How Much Fuel Does a Cruise Ship Use Per Passenger?

By Michael Ferguson

Cruise ships are some of the largest vessels afloat, and they are incredibly fuel-intensive. With up to tens of thousands of passengers, a single voyage can consume massive amounts of fuel. So the question is: just how much fuel does a cruise ship use per passenger?

The answer depends on a few factors, such as the size of the vessel, the type of fuel used and the itinerary. Generally speaking, however, it takes around 3 to 5 gallons of fuel per passenger to power a cruise ship for one day. This means that on a seven-day voyage, an average cruise ship would use around 21 to 35 gallons of fuel per passenger.

The amount can vary significantly depending on the type of fuel used. A cruise ship running on diesel oil would typically use more than one running on LNG (liquefied natural gas).

In addition, cruises with longer itineraries tend to require more fuel than shorter ones. For example, a two week cruise will consume more than twice as much fuel as a one week cruise.

It’s worth noting that this figure doesn’t take into account other sources of energy consumption such as electricity and water usage. On average, electricity accounts for around 30% of total energy consumption onboard a cruise ship while water usage accounts for another 10%. This means that in reality, it takes closer to 4 to 7 gallons of fuel per passenger per day if you include these other sources.

In conclusion, it takes an average 3 to 5 gallons of fuel per passenger per day for a standard cruise ship sailing for one week. However, this figure can vary significantly depending on the type of ship and its itinerary. When taking into account other sources such as electricity and water usage, it takes closer to 4 to 7 gallons per passenger per day.