Changes coming for cruise ships visiting Venice

[flamomo]

Just found this article on MSN. What they are proposing makes sense to prevent further damage to the ancient buildings and to preserve the integrity of this beautiful city for future cruisers.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/venice-to-begin-rerouting-cruise-ships-away-from-historic-city-center/ar-AAFwAVf?li=BBnbklE

Edited August 8, 2019 by flamomo

[BigTimeCruiser]

DELETED

Edited August 8, 2019 by BigTimeCruiser

[FloaterBoat]

Now that's one European port that we've not had the pleasure of docking in yet.  I hope we haven't missed our chance..

[paul929207]

It is sad, but the ships are destroying the city. 

[riffatsea]

Go to Venice as a land vacation and spend some real time there!!

Since the main method of transportation is a variety of boats you'll have plenty of time on the water without being on a cruise ship!!

[Colo Cruiser]

They have been increasing the restriction for many years now and have been talking about ways to redirect cruise ship traffic and redevelopment of the access points away from the GC.

 

[BarbinMich]

Cruise ships have never entered the Grand Canal because the Rialto Bridge has a very low clearance compared to today's cruise ships (and many smaller vessels as well).  We sailed from Venice in Oct 2011 and spent several days there pre-cruise, relatively close to St. Mark's.  The morning of our departure I went out to the waterfront near there to watch and photograph our ship (Ruby Princess) arrive.  It, as do all other large cruise ships, went to the south of Guidecca ("outside" it so to speak) as it went west to the docks which are at the west end of Venice itself.  So I really needed my telephoto lens to get anywhere near a "close-up" of the ship.  River boats which are long, low and narrow dock on the south side of Guidecca (we saw one there).

[brucedodge]

Personal opinion only, but I don't think cruise ships are much of a threat to Venice.  They go very slowly and have hardly any wake.  If you watch the speedboats, water taxis, and other water craft zipping along constantly right next to the walls and pilings, you'll really see how the damage is occurring.  Only my opinion, but I think  it's politically convenient to blame cruise ships.

[DrivesLikeMario]

So the Minister of Transport's "ultimate goal" is so they don't have to "witness more invasions of the Guidecca by these floating palaces, with the scandals and risks they bring".  So his main purpose isn't to save the canal from erosion, but to not have to deal with the passengers and their "scandals"?  As far as I know, "scandals" don't cause erosion.  Sounds like his agenda is something totally opposite of what most people believe the immediate issue is.  🙄

 

I think the worst of the offenders are the massive quantities of speed boats and vaporettos.  Although they have speed limits, they fly through that area a lot more often than the very slow-moving cruise ships.  Even so, I think we all knew this was coming though after the last incident there.  

[Woobstr112G]

Sad times.  At least I had the pleasure of sailing out of Venice four times.....

 

Bob

[ischeer]

29 minutes ago, Woobstr112G said:

Sad times.  At least I had the pleasure of sailing out of Venice four times.....

 

Bob

Yes, Bob; we were with you and Holli on the Ruby TA (2009) and the Royal TA (2013).  What were your other 2 ?

(We also did the X Constellation in 2016)

[flamomo]

I have cruised both to and from Venice a number of times, and while cruise ships do move very slowly through the Guidecca Canal, and the vaporettos and water taxis do zip around at much faster speeds, creating wakes, the huge cruise ships displace way more water than those small boats do. I have to think that the water displacement is at least part of what is doing the damage to the buildings.

If the possible changes to docking locations do occur, not being able to dock in the existing port may be a bit of an inconvenience to some, I feel preserving the city for future generations makes it worthwhile.

Edited August 9, 2019 by flamomo

[Britboys]

12 hours ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

So the Minister of Transport's "ultimate goal" is so they don't have to "witness more invasions of the Guidecca by these floating palaces, with the scandals and risks they bring".  So his main purpose isn't to save the canal from erosion, but to not have to deal with the passengers and their "scandals"?  As far as I know, "scandals" don't cause erosion.  Sounds like his agenda is something totally opposite of what most people believe the immediate issue is.  🙄

 

I think the worst of the offenders are the massive quantities of speed boats and vaporettos.  Although they have speed limits, they fly through that area a lot more often than the very slow-moving cruise ships.  Even so, I think we all knew this was coming though after the last incident there.  

Venice can't seem to make up their mind on this subject as the ban has been 'on-off-on-off' for some years.  This recent decision however was informed by an incident with an MSC Cruise Ship in June, which ploughed into the dock-side and a small tourist boat moored there.  The new docks are just across the water and I am sure there will be plenty of both water and road transport to get pax into the beautiful city.

[pompeii]

I've glanced at the Princess 2021 Europe sailings and didn't see Venice on any of the itineraries.  Maybe it's still on world cruises but I didn't see it on my quick look at the cruises in the Elite pre-book email my husband got.  We boarded the Pacific with an overnight in Venice in 2017 so at least we were able to do it once.

[BarbinMich]

Venice will be on the World Cruise itineraries in 2020 and 2021 (Sea Princess and Island P, resp.).  Venice just can't (or doesn't want to) handle the Royal-class ships.  While both Crown-class and Royal-class ships have max capacity of 3,600, the latter's dimensions are larger (1,083 ft in length vs 951 ft; 143 GT vs 113 GT).  I was surprised their capacity (per Wikipedia) is the same.

[DrivesLikeMario]

2 hours ago, Britboys said:

Venice can't seem to make up their mind on this subject as the ban has been 'on-off-on-off' for some years.  This recent decision however was informed by an incident with an MSC Cruise Ship in June, which ploughed into the dock-side and a small tourist boat moored there.  The new docks are just across the water and I am sure there will be plenty of both water and road transport to get pax into the beautiful city.

Yes, I think everyone is aware of that incident and knew that there would be a new round of "detour the cruise ships" talk again.  🙄  I think changes will come sooner rather than later but I really don't blame the cruise ships anymore than the other numerous vaporettos and speed boats.

[Compass Rose Monica]

15 hours ago, brucedodge said:

Personal opinion only, but I don't think cruise ships are much of a threat to Venice.  They go very slowly and have hardly any wake.  If you watch the speedboats, water taxis, and other water craft zipping along constantly right next to the walls and pilings, you'll really see how the damage is occurring.  Only my opinion, but I think  it's politically convenient to blame cruise ships.

 

Hi Bruce!  I hope you and Gail are doing great and still cruising a lot. Haven't chatted with you in such a long time.

 

I agree with you about the speedboats, water taxis, vaporetti, personal boats, goods transportation, etc., (especially since they ply the many inner canals), but also the cargo and tanker ships that come into the area, that cause Moto Ondoso (wake movement) and contributes to the deterioration of the canal walls.  

 

Cruise ships may eventually be docked elsewhere but tourism won't go away in Venice. Tourism has been going strong since the 17th and 18th centuries.  

 

Monica 

[npcl]

Ah Venice, the land of 4 shops repeated hundreds of times (glass, leather bags, stationary, and masks). Where the people that own them and work in them live on the mainland and commute.

 

The threat to the city is more from the fact that it is sinking and normal tide than from any cruise ships. Cruise ships or not, its days are numbered unless there is a major project to protect it from the sea level as it sinks. 

[Essiesmom]

The articles are a little premature with their conclusions:

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/featured/contrary-to-reports-cruise-ships-are-not-banned-from-venice/

[Britboys]

The Italian nation in general do seem to have garnered a reputation for not being able to make decisions...  😁