What Does A Cruise Ship Use For Fuel?

Cruise ships use a significant share of fuel in shipping due to changing fuel consumption patterns. Modern vessels are adapting to electric propulsion and dual propulsion, using both electric and fuel resources. Large cruise ships, ranging from 900 to 1,100 feet, can hold 1 to 2 million gallons of fuel. Smaller vessels, like a 440-foot-long ferry, carry around 130,000 gallons of fuel.

The primary fuel for most cruise ships is diesel, with a special type called marine diesel oil (MDO) being used. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a popular choice due to its cleanness and nonelectric nature. Cruise ships primarily use heavy fuel oil (HFO), marine diesel oil (MDO), or liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel sources. On average, cruise ships over 300 meters in size consume 200 MT of fuel.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a clean-burning fuel that cuts sulfur emissions up to 99% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 85%. LNG-powered cruise ships use LNG fuel to generate the energy needed for powering the propellers, making it one of the cleanest-burning marine fuels.

Cruise ships use either diesel engines, gas turbines, or diesel-electric. Diesel engines are the traditional type of engines used, but a diesel engine is the most common. A large cruise ship can consume anywhere from hundreds to thousands of gallons of fuel per hour, with daily consumption often exceeding 80,000 gallons.

Renewable fuels like Navigator of the Seas contain less carbon than traditional marine fuels, and on average, a large cruise ship can use up to 250 tons of fuel per day, which is around 80,000 gallons.