Image Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line Ranked ‘Worst’ in Environmental Impact
October 27, 2024
Disney Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line are just two of the many cruise ships that have been ranked the “worst” in terms of their environmental impact. Let’s take a look at what we know about this latest study.
Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line Raise Eyebrows
According to The Street, with the hashtag #SailingSustainably, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) encouraged guests to learn more about the cruise industry’s environmental stewardship initiatives. According to the group, cruise lines are “sailing to a better future” by lowering damaging carbon dioxide emissions at sea and in port and pursuing fuel flexibility.
According to CLIA, cruise ships operating in Europe have reduced their CO2 emissions by an average of 16% since 2018 as a result of the cruise industry’s sustainability initiatives. The monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) data from the EU is cited as the source.
A 2023 emissions assessment by the U.K. consumer advocacy group Which? found that the most polluting cruise ship in Europe released as much carbon dioxide as a 20,000-person small town.
Researchers looked at emissions per mile traveled rather than overall emissions. Instead of only displaying the cruise lines that took the most trips, Which? was able to identify the cruise lines with the most polluting ships.
Despite having just one ship operating in Europe in 2023, the study’s methodology identified Disney Cruise Line as the worst polluter. Every nautical mile, the Disney Dream released 1,481 kg of carbon dioxide on average.
According to the report, Norwegian Cruise Line owned three of the most polluting cruise ships. Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships produced an average of 1,413 kg of carbon dioxide emissions per nautical mile, making them the second-worst polluter after Disney Cruise Line. With a capacity of 4,100 people, the Norwegian Epic is the largest ship in its fleet and has the highest CO2 emissions, at 2 tons per nautical mile.
In response to these findings, Disney Cruise Line released the following statement: “Disney Cruise Line complies with all air and water quality standards. While sailing in Europe, the Disney Dream used a combination of hydrotreated vegetable oil along with ultra-low-sulfur marine gas oil, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions beyond International Maritime Organisation requirements.”
Other Cruise Rankings
Disney Cruise Line may have come under fire for its environmental impact, but it also earned high marks as one of the most sanitary cruise lines in the world.
Other cruise lines, however, aren’t as clean. According to USA Today, the Vessel Sanitation Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is specifically made to prevent gastrointestinal infections from spreading while on cruises.
Since the voluntary program started in 1990, only 1% of ships have received failing marks, while most ships receive significantly higher scores, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. Additionally, according to the group, the cruise industry is the only one that posts scores in a central area and routinely reports illnesses to the CDC.
Several cruise lines have approached the brink of failure, but just two have failed inspection so far this year. A score of 86 or above is considered decent. Anything below that is considered a failure. Carnival, Princess, and Ritz-Carlton cruises have all been on the verge of going bankrupt. In addition, MSC Cruises’ MSC Magnifica scored an 86 in May.
However, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Hanseatic Inspiration trip with a score of 62 in September was a failure. The investigation stated, in part, that “supervisors were monitoring critical and high-risk food processes inadequately, permitting unsafe practices to continue in food preparation areas.” This year, one American cruise company also failed the inspection: the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, which received an 83 in May but a 92 in July.
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