Carnival UK says tighter sulfur emissions rules for ships may mean fewer cruises in northern Europe.
The cruise company’s CEO David Dingle told Travel Weekly that Carnival brands P&O Cruises and Cunard Line have already planned a 28 percent cut in Baltic and Norway cruises between 2013 and 2015.
Under the European Union rules, from Jan. 1, 2015, all ships operating in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and English Channel will have to use a fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.1 percent.
Dingle says there’s only a “50-50” chance of fitting ships with scrubber technology to reduce emissions by the deadline.
In May, Carnival announced plans to increase installations of its industry-first scrubber technology to more than 70 vessels. The expansion, covering more than 70 percent of its entire fleet, represents an increase from the 32 ships announced in September 2013.
The UK Chamber of Shipping has asked prime minister David Cameron to lobby the European Union to give shipping companies more time to install the technology, Travel Weekly reports.
Last month Maersk Line warned that Europe’s new low-sulfur fuel rules will cost it an extra $200 million a year. Similarly, P&O Ferries’ says its fuel bill will increase about 30 million pounds ($50 million) a year, which it will pass onto customers.