Cruise Ship Report Card
Millions of Americans take cruise vacations every year. Yet, most travelers didn’t realize that taking a cruise is more harmful to the environment and human health than many other forms of travel.
Is Clean Cruising Possible?
For decades, the cruise industry’s business practices have put the environment, climate, and public health of coastal communities, passengers, crew, and coastal and marine ecosystems at risk. In addition, most governments have refused to enact strong regulations for the cruise industry, ignored the ongoing damage the industry does to communities and the environment, or have caved to industry pressure to develop their pristine resources for industry profit. The 2024 Cruise Ship Report Card takes a continued hard look at the cruise industry to see if clean cruising is possible and in most cases the answer is still a resounding NO!
Friends of the Earth’s Cruise Ship Report Card compares the environmental footprint of 21 major cruise lines and 243 cruise ships. View a PDF of the 2024 Cruise Ship Report Card.
Cruise Line |
Sewage Treatment
Sewage Treatment Has the cruise line installed the most advanced sewage and wastewater treatment systems (AWTS) available instead of dumping minimally treated sewage directly into the water? In determining a cruise line’s Sewage Treatment grade, we compared the number of cruise ships in the cruise line that have installed advanced sewage treatment systems against the total number of ships in the cruise line. Ships with AWTS were downgraded in 2024 because no companies publicly report on the performance of those advanced systems. |
Air Pollution Reduction
Air Pollution Reduction Has the cruise line installed shorepower or adopted cleaner fuel worldwide? In determining the Air Pollution Reduction grade for each ship in a cruise line, ships that dock at a port and plug in to available shoreside power hookups were graded. In addition, ships were given credit if they utilize low sulfur fuels continuously worldwide at levels lower than required by international law. Use of exhaust gas scrubbers is not considered since the scrubbers in use by the cruise industry simply convert air pollution emissions into water pollution through their scrubber wastewater discharges. |
Water Quality/Scrubber Use
Water Quality/Scrubber Use Many cruise ships have installed exhaust gas scrubbers to reduce smoke stack emissions and comply with cleaner fuel rules in the US and worldwide. However, while scrubbers reduce some air pollution, most discharge contaminated, toxic waste water--trading one dirty pollution source for another. We fail ships for their use of scrubbers since scrubbers convert air pollution emissions into wastewater pollution. |
Transparency |
2024 Final Grade
**For the 2024 Cruise Ship Report Card, we graded 21 cruise lines and 243 cruise ships of those 21 lines operating around the world. All cruise ships from each cruise line were included in this report card. Friends of the Earth relied on data gathered from the internet, government sources, the cruise line industry, and other public sources in order to determine the grades assigned to the cruise lines. Friends of the Earth did not independently verify that the technology graded in the report card was installed on the individual cruise ships. |
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Hurtigruten | 05 | 11 | 11 | 09 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
P&O Australia | 05 | 04 | 00 | 11 | 04 | |||||||||||||||||||||
HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) | 05 | 11 | 11 | 09 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Viking Cruises
The cruise line was founded in 1997 and its current headquarters are in Switzerland. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 06 | 00 | 11 | 05 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages is a joint venture between the Virgin Group, founded by Richard Branson, and Bain Capital. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 03 | 00 | 11 | 04 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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AIDA Cruises
AIDA Cruises is a German cruise line founded in the early 1960s and is a subsidiary of Carnival Corp. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 05 | 00 | 00 | 01 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises was founded in 1970 by an Italian shipping company. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
02 | 03 | 00 | 11 | 03 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises was founded in 2002. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 04 | 00 | 11 | 04 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Seabourn Cruise Line
Seabourn Cruise Line was founded in 1986 and is a subsidiary of Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based in England and it is a subsidiary of Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
02 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises is an Italian cruise line based in Italy and it is a subsidiary of Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
00 | 02 | 00 | 00 | 00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Silversea Cruises
Silversea Cruises was founded in 1994. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
04 | 00 | 00 | 02 | 01 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Royal Caribbean Int'l
Royal Caribbean International was founded in 1997. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 01 | 00 | 02 | 01 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises was founded in 1990. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 03 | 11 | 06 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises was founded in 1965 and is a subsidiary of Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 06 | 00 | 00 | 01 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Norwegian Cruise Lines
Norwegian Cruise Lines controls nine percent of the North American market and, along with Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is considered one of the 'big three' corporations which dominate the U.S. cruise ship market. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 02 | 00 | 11 | 03 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Holland America Line
Holland America Line is a subsidiary of Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 06 | 00 | 00 | 01 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line is an American cruise line founded by the Walt Disney Company in 1995. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 06 | 11 | 08 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cunard Cruise Line
Cunard Cruise Line is a subsidiary of Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the world’s second-largest cruise line operator. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
05 | 03 | 00 | 02 | 02 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Cruise Lines is a subsidiary of Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator. Find out more about how we graded this line » |
01 | 02 | 00 | 00 | 00 |
Grading Methodology For The 2024 Cruise Ship Report Card
Friends of the Earth’s Cruise Ship Report Card ranks 21 major cruise lines and 243 cruise ships — AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Hurtigruten, HX|Hurtigruten Expeditions, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Oceania Cruises, P&O Cruises, P&O Australia, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean Int’l, Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Viking Cruises, and Virgin Voyages—according to four environmental criteria: Sewage Treatment, Air Pollution Reduction, Water Quality/Scrubber Use and Transparency.
Sewage Treatment
To determine a cruise line’s Sewage Treatment grade, we compared the number of cruise ships in the cruise line that have installed advanced sewage treatment systems (AWTS) against the total number of ships in the cruise line. Ships with AWTS have been downgraded from As to Cs since 2020 because no companies publicly report on the performance of those advanced systems.
Air Pollution Reduction
To determine the Air Pollution Reduction grade for each ship in a cruise line, ships that dock at a port and plug in to available shoreside power hookups were graded. In addition, ships were given credit if they utilize low sulfur fuels continuously worldwide at levels lower than required by international law. Ships were downgraded if they have adopted the use of liquified natural gas which emits significantly more life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions over the short-term than low sulfur fuel. Use of scrubbers is not considered since the significant majority of scrubbers in use by the cruise industry simply convert air pollution emissions into water pollution through their scrubber wastewater discharges.
Water Quality Compliance
To determine the Water Quality/Scrubber Use grade we only grade cruise ships in the cruise line that have installed exhaust gas scrubbers. Many cruise ships have installed exhaust gas scrubbers to reduce smoke-stack emissions and comply with cleaner fuel rules in the US and worldwide. However, while scrubbers reduce some air pollution, most discharge contaminated, toxic wastewater — trading one dirty pollution source for another. We fail ships for their use of scrubbers since scrubbers convert air pollution emissions into wastewater pollution.
Transparency
To determine the Transparency grade for each cruise line we graded each cruise line based on whether it responded to our 2024 requests for information regarding their environmental practices. Companies that responded with full specifics were given As, those that didn’t received failing grades.
The grades for each of the four criteria were averaged to calculate the Final Grade for each cruise line.
Grades In Comparison: Report Cards From Previous Years
2024 Cruise Ship Report Card
2022 Cruise Ship Report Card
2021 Cruise Ship Report Card
2020 Cruise Ship Report Card
2019 Cruise Ship Report Card
2016 Cruise Ship Report Card
2014 Cruise Ship Report Card
2013 Cruise Ship Report Card
2012 Cruise Ship Report Card
2010 Cruise Ship Report Card
2009 Cruise Ship Report Card
**For the 2024 Cruise Ship Report Card, we graded cruise lines and 243 cruise ships of those 21 lines operating around the world. All cruise ships from each cruise line were included in this report card. Friends of the Earth relied on data gathered from the internet, government sources, the cruise line industry, and other public sources in order to determine the grades assigned to the cruise lines. Friends of the Earth did not independently verify that the technology graded in the report card was installed on the individual cruise ships. The grades are based on information understood to be accurate as of September 18, 2024. It is possible that changes in practices by a company since that date would warrant a different grade.