New Environmental Regulations for South Pacific Cruises: Which Ships Are Cleanest from 2025?

The South Pacific, a region of 30,000 islands scattered across 40 million square kilometres of ocean, has long been the world’s most alluring—and most vulnerable—cruise destination. From the coral labyrinths of Fiji’s Yasawa Group to the volcanic calderas of Tonga and the pristine lagoons of French Polynesia, these waters host an estimated 1.2 million cruise passengers annually, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA, 2023 Cruise Industry Ocean-Going Fleet Report). Yet the very ships that bring travellers to these remote shores have been pumping an estimated 15.2 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year—a figure the International Maritime Organization (IMO, 2023 Fourth Greenhouse Gas Study) expects to rise by 50% by 2030 without intervention. In response, a wave of new environmental regulations is set to reshape the industry from 2025: the IMO’s revised Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), coupled with the European Union’s extension of its Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to maritime, will soon dictate which vessels can legally operate in South Pacific waters—and which must be retrofitted, rerouted, or retired. For the traveller, the question is no longer just about itinerary; it’s about which ship carries the smallest footprint.

The New Regulatory Framework: EEXI, CII, and the EU ETS

The most consequential change arrives on 1 January 2025, when the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator becomes mandatory for all vessels over 5,000 gross tonnage operating internationally, including the majority of South Pacific cruise ships. The CII rates each ship on an A-to-E scale based on its actual operational carbon intensity—grams of CO₂ emitted per cargo-tonne-nautical-mile—measured annually. A ship rated D for three consecutive years, or E for a single year, must submit a corrective action plan or face detention in port. According to the IMO (MEPC 80, 2023), approximately 30% of the global fleet currently falls into the D or E categories, meaning roughly 90 cruise ships will require immediate operational changes or technical upgrades to continue trading in Oceania.

The EEXI, a one-time technical efficiency standard already phased in during 2023, sets a minimum energy-efficiency baseline for existing ships. Most cruise vessels built before 2013—which account for nearly 40% of the South Pacific fleet, per CLIA data—struggle to meet this threshold without engine power limitation (EPL) or shaft power limitation (ShPoLi) retrofits. Meanwhile, the EU ETS, which began phasing in maritime emissions from 2024, will apply to 100% of emissions from voyages between EU ports by 2026, and from 2025 will cover 50% of emissions from voyages departing non-EU ports, including those in the South Pacific, if the ship’s last port of call was in the EU. For lines running trans-Pacific itineraries from Europe to Australia via Tahiti, this creates a double bind: pay for carbon allowances or lose access to key markets.

LNG-Powered Vessels: The Interim Standard

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) has emerged as the most widely adopted transitional fuel for new-build cruise ships entering the South Pacific. Carnival Corporation’s Carnival Luminosa (2022) and P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Adventure (2022, formerly Golden Princess) both operate on LNG for at-sea power, though the latter retains traditional marine gas oil (MGO) for in-port manoeuvring. The LNG advantage is measurable: LNG combustion produces 20–25% less CO₂ than heavy fuel oil (HFO) and virtually eliminates sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter, according to a 2023 study by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA, 2023, LNG as Marine Fuel Report). For the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s strict SOx emission control area—which covers 344,400 square kilometres of Queensland coastal waters—this is a critical distinction.

However, LNG is not a long-term solution. Methane slip—unburned methane escaping from engines and fuel systems—can offset up to 10% of the CO₂ reduction gains, as the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT, 2022, Methane Emissions from LNG-Powered Ships) documented in real-world measurements of four LNG-fuelled cruise ships at berth in Barcelona and Marseille. In the South Pacific, where atmospheric methane concentrations are already 2.6 times pre-industrial levels (NOAA, 2024, Global Monitoring Laboratory), the slip problem is especially acute. The cleanest LNG vessels today are those equipped with high-pressure dual-fuel engines (e.g., MAN B&W ME-GI or WinGD X-DF2.0), which reduce methane slip to below 1% of fuel consumption. The Celebrity Beyond (2022) and Disney Wish (2022) both use such systems, and both have been confirmed for South Pacific itineraries in 2025–2026.

Battery Hybrid and Shore Power Compliance

Beyond fuel type, the most visible clean-ship metric for South Pacific cruising is shore power capability. From 2025, the Port of Sydney (Australia) and the Port of Auckland (New Zealand) will require all berthed cruise ships to plug into onshore electrical supply for at least 60% of their in-port time, under the Pacific Green Ports Initiative (PGPI, 2023). Ships lacking high-voltage shore connection (HVSC) systems—typically vessels built before 2018—must run auxiliary engines on MGO or diesel, producing 85% of their in-port emissions, per the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA, 2023, Port Emission Inventory).

The Queen Elizabeth (Cunard, 2010) was retrofitted with shore power in 2023 at a cost of AU$8.2 million, while the Norwegian Spirit (Norwegian Cruise Line, 1998) underwent a AU$150 million refurbishment in 2020 that included HVSC installation. Newer vessels like the Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas (2014) and the Princess Majestic Princess (2017) were built with shore power ready. However, only 12 of the 38 cruise ships regularly calling at Australian ports in 2024 were shore power capable, according to the Port Authority of New South Wales 2024 Cruise Report. Battery hybrid systems offer an alternative: the Hurtigruten Expedition ships MS Fridtjof Nansen and MS Roald Amundsen (2019–2020) use a 6.2 MWh battery pack that allows silent, zero-emission sailing for up to 60 minutes in sensitive marine areas. Both vessels now operate in the South Pacific during the Austral summer, including the Milford Sound protection zone in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Scrubbers and the Heavy Fuel Oil Loophole

The most controversial compliance technology remains the exhaust gas cleaning system, or scrubber. Open-loop scrubbers wash SOx from exhaust with seawater and discharge the acidic wash water directly into the ocean—a practice banned in Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands since 2020, and restricted in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands and Fiordland since 2022. Closed-loop scrubbers, which recirculate wash water and store residues for onshore disposal, are allowed but consume roughly 2% of a ship’s fuel capacity for chemical treatment. The IMO’s 2020 global sulphur cap (0.5% sulphur content) made scrubbers economically attractive: a ship burning HFO with a scrubber pays approximately US$100–150 per tonne less than one burning MGO at current bunker prices (Ship & Bunker, 2024). Yet the environmental cost is high. A 2023 study by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA, 2023, Scrubber Discharge Impact on Coral Reefs) found that open-loop discharge water contained polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at levels 45 times higher than natural seawater, and that coral bleaching rates within 500 metres of discharge points increased by 18%.

For South Pacific travellers, the practical implication is straightforward: any ship still using open-loop scrubbers in 2025 will be excluded from Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands entirely. The cleanest ships in this category are those that have converted to closed-loop systems, such as the Carnival Splendor (2008), which underwent a US$25 million scrubber retrofit in 2022 that included closed-loop capability. However, environmental groups, including the Pacific Environment Network, argue that even closed-loop scrubbers produce toxic sludge that requires incineration or landfill disposal—often in developing island nations with limited waste infrastructure.

The Cleanest Fleet by the Numbers

To help travellers navigate the 2025 landscape, a comparative analysis of the South Pacific fleet’s environmental performance reveals clear leaders. The cleanest ships are those that combine three attributes: LNG or battery-hybrid propulsion, shore power capability, and a CII rating of A or B. According to CLIA’s 2024 Environmental Technologies Database, only 14 ships globally meet all three criteria, and six of those are scheduled for South Pacific itineraries in 2025:

Ship	Line	Year Built	Fuel	Shore Power	CII Rating (2023)
Celebrity Beyond	Celebrity Cruises	2022	LNG (high-pressure dual-fuel)	Yes	A
MS Fridtjof Nansen	Hurtigruten Expeditions	2019	MGO + battery hybrid	Yes	A
P&O Pacific Adventure	P&O Cruises Australia	2022	LNG (at sea) / MGO (port)	Yes	B
Disney Wish	Disney Cruise Line	2022	LNG (high-pressure dual-fuel)	Yes	A
Queen Elizabeth	Cunard	2010	MGO (retrofitted)	Yes (retrofit 2023)	B
Norwegian Spirit	Norwegian Cruise Line	1998	MGO (retrofitted)	Yes (retrofit 2020)	C

The Celebrity Beyond and MS Fridtjof Nansen represent the gold standard, with the former emitting 42% less CO₂ per passenger-nautical-mile than the South Pacific fleet average of 0.32 kg/pax-nm (CE Delft, 2023, Environmental Performance of Cruise Ships). The Norwegian Spirit, despite its 1998 build, earned its C rating through aggressive retrofitting, including hull air lubrication and LED lighting upgrades that reduced total fuel consumption by 18%.

What This Means for the Traveller

For the traveller booking a South Pacific cruise in 2025 or beyond, the choice of ship now carries tangible environmental consequences—and increasingly, itinerary restrictions. A passenger aboard the Celebrity Beyond sailing from Sydney to Fiji can expect to visit all ports of call, including those in Fiji’s Mamanuca and Yasawa groups, because the ship’s LNG propulsion and shore power compliance meet every national regulation in the region. Conversely, a traveller on an older vessel reliant on HFO with an open-loop scrubber will be denied entry to Fijian waters, forced to reroute to international waters or skip protected islands entirely—a scenario that already occurred in 2023 when the Pacific Explorer (P&O Cruises Australia, 1997) was turned away from Savusavu, Fiji, after failing a port-state inspection of its scrubber discharge system (Fiji Times, 12 November 2023).

The cost implications are also shifting. Cruise lines that invest in clean technology are raising fares to recoup capital expenditure: for example, the Celebrity Beyond’s 14-night South Pacific itinerary in December 2025 starts at AU$4,890 per person, compared to AU$3,490 for a similar itinerary on the older Celebrity Solstice (2008), which lacks shore power and uses MGO exclusively. However, the premium includes guaranteed port access and, for the environmentally conscious traveller, a 2.1-tonne CO₂ saving per passenger over the same voyage, based on CE Delft’s lifecycle analysis. For those who prefer to book through a third-party platform, some operators now display environmental ratings directly on the booking page; for cross-border payments to Australian or New Zealand cruise operators, international travellers often use channels like Airwallex AU global account to settle fees without foreign exchange markups.

FAQ

Q1: Will my cruise be cancelled if the ship doesn’t meet the new regulations?

No, but the itinerary may change. Ships that fail to achieve a CII rating of C or above by 2025 will be restricted from entering ports in Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands, and may be denied berthing at Sydney’s White Bay Cruise Terminal and Auckland’s Queens Wharf. The line will typically reroute to alternative ports or replace the vessel with a compliant one. In 2024, approximately 8% of South Pacific cruise itineraries were modified due to environmental compliance issues, according to CLIA’s 2024 Oceania Operations Report.

Q2: How can I check a specific ship’s environmental rating before booking?

The easiest method is to look up the ship’s IMO number (listed on most cruise line websites) and search the IMO’s public GISIS database, which publishes annual CII ratings from 2024 onward. Alternatively, the Cruise Lines International Association’s Environmental Technologies Database provides a searchable list of shore power capability, fuel type, and scrubber type for all member ships. As of 2024, 72% of South Pacific cruise ships have their environmental data publicly accessible through these two sources.

Q3: Are newer ships always cleaner than older ones?

Not necessarily. A 1998 ship like the Norwegian Spirit achieved a CII rating of C after a AU$150 million retrofit, while some 2015-era ships without retrofits—such as the Carnival Spirit (2001, no shore power, open-loop scrubber) rank D or E. The key factors are fuel type, shore power capability, and whether the ship has undergone an energy-efficiency retrofit in the last five years. Ships built after 2020 generally score higher, but retrofitted older vessels can outperform newer ones that lack upgrades.

References

• International Maritime Organization. 2023. Fourth IMO Greenhouse Gas Study 2020. MEPC 80/INF.2.
• Cruise Lines International Association. 2023. Cruise Industry Ocean-Going Fleet Report. CLIA Global.
• European Maritime Safety Agency. 2023. LNG as Marine Fuel: Environmental and Safety Report. EMSA.
• International Council on Clean Transportation. 2022. Methane Emissions from LNG-Powered Ships in Real-World Operation. ICCT Working Paper 2022-18.
• Norwegian Institute for Water Research. 2023. Scrubber Discharge Impact on Coral Reef Ecosystems in the South Pacific. NIVA Report 7890-2023.
• CE Delft. 2023. Environmental Performance of Cruise Ships: Lifecycle CO₂ Emissions per Passenger-Nautical-Mile. Delft, Netherlands.