Cruise ships might be beautiful to look at and a leisurely way to enjoy vacations, but in many ways, it's the Earth that pays the price. An average-sized cruise ship burns up hundreds of gallons of heavy fuel oil every day, spewing particulate matter at a rate that is roughly equivalent to the daily emissions from a million cars. But one company is hoping to make some environmental waves. The Norwegian line Hurtigruten has found a way to use a type of renewable fuel made from dead fish and other organic waste. Known as liquified biogas (LBG), the fuel is widely available in Northern Europe, thanks to large fishery and forestry sectors. Hurtigruten plans to have six liners running partly on biogas by 2021. The company was also the world's first cruise line to eliminate single-use plastics from its voyages.
Keeping current on cruises:
- Australian billionaire Clive Palmer is helming a project to construct a functional modern replica of the Titanic, tentatively slated for completion by 2022.
- The world's biggest cruise ship is Royal Caribbean International's Symphony of the Seas, which has a capacity of nearly 9,000 passengers and crew.
- Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is the only luxury ocean liner that lets passengers take their pets with them between Europe and North America. The passage for a cat or dog will cost you between $800 and $1,600 USD.