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The Global Cruise Industry: Cruising for an Environmental Bruising?
What's the structure of the cruise industry?
A report produced by the Bluewater Network, an environmental pressure group, based in the USA, analysed the cruise line companies, finding that there are only three main corporations controlling this multi-billion pound sector of the travel and tourism industry. The largest of these businesses is the Carnival Corporation, which began life as Carnival Cruise Lines in 1972 with a secondhand Russian vessel, but has grown into a business valued in April 2003 at about $40 billion (more than £20 billion). Bluewater's industry analysis produced the following data:
| Name of corporation | Cruise lines owned by corporation | Fleet of vessels | No. of berths (passengers) | No. of ships on order |
| Carnival Corporation | 12 lines including: Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, P&O Cruises | 66 ships | 100,000 | 17 |
| Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Island Cruises (a joint venture with First Choice UK) | 26 ships | 53,000 | 2 |
| Star Cruises | Norwegian Cruise Line, Orient Line & Star Cruises (Asia) | 20 ships | 26,000 | 2 |
Currently, (May 2005), the largest passenger liner is the Queen Mary 2. QM2 is owned by Carnival and at £530 million is the most expensive cruise ship in the world. But this giant of the seas will surrender its record-breaking status when Royal Caribbean launches its 160,000 ton liner, Ultra Voyager in 2008.
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