Carnival Corporation is taking a deep dive into cutting fuel costs and emissions with a mix of new hull designs, advanced technology, and underwater drones.
The cruise company provided an update on its efforts to reduce emissions across its various cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, and P&O Cruises.
Upcoming enhancements are expected to reduce drag, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its global fleet.
“We’re not just tinkering here,” said Lars Ljoen, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation. “We’re looking at every available area for improvement for how our cruise ships operate.”
Ljoen says the company will combine state-the-art hull designs, advanced propulsion technology, “and years of experience,” to enhance its fleet’s performance.
At the heart of the company’s strategy is hydrodynamic efficiency, which will be achieved by fine-tuning hull shapes, adjusting trim to improve weight distribution, and deploying podded propulsion systems that can steer in any direction.
The company also said it is experimenting with air lubrication systems that send air bubbles beneath the hull to reduce resistance – a move already implemented on over 10 percent of its fleet.
Carnival Corporation has plans to equip 10 more ships in the next three years, which it hopes will cut fuel use by at least 5 percent per vessel.
Read Also: Future Fuel: What Is an LNG-Powered Cruise Ship?
Beyond structural changes, Carnival is also testing underwater drones to inspect hulls and robotic cleaners that can scrub them without damaging protective coatings. The company says the initiatives will help reduce drag and improve efficiency.
Next-generation hull coatings are also in development at the company. Carnival Corporation says 15 percent of its fleet is trialing new paints designed to prevent biofouling.
Ljoen emphasized that the advancements are part of a long-term push toward sustainability.
“This has been a journey of small steps and years of continued collaboration to push the boundaries of innovation and drive solutions for greater efficiencies,” he said.
“In essence, we are continuously reducing our environmental footprint at the same time we deliver the best vacation experience for our guests,” he added.
Pushing Toward Net Zero
Carnival Corporation has made it clear that it is working toward net-zero GHG emissions by 2050, but the European Union has set an even tighter timeline, aiming for net-zero by 2050 while requiring a 55 percent reduction by 2030.
With less than five years to reach that ambitious goal, is the cruise giant moving fast enough with these little steps?
As of 2024, the company achieved an 18 percent reduction compared to 2019 levels, and is pushing to achieve a 20 percent reduction by 2026.
While Carnival has reduced its GHG emission intensity, its total emissions remain substantial, according to the Transport and Environment (T&E) campaign group in Europe.
In 2023, the company’s Europe-bound ships emitted 2.55 million tons of CO2, surpassing the annual emissions of cities like Glasgow.
Carnival’s brands have often received middling or poor scores from various watchdog groups, such as Friends of the Earth (FOE), who have graded major cruise lines on their environmental performance through report cards evaluating air and water pollution, transparency, and compliance with regulations.
For example, in the most recent FOE cruise ship report card, Carnival Cruise Line, Seabourn, Cunard, P&O Cruises, and Costa Cruises all received “F” ratings.
Still, Carnival Corporation brands have also been the first in the cruise industry to make greener moves.
In 2001, for example, Princess Cruises was the first cruise line to connect a ship to shore power in Juneau, Alaska, significantly reducing emissions while in port.
Following this, in 2004, the Port of Seattle became the first homeport in North America to offer shore power at two cruise berths, thanks to investments by Carnival Corporation and Holland America Group.
In December 2018, when AIDA Cruises introduced AIDAnova, it introduced the world to its first cruise ship capable of operating entirely on LNG.
Building on this progress, Carnival Cruise Line launched Mardi Gras in July 2021, becoming the first LNG-powered cruise ship in North America.
