NABU Cruise Ranking

Climate target

On a positive note, all cruise lines considered continue to be committed to their net-zero target for 2050. Accordingly, they aim to capture as many greenhouse gases annually as they emit by that date, so that their total emissions balance out to zero. However, the cruise lines show little sign of planning to achieve this before 2050.

Climate and efficiency measures

Efficiency improvements in ships are achieved through measures such as improved energy management on board, route optimisation combined with slow steaming, but also adjustments to the hull shape and the ship's propeller. In rare cases, air bubble carpets are also used to reduce the ship's frictional resistance and thus fuel consumption. 

Even less common is the use of wind energy to support the main engines, such as on some Ponant ships. Plans for new ships with wind-assisted systems are still few, with Havila, Hurtigruten and Ponant among those planning such ships.

Somewhat more common in the current fleet, but still rare, is the use of batteries. For example, AIDA Cruises, Havila, Hurtigruten, Hurtigruten Expeditions, Ponant and Royal Caribbean use batteries on some of their ships. Fuel cells can be found in individual cases, for example at MSC. Some cruise lines are planning to use batteries and fuel cells when converting their ships and placing new orders, but even here, these are not widespread measures. So far, batteries have mainly been used as a supporting technology for conventional propulsion systems. Just as fuel cells, they are primarily deployed for so-called peak shaving during maneuvering, helping to reduce fuel consumption by easing the load on the main engines during peak demand. Yet the potential of these technologies extends far beyond this role. In 2026, a German shipyard presented the first-ever concept for a fully electric large cruise ship. The next step is for cruise operators to bring this pioneering concept to life by commissioning and building it.

Climate intensity

In general, efficiency measures have reduced energy consumption and thus climate intensity per passenger over the last few years. New ships are becoming increasingly energy-efficient, and retrofits are also being carried out on the existing fleet to increase energy efficiency and thus reduce fuel consumption. The increase in size of individual ships has also contributed to greater efficiency per passenger. 

However, greenhouse gas emissions per passenger and kilometer travelled vary greatly between different cruise lines. Based on available data for the European market (THETIS-MRV), greenhouse gas emissions range from less than 200 to over 1200 g CO₂ per passenger kilometer – a six-fold difference between the various cruise lines. 

EU climate emissions trend

Thanks to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) for maritime transport and the associated monitoring system (THETIS-MRV), it is possible to estimate how the total greenhouse gas emissions of cruise lines active in the EU have developed in recent years. However, the data show little evidence of a consistent trend towards emissions reduction.

A comparison of data from 2024 and 2025 reveals significant differences between operators, ranging from a 15 % reduction in emissions to a 25 % increase. Such fluctuations are often linked to changes in fleet composition, including the sale or acquisition of ships. At the same time, the EU emissions data do not fully reflect the total greenhouse gas footprint of cruise lines, particularly those operating to a significant extent outside Europe. However, as long as comprehensive global emissions data for the shipping sector are not publicly available, the EU data remain a valuable indicator.

Alternative fuels

In order to truly boost the decarbonization of cruise shipping, in addition to more efficient ships and the increased use of wind assistance, batteries and fuel cells, the most important thing is a shift from the fossil fuels currently in use to renewable fuels, known as efuels or RFNBOs (renewable fuels of non-biological origin). However, this year's cruise ranking shows little progress in the use of efuels. Instead of focusing on technologies that promise true climate neutrality, the industry is predominantly concentrating on LNG (liquefied natural gas) for new orders – a fossil fuel that emits less CO₂, but whose main component, methane, has a greenhouse gas potential more than 80 times greater than CO₂ over a 20-year period.

LNG does not reduce greenhouse gases in either the short or long term but strengthens existing fossil fuel infrastructures and prevents the industry from investing in fuels that enable a real step towards the net-zero climate target by 2050. Even though the availability of e-fuels such as e-methanol and the corresponding engine technology is still limited at present, it remains unfortunate that there are hardly any concrete measures towards e-fuels, especially when it comes to new orders. The one positive thing to note is a methanol-capable ship in the existing Mein Schiff fleet. In current newbuild projects, however, there are no truly ambitious pioneers. 

Onshore power

There is more momentum in decarbonisation during port stays. Unlike at sea, a ship's energy demand in port can be covered entirely by electricity, ideally from renewable sources, as long as the ship and port are technically equipped. Due to EU regulations requiring large passenger ships in European ports to use shore power from 2030 onwards, there are now no cruise lines left in the ranking that do not have ships capable of using shore power. Some cruise lines, such as Havila, Hurtigruten, HX Expeditions and Mein Schiff, are already fully equipped, whilst others are lagging significantly behind and only have a few ships fitted with shore power connections. However, the Cruise Ranking does not take into account the equally important question of how often ships actually use shore power whilst in port. Whilst ports such as Hamburg, Kiel and Rostock already offer shore power connections across the board to cruise ships (and, in the case of Hamburg, this will even become mandatory for cruise lines from 2027), other ports are still a long way from achieving this. Consequently, even in ports with charging points, many ships have not yet been connected to shore power.

End of heavy fuel oil

From NABU's point of view, it is extremely regrettable that only four of the twelve cruise lines analysed reject using heavy fuel oil, which is highly damaging to the environment and climate. Most continue to use toxic but cheap heavy fuel oil. Yet switching to less harmful marine diesel would be technically feasible without any major problems. Instead, many cruise lines rely on heavy fuel oil in combination with exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers), which reduce the sulphur content in the exhaust gas but discharge the resulting residues, enriched with toxic heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, into the sea, thus polluting marine ecosystems.

Air pollution control

Around half of the cruise lines are reducing their nitrogen oxide emissions throughout their fleets, either through exhaust gas aftertreatment systems or the use of cleaner fuels. However, most cruise lines are doing little to address soot emissions. Both nitrogen oxide and soot emissions cause air pollution, posing a particular threat to the health of coastal residents. In addition, soot increases global warming through its black particles, as it absorbs solar radiation instead of reflecting it. This is particularly problematic in Arctic waters, where some of the cruise lines of the cruise ranking also operate: the deposition of soot on ice and snow surfaces reduces their reflectivity and accelerates melting.