Koningsdam Spring and Summer 2019 - No Venice for HAL

Koningsdam's itineraries and bookings for 2019 April to November are now available. Seems that HAL will not have any ships going to Venice in 2019 and probably onward. Other cruiselines are showing Venice on their itineraries, so I wonder if this port will be cancelled and replaced or will they be allowed to enter the Grand Canal. The itineraries are interesting if anyone is interested.

Koningsdam's itineraries and bookings for 2019 April to November are now available. Seems that HAL will not have any ships going to Venice in 2019 and probably onward. Other cruiselines are showing Venice on their itineraries, so I wonder if this port will be cancelled and replaced or will they be allowed to enter the Grand Canal. The itineraries are interesting if anyone is interested.

The others put their itineraries out earlier - I wonder if they had confirmation or not?

I am SO glad my DS is going this year for her first ever trip to Europe. Venice is her disembarkation port and I talked her into spending a few days there after. So glad she is now, especially :)

thanks for the update. It's one of the prettiest sail in's/sail a ways but I totally understand Venice protecting their infrastructure.

The others put their itineraries out earlier - I wonder if they had confirmation or not?

 

I am SO glad my DS is going this year for her first ever trip to Europe. Venice is her disembarkation port and I talked her into spending a few days there after. So glad she is now, especially :)

 

thanks for the update. It's one of the prettiest sail in's/sail a ways but I totally understand Venice protecting their infrastructure.

Sorry to hear that starting in 2019 Venice will not be on the itineraries.

We loved the sailing of the Grand Canal as we left Venice on several cruises.

No cruise ship goes up the Grand Canal. They sail the Giudecca Canal, passing the entrance to the Grand Canal. EM

Giudecca Canal with Grand Canal starting at Salute.

Pics from the tower of San Giorgio. EM

No cruise ship goes up the Grand Canal. They sail the Giudecca Canal, passing the entrance to the Grand Canal. EM

So if they're letting in other cruise lines, why not HAL?

Only smaller ships will be allowed in for now, see if it helps protect from shore erosion. Venice is losing ground due to higher tides, changing winds and some construction in the harbors, when all ships will be prohibited.

Zuiderdam from the bell tower in Piazza San Marco in 2008.

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So if they're letting in other cruise lines, why not HAL?

the other lines were premature to post itineraries before they had clearance. I bet dollars to donuts their itineraries change.

Venice has made it clear that it was changing the rules and they are keeping to their word.

the other lines were premature to post itineraries before they had clearance. I bet dollars to donuts their itineraries change.

 

Venice has made it clear that it was changing the rules and they are keeping to their word.

Koningsdam is slightly heavier than most of the ships that are currently going into Venice. Constellation is 91 tons, Brilliance of the Seas is around the same. Koningsdam is 99,500. The limit is 96 for Venice. I don't think it will affect other lines.

:rolleyes: Why would HAL schedule its two largest ships in the Mediterranean when the Vista class ships would be able to go to Venice. Unbelievable.

:rolleyes: Why would HAL schedule its two largest ships in the Mediterranean when the Vista class ships would be able to go to Venice. Unbelievable.

Does seem poor planning on HAL’s part. That 96 ton rule isn’t new.

Koningsdam's itineraries and bookings for 2019 April to November are now available. Seems that HAL will not have any ships going to Venice in 2019 and probably onward. Other cruiselines are showing Venice on their itineraries, so I wonder if this port will be cancelled and replaced or will they be allowed to enter the Grand Canal. The itineraries are interesting if anyone is interested.

Thank you for the update! It's a little sad to see that Koningsdam is not going to access Venice, but I must say, the Rome roundtrips she is offering in 2019 are very interesting, and not overpriced! Further some cruises go to Trieste, for sure from Trieste you can go on excursions to Venice.

I am just wondering why the other cruise lines could plan release their itineraries WITH VENICE earlier than HAL without Venice?

Someone mentioned a limit of 96000 GT - I've read about a new law, that the new maximum size is 55000 GT or so.

If this is not true and the 96000 GT limit is still correct, than I am wondering why HAL does not deploy Zuiderdam (83000 GT) on the summer med itineraries and Koningsdam on the Northern Europe itineraries from Copenhagen?

What about the itineraries by other cruise lines which are already on sale and start and end in Venice? Will the cruise lines reschedule the itineraries, or will there be a new route where the ships can skip the Giudecca Canal?

Thank you for the update! It's a little sad to see that Koningsdam is not going to access Venice, but I must say, the Rome roundtrips she is offering in 2019 are very interesting, and not overpriced! Further some cruises go to Trieste, for sure from Trieste you can go on excursions to Venice.

 

I am just wondering why the other cruise lines could plan release their itineraries WITH VENICE earlier than HAL without Venice?

Someone mentioned a limit of 96000 GT - I've read about a new law, that the new maximum size is 55000 GT or so.

If this is not true and the 96000 GT limit is still correct, than I am wondering why HAL does not deploy Zuiderdam (83000 GT) on the summer med itineraries and Koningsdam on the Northern Europe itineraries from Copenhagen?

 

What about the itineraries by other cruise lines which are already on sale and start and end in Venice? Will the cruise lines reschedule the itineraries, or will there be a new route where the ships can skip the Giudecca Canal?

I could be wrong but my understanding was the 96 ton limit was in place until the new route was ready which in November 2017 they said would take 4 years. Obviously the law didn’t come into effect right away because it hasn’t effected 2018 cruises. No idea why HAL put Koningsdam on that route, seems like very poor planning when they could have just switched Zuiderdam on that route.

I could be wrong but my understanding was the 96 ton limit was in place until the new route was ready which in November 2017 they said would take 4 years. Obviously the law didn’t come into effect right away because it hasn’t effected 2018 cruises. No idea why HAL put Koningsdam on that route, seems like very poor planning when they could have just switched Zuiderdam on that route.

I just found this article here: https://www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises/venice-to-restrict-large-cruise-ships-from-historic-center

It’s mentioned the 96,000 GT limit has been overturned in 2015 but the cruise lines operated ships under this limit on their own. And the law of 55,000 GT maximum just seems to be an idea, nothing fixed and agreed.

However HAL will have its reasons why they are doing it like this, operating Koningsdam in Med in summer 2019 without Venice. Maybe the current circumstances are unpredictable for the cruise lines, which rules and regulations will come, so HAL plans to play it safe.

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I just found this article here: https://www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises/venice-to-restrict-large-cruise-ships-from-historic-center

 

It’s mentioned the 96,000 GT limit has been overturned in 2015 but the cruise lines operated ships under this limit on their own. And the law of 55,000 GT maximum just seems to be an idea, nothing fixed and agreed.

 

However HAL will have its reasons why they are doing it like this, operating Koningsdam in Med in summer 2019 without Venice. Maybe the current circumstances are unpredictable for the cruise lines, which rules and regulations will come, so HAL plans to play it safe.

 

 

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The article you posted is correct, but old. There was a new vote back in November putting the original 96 ton rule back in place which the cruiselines had been sticking to anyway but it’s not taking effect until the new route is in place and with it being Italy, who knows when that will be. I do keep reading though that Venice originally said 100 ton and that’s what HAL might have been trying to get Koningsdam in under but apparently they’re sticking to 96.

A poster above said there are hoards of people in Venice when the big ships come in. Yes, that is true. However, Koningsdam will dock just down the road (less than 90 miles south) and I'm sure many of the folks onboard will take shore excursions to Venice. So, the same hoards -- maybe not as many hours in town since they'll need to commute; but still lots of people...

As to why HAL isn't sending any ships to Venice in 2019, I suspect they see the writing on the wall (i.e., no larger ships allowed, and the Venetians not really liking ANY cruise ships there because of the congestion). Moving to Ravenna isn't such a bad idea -- people can still see Venice, and Ravenna and Trieste both have wonderful sites as well.

However, having said that, I'm booked on Celebrity next year RT Venice -- want to make sure I get to do that before it is prohibited entirely...

The article you posted is correct, but old. There was a new vote back in November putting the original 96 ton rule back in place which the cruiselines had been sticking to anyway but it’s not taking effect until the new route is in place and with it being Italy, who knows when that will be. I do keep reading though that Venice originally said 100 ton and that’s what HAL might have been trying to get Koningsdam in under but apparently they’re sticking to 96.

I also could imagine HAL deploys the larger Koningsdam in Med to maximize passenger capacities on the spring/summer/fall routes in Med and for that they rather sacrifice Venice visits than accepting less passengers HAL would have with Zuiderdam or another Vista Class ship, for example.

Further we don't know if the rules change again and that maybe by mid of 2019 the new 55000 GT rule comes into affect and the other larger ships need to abandon Venice as well.

To the people considering shore excursions from Ravenna to Venice: It's hard to realize, at least with port timings 08:00 - 18:00. You need to drive 2 hours each between Ravenna and Venice, you also want to see something of Venice. That would be extremely stressful.

For such a plan the port timings should be 07:00 - 23:00 or so, because the effort would be the same as for a Berlin excursion from Warnemuende.