Heavy metals, ultrafine particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons…these are some of the dangerous pollutants in boat smoke. In Europe, 218 cruise ships travel from port city to port. And the environmental NGO T
In Marseille, the study says, “the 75 cruise ships that docked in 2022 emitted twice as much sulfur oxide (SOx) as all cars registered in the city”. On a continental scale, the NGO estimates that cruise ships pollute 4.4 times more than cars.
Italian, Spanish and Greek ports are over-represented in this ranking. At the top of the list is Barcelona. It is followed by Civitavecchia, in Italy, and Piraeus in Greece. Four Greek and three Spanish ports are in the top 20.
The study also pinpoints the most polluting cruise lines. First on the list is MSC Cruises, which operates 19 ships. It is closely followed by Costa Cruises, a fleet of 11 ships, then Royal Caribbean Cruises, Norwegian Cruise and Aida Cruises.
