We were on Volendam in Antarctica in early 2020. One of the naturalists aboard (an Australian named Craig Franklin - who worked with Steve Irwin) did a whole talk about this subject. He has been spending Antarctic summers on board cruise ships (mostly HAL) for many years.
He's passionate about the ecosystem and its preservation. Passionate.
So, how does he reconcile the two things?
1. He believes that HAL does everything they possibly can to minimize their impact. In particular, he believes that bringing more than 1000 people on one ship to actually the Antarctic up close and personal is a very, very good thing. Doing it in large groups means fewer ships.
2. He also believes that the more of us who actually visit the Antarctic, the better, because we all come home more aware, and yes, sharing some of his passion for the place. He considers it a win-win situation.