Carnival Corporation has signed agreements with maritime reclamation and recycling specialists Ege Celik and Simsekler to dismantle two retired ships.

The vessels - Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Inspiration - are among a total of 13 ships currently being removed from the fleet as the company battles back from the Covid-19 shutdown.

Carnival worked with the environmental non-profit Bellona Foundation and the specialised ship recycling experts Sea2Cradle to formulate an approach to dismantling and recycling the ships.

“Our highest responsibility and top priorities are compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the communities we visit and our crew,” said Bill Burke, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation.

“That commitment extends to our cruise ships, starting from the moment a ship becomes part of our fleet and continuing all the way through to its retirement.

“In addition to limiting our vessels’ impact on the environment throughout their service time in our fleet, recycling our retired ships following the European ship recycling regulation ensures we are applying the highest global standards and contributing to a sustainable cruise industry.”

Carnival selected Turkey-based Ege Celik and Simsekler based on their track records of compliance with key national and international environmental agreements and regulations.

Both recycling companies are certified by the Hong Kong convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships.

The hips will be stripped of machinery, electronic equipment, glass, wood and other materials that can be directly upcycled for reuse in new ships, used in ship repair or repurposed for other applications.

Steel and metal scraps will be salvaged and recycled for direct use or be sent to the mill for producing other products and goods.

Working on behalf of Carnival and as an added assurance, Sea2Cradle will supervise ship dismantling and recycling at the demolition yards throughout the entire process to ensure the highest health, safety and environmental standards are maintained.