As a global cruise company, we live and work on the ocean, so we understand just how precious it is. That’s why we’ve made water conservation a priority. Our “Every Drop Counts” strategy helps us use less and reclaim more, reducing our impact and protecting the thriving communities and delicate ecosystems that depend on clean seas.
Using Less Together
We use almost 40% less water onboard per person than the average person’s daily use on land* — or over 4 billion fewer gallons of water. We also make every drop count with water-smart appliances like efficient laundry machines and dishwashers and over 100,000 performance flow showerheads and sink aerators installed across our fleet, saving millions of gallons a year. Guests are invited to help by skipping daily towel and linen changes and making other small choices to conserve water.
Sourcing & Supplying Sustainably
Beyond reducing water use overall, we sustainably source nearly 90% of the freshwater used on board our ships from the sea itself, avoiding over $33 million** annually in costs associated with purchasing fresh water from other sources. Our self-sufficient water production systems — such as advanced desalination systems, including evaporators often powered by heat recovered from our engines, and reverse osmosis equipment — help preserve other freshwater sources for the people and places that depend on them.
Treating Water Responsibly
Our ships are like self-contained cities, and just like on land, wastewater is part of daily life. But with nearly 75% of our fleet capacity equipped with Advanced Waste Water Treatment Systems using technology modeled after large city water treatment plants, we purify the water used onboard to municipal-water quality or better before releasing it back to nature. Because every drop counts, we process used wastewater for the few remaining ships through certified onboard Marine Sanitation Devices, ensuring it meets strict quality standards before it rejoins the sea.
88%
OF OUR FRESHWATER NEEDS ARE SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED FROM THE SEA
90%
TARGET FOR SELF-SUPPLIED FRESHWATER BY 2030
~38%
LESS WATER USED ON BOARD PER PERSON PER DAY VS. U.S. NATIONAL AVERAGE ON LAND (as per the U.S. EPA)
*Our water use rate is 51 gallons per person per day, which is almost 40% less than the U.S. national average of 82 gallons per person per day. Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency.
**Based on the 2023 average national commercial cost for 1000 gallons of water. Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency.
