MSC Cruises’ sustainability efforts include a focus on reducing the water demand per guest, as well as increasing the production of freshwater onboard.

According to the company’s latest Sustainability Report, these goals are linked to other green initiatives across its fleet, such as wastewater management and energy efficiency.

“Both freshwater consumption and wastewater treatment require energy, so reducing the amount of water we use and treat onboard directly benefits overall energy efficiency and emissions,” the report reads.

The company said it has established a target to reduce onboard water demand per guest by 3 percent each year.

In 2023, MSC’s fleet achieved this goal, reducing onboard water consumption from 226 liters per guest-day in 2022 to 187 liters in 2023.

To further minimize the impact on ports and communities, the company is also aiming to produce more freshwater onboard.

“As many of the ports we call into can experience periods of water scarcity, our goal is to minimize the amount of freshwater we take from shore by continuing to increase the share of water produced onboard,” the company said in its Sustainability Report.

In 2023, 87.2 percent of all freshwater consumed, equivalent to 7.4 million cubic meters, was produced onboard the company’s 22 vessels.

“Our most modern ships can produce up to three million liters of freshwater in a single day,” MSC Cruises said.

The freshwater is produced using desalination technologies that include reverse osmosis and can be used for drinking, as well as for cooking, cleaning and laundry, the company added.

All MSC’s ships are also equipped with wastewater treatment systems, including 14 with advanced wastewater treatment systems.

According to the company, four vessels also meet the very highest discharge standards known as the Baltic Standard.

In 2023, 96 percent of the water discharged by the company’s ships was either greywater or had been treated in an advanced wastewater treatment system, MSC said.