<P> Cruise ships generate a number of waste streams that can result in discharges to the marine environment , including sewage , graywater , hazardous wastes , oily bilge water , ballast water , and solid waste . They also emit air pollutants to the air and water . These wastes , if not properly treated and disposed of , can be a significant source of pathogens , nutrients , and toxic substances with the potential to threaten human health and damage aquatic life . Cruise ships represent a small -- although highly visible -- portion of the entire international shipping industry , and the waste streams described here are not unique to cruise ships . However , particular types of wastes , such as sewage , graywater , and solid waste , may be of greater concern for cruise ships relative to other seagoing vessels , because of the large numbers of passengers and crew that cruise ships carry and the large volumes of wastes that they produce . Further , because cruise ships tend to concentrate their activities in specific coastal areas and visit the same ports repeatedly ( especially Florida , California , New York City , Galveston , Seattle , and the waters of Alaska ) , their cumulative impact on a local scale could be significant , as can impacts of individual large - volume releases ( either accidental or intentional ) . </P>
<P> Cruise ships generate a number of waste streams that can result in discharges to the marine environment , including sewage , graywater , hazardous wastes , oily bilge water , ballast water , and solid waste . They also emit air pollutants to the air and water . These wastes , if not properly treated and disposed of , can be a significant source of pathogens , nutrients , and toxic substances with the potential to threaten human health and damage aquatic life . Cruise ships represent a small -- although highly visible -- portion of the entire international shipping industry , and the waste streams described here are not unique to cruise ships . However , particular types of wastes , such as sewage , graywater , and solid waste , may be of greater concern for cruise ships relative to other seagoing vessels , because of the large numbers of passengers and crew that cruise ships carry and the large volumes of wastes that they produce . Further , because cruise ships tend to concentrate their activities in specific coastal areas and visit the same ports repeatedly ( especially Florida , California , New York City , Galveston , Seattle , and the waters of Alaska ) , their cumulative impact on a local scale could be significant , as can impacts of individual large - volume releases ( either accidental or intentional ) . </P>
where does all the human waste go on a cruise ship
where does all the human waste go on a cruise ship
waste streams
waste streams