Ban megacruise ships

Why is this important?

Sunshine on the deck. Fresh sea air. Beautiful coastal cities passing by. Cruise companies sell the dream of a carefree escape.

But there’s an ugly side to megacruise tourism they don’t want people to see.

Recent virus outbreaks have once again exposed cruise ships as ideal environments for disease to spread. [1] 

And when they do, workers often pay the price. During the pandemic, thousands of cruise ship crew members were stranded onboard infected ships for months with little pay and few rights. [2] 

But the damage doesn’t stop there.

Giant cruise corporations like Carnival, MSC, and Royal Caribbean are turning some of Europe’s most beautiful cities into polluted, overcrowded hotspots. From Marseille to Barcelona, local people face overcrowded streets, damaged coastlines, and growing risks to their health. [3]

But cities are pushing back - and winning. Venice banned large cruise ships from entering its historic lagoon to stop pollution and ecosystem damage. [4] Cities like Amsterdam are calling for a similar ban. [5]

With momentum building, we can push back across Europe - before another decade of megacruise expansion is locked in. The more ports we can pressure to follow, the harder it will be for governments to allow megacruises in their cities.

Together, we can force our leaders to put our health, our workers, and our coastlines before cruise giants’ profits.

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