Federal Judge Warns Carnival on Ocean Pollution: Promise Less, Act More
Skift Take
Carnival Corp. may now make a point of trumpeting its sustainability efforts, but it's worth remembering that it's on environmental probation for a reason.
"Nobody wants to be in federal court in Miami — or anywhere else."
That was Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald speaking at Skift Global Forum in September. But back in Miami federal court was exactly where he was on Wednesday, along with chairman Mickey Arison and other Carnival executives. They were there to detail the progress they've made on cutting down on ocean pollution and abiding by a court-mandated environmental compliance plan.
The hearing was a follow-up to a June court date, where the company pleaded guilty to six counts of probation violations for environmental crimes it was convicted for in 2016. The original crimes — the illegal dumping of oily waste from Princess ships into the ocean, as well as a subsequent cover up — took place for eight years until 2013.
The violations Carnival pleaded guilty to in June included thwarting attempts at oversight from court-appointed monitors, attempting to back-channel with the Coast Guard, falsifying training records, as well as additional ocean dumping in the Bahamas. For that, they were fined $20 million and had to consent to more stringent oversight during their remaining three years of probation. The terms of the settlement apply to all nine of Carnival Corp.'s brands and 100-plus ships, not j
