Cruise ships are among the most significant contributors to climate change, particularly in Antarctica. The black carbon emissions from these vessels are accelerating the melting of snow on the continent. It’s important to note that Antarctica is melting at an accelerated rate and is responsible for a third of all sea level rise.

Consider the impacts a cruise ship would have on a small river town. It could devastate the environment through air pollution from carbon emissions and by dumping wastewater and sewage into the river, harming marine life and ecosystems.

Cruise ship pollution will disrupt and degrade the natural habitat of both the York River and the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. One cruise ship can emit the same amount of sulfur dioxide as 13.1 million cars in a day. Imagine the impact this would have on our ecosystem and small community.

Facts: 

All waste flushed down the toilet on the cruise liner will ultimately end up in the water, contaminating marine ecosystems.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a cruise ship carrying 3,000 passengers produces 210,000 gallons of sewage each week. 

The CO2 emissions from a cruise ship are 1,000 times greater than those from a train journey.

Princess Cruise Lines has faced multiple fines for environmental violations, including: 

In 2016, Princess Cruises and its parent company, Carnival Corporation, pleaded guilty to seven felony charges for illegally dumping oil-contaminated waste and falsifying records to conceal this pollution. The waste included gray water, bilge water, and black oil. The resulting fine of $40 million was the largest ever imposed for intentional vessel pollution.

In 2019, Princess Cruise Lines and Carnival Corporation were fined $20 million for violating their probation due to environmental offenses committed in 2016.

During the first year of probation, up to 800 violations were recorded. Many of these offenses were deemed more serious than the original violation. One significant violation was the dumping by Holland America Westerdam, where 22,500 gallons of gray water were discharged into Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, now the fastest-melting glacier on Earth.

Carnival Corporation committed thousands of violations from 2017 to 2022 while on federal criminal probation. It's obvious they would rather pay fines than improve their practices.

Today, towns are starting to see the negative impacts from having cruise ships docked in their ports. This has resulted in many tourist spots pushing back against the industry's presence. We can't afford to take the chance that these horrifying practices won't continue to happen here.