The revolutionary cruise ship Captain Arctic” drastically reduces emissions!

On January 7, 2025, the Selar company presented its first ship, the “Captain Arctic”. The new expedition ship promises to reduce CO2 emissions by 90% compared to other cruise ships. The ship's keel was laid in Dubai on November 22nd and delivery is scheduled for 2026.

The “Captain Arctic” offers space for 24 crew members and 36 passengers and is described as the first expedition ship in the luxury cruise sector. The first expeditions to the Arctic have already been marketed. To generate energy, the ship uses five 35 meter high wind sails and an area of ​​2,000 m² with solar cells. In her speech, Selar CEO Sophie Galvagnon highlighted investments in sustainable tourism and the preservation of natural wonders. Goltens CEO Sandeep Seth highlighted the innovation and collaboration underlying this project.

Sustainable development in the cruise industry

The discussion about cruise ship emissions is very relevant. According to a report from cruisetricks.de, the carbon footprints of cruises vary greatly depending on the ship and the trip. Emissions from cruise ships can be compared to those from long-haul flights, and calculating a personal carbon footprint for cruising is complex. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) determined 1,076 million tonnes of CO2e from civil shipping worldwide in 2018, which corresponds to around 2.89% of global emissions.

Despite the fact that cruise ships only make up 0.5% of the world's number of ships, they account for 3.1% of shipping emissions. Emissions from major cruise lines, including Carnival Corp., were determined for 2023. with 9,648,000 t CO2e and Royal Caribbean Group with 5,375,318 t CO2e. The industry average personal carbon footprint of a cruise is around 800kg per passenger for a seven-day trip.

Newer ships, like the Captain Arctic, tend to have a lower carbon footprint than older ones. Tips for climate-friendly cruises include traveling by train or bus instead of plane and choosing modern ships with high passenger density and long port times.