FACT SHEET
CRUISE SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
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FACT
Cruise ship environmental practices and innovative technologies
lead the maritime community in reducing emissions and waste.
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FACT
Advanced wastewater treatment systems
pioneered by the cruise industry can
produce water that is cleaner than most
wastewater treatment facilities in U.S. cities.
CLIA Member oceangoing cruise lines
annually verify implementation of
CLIA’s Waste Management policy which
includes zero discharge for trash and
untreated sewage.
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80,000 tons of paper, plastic, glass and
aluminum cans are recycled each year by
cruise lines.
Cruise ship waste management professionals
recycle 60% more waste per person than the
average person recycles on shore each day.
Special lighting on some ships reduces
power consumption by up to 20%.
CLIA Member cruise lines support the
International Maritime Organization’s
Energy Efficiency Design Index, which
will require a 30% reduction in ships’ CO2
emissions by 2025 through the use of
more energy‑efficient — and therefore less
polluting — equipment and engines.
The cruise industry is investing hundreds of millions of dollars
in green technology and innovation.
CLIA Member cruise lines have led numerous
green innovations, including:
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Exhaust gas scrubber equipment to
significantly reduce sulfur emissions to
meet or exceed international and national
standards within Emissions Control Areas
and worldwide.
Energy-efficient engines that consume less
fuel and reduce emissions.
Paint coatings for ship hulls that can reduce
fuel consumption by as much as 5%.
Solar panels that capture clean energy for
shipboard use.
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Energy-saving technologies such as LED
lights, tinted windows, higher efficiency
appliances, and windows that capture and
recycle heat.
Heat exchangers that recycle hot water to
heat cabins, as well as water reclamation from
various sources for non-potable uses.
Recycled materials that are often used
during ship construction.
As a result of these and other practices,
cruise ships are regularly among the most
environmentally friendly marine vessels
in history.
Technologies that allow ships to “plug in”
at ports where shore power is available and
further reduce fuel emissions.
ENVIRONMENT 1
FACT SHEET
FACT
CRUISE SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP
Crewmembers keep a close eye on shipboard environmental practices.
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FACT
Passengers and crew are important
participants in environmental stewardship
and routinely contribute via recycling and
environmental awareness efforts.
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Ships are to regularly monitor their daily
water consumption and other environmental
performance measures.
CLIA’s oceangoing cruise line Members are
to have senior-level staff responsible for
training crewmembers in environmental
programs and implementing required
environmental practices on board.
The cruise industry works closely with environmental regulators to
protect our air, oceans, and ecosystems.
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CLIA’s Member cruise lines work with the
International Maritime Organization to
develop sound environmental standards with
global applicability.
The International Convention for the
Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)
sets strict limits for cruise ships on air
emissions, waste management, and water
treatment that are in effect worldwide.
Cruise ships receive frequent safety, security,
health, and environmental inspections each
year by authorities from both their country of
registration and the foreign ports they visit.
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CLIA and its Member cruise lines worked
closely with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to develop
compliance mechanisms for the North
America Emissions Control Area (ECA) that
will further reduce air pollution emissions
from all ocean-going vessels operating near
the U.S.
In U.S. waters, the Environmental Protection
Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard regulate
and enforce rigorous requirements on air,
water, power, and waste, including provisions
of the U.S. Clean Water Act.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the world’s largest cruise industry trade
association. CLIA represents the interests of cruise lines, travel agents, port authorities and
destinations, and various industry business partners before regulatory and legislative policy makers.
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ENVIRONMENT 2
Q&A
CRUISE SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
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Q. What do cruise ships do
Q. How does the cruise industry
A. While all waste water must be treated to
A. Over the last decade, the cruise industry has
with waste water?
international, regional, national, and local
standards prior to any discharge at sea,
CLIA’s Waste Management policy actually
exceeds existing legal requirements. CLIA
Member oceangoing cruise lines may
not discharge untreated sewage anytime
or anywhere. Treated sewage may be
discharged only when at least four miles out
to sea. This exceeds the sewage discharge
practices of most coastal cities in the U.S.,
which discharge treated sewage, and in
some cases untreated sewage, into the
ocean closer than four miles from shore.
protect air quality?
invested significantly in new technologies
that help to reduce air emissions, including:
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Utilizing exhaust gas scrubbers
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Operating diesel electric engines
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Q. What happens to trash
generated by a cruise ship?
A. CLIA Member cruise lines have a zero
discharge policy for trash and this is now
reflected in international legal requirements.
In fact, some CLIA Member cruise lines’ ships
are already repurposing 100% of the waste
generated on board by reducing, reusing,
donating, recycling, and converting waste
into energy. Unrecyclable waste on cruise
ships can be as little as 1.5 pounds per
person a day, compared to the average of
4–5 pounds per person on land in the U.S.
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Developing engines that run more
efficiently
Using alternative fuel options when
practical
Using shore-based power in port
Developing special hull coatings for
greater fuel efficiency
Optimizing hull and appendage designs
Developing advanced lighting and
HVAC technology and controls
Utilizing advanced heat recovery methods
Q. How does the cruise industry
involve passengers in its
conservation efforts?
A. Environmental stewardship is important
for passengers and crew alike. The cruise
industry actively encourages passengers to
join in these efforts, and offers numerous
onboard resource conservation programs.
In an average year, the cruise industry
recycles 80,000 tons of paper, plastic,
glass and aluminum cans.
ENVIRONMENT 1
Q&A
CRUISE SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP
Q. How is the cruise industry
improving fuel efficiency and
lowering energy consumption?
A. More fuel-efficient engines means
responsible energy conservation and
reduced impact on the planet. CLIA
Member cruise lines have made extensive
investments over the last decade to develop
and implement improved fuel efficiency
measures on ships.
Cruise lines have also lowered energy
consumption by switching to low-energy
LED lights, applying special hull coatings
for increased fuel efficiency, using recycled
hot water to heat passenger cabins, and
installing special window tinting to keep
passageways cooler while using less
air conditioning.
Q. Who regulates environmental
practices on cruise ships?
A. All CLIA Member cruise lines must comply
with international standards set forth in the
International Convention for the Prevention
of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the main
international convention covering prevention
of pollution of the marine environment by all
oceangoing ships.
The cruise industry must also comply with
the International Safety Management
(ISM) Code, which sets out monitoring and
auditing practices for environmental and
safety standards, and any relevant national
laws, including the U.S. Clean Water Act and
Environmental Protection Agency standards.
These stringent regulations are enforced
in the U.S. by the Environmental Protection
Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Additionally, CLIA oceangoing Members
have adopted a Waste Management policy
that exceeds current regulations; verification
of implementation is a mandatory condition
of membership in CLIA.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the world’s largest cruise industry trade
association. CLIA represents the interests of cruise lines, travel agents, port authorities and
destinations, and various industry business partners before regulatory and legislative policy makers.
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ENVIRONMENT 2
CRUISE SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
The cruise industry is innovating to further reduce its impact
and raise the bar for maritime environmental stewardship.
AIR & ENERGY
Cruise lines are investing in
innovations like exhaust scrubbers,
energy-efficient engines, and hull
coatings that reduce fuel consumption
to further minimize cruising’s impact
on the environment. Energy‑saving
LED lights, tinted windows, and higher
efficiency appliances mean that
new cruise ships can go farther with
fewer emissions.
Lighting systems on
newer ships consume
nearly 20% less power.
WATER
Without pristine oceans, there
could be no cruise industry. CLIA
oceangoing Member cruise lines
annually verify implementation of
CLIA’s Waste Management policy,
including zero discharge for trash
and untreated sewage. Cruise lines
make substantial efforts to keep our
waters clean and healthy.
Advanced wastewater
treatment systems pioneered
by the cruise industry can
produce water that is cleaner
than most wastewater
treatment facilities in U.S. cities.
WASTE
Cruise lines are to follow careful waste management and recycling
practices to prevent trash from ending up in our oceans. The result?
Unrecyclable waste on cruise ships can be as little as 1.5 pounds per
person a day, compared to the average of 4–5 pounds on land in
the U.S. — none of which may be discharged into the sea.
WILDLIFE &
ECOSYSTEMS
Cruise lines go the
extra mile to protect
sensitive ecosystems,
even working closely
with conservationists to
record and report wildlife
sightings during voyages.
Cruise lines partnered
with the U.S. National
Park Service to
develop a pilot
whale‑mapping
program in Alaska’s
Glacier Bay.
TRANSPARENCY &
ACCOUNTABILITY
In addition to sustainability
reporting on cruise line
websites, CLIA’s Members
collaborate with regulators
like the International Maritime
Organization to develop
environmental standards.
National regulators including
the Environmental Protection
Agency and U.S. Coast Guard
also set and enforce strict
environmental standards on
emissions, water treatment,
and waste management in
U.S. waters.
Cruise lines actively
participate in the
development of
environmental standards
through the IMO.
80,000 tons of paper, plastic, glass and aluminum
cans are recycled each year by cruise lines.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association. CLIA represents the interests of cruise
lines, travel agents, port authorities and destinations, and various industry business partners before regulatory and legislative policy makers.
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