on cruise ships which means very little is spent in the local economy and this is a problem across the world. They deprive local economies.

Cruise ships are also responsible for significant air pollution from the dirty fuel they burn which can lead to serious human health problems especially in port communities. How this sewage is handled by cruise operators is a major cause for concern when dealing with cruise ship environmental impact. On an average cruise ship of 3000 passengers thats around 150000 gallons of sewage created per week.