Data compiled by the Council of Mallorca's Sustainable Tourism Observatory from Balearic Ports Authority and European Maritime Safety Agency figures indicate that the AIDAbella, operated by Germany's AIDA Cruises, is the most polluting ship that comes to Mallorca.
The data relate to 2021 and are the most up to date that are available. They show that the ship releases 4,931.24 kilos of carbon dioxide per nautical mile. When entering and leaving territorial sea - a distance of twelve nautical miles - the ship releases 118.3 tonnes of CO2 for the whole round trip; 24 nautical miles are equivalent to just over 44 kilometres.
To give an idea of how much this is, a petrol car emits an average of 140 grams of CO2 per kilometre. For the same distance that the AIDAbella travels in Mallorca's territorial sea, a car would emit 6.2 kilos of carbon dioxide. The cruise ship's emission is therefore equivalent to that of 19,087 cars.
The second most polluting ship, according to the data, is the MSC Preziosa, which emits 2,657.08 kilos of CO2 per nautical mile. The third is the MSC Fantasia - 2,513.39 kilos. All types of ships that enter and leave Palma are taken into account in the data. The fifteen most polluting ships are all cruise ships. Goods ferries release at most 773.73 kilos of CO2.
From April 12 to 15, anti-cruise ship organisations from the likes of Palma, Barcelona, Valencia, Marseille, Corsica and Venice will be holding events in Barcelona and Tarragona. Among those taking part will be Margalida Ramis, the spokesperson for environmentalists GOB. The four days will consider "a model incompatible with the climate crisis".
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This data is well known, and has been for sometime because that’s what these ships are. What is totally unacceptable is the Govt agencies turning a blind eye and ear to the cacophony of objections to these polluting monsters. Not to mention the low spend, high volume saturation impact these passengers inflict on their hapless victim port stop-offs. Get rid.
Well, the data speaks for itself really. Horrifically polluting cruise ships, destroying the environment and giving minimal funds to the local tourist economy. The passengers disgorge in their thousands, spend little (because they’re all pretty much all-inclusive on board) and they actually deter real (spending) tourists from visiting. So only people making the money - the ports … so Madrid. Whose’s suffering Palma … pollution and scaring real tourists away. Ban the lot - they’re plague ships.
Well that’s one of the costs of pointless cruising. Nobody benefits but the cruise companies.
If ports/cities want these ships then they should have the means for them to plug into the grid to reduce the pollution. The EU should regulate on this.
If we know which ships are the worst polluters surely we should be banning the worst from visiting our shores?? Easy to spot the worst polluters when in port because of the black pall of smoke that hangs over the port as they sit there with their engines running 24/7. Ugly.