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This giant of the seas has finally set sail
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After more than two years of construction on France's Atlantic coast, the MSC World America is now on course for the United States
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It's a send-off carried out with a certain pride. Hey, I'm ready to climb on right now
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I worked on the construction from start to finish, so you see it when it's a pile of metal, and then you see the final result
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With its 22 decks, this floating city offers 19 restaurants, plus bars, theaters, and seven swimming pools
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Here, the excesses of the cruise industry are on full display. The MSC World America is 333 meters long
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longer than the Eiffel Tower and as tall as the Notre Dame. It can carry up to 6,700 passengers
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This new cruise liner is only slightly smaller than the icon of the sea
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the world's largest cruise ship launched last year. In comparison, even the Titanic looks miniatur
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And along with increases in size, cruise ships continue to rise in popularity
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In 2023, compared to 2019, the last classic reference year before the pandemic
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growth was 6% worldwide. 6% in France, too, by the way. So yes, the cruise business has a bright future ahead of it
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As ships grow, so do the climate-damaging emissions that cruises produce. On average, one of these ships emits as much greenhouse gas per year as 10,000
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cars, even if these new liners run on natural gas. Liquefied natural gas reduces emissions of nitrous oxide almost entirely
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So that's good for air quality. However, it has considerable impact on the climate
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and the carbon footprint is worse than if we had used conventional fuels
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Several European cities outraged by this overconsumption have restricted access to the city center for cruise ships
