18OCT2019 - NEWS - Cruise ships in French waters agree to pollute less

The main cruise ship operators in French waters have agreed on measures to limit pollution caused by their vessels, including hooking up to the power grid instead of keeping their engines running during stopovers.

The “Blue Charter” agreement signed in Marseille by Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, Royal Carribean Cruises and Ponant also pledged to use less-polluting fuel when maneuvering in harbors as well as other measures to reduce emissions.

The four signatories transport 95% of the passengers and account for 85% of the stopovers in Marseille, which is France’s number one cruise ship port and the fourth-biggest in the Mediterranean, with 1.75 million passengers last year and a target of 2 million in 2020.