Cruise Corporation Smashes Targets For Food Waste Reduction

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Cruise guests often marvel at the never-ending buffets, sprawling dining rooms, and elaborate cuisine found onboard modern ships – but rarely consider what happens to the mountains of leftover food.

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Carnival Corporation, one of the world’s largest cruise operators, is not only thinking about it – it’s acting.

In a 10th June 2025 announcement, the company revealed it has exceeded its goal to cut food waste across its brands by 40% by 2025, achieving an impressive 44% reduction in 2024 compared to 2019 levels.

The initiative, dubbed “Less Left Over,” spans Carnival’s portfolio of brands including Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, and Cunard.

The strategy combines real-time data tracking, AI-driven forecasting, and staff training to better predict food demand and optimise portion sizes.

These tools help the company prepare the right amount of food for each cruise – down to specific menu items – while reducing waste from prep to plate.

Cruise kitchens have also started plating meals more efficiently and using guest preference data to tailor menus on the fly.

“Our Less Left Over strategy is powered by dozens of large and small programs and technologies… but more than that, it’s a global rallying cry,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “It’s turning everyday actions into lasting impact.”

Leftovers Find New Life

When leftovers do occur – as they inevitably will – the cruise conglomerate is getting creative. A few standout examples include:

  • Turning used cooking oil into biofuel for excursion buses in Alaska
  • Recycling coffee grounds into vegan soap sold onboard or donated
  • Donating surplus meals and ingredients to local food banks in ports experiencing food insecurity

These efforts have already saved the company an estimated $250 million in food-related costs, with expectations for more progress over the next five years. Carnival’s longer-term goal is a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030.

To deal with unavoidable leftovers, Carnival has turned to biodigesters – nicknamed “metallic stomachs” – which use bacteria to liquify food waste, making it easier and more sustainable to dispose of at sea.

As of the end of 2024, 630 biodigesters were in use across the fleet, supplied by Power Knot Ocean.

Additionally, the company uses more than 90 food dehydrators and dryers, which strip moisture from harder-to-process food items, reducing volume by up to 90%.

The dried remains can later be used as organic mulch or compost.

A Model for the Cruise Industry

This success story comes as cruise lines across the industry face mounting pressure to reduce environmental impact, especially as public awareness around sustainability continues to grow.

With “Less Left Over,” Carnival Corporation is demonstrating that large-scale operations can embrace meaningful sustainability without sacrificing quality or guest experience.

From biofuel buses to AI-assisted meal planning, the program serves as a blueprint for how cruise travel can become more planet-friendly – one meal at a time.

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