Taking a cruise may be an adventure, but there are downsides that could outweigh the positives.
As author and TikToker Jason Pargin (@jasonkpargin) showed in April, the profligate Icon of the Seas cruise ship — set to debut in January — might be the worst of the worst offenders.
"Am I the only one who finds this terrifying?" he says. "This is like floating anxiety to me. Something about it — it's too much. It's not that I'm afraid it would sink; I'm not scared of boats. It's that I kind of want it to."
@jasonkpargin #fyp #fypシ゚viral #foryou ♬ Oh Yeah - Ferris Bueller
The image on the screen showed an obscenely tall vessel packed with colorful amenities, including slides, pools, and decks. The setting didn't seem like it offered enough room to walk around, let alone enjoy oneself.
The caption summed everything up: "Hey I hate this boat."
The Icon of the Seas is 1,198 feet long, has 20 decks, and can ferry nearly 10,000 passengers and crew members. A seven-day cruise aboard the ship will cost around $2,000 on the low end.
"For some, a vessel this size with so much packed on it likely represents a lot of fun with ongoing activities and freedom from boredom," Tom Davis, a professor of psychology at the University of Alabama, told CNN. "For others, they may have never been on a cruise and think this is too much to take in all at once."
The cruise ship has garnered much hate since it was unveiled in October and was featured on Reddit's r/Anticonsumption page.
As CNN noted, negative responses included calling the ship "Icon of Disease" and comparing it to a hellscape.
And the cruise ship industry is notoriously bad for the environment.
"Unfortunately, everything that cruise ships come in contact with are likely to be harmed along their journey," Friends of the Earth stated. "The air, water, fragile habitats, coastal communities, and wildlife are all affected."
Last summer, Reuters noted large crafts' excessive carbon pollution — greater than that of 12,000 cars — and waste production of more than a ton per day.
It also reported that Cruise Lines International Association, an industry trade association, does at least project "zero-emission vessels and fuels the default choice by 2030" with a goal to reach net-zero carbon pollution by 2050.
One TikTok user called the Icon "a floating migraine."
Others said they'd avoid it at all costs.
"I'd pay NOT to go," one wrote.
"I just don't understand the need to do all of this on top of the ocean???????" another commented.
Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
