Venice Plans to Reroute Cruise Ships

Venice Plans to Reroute Cruise Ships

While there has been a lot of commotion from the Costa Concordia accident on January 13, 2012 and increasing vocal concerns of preservation groups and environmentalists, officials in Venice have put forward a plan to reroute cruise ships away from the city center by dredging a new channel from the Lagoon of Venice directly into the busy Marittima passenger terminal.

Such a move would mean that cruise passengers no longer would sail into or out of the San Marco Basin or the scenic Giudecca Canal, which are both within shouting distance of venerable landmarks such as the Piazza San Marco and St. Mark’s Basilica.

An agreement was reached in December between the Venice Port Authority and the city of Venice to study the creation of the channel, which could be completed within 18 months. The proposal gained a new urgency following the recent cruise accident.

Venice is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the group called on the Italian government to “act quickly to develop alternative plans for maritime traffic” around Venice.

In a letter to the Italian environment minister, Unesco assistant director-general for culture Francesco Bandarin wrote, “The tragic accident [involving the Concordia] reinforces long-standing concerns over the risk that large cruise liners pose to sites inscribed on [our] World Heritage list, particularly the Venetian Lagoon and the Basin of San Marco.”

Given the fragile structure of the medieval city, Unesco warned, the ships “cause waves that erode the foundations of buildings.”

Cruise companies did not respond to queries requesting their views on the proposed route change.

Cruise ships currently enter the Lagoon of Venice from the northeast and travel west through the San Marco Basin and the Giudecca Canal to the sprawling Marittima cruise port, in the far southwest corner of the city.

More than 20 major cruise lines visit the city each year. In 2011, cruise ships brought 1.7 million cruise passengers into Venice.

What are your thoughts on changing the Venice docking sites?

 

6 Responses to Venice Plans to Reroute Cruise Ships

  • Ophelia Yeates
    Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was looking for!
    • Nilakantha
      I totally agree with the ceonmmt concerning the availability of flights. The additional costs involved are quite prohibitive.I tried to get a couple of return flights for a Seabourn offer, sailing from Venice in early August. The cheapest I could get was a3800 return !! It does rather take the gloss off some of the current cruise offers.
  • Ronny
    yezzirlolThis is pure rubbish. Cruise ship iecpanmos, notably Royal Caribbean, have programs in place such as Save the Waves to prevent this stuff from happening. MARPOL 73/78, or International Law of the Sea, prohibits any dumping of plastic into the ocean. Regulated victual food waste, paper/carboard, and medals are allowed to be discharged and because of an oil slick/spill from Royal Caribbean in the early 2000 s, most (if not all) cruise ship iecpanmos have created an Environmental Officer job.
  • Cleonice
    Yes. Sea travel has come a long way. Cruise ships have a lot to offer for many ppoele. For some they are too confined, for others these inexpensive vacations can be great fun. With the price of a cruise you are able to stretch your vacation dollars significantly—if not dramatically.For the price of a standard cruise you get:• A clean and attractive (but usually small) room• 3 tasty meals a day• Great service by friendly staff• Snacks until late in the evening• Excellent entertainment• Shore leave to some fascinating ports
    • Minie
      It's a myth that you burn it off while you're at the parks with regard to eaitng so much food. Yes, you walk a lot, but it's certainly not any sort of cardio workout. (if it is, then you're running, which you shouldn't be since you're in a Disney park, or you're getting a cardio workout from a walk, which is abnormal unless you're fairly overweight already. )One of the best cardio experiences you can have at Disney is on board one of their cruise ships. You can't beat the view!
    • Kopral
      I disagree with diaiacvt80 . A cruise will be the most relaxing part of your trip. (even if you have kids) if you go after being in the parks, the kids head off to activities and you can chill out. A cruise is all about relaxing.With regard to the luggage, you can easily pay a small fee to store any excess baggage while going on your cruise. All that being said, placing the cruise at the beginning, middle or end of your trip is going to depend on the make up of your travel group. Enjoy!

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