Do cruise ships put their waste into the ocean?

Question

Do cruise ships put their waste into the ocean?

Answer 1

yes under strict coast guard rules

Answer 2

I have been on many different cruise lines. All of them discourage you from throwing stuff overboard. From what I remember, here's what happens on some cruise lines: workers sort through all trash and separate it. Glass, aluminum, metal, paper, etc. They are put in giant recycling bins that are unloaded when you dock. Some waste is burned in a giant furnace.

Cruise ships (and other ships) are required to have "marine sanitation devices", which are designed to prevent the discharge of untreated sewage. Sewage must be treated to specified standards before discharge if the ship is stationary of if it is within a specified distance (generally three miles) of shore. When the ship is beyond three miles from shore, there are no restrictions on the release of untreated sewage.

The dumping of garbage at sea is prohibited within certain distances from shore, generally ranging from 3 to 25 miles. Dumping of plastic is prohibited everywhere at sea, and all discharge or incineration of garbage must be recorded in a Garbage Record Book.

Answer 3

They aren't supposed to, not raw anyway. Do a search online for cruise ship waste and you can read about how it's supposed to be handled.

Answer 4

i belive it is emptyed out at ports of call.

Answer 5

When sufficiently far out at sea, yes.  Holding tanks are used close to shore.