A Titanic Enviro-Spanking

Thinking about tying the knot with a hot love chaser on that five-day Bermuda cruise? Friends of the Earth thinks you may want to reconsider.

On Wednesday, the environmental group released the first-ever report card for cruise ships. From Princess Cruises to Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International, the report card ranks the top 10 major cruise lines serving the U.S., and the results are revealing.  

"Millions of Americans take cruise vacations every year," the report card reads. "However, most don't realize that cruising is more harmful to the environment and human health than many other forms of travel. With ships that can carry up to 7,000 passengers and crew, these floating cities pollute the air we breathe and the water we use and enjoy."

"Typically, cruise ship passengers are attracted to cruise ship vacations with pictures of pristine waters and promises of unspoiled scenery and abundant wildlife, but these passengers are never told that their vacation could leave a dirty mark on the places they visit," stated FOE's Clean Vessels Campaign Director Marcie Keever in a press release. "This is something travelers should pay close attention to: Half of the cruise lines we evaluated earned grades of C minus or below."

Based on sewage treatment, air pollution reduction, water quality compliance, and ease of accessibility for consumers to research a company's environmental practices, the report card gave both the Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International a final grade of F. The Cruise Lines International Association, an industry representative of 25 companies, quickly issued a retaliatory statement denouncing the report card, saying: "It is regrettable that Friends of the Earth authors such misinformation."

While you certainly can't accuse Friends of the Earth of caving in to grade inflation, some of the cruise lines probably won't be complaining too ferociously. Although none of the companies received an actual A, Holland American Line graded highest with a B, while Norwegian Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises both scored B minuses. Not too shabby for an industry still learning to tie its environmental shoes. And besides, there's nothing like a little room for green improvement to engage cruise lines in some honest competition.

Photo courtesy Holland American Line.