Italy bans cruise ships over 25kGT and 180 M long in Venice canal

[Cienfuegos]

Venice also enjoys (?)  a huge day tripper business from the mainland.

 

I understand only a small % of cruise passengers spend even one night in a Venice hotel, or have dinner in a local restaurant. That might reduce the attractiveness of the cruise business to some parts of the hospitality industry.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, auldlassie said:

Thank you to Chengkp75 and Jim Avery for explaining lack of channel to sail around.  I note that Marghera port area is where the road and rail link into Venice comes from and that it lies geographically closer to Venice than the airport. Would it therefore be possible to use road, rail or even possibly watertaxi into Venice from Marghera port?  I would expect it can be managed. I know Marghera port is not pretty, but then neither is Venice airport, nor many of the other Mediterranean ports ships sail into, but that doesn't really deter tourists necessarily. Where there is a will there is a way and I doubt both the cruise tourists and Venice will want to lose the ability to visit. If we can dock at Civitavecchia for Rome and Livorno for Florence and Pisa, we can manage somewhere a bit more distant for Venice if it helps preserve this wonderful city, surely? 

 

Although I've never paid on/off a ship in Venice, I was on Uganda for many months and Venice was one of our turnaround ports. Had no problem getting 1,000 pax to/from the airport, so with the commercial port being closer, it should be no problem getting onto the islands by road/rail over the causeway.

 

From the railway station you can easily get a water taxi on the Grand Canal.

[Mrs Miggins]

Wondering if anyone on Viking in October 2021 has had any notifications re their solution re Venice.  Whilst this does not impact my New Year Viking Venus cruise I am booked on Azamara finishing my cruise in Venice next April.   Azamara have notified those travelling to Venice this year that they are using Trieste as an alternative.  Its an interesting port but a long way from Venice.

Any news at all from Viking since October not far away now ?

[les37b]

On 7/17/2021 at 10:00 PM, chengkp75 said:

Yes, I suspect that there will be bus service from the Marghera port to Venice island.  Water taxi is also a possibility, but from the airport (about the same distance to the Venice cruise terminal as Marghera), is about 100 euro.

 

I'm certainly aware there is no cruise terminal in Marghera, but is that also the ship yard? I can remember staying in Mestre about 4 years ago and seeing Carnival Horizons (I think) being fitted.

 

I appreciate one ship getting in and out is not quite the same as a large daily number, but I guess that means there is already a route (unless it still went via the Giudecca canal) - even though clearly more dredging work needed and construction of a terminal. 

 

I have sat and watched from opposite St Marks Sq, ships come and go. The smaller vessels and sail boats look fine and unassuming. The monster ships, just look horrible IMHO.

 

 

[chengkp75]

4 hours ago, les37b said:

I appreciate one ship getting in and out is not quite the same as a large daily number, but I guess that means there is already a route (unless it still went via the Giudecca canal) - even though clearly more dredging work needed and construction of a terminal. 

Do you mean a route to Marghera?  This is a commercial port, the largest oil port in Italy, and a large container port.  They have ships much larger than the cruise ships every day.  The route comes from the south, from Malamocco at the south end of the lagoon.  This channel is 11 meters deep for container ships and tankers.  No dredging will be needed, but a terminal will.

[formernuke]

On the October 12 Med Odyssey which ends in Venice. Still shows as Venice on everything (no alternate port mentioned)

[les37b]

9 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Do you mean a route to Marghera?  This is a commercial port, the largest oil port in Italy, and a large container port.  They have ships much larger than the cruise ships every day.  The route comes from the south, from Malamocco at the south end of the lagoon.  This channel is 11 meters deep for container ships and tankers.  No dredging will be needed, but a terminal will.

 

Yes. Though I'd no idea what goes on there until you'd said... just saying Ive seen a cruise ship being fitted there, so knew they must be a route in and out.

 

I'm guessing the current terminal in Venice and then route the tankers take is not a possibility without dredging? - or a case the whole island now protected so not an option.

 

I appreciate and understand the logic for protecting this treasure. Just a bit surprised that Rome / Venice havent put forward a plan and timescale. (Or one I know of!)

 

One of my favourite cities in the world.

 

 

[chengkp75]

There is a channel from Marghera to Venice island, but it is long unused, and would require significant dredging.  Dredging is one of the things that they want to avoid, as this stirs up the lagoon bottom, and adversely affects the plant life there.  The issue with cruise ships in Venice is not only deterioration to the buildings along the canals, but the damages to the lagoon ecosystem (actually more important than the sinking buildings).

 

The cargo route goes from the south end of the lagoon west and then north directly to Marghera.  The cruise route goes from east of Venice proper through the heart of the lagoon.

 

I believe the city has a plan for a cruise terminal, it will just naturally take a couple of years to build.

[Cienfuegos]

Hopefully the government will select a firm other than the one which built the Mose sea wall to construct the new cruise terminal.  If they want it done in the next 10 years.

 

One of the earlier directives said that cruise passengers will arrive from the airport / train / vaporetti at the current terminal area on Tronchero. They will be processed, luggage taken, etc at that point. Buses will transport the passengers to Marghera, where they will board the ship.

 

So, technically, cruises will begin and end in Venice.

[Vineyard View]

In addition to Azamara announcing Trieste as the alternative docking location, Oceania has also. I don’t know much about Trieste - private car will take approx 1 hr 45 min. Train 2-3 hours. I know not everyone is happy about this choice vs the location of Marghera. I do not know if it is temporary for this year, or will extend longer understanding that Italy has a history of moving rather slowly. I also do not know how many additional ships Trieste can efficiently handle. 
I wonder when Viking will announce their alternative port. 

[FoggyEthan]

Lemons out of lemonade. If you dock at Marghera, consider a trip to Padua. There's also Villa Foscari just minutes outside Marghera.

 

If you have to go to Trieste, or Monfalcone I read which is near Trieste, then go see Trieste and save yourself the long trip. Or take a long road trip up into the Dolomites (aka the Italian Alps) and visit Belluno, stopping at Conegliano.

 

Or it's less than 1.5 hours to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia which Rick Steves raves about. He also recommends a lot of other sites in Slovenia that are quite close by, including the cute waterfront town of Piran. Slovenia is in the Schengen zone, so you can drive from Italy to Slovenia without encountering immigration or customs.

 

Venice is saying it has enough tourists. These other places want your visit.

[-Lew-]

Would tendering to Piazza San Marco from anchorage be a viable option?

[-Lew-]

Would tendering to Piazza San Marco from anchorage be a viable option?

[Cienfuegos]

48 minutes ago, -Lew- said:

Would tendering to Piazza San Marco from anchorage be a viable option?

Removing luggage, fueling, reprovision of the ship, etc takes place on the turn around day. At best, it would be difficult.

 

I will be interested to see the details for the Marghera / Venice transfer.

[chengkp75]

50 minutes ago, -Lew- said:

Would tendering to Piazza San Marco from anchorage be a viable option?

Anchorage, where?  One of the major goals is to keep large ships out of the eastern part of the lagoon, not just the city's canals, so an anchorage in the "usual" channel is not an option.  The only anchorage on the channel to Marghera is well south, nearer the entrance to the Malamocco channel, at the south end of Lido island.  This would be 6-7 miles by boat from the ship to Piazza San Marco.

[SantaFe1]

On 8/23/2021 at 7:40 AM, chengkp75 said:

Anchorage, where?  One of the major goals is to keep large ships out of the eastern part of the lagoon, not just the city's canals, so an anchorage in the "usual" channel is not an option.  The only anchorage on the channel to Marghera is well south, nearer the entrance to the Malamocco channel, at the south end of Lido island.  This would be 6-7 miles by boat from the ship to Piazza San Marco.

Looks like our Med. Odyssey, Barcelona to Venice in Sept. 22 is going to be Barcelona to ???  Another magical mystery tour!  

[Jim Avery]

More than 8 passengers??

[SantaFe1]

I think so!  It’s sold out!  But 8 would be fun…well, maybe not just 8.  Kind of lonely in the explorers lounge.

[formernuke]

Interesting, I don't see a Med Odyssey starting 9/22 on the Viking Website. Per that schedule, we're the first one on Oct 12. (I was on a Sep 22 cruise before it got canceled months ago...). Are there cruises not shown?

[Squawkman]

I think he means September 2022. That’s when we’re going too.

[SantaFe1]

1 hour ago, Squawkman said:

I think he means September 2022. That’s when we’re going too.

It’s she, but yes, Sept.28, 2022.

[formernuke]

Makes more sense. Sorry. Thanks

[w1234]

We are on the Ancient Adriatic Treasures cruise Oct 3 - Oct 17, 2021, Venice to Istanbul and this was posted on the roll call on August 14.

 

"PS I spoke to Viking today and we are still scheduled to dock at VeneziaTerminal Passeggeri. This is in the city but not the Lagoon. any changes will be sent to us by Viking."

Edited August 25, 2021 by w1234

[chengkp75]

12 minutes ago, w1234 said:

We are on the Ancient Adriatic Treasures cruise Oct 3 - Oct 17, 2021, Venice to Istanbul and this was posted on the roll call on August 14.

 

"PS I spoke to Viking today and we are still scheduled to dock at VeneziaTerminal Passeggeri. This is in the city but not the Lagoon. any changes will be sent to us by Viking."

The only way to get to that terminal is from the Lido entrance to the lagoon, and then up the Guidecca canal in Venice, exactly where Italy has banned the large ships from going.

[Heidi13]

17 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

I think so!  It’s sold out!  But 8 would be fun…well, maybe not just 8.  Kind of lonely in the explorers lounge.

 

Never lonely, as they have 460 crew to join you😁