Environmental practices to conserve water

Reclaimed water
Ships convert seawater to produce the majority of fresh water needed onboard for bathing, washing, laundry and cooking.

CILA member, Disney Cruise Line’s ships reclaim some 33% of the water used onboard from condensation in the shipboard air conditioning units, which is then re-used to wash decks.

Disney also re-routes excess heat generated in its ships’ engine boilers to power evaporators which turn sea water into drinkable water.

Similarly, Holland America Line and Seabourn conserve around 30% of fresh water through waste heat, boilers and reverse osmosis units.

Crystal Cruises also uses reverse osmosis plants to increase onboard water-making capacity.

Water Conservation
Low-flow toilets and shower heads and faucets are used onboard Holland American Lines and Seabourn ships, resulting in 75% less water than a typical toilet.

Crystal Cruises also uses low-flow showerheads which have reduced water usage by 50%. Its ships also feature water restrictors on faucets, reduced boiler fuel consumption to heat water makers and the Natura water filtration system to replace outside bottled water onboard.

Advanced Waste and Water Treatment Systems
On many ships, advanced waste and water treatment systems treat black water and grey water to produce effluent that is cleaner than required.

Royal Caribbean International, Holland America Line and Seabourn all used purification systems, while MSC Cruises’ advanced waste water treatment plant processes up to 1,500m³ of liquid waste per day using a sophisticated five-stage process.

Environmental Contributions
Carnival Cruise Lines has installed ocean-monitoring devices on some of its ships. Water and environmental data is transmitted worldwide via satellite to environmental groups, governmental agencies and universities to aid in assessing ocean pollution and researching global climate changes and weather patterns.