ESG Enforcement Tracker

Key facts:

The ASA investigated claims against Seascanner, following a complaint from the NGO Opportunity Green that the wording was misleading in relation to the environmental impact of cruising.

In March 2025, Seascanner promoted a MSC Cruises’ cruise ship (MSC World Europa) on their website, stating: “MSC World Europa also introduces cutting-edge environmental technology, including an advanced LNG-powered engine, making it one of the most eco-friendly cruise ships afloat.” The term “eco-friendly” contained a hyperlink leading to another page titled “Eco-Friendly Cruises”, which explained that the cruise industry had made “giant leaps” to reduce its impact, including improvements in recycling, waste processing, and green technology, with further examples drawn from MSC Cruises’ fleet such as the MSC Virtuosa.

Seascanner explained that the claims were taken from publicly available materials, including an MSC Cruises’ press release that detailed environmental technologies implemented on the vessel. These included liquified natural gas (LNG) propulsion, solid oxide fuel cell technology, shore power plug-in connectivity, and advanced wastewater treatment. Seascanner confirmed that it had removed the relevant wording following contact with the ASA. MSC Cruises added that while it had issued press releases and made information available to travel agents, it had not directly supplied the precise wording used in the ad.

The ASA upheld the complaint. It found that consumers were likely to interpret the claims as meaning that the MSC World Europa was among the most environmentally friendly cruise ships available, and that this status derived from its use of LNG and other “environmental technology.” This is particularly pertinent as many consumers are cognisant of the environmental consequences of high-carbon services like cruising and would be taking steps to identify providers who try to minimise or offset their impact; the ad was assessed on that basis.

The ASA considered that the ad omitted material information about LNG’s limitations, in particular its contribution to climate change through methane slip, and its continued CO₂ emissions across the fuel’s lifecycle. The regulator also noted that wider environmental impacts of cruising, including wastewater discharges and underwater noise, were not referenced.

The ASA concluded that the ad exaggerated the environmental benefits of the MSC World Europa and was likely to mislead, in breach of the CAP Code (3.1 and 3.3 (misleading advertising), 3.11 (exaggeration), 3.33 (comparisons with identifiable competitors); and 11.1–11.3 (environmental claims)).

Seascanner was instructed to ensure that future environmental claims are substantiated, that the basis for such claims is made clear, and that material information is not omitted.