Source: Cruise Junkie dot Com

Environmental Violations in Alaska, 1999 - 2009






Also see the full list of environmental fines (1992-2009) and the list of large fines ($100,000+), 1992 - 2009





Year
Cruise Line

Ship(s)
Explanation of Offense(s)

Fine
Nature of Offense
February 2009
Royal Caribbean International
Rhapsody of the Seas & Serenade of the Seas
The Juneau Empire reports the ships were each cited for one air quality violation in Alaska during the 2008 cruise season.
Pending Air pollution
February 2009
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Star
The Juneau Empire reports the ship was cited for two air quality violations in Alaska during the 2008 cruise season.
Pending Air pollution
February 2009
Holland America Line
Oosterdam
The Juneau Empire reports the ship was cited for one air quality violation in Alaska during the 2008 cruise season.
Pending Air pollution
February 2009
Princess Cruises
Island Princess
The Juneau Empire reports the ship was cited for one air quality violation in Alaska during the 2008 cruise season.
Pending Air pollution
February 2009
International Shipping Partners
Clipper Pacific
The Juneau Empire reports the ship was cited for one air quality violation in Alaska during the 2008 cruise season.
Pending Air pollution
February 2009
Celebrity Cruises
Mercury and Millennium
The Juneau Empire reports the ships have been cited for air quality violations in Alaska during the 2008 cruise season. Mercury had 1 violation; Millennium had 2.
Pending
Air pollution
November 2008
Princess Cruises
Island, Sapphire, and Diamond Princess
The Juneau Empire reports that each ship reportedly violated its wastewater discharge permit in September (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship had higher-than-permitted ammonia.
Pending
Wastewater violation
November 2008
Holland America Line
Westerdam
The Juneau Empire reports that each ship reportedly violated its wastewater discharge permit in September (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship had higher-than-permitted levels on two parameters.
Pending
Wastewater violation
November 2008
Silverseas Cruise
Silver Shadow
The Juneau Empire reports that each ship reportedly violated its wastewater discharge permit in September (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship twice had higher-than-permitted copper.
Pending
Wastewater violation
October 2008
Princess Cruises
Island Princess, Sapphire Princess, & Sun Princess
The Juneau Empire reports that each ship reportedly violated its wastewater discharge permit in August (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship had higher-than-permitted ammonia (twice on Island Princess, once on Sapphire and Sun Princess.
Pending Wastewater violation
October 2008
Princess Cruises
Star Princess
The Juneau Empire reports that the ship reportedly violated its wastewater discharge permit in August (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship twice had higher-than-permitted copper.
Pending Wastewater violation
October 2008
Princess Cruises
Golden Princess
The Juneau Empire reports that the ship reportedly violated its wastewater discharge permit in August (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship had higher-than-permitted zinc.
Pending Wastewater violation
September 2008
Regent Seven Seas
Seven Seas Mariner
The Juneau Empire reports the ship violated its wastewater discharge permit in May, June and July (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship had higher-than-permitted zinc.
Pending Wastewater violation
September 2008
Princess Cruises
Island Princess & Golden Princess
The Juneau Empire reports the ship violated its wastewater discharge permit in May, June and July (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship had higher-than-permitted zinc.
Pending Wastewater violation
September 2008
Princess Cruises
Sapphire Princess, Star Princess, Coral Princess, and Diamond Princess
The Juneau Empire reports the ship violated its wastewater discharge permit in May, June and July (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship had higher-than-permitted effluent limits on several parameters.
Pending Wastewater violation
September 2008
, Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Pearl
The Juneau Empire reports
the ship violated its wastewater discharge permit in May, June and July (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship had higher-than-permitted pH.
Pending Wastewater violation
September 2008
Holland America Line
Westerdam
The Juneau Empire reports the ship violated its wastewater discharge permit in May, June and July (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the 1,848-passenger ship had higher-than-permitted ammonia, zinc and biological oxygen demand. The latter indicates the amount of organic waste in the water.
Pending
Wastewater violation
September 2008
Royal Caribbean International
Vision of the Seas & Serenade of the Seas
The Juenau Empire reports the two ships violated visible air emissions standards last year, July 1 and August 9 respectively. Royal Caribbean may be liable for criminal or civil penalties. Past enforcement cases have cost cruise lines $27,500 per violation. The state's air quality standards  are designed to keep people from breathing harmful sulfur and nitrogen compounds and particulate matter.
Pending
Air pollution
July 2008
Lindblad Expeditions
Sea Lion
This photo was taken in the morning while the ship (apparently on charter to National Geographic) was tied to the fuel dock in Sitka, just below the OConnor Bridge. It's probably just gray water (not illegal), but still not consistent with a company that claims to be environmentally sensitive and responsible. (Photo courtesy of Island Resources Foundation).
None
Release of grey water in port
June 2008
Royal Caribbean International
Rhapsody of the Seas
The Assocated Press reports Royal Caribbean Cruises says it mistakenly broke state law in discharging about 20,000 gallons of wastewater into Chatham Strait in Southeast Alaska. Crew members mistakenly discharged gray water, wastewater from cabin showers and sinks, on June 10. The error was not discovered until a week later. The ship's captain and environmental officer were apparently suspended while a full investigation is conducted.
None
Wastewater discharge
January 2007
Princess Cruises
Dawn Princess
The cruise line agreed to a plea bargain under which it pays a fine of $200,000 and restitution of $550,000 after criminal charges were filed.  The company was charged with failing to operate at a slow, safe speed while near humpback whales and in 2001 hit and killed a humpback.
$750,000
Whale strike
July 2006
Holland America Line
Zuiderdam
A generator malfunction caused the ship to spew black soot and soot on Skagway, AK.  According to HAL, "there was a technical malfunction of one of the ships five diesel generators which resulted in an extraordinarily abnormal emission of heavy black smoke and some soot from its stacks. The emission was exclusively from the ship’s stacks and lasted approximately five minutes."  According to the fire chief, “It came into town at least three blocks.”
None Air emission
November 2004
Holland America Line (Carnival Corporation)
Volerndam and Statendam
In August 2004, Holland America Line was notified by the National Park Service ("NPS") that the Volendam and Statendam may have violated opacity standards while operating in Glacier Bay. On November 10, 2004, NPS notified Holland America Line in separate letters that a Violation of Record would beentered in the permanent park files for each ship.
None
Air opacity
2003
Holland America Line
1 ship cited for violations of air opacity regulations
Unknown
Air pollution
2002
Holland America Line
1 ship cited for violations of air opacity regulations
$27,500
Air pollution
2002 (August)
Holland America Line

Ryndam
Approximately 40,000 gallons (250 according to HAL) of sewage sludge discharged into Juneau harbour.  The incident was reported by harbourmaster staff.  The brown, thick substance is being tested  by Alaska's DEC for fecal coliform, pH, and biochemical demand levels.
$2 Million
Sewage discharge
2001

Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises
11 ships (six companies) cited for violations of air opacity regulations
Carnival Cruise Line ($27,500 -- suspended)

Celebrity Cruises ($55,000, 1/2 suspended)

Crystal Cruises ($55,000 -- 1/2 suspended)

Holland America ($27,500 -- suspended)

Norwegian Cruise Line ($27,500)

Princess Cruises ($55,000 -- suspended)

Royal Caribbean Int'l
($27,5000 -- suspended)

Air pollution
2001 (June)
Royal Caribbean International
Rhapsody of the Seas
Discharged 200 gallons of graywater into Juneau harbour.
Unknown
(up to $25,000 is allowed)
Graywater discharge
2001 (June)
Celebrity Cruises
Mercury
Discharged treated wastewater at Juneau without required permits.  Tests of the wastewater indicated that it was more acidic than permitted for discharging within a mile of shore.
Unknown
(up to $25,000 is allowed)
Wastewater discharge
2001 (May)
Holland America Line
Westerdam
Discharged gray wastewater while docked in Juneau -- estimated by Holland America Line at 30 to 100 gallons (the pump's output is 200 gallons per minute, so the estimate appears low).
Unknown
(up to $25,000 is allowed)
Graywater discharge
2001 (May)
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Sky
Discharged black water (sewage) for 20 to 30 minutes (meaning a waste stream of up to three-quarters of a mile) while the vessel was en route from Juneau to Ketchikan and within 3 miles of the Alexander Archipelago.  Fecal coliform counts were 3500 times the allowable federal standard and total suspended solids 180 times the standard.
Unknown
(up to $25,000 is allowed)
Sewage discharge
2000

Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, World Explorer Cruises

15 ships (7 companies) cited for violating state smoke-opacity standards when they were docked in Juneau between mid-July and mid-August
Carnival Cruise Line ($27,500)

Celebrity Cruises ($55,000)

Crystal Cruises ($55,000)

Holland America ($165,000 -- $55,000 suspended)

Norwegian Cruise Line ($27,500)

Princess Cruises ($55,000)

World Explorer Cruises ($27,500 -- $10,000 suspended)

Air pollution
1999

Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, World Explorer Cruises

13 ships(six companies) charged by the Environmental Protection Agency for air pollution violations in the waters of Juneau, Seward and Glacier Bay
Carnival Cruise Line ($55,000)

Celebrity Cruises

Holland America ($55,000)

Norwegian Cruise Line ($55,000)

Princess Cruises ($110,000)

World Explorer Cruises (unknown)

Air pollution