Onlooker sparks outrage with shocking photo of cruise ship sitting in port: 'Garbage in so many senses'

A Redditor has sparked outrage after sharing an image of a cruise ship being dismantled for scrap while docked at a port. 

"Carnival Cruise ships being scrapped," the Redditor titled the photo, which they posted to the r/submechanophobia subreddit. 

The image showed three large vessels docked at a port, one of which had already been significantly dismantled. 

The post reignited the long-running debate over the environmental impact of cruise ships and the cruise industry as a whole. 

One commenter slammed the massive vessels' very existence, arguing that "these monstrosities are giant floating human rights and pollution violations" before adding that they were "garbage in so many senses." 

Another commenter agreed, replying, "No seriously I wish people would stop going on cruises." 

"So glad they banned them from coming to our area," chimed in a third. 

For years, experts have warned about the enormous impact that the cruise industry has on the environment and public health, including the massive amounts of air pollution, water pollution, and solid waste its vessels generate. 

Largely because they are powered by dirtier, extracted fuels, cruise ships are responsible for enormous amounts of air pollution, releasing carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere, according to Business Norway. 

An analysis by Friends of the Earth found that individuals traveling aboard cruise ships were responsible for generating eight times as much planet-warming carbon dioxide per day as land-based vacationers.  

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Additionally, a 2023 study found that 218 Europe-based luxury cruise ships released as much health-harming sulfur oxides in one year as one billion cars.

Even short-term exposure to sulfur oxides, such as sulfur dioxide, can result in respiratory damage and difficulty breathing, particularly among children and people suffering from asthma, according to the EPA. 

In sufficient concentrations, sulfur oxides also damage the foliage of plants and trees, stunting growth, and can even cause acid rain, per the EPA.  

Further, according to Earth.org, a one-week cruise can result in a staggering 50 tons of solid waste, including plastic, paper, wood, cardboard, food waste, glass, and aluminum cans. 

With all of this damage to public health and the environment in mind, one commenter summed up the sentiment of many Redditors. 

"Scrap 'em all, please and thank you," they said.

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