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What Is LNG Gas, and What Are LNG-Powered Cruise Ships?

Carnival Mardi Gras (Image: Carnival Cruise Line)

Ashley Kosciolek

Contributor

Despite protests of many eco-conscious travelers that cruise ships are bad for the environment, the industry is greener than ever, with most major cruise lines reducing or eliminating single-use plastics, instituting onboard recycling and composting, and building or retrofitting ships to reduce emissions.

One of the newest environmentally friendly cruise trends is the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG). But, what is LNG power?

LNG is one of the cleanest-burning non-electric marine fuels, reportedly reducing sulfur emissions by as much as 99 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 85 percent, according to a 2018 paper from the University of Texas at Austin. It also reduces greenhouse emissions by as much as an additional 30 percent and largely eliminates particulate matter from ship exhaust.

LNG-powered ships are ones that use LNG fuel, at least in part, to generate the energy needed for propulsion. The first passenger ship to employ LNG was AIDAnova, which debuted in 2018. Since then, more than 20 additional LNG ships have been announced.

So, which vessels should you choose if you want to sail on an LNG cruise ship? Read on for our list of ships that have hopped on the LNG transportation bandwagon.