Carnival Cruise Line team members have spent September cleaning beaches and waterways around the world, collecting more than 5,000 pounds of trash, waste and debris as part of an initiative tied to International Coastal Cleanup Day.
The effort involved 377 shipboard team members across 29 ships, another 111 shoreside employees and local community partners. Together, participants took part in 31 cleanup events in cruise homeports and destinations spanning the United States, Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, Alaska, Europe and Australia.
Carnival Glory is scheduled to complete the final cleanup on September 30, bringing participation to the entire Carnival fleet.
31 Cleanups Spanned Carnival’s Cruise Network
Carnival organized cleanup events throughout September, surrounding International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 19.
The effort reached both major cruise homeports and destinations visited by Carnival ships. U.S. locations included Galveston, Texas, along with Port Canaveral and Miami in Florida.
Other participating areas stretched across Alaska, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Mexico, Greece, France and Australia.
The broad geographic footprint connected Carnival employees with coastal communities in many of the places where the cruise line operates and its guests travel.
Nearly 500 Carnival Team Members Participated
The September initiative involved employees working both aboard Carnival ships and on shore.
Carnival reports that 377 shipboard team members representing 29 ships participated, along with 111 shoreside team members. Local environmental organizations, port partners and community groups also supported the cleanup effort.
Participants collected approximately 175 bags of waste and debris during the 31 beach and waterway cleanups.
By the time Carnival reported the results, the collected material weighed more than 5,000 pounds.
Carnival Glory Will Complete Fleetwide Participation
The September initiative was designed to involve Carnival’s entire fleet.
Carnival Glory is the final ship scheduled to participate, with its cleanup planned for September 30.
Once that event is completed, Carnival says the program will have achieved 100% participation across the fleet.
Other ships specifically identified in the cleanup effort include Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Miracle, Mardi Gras and Carnival Vista.
Carnival Jubilee team members participated in beach cleanup activities, while Carnival Miracle crew members joined a cleanup in Skagway, Alaska. Mardi Gras and Carnival Vista team members worked with Port Canaveral on a Florida beach cleanup.
The September Effort Builds on Year-Round Cleanups
The International Coastal Cleanup Day initiative is part of a broader series of cleanup activities involving Carnival employees throughout the year.
Across shipboard and shoreside efforts in 2026, Carnival team members have contributed to the collection of more than 7,200 pounds of debris.
That total includes the September cleanup initiative as well as other events conducted during the year.
Carnival President Christine Duffy said the company’s use of oceans and visits to coastal destinations bring a responsibility to help protect those environments. She pointed to cooperation among employees and community partners as an important part of the effort.
Local Organizations and Ports Joined the Cleanup
The events were not limited to Carnival employees working independently.
Local environmental organizations, port partners and community groups helped support the cleanups, allowing activities to be organized within the individual coastal destinations and waterways.
That local participation is particularly relevant because Carnival’s initiative extended from major homeports such as Miami, Port Canaveral and Galveston to destinations across several regions of the world.
Rather than concentrating the project in one location for International Coastal Cleanup Day, Carnival spread the effort across dozens of communities during September.
Cleanup Program Connects With Carnival’s Our Sea Pledge
Carnival places the coastal cleanup initiative within its broader Our Sea Pledge sustainability program.
The program is organized around five areas: Climate Action, Circular Economy, Sustainable Tourism, Biodiversity & Conservation, and Good Health, Inclusion & Belonging.
Carnival says those areas guide its environmental and community efforts, including work intended to protect destinations and coastal environments visited by its ships.
The September cleanups most directly demonstrate the program at the community level, with shipboard employees, shoreside teams and local organizations physically removing waste from beaches and waterways.
Why the Cleanup Matters for Cruise Destinations
For cruise travelers, beaches, harbors and coastal environments are often a major part of the destinations visited during a vacation. Carnival’s cleanup effort focused directly on some of those communities, including ports and destinations connected with its cruise operations.
The results provide a measurable look at the scale of the September project: 31 cleanups, 377 participating shipboard employees, 111 shoreside team members, approximately 175 bags of collected material and more than 5,000 pounds of debris.
When Carnival Glory completes its scheduled September 30 event, every ship in Carnival’s fleet will have participated in the initiative.
Combined with other cleanup activities earlier in the year, Carnival says its ship and shoreside teams have helped collect more than 7,200 pounds of debris during 2026. The September campaign turns that broader sustainability commitment into something tangible in the coastal communities where Carnival ships and their guests spend time.
Source: Carnival Cruise Line
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