A massive cruise ship drew the internet's ire after video surfaced showing off its massive size.
A clip shared to the r/BeAmazed subreddit presented Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.
(click here to watch the video if the embed does not appear)
"The immense size of Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas," the title said, "With a gross tonnage of 248,663, this ship is the world's largest cruise ship. The vessel has a maximum capacity to accommodate 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew members."
Cruise ships like Icon pose a number of serious ecological problems. The Icon has six 27,000-horsepower diesel engines that keep it moving, according to Supercar Blondie, and each of those produces massive amounts of carbon dioxide pollution per trip.
In fact, according to a 2022 study from the International Council on Clean Transportation, even the most fuel-efficient cruise ships produce more carbon dioxide per passenger than flying does.
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Icon has tried to make itself more efficient by using liquefied natural gas, or LNG, to power the generators that keep all of the incredible amenities on board up and running, as Supercar Blondie observed.
"LNG eliminates sulfur and cuts carbon by 70 percent…but also loses small amounts of methane in the process," the publication said.
However, a 2024 study from Cornell University noted that LNG had a higher carbon output than burning coal when transit and manufacturing were factored in.
But it's not just the atmosphere that's affected; Earth.org estimated that each voyage of a cruise produces 50 tons of garbage and that cruise ships account for 24% of the solid waste produced by ships worldwide.
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Definitely 👍 While some of that waste is properly disposed of, much of the plastic and cardboard waste is lost overboard, contributing to the growing ocean trash problem.
Commenters were quick to pile on to the issues with ships like the Icon.
"Should be illegal," one said, "Cruise ships has to be a cardinal sin of capitalism."
"Besides carbon emission, these ships dumps black and grey water to the sea," another added. "The regulations allow them to do that in open sea and away from shore."
"The ultimate symbol of gluttony and excess," commented a third.
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