Edge Embarkation Lunch

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Welcome Aboard
Buffet Lunch

Our cruise might be departing for the Western Caribbean but Celebrity Edge Oceanview Cafe  took us to lands far away.  The buffet offers traditional favorites, as well as cuisine from around the world with a menu that varies.  The selections included Latin, Italian, Indian, Asian, Grilled Favorites, Seafood, Salads, Cheese, Bread and of course scrumptious desserts.

The floor plan is very open with the interior setup with several stations, each featuring a unique cuisine.  My suggestion is that you first take a tour around the entire buffet before deciding what to select.  Take some pictures as well so that you can remember the experience long after you return home.

Did  I Mention Desserts

If you have a sweet tooth like me, you'll want to save room so that you can dive into the desserts.  If you can't find something you like there, waddle over to Scoops for some gelato or ice cream.  There's an extra charge for this venue, but if you are a Captain's Club member, you can get a free scoop of gelato during your cruise.

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Large Ships Banned from Venice Lagoon

Venice

Cruise Ship

Restrictions 

2014 & Beyond

Shortly after the Concordia disaster, the government of Italy and various organizations rekindled their efforts to restrict cruise traffic in the Venice Lagoon.   A law was passed that banned large cruise ships from passing close to Italian shores.  It was to be a countrywide restriction, but due to the large tourism industry in Venice, the law was suspended temporarily.

Effective November 2014

According to the press reports out of Italy, officials have now banned large cruise ships (over 96,000

tons) from the Venice Lagoon starting in November, 2014.  This doesn't mean that cruise ships won't be visiting Venice, but rather cruise ship traffic will be rerouted perhaps through the Contorta Sant'Angelo Canal, which is farther away from the best-known parts of the city.

This scene, taken during our Mediterranean cruise which included Venice, will be a thing of the past.  Until that time, we highly suggest you take advantage of cruises that include a stop in Venice and be sure to get up early as the ship sails into the lagoon.

Starting January 2014

Even before the ban goes into effect late next year, there are other restrictions that will begin starting at the beginning of the year.  The number of cruise ships 40,000 tons or more sailing in Venetian waters must be reduced to 20 percent of the current volume.  That limit means no more than 5 cruise ships over 40,000 tons would be in port on any given day during the cruise season.

Cruise lines will continue to include Venice in their itineraries, but they will have to make alternative plans, perhaps including tendering, in order to make that possible.   What will be gone however is the sail by of attractions such as Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Square.   When that is in effect, we suggest that you be sure to take a water taxi so that you are still able to see the city from the water.  That is a perspective that is one you will cherish forever.

We have been following this developing story for some time now.  We've included links to some of our previous articles.  Also, be sure to visit our post, Diary of Cruise with Chris to Greek Isles, for more information about Venice and ports that we visited.


Related Blog Posts:

Future of Cruise Ships in Venice
Concordia Disaster Rekindles Venice Restrictions
Sailing Into Venice by Cruise Ship

Costa Concorida Vertical

Concordia Upright Courtesy Parbuckling Project

19 Hour Project Completed

“The parbuckling operation has been successfully completed,” the Parbuckling Project’s official website said in an understated announcement at about 4 a.m. local time. “The wreck is now upright and resting safely on the specially built artificial sea bed, at a depth of approximately 30 meters.”

Shortly after 4 AM local time in Giglio, Italy,  there were shouts and claps for joy followed by the sound of a horn piercing the night's silence as the Costa Concordia reached full vertical.   Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, the ship was raised to this position and we were able to watch live on the internet.

There was joy amongst the workers of course, but there is also sorrow knowing that lives were lost on this very spot.  In fact, there are still 2 missing bodies that were never accounted for.   Prior to the parbuckling, there were hopes that those bodies would be found.  So far that has not been the case.

The entire parbuckling operation took 19 hours, longer than expected due to weather delays and stoppages dues to technical difficulties.   The final phase went quickly as gravity provided assistance.

COVERAGE FROM AROUND THE NET:

In this article, Yahoo has a collection of images that are emerging as daylight falls upon the now vertical Costa Concordia.   There are some amazing images, just as there were immediately following the tragedy 20 months ago.

They've Turned Over The Costa Concordia And The Pictures Are Nuts

In this BBC article, there is a time-lapse video of the parbuckling.  There are also several pictures from the morning after.   The night image didn't show the extent of the damage to the side of the vessel but that is made clear in daylight.  There is also graphics showing how the process was completed.

Costa Concordia: Stricken ship set upright in Italy (BBC)

Our article from yesterday has links to the official Parbuckling Project site and other useful information.

Parbuckling of Costa Concordia Begins

Parbuckling of Costa Concordia Begins

Dark Line on Costa Concordia Shows Movement  Source: Chicago Tribune
Watch Live

This image extracted from a live video of Costa Concordia's Parbuckling Procedure, which began today in Giglio, shows the slow process of righting the vessel.  The actual process started around 9 AM this morning after a storm delayed the start.

Related Links:

Attempt to right Costa Concordia cruise ship begins (USA Today)
Graphic on How Costa Concordia will be Raised

The Parbuckling Project: Concordia wreck removal project informative website

The overall project is 77% completed and is being carried out by a crew of 474 workers and 28 vessels and crafts on site. For a video and additional details of the salvage operation, see Costa Concordia Salvage Begins.

Main article: Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident 

Updates from Parbuckling Website:       Multimedia Content

Please Note:   During the actual operations (daytime hours local Giglio time) you may experience problems accessing the Parbuckling Project's website.  It is best to view off-hours.

16 Sep 2013  4.20 P.M. The wreck side has been successfully dislodged from the reef by applying a maximum load of 6,000 tons (in line with forecast), thanks to the force exerted by the strand jacks operating the system of winches and steel chains.  The wreck has now rotated 10 degrees and will need to rotate at least as many before it has completed the first 20 degrees with reference to the initial position which is the approximate point at which the intake valves of the 11 sponsons attached to the port side of the hull reach sea level.

In the meantime the whole parbuckling system is being monitored constantly, with continuous checks – for example – of the condition of the strand jacks and chains, etc.

7.00 P.M.:The Titan Micoperi consortium announced that strandjack operations were temporarily suspended for an hour for maintenance work. It was in fact necessary to intervene with a dedicated team to avoid slack cables from interfering with the tensioned cables. The ‘Fast Response’ team is comprised of 8 people ready to intervene for checking purposes or in the event of anomalies. As foreseen by the operating and site procedures, access onboard was via a specifically positioned ladder, and safety checks were carried out. The team who intervened are all qualified to work on the wreck, are equipped with climbing gear and protective devices as necessary. Parbuckling operations have now resumed.

  Follow us on Facebook for Updates to this ongoing story.  We'll post links to images, videos, and news stories from various sources.

Parbuckling of Costa Concordia Approved

The Parbuckling Project: Concordia wreck removal project informative website

UPDATE 16 Sep 2013:

Parbuckling of Costa Concordia Begins 

Press release by Italian Civil Protection

According to the press release (6 Sep 2013), "The operation to right the ship Costa Concordia (known as “parbuckling”) has been given the go-ahead for this month: this was the outcome of a meeting convened in Rome today at the headquarters of the Civil Protection Department, by the Emergency Commissioner Franco Gabrielli, and attended by representatives from the Advisory Committee, the Observatory, the Micoperi-Titan Consortium and the cruise line Costa Crociere."   

Full Text of Press Release

Before the actual work takes place, authorities will need to review test certificates, inspect the structures, and complete preliminary activities.  No date for the actual parbuckling was given in the press release.

The overall project is 77% completed and is being carried out by a crew of 474 workers and 28 vessels and crafts on site. For a video and additional details of the salvage operation, see Costa Concordia Salvage Begins.

Main article: Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident