Cruise Ship Cruise Ship Environmental Compliance and MARPOL 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What document proves a cruise ship's compliance with MARPOL oil pollution prevention requirements?
- Oil Record Book Parts I and II (Correct answer)
- Safe Manning Certificate
- Continuous Synopsis Record
- Certificate of Financial Responsibility
Correct answer: Oil Record Book Parts I and II
The Oil Record Book (Part I for machinery space operations, Part II for cargo/ballast operations) records every transfer, discharge, or accidental spill involving oil, and must be available for inspection at any time.
Question 2: Under the US Clean Water Act, cruise ships operating in US waters must comply with what specific discharge standard?
- No discharge of any kind within 200 nm
- Vessel General Permit (VGP) requirements for incidental discharges (Correct answer)
- Zero liquid discharge at all times
- EPA Class III sewage standards only
Correct answer: Vessel General Permit (VGP) requirements for incidental discharges
The EPA's Vessel General Permit (VGP) establishes effluent limits and conditions for incidental discharges from vessels, including cruise ships, in US waters.
Question 3: Alaska's cruise ship environmental regulations are among the strictest in the US. What specific prohibition do they include?
- No music after 10 PM in Alaskan waters
- No discharge of any treated or untreated graywater in Alaskan waters (Correct answer)
- No passengers over a certain number per vessel
- No fuel bunkering in Alaska ports
Correct answer: No discharge of any treated or untreated graywater in Alaskan waters
Alaska's Ocean Ranger program and state law impose very strict limits on graywater and blackwater discharges in Alaskan waters, with some areas having complete no-discharge requirements.
Question 4: What is a 'scrubber' installed on cruise ship exhaust systems designed to remove?
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) from engine exhaust
- Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter from exhaust gases (Correct answer)
- Ballast water organisms
- Oily bilge water from the engine room
Correct answer: Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter from exhaust gases
Exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) wash sulfur oxides and particulates from engine exhaust using seawater or a chemical solution, allowing ships to burn higher-sulfur fuel while meeting ECA emission limits.
Question 5: The Ballast Water Management Convention requires cruise ships to:
- Never take on ballast water outside home waters
- Exchange or treat ballast water to prevent transfer of invasive species (Correct answer)
- Carry ballast water inspection certificates only
- Report ballast volumes daily to the IMO
Correct answer: Exchange or treat ballast water to prevent transfer of invasive species
The IMO Ballast Water Management Convention requires ships to either exchange ballast water mid-ocean or treat it to kill organisms before discharging in a new port, preventing invasive species transfer.
Question 6: What is 'graywater' on a cruise ship, and why is its discharge regulated?
- Fuel tank overflow water, regulated for oil content
- Wastewater from sinks, showers, and laundry, regulated because it contains pathogens and nutrients (Correct answer)
- Cooling water from engines, regulated for temperature
- Ballast water from tanks, regulated for salinity
Correct answer: Wastewater from sinks, showers, and laundry, regulated because it contains pathogens and nutrients
Graywater includes drain water from sinks, showers, and laundries; it contains soaps, bacteria, and nutrients that can degrade water quality and harm marine ecosystems if discharged improperly.
Cruise Ship Cruise Ship Environmental Compliance and MARPOL 2
What document proves a cruise ship's compliance with MARPOL oil pollution prevention requirements?