The world’s first green cruise… there’s just one problem

The world’s first green cruise ship set off today on its maiden voyage from the Port of Antwerp on a 10 day tour of the North Sea. The 300 metre long ship is the first climate-friendly vessel of its kind providing a luxury and guilt-free experience for eco-conscious travellers. 

However, there is just one catch…the ship doesn’t exist.

To highlight the growing prevalence of greenwashed cruise experiences, Transport & Environment launched a mock 100% green cruise experience with the tagline ‘sustain the unsustainable’. T&E set up digital ads on Google and Twitter to redirect potential customers looking for a green cruise. To date over 1500 potential customers have been redirected.

Cruise companies like the Swiss-headquartered MSC Cruises have been pushing the use of fossil gas (LNG) as a more sustainable answer to heavily polluting oil. However, LNG is far from green. Like any fossil fuel it emits CO₂ when burned. But LNG-powered ships also leak methane directly into the air – a toxic pollutant more than 80 times warming than CO₂. Until shipping operators invest in truly sustainable technologies like green hydrogen, the cleanest cruise on the market is staying at home.

Book now.