The world’s largest cruise company, Carnival Corporation, will fork out $28.6 million as penalty for continually polluting the oceans with its ships.

The company reached the settlement earlier this month with US federal prosecutors, after Carnival CEO Arnold Donald confessed the company had infringed probation terms from a 2016 criminal conviction for discharging oily waste from its Princess Cruise Lines ships and covering it up, according to the Associated Press.

In that case, Carnival was fined $40 million fine and placed on five years’ probation, which impacted all nine of its cruise brands.

The company has now acknowledged that its ships have committed environmental crimes such as discharging grey water in prohibited areas and knowingly dumped plastic and food waste in the Bahamas, the AP reported.

Furthermore, Carnival confessed to falsifying compliance documents and other administrative violations. including organising teams to clean up its ships immediately prior to scheduled inspections.

The AP reported that Carnival has promised more audits, a compliance and training restructure, an improved reporting system for environmental violations, and better waste management practices.

Deadlines have also been set in September and October for Carnival to implement certain changes, with the company to facing fines of up to $1.4 million per day if they are not met.

The fines could go up to $14.3 million per day if the company fails to meet a second round of deadlines, according to the AP.

In a statement to Travel Weekly, a Carnival spokesperson said: “The court approved our agreement with the Department of Justice, setting forth new initiatives, improved procedures, additional training and significant investments to ensure we have the strongest and most sustainable environmental compliance program possible.

“Carnival Corporation remains committed to environmental excellence and protecting the environment in which we live, work, and travel. Our aspiration is to leave the places we touch even better than when we first arrived.”

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