‘Cruisezilla’ passenger ships have doubled in size since 2000, environmental group warns

CNN — Cruise ships have doubled in size over the past two decades, a precedent that could lead to even bigger vessels plying our oceans in the future and bringing potential problems, a new report has warned. The largest passenger vessels today are twice as large as they were in 2000, says a study conducted by European clean energy lobby group Transport and Environment, which warns of the environmental impact of the “rapidly” growing global cruise industry. Bruce Weaver/AFP/Getty Images Cruise Lines International Association, the largest cruise industry trade association, takes issue with “multiple claims in the report which conflict with verified data,” the group said in a statement. “Notably the size of ships and the emissions data as published on the EU database, which show that cruise lines have reduced emissions by 16% on average per ship over the past five years.” The number of cruise ships has increased by 20-fold from 21 in 1970 to 515 today, according to T&E. CLIA added in its statement that “the majority of all cruise ships sailing today – and scheduled to be in service well into the next decade – are small- to- mid-size ships and are part of a global fleet that is more energy efficient than ever.” CLIA has committed its members to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.