NABU cruise ranking 2026: half of large cruise ships still burn heavy fuel oil as industry stays on fossil course

NABU ranking shows little change

The Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) presented its annual cruise line environmental ranking in Hamburg on 6 August 2026, evaluating 15 cruise lines based on voluntary responses to a questionnaire. Twelve lines responded; Phoenix Reisen, Viking Ocean Cruises and Nicko Cruises did not. The ranking, which NABU has published for 16 years, assesses factors including heavy fuel oil avoidance, shore power use, nitrogen oxide catalytic converters, climate targets, air quality measures, and new or retrofitted ships. The maximum possible score is 17 points.

Norwegian lines Havila and Hurtigruten topped the ranking for another year, but with only 7.5 points out of 17. French line Ponant and German operators TUI Cruises (Mein Schiff) and Aida Cruises tied for third place. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises scored 4.75 points and Aida Cruises 6 points, both in the midfield. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and British operator Marella ranked at the bottom, with Marella as the last-place finisher.

Heavy fuel oil remains dominant

Half of all large cruise ships still run on heavy fuel oil (Schweröl), a proportion higher than in container shipping, according to NABU. Two-thirds of the surveyed lines still use it. Only four of the twelve responding lines (Havila, Hurtigruten, Ponant and HX Expeditions) completely exclude its use. No cruise ship is equipped with soot particle filters, said NABU shipping consultant Raija Koch. Pollutants from heavy fuel oil can only be removed through scrubbers, which wash contaminants from exhaust gases and then discharge them into the sea or dispose of them on land.

Es fehlt nicht an technischen Lösungen, sondern am Willen zur Umsetzung.

NABU shipping expert Sönke Diesener said the industry remains on a fossil course despite small improvements. He noted that the first completely climate-neutral cruise could be possible before 2030, through hybrid propulsion using wind support or batteries, and through E-Methanol. TUI's "Mein Schiff 7", in service for two years, could switch to E-Methanol in the short term.

Shore power and port emissions

Progress is visible in reducing emissions during port lay times. Hamburg plans to introduce a shore power requirement from 2027 for technically equipped cruise ships, ahead of the EU requirement scheduled for 2030. NABU Hamburg chairman Malte Siegert praised Hamburg's approach but criticised that ships without shore power connections can still run auxiliary engines at the quay. He called for such ships to be banned from calling at ports.

Die Kreuzfahrtbranche erwirtschaftet hohe Gewinne und trägt damit eine besondere Verantwortung, beim Klima- und Umweltschutz voranzugehen.

Industry responses

Aida Cruises is expanding the use of bio-based fuels and preparing for E-Fuels, according to Dirk Inger, head of political representation, communication and sustainability at Aida Cruises. He acknowledged challenges including availability in ports, industrial-scale production capacity, internationally uniform framework conditions, and lack of market-ready prices in Germany and Europe. TUI Cruises CEO Wybcke Meier said the company aims to gradually reduce environmental impacts and expects CO2 savings of approximately 50,000 tons this year. MSC Cruises pointed to measurable progress toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in ship operations. The Meyer Werft in Papenburg has plans for a fully electric cruise ship, though it still needs to be purchased, according to Koch. NABU has been examining the environmental and climate impacts of cruise travel since 2011, when it awarded its "Dinosaur of the Year" prize to Aida and TUI Cruises, calling their fleets "dirty soot emitters".