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

Future of Cruise Ships in Venice

Will Cruise Ships Be Banned From Venice?

Earlier this year we wrote about the concerns raised by UNESCO about cruise ships impact on the World Heritage Site of Venice.  Following the Costa Concordia disaster, the organization called on the Italian government to impose restrictions on large cruise ships in Venice.   See Concordia Disaster Rekindles Venice Restrictions for details.

The picture above was taken by us during a recent Mediterranean voyage which ended in Venice.  You can see the balcony railing on the left which gives a perspective of how close the ship passed the heart of Venice.   We were just about to pass St. Mark's Square as this image was captured.

 UNESCO REPORT

The state of the lagoon is a deep cause of concern. "The wash churned up by the ships is hollowing out the seabed and gradually turning the lagoon into an inlet of the Adriatic," warns Angelo Marzollo, the author of a UNESCO report. "The erosion is particularly bad in the southern part." 

NEW LEGISLATION

Earlier this week, news surfaced about a law that was under review by the Italian Parliament which would give the city council powers over the city and surrounding waters.  This bill, under review of an environmental committee, was developed to safeguard Venice and the lagoon. 

Those in support of the legislation would call for ships over 30,000 tons to be required to moor outside the lagoon.  Unfortunately, there currently isn't an alternative solution to docking at the cruise terminal at the end of the Grand Canal, so nothing has been changed to date.

FLASHMOB SHOWS SUPPORT

More than 600 people -- porters, mooring, security, hospitality and tourism operators gathered at the Venice passenger terminal to support the cruise industry.  Venice relies heavily on tourism and the supporters rallied to call attention to the more than 3,000 jobs made possible by the cruise ship industry.

There are those that say cruise passengers spend little money in Venice during their stays, so they question the value of the passengers to their economy.  

One thing is for certain, something needs to be done to protect Venice for generations to come and also safeguard the workers whose livelihood depends on tourism.   We will continue to watch this story as it develops.

Meanwhile we suggest you plan a cruise to Venice as soon as you can before changes are made that prevent you from having the experience of sailing into Venice.   It is an experience that you will cherish for the rest of your life.   Seeing the canals from the ship is truly a unique perspective.

For more information on our Mediterranean adventure see:

Diary of Cruise with Chris to Greek Isles