Port workers protest for cruises to return in Venice

[jimbo5544]

Hopefully our 2021 Legend cruise is still a go.  Who was that telling me Venice does not want cruises.....hmmmm

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23440-port-workers-in-venice-demonstrating-to-get-ships-back.html

[pc_load_letter]

Posted this a few weeks ago. Was moved to the Italy port of call forum. Some interesting discussions. Somewhat related...

 

 

[Joe817]

8 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Hopefully our 2021 Legend cruise is still a go.  Who was that telling me Venice does not want cruises.....hmmmm

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23440-port-workers-in-venice-demonstrating-to-get-ships-back.html

Interesting article. Thanks for posting Jimbo. 👍 

I wonder if the port workers in other ports around the world feel the same as the Venice port workers? I'd venture to say a strong 'yes!'  .  

[bitemyfly]

Italy got hammered with COVID  especially the regions up near Venice. 
pre COVID there was extreme anti cruise crusade going on , the hotels, businesses, along with environmentalist banded together. 

they have a request into UNESCO world heritage sites to help .
The city started to close down entry routes to popular area -San Marco - Rialto .In the month of August .

The mayor of venice had been looking at Fines for sitting on walkways , steps  and eating .
 

Post covid-  8/20 -No Grande Navi (no big ships)had a large demonstration cheering  that both msc and costa won’t be docking or departing from venice for the rest of the year . The port of venice workers staged a counter protest.. wanting cruise ships.

there have been talk of trying to get ships to dock in mainland , and charging an entry fee In addition to transportation fees to get to venice. 
With the financial impact Of COVID there might be a chance of some middle ground .. the anti cruse lobby has put together a pretty impressive group.

I love the city, it. Truly a remarkable place with an incredible history . I do hope they find a solution.
But for me ... To enjoy stay At least 3 days , nights , visit the other islands , Enjoy their version of happy hour !

i can’t wait to go back . 
 

[Elaine5715]

5 hours ago, bitemyfly said:

Italy got hammered with COVID  especially the regions up near Venice. 
pre COVID there was extreme anti cruise crusade going on , the hotels, businesses, along with environmentalist banded together. 

they have a request into UNESCO world heritage sites to help .
The city started to close down entry routes to popular area -San Marco - Rialto .In the month of August .

The mayor of venice had been looking at Fines for sitting on walkways , steps  and eating .
 

Post covid-  8/20 -No Grande Navi (no big ships)had a large demonstration cheering  that both msc and costa won’t be docking or departing from venice for the rest of the year . The port of venice workers staged a counter protest.. wanting cruise ships.

there have been talk of trying to get ships to dock in mainland , and charging an entry fee In addition to transportation fees to get to venice. 
With the financial impact Of COVID there might be a chance of some middle ground .. the anti cruse lobby has put together a pretty impressive group.

I love the city, it. Truly a remarkable place with an incredible history . I do hope they find a solution.
But for me ... To enjoy stay At least 3 days , nights , visit the other islands , Enjoy their version of happy hour !

i can’t wait to go back . 
 

It wasn't cruise passengers that brought in the virus

[cruisemom42]

9 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

It wasn't cruise passengers that brought in the virus

 

No one has said that it was.

 

The reasons for wanting to close the current port and lagoon to cruise ships has nothing to do with COVID, but I suspect the heavy toll that the pandemic took on tourism has raised some sentiment AGAINST the idea, as demonstrated by the dock workers's strike.

[Hlitner]

Jimbo, Count me among those who have said that Venice does not want cruises.  However that does not mean that everyone in Venice does not want cruises but rather that many do not want LARGE cruise ships.  As we have posted (for many years) this is a long time issue that has been in and out of the Italian courts.  If it were not for the courts the large ships would have been banned several years ago.  Now, most of the effective opposition has melted away and it seems inevitable that the end of large ships going into the Guidecca Canal is over!  The remaining question might be what will be the final decision on the tonnage limit of ships that will be allowed in the canal (passing through the Giudecca is necessary to get into the port).  Some have talked about 90,000 tons and others have talked about 50,000 tons.  

 

As Cruisemom42 said, this is not about COVID!  All the issues regarding Venice (as a port) have been ongoing for more then 10 years.  As a long time cruise lover (we have cruised in and out of Venice many times) and  are also a lovers of Italy and much of Europe (in terms of visiting) I have mixed emotions about overtourism and cruising.  But. as much as DW and I enjoy cruising in and out of Venice we strongly support the efforts to ban large ships from that port.  The environmental damage (caused by overpressure from large ships) is not helpful to the old and brittle foundations of many structures along the Giudecca.  There are also those that are concerned about the potential for a major disaster (primarily with the huge megaships).   Venice is a very special and unique place and it needs to be preserved, not ruined.  I should add that I also am strongly in favor of banning all large ships from La Spezia.

 

I should add that there are other ways to visit Venice besides on a cruise.  There is decent train service and also good access via car (we have driven to Venice a few times).  Venice also has a small International airport (which we consider among the worst airports in Europe).

 

Hank

[bunnyette]

On 8/29/2020 at 6:55 PM, Hlitner said:

Jimbo, Count me among those who have said that Venice does not want cruises.  However that does not mean that everyone in Venice does not want cruises but rather that many do not want LARGE cruise ships.  As we have posted (for many years) this is a long time issue that has been in and out of the Italian courts.  If it were not for the courts the large ships would have been banned several years ago.  Now, most of the effective opposition has melted away and it seems inevitable that the end of large ships going into the Guidecca Canal is over!  The remaining question might be what will be the final decision on the tonnage limit of ships that will be allowed in the canal (passing through the Giudecca is necessary to get into the port).  Some have talked about 90,000 tons and others have talked about 50,000 tons.  

 

As Cruisemom42 said, this is not about COVID!  All the issues regarding Venice (as a port) have been ongoing for more then 10 years.  As a long time cruise lover (we have cruised in and out of Venice many times) and  are also a lovers of Italy and much of Europe (in terms of visiting) I have mixed emotions about overtourism and cruising.  But. as much as DW and I enjoy cruising in and out of Venice we strongly support the efforts to ban large ships from that port.  The environmental damage (caused by overpressure from large ships) is not helpful to the old and brittle foundations of many structures along the Giudecca.  There are also those that are concerned about the potential for a major disaster (primarily with the huge megaships).   Venice is a very special and unique place and it needs to be preserved, not ruined.  I should add that I also am strongly in favor of banning all large ships from La Spezia.

 

I should add that there are other ways to visit Venice besides on a cruise.  There is decent train service and also good access via car (we have driven to Venice a few times).  Venice also has a small International airport (which we consider among the worst airports in Europe).

 

Hank

Actually the Venice airport is ok.  We flew in and out while on a holiday in Northern Italy last year.  Venice is best experienced while staying in or close by.  The public transit system is excellent.  Our hotel had a deal with a garage where we left our car.   Great rates!  Venice is a gateway to the Dolomites and the Italian alps.  So yes, Venice doesn’t need cruise ships...

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, bunnyette said:

Actually the Venice airport is ok.  We flew in and out while on a holiday in Northern Italy last year.  Venice is best experienced while staying in or close by.  The public transit system is excellent.  Our hotel had a deal with a garage where we left our car.   Great rates!  Venice is a gateway to the Dolomites and the Italian alps.  So yes, Venice doesn’t need cruise ships...

I guess we can agree to disagree when it comes to Venice's Marco Polo airport.  I strongly dislike the place.  The first time we flew into Venice was almost comical.  It was on a USAIR flight (which had come from the USA, stopped in Rome (FCO) and then flew on to Venice.  As we were landing at Marco Polo the luggage handlers decided to go on a sudden 1/2 day strike (welcome to Italy).  It was hell getting our luggage and escaping the airport and a few following flights were diverted to Milan (cruise passengers on those flight had to make their way to Venice via bus).  On another trip we were flying out of Venice and were told to be at the airport 3 hours prior to our flight (which was about 9am).  We grabbed a taxi from the Pizzale Roma around 5:30 and arrived by 6 to find everything in the terminal closed.  We waited at the airline desk (with about 150 others) until one employee showed-up around 8pm.  Our flight left more then an hour late because there was no way they could get everyone checked-in and the luggage loaded (I think that might have also been USAIR).   I could go on about other incidents in more recent years but it sounds more like a soap opera then anything real.  

 

One other quick story.  We flew into Marco Polo about 4-5 years ago and had become acquainted with a few other Americans before and during the flight.  Those folks had all purchased Venice Cards (a multi-day pass that included transportation from the airport on the bus) and were to exchange their vouchers for their Venice card at a kisok located in the airport not far from the luggage pick-up area.  Alas, that kiosk was closed (we tried to help these poor folks) and we found out that the two ladies that staffed that kiosk had gotten angry the previous day and decided to protest by not coming to work.   That poor group (and many others) that had vouchers were left scratching their heads and wondering how they could ever pick up their Venice Cards...not to mention they were stuck paying their own way into Venice (which they had already paid for as part of that Venice Card).   For those of us who have spent a lot of time in Italy this kind of thing is a big nothing ("Ahhhhh it is Italy) but it is too typical of what happens at Marco Polo Airport.

 

Driving into Venice (and parking at one of the garages at Piazale Roma) is not a big deal for those that know the drill.  But if they start to dock big cruise ships at the mainland and use several hundred buses (per day) to move those folks to and from Venice...we think that causeway will become one long parking lot :(.  Ahhhh...it is Italy .

 

Hank

 

Hank

[Langoustine]

I much prefer (well, when we could still travel) flying in and out of Milan and taking the train to Venice. I did fly in and out of Marco Polo ONCE. It was a zoo.