The commitment of global cruise shipping companies to sustainable development

The intensive development of the cruising market in the last decade has had an adverse impact on the natural environment of destinations visited. Cruise ships moored at the quays close to city centres make a significant nuisance for local communities; with their engines running they make vibrations and noise in the ports and pollute the air by generating smog, and their fuel combusted contaminates the port waters and the atmosphere. Thousands of passengers going on trips cause congestion and traffic jams, generate noise and produce litter in the cities. Global cruise shipping companies treat care of the environment seriously. On the one hand, this is enforced by restrictive international regulations, national but also local ones, depending on the area of operation. However, on the other, this results from corporations who care about their image, and develop internal strategies and sustainable development policies, in particular, to reduce the emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere and the environment. This article aims to identify and assess actions taken by cruise shipping companies for sustainable development. The results of the research can provide cognitive material for entities involved in the coastal area sustainable development, including local authorities, port authorities and cruise line operators.