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

Extraordinary Images and Efforts at Concordia Site

Rescue Divers inside Costa Concordia         Credit Sky News

Spill Guards in Place Giglio, Italy                  Credit Sky News

Haunting Images from Site of Costa Concordia Catastrophe

We continue our coverage of this extraordinary event by bringing you a selection of images that are equally extraordinary.  

Click for DigitalGlobe Image from Space

Click for Sky News Gallery 

USA TODAY Image Gallery

On Friday, 13 January 2012,  over 4,000 passengers and crew set sail from Civitavechia, Italy, on a Mediterranean voyage which would take their ship past the small village of Giglio.  The captain of their vessel decided to salute the town and some of its inhabitants, that had a tie to the cruise line, and sail close by to shore.   There was a rocky coast line, but since they were marked on his charts, he felt that they could safely be avoided.

He wasn't the first captain to do a sail-by like this, but unfortunately, human error or perhaps equipment failure turned a seemingly innocent maneuver into a tragic event. 

MAIN BLOG POST (Updated several times since the accident)

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Fighting Against Time and the Elements

Since late Friday night, a monumental rescue and recovery effort has been underway just offshore Giglio. Fortunately, the majority of the passengers and crew were safely evacuated, however as of this writing, 6 people have perished and 29 are unaccounted for.   As the hours progress, the chances of finding them alive diminishes. 

For the first day or so, the weather cooperated with the rescue workers and they were able to work non-stop, even in darkness.  Monday, that all changed as the seas picked up and a light drizzle fell.  All work had to stop when the ship shifted slightly.   The rescue efforts have resumed again, but now there is another concern.   A liquid leaked from the ship causing alarm that this could also turn into an environmental disaster.   Barriers are in place to contain any spill that may occur.

There remains 500,000 gallons of fuel onboard the vessel in 17 tanks according to Costa Cruises.  The mayor of Giglio and environmentalists anxiously await the removal of the fuel.   A salvage company has been employed by Costa Cruises to begin the fuel recovery once rescue efforts have been completed.  If the fuel were to be removed during the rescue efforts, the ship could slip again, increasing the danger of the operation.

Many Unanswered Questions

Why was the ship so close to shore?   Was it human error or faulty maps or equipment?   Why was the evacuation delayed?  Why did the captain leave the ship while evacuation was ongoing?  Was the crew adequately trained?  Were procedures ignored or do they need to be improved?

The "black boxes" have revealed some interesting facts already, making many wonder why the captain took various actions he did on that fateful night.   The investigation will provide answers.  Undoubtedly those in the wrong will be held accountable.  The industry will learn from these events and take corrective action, just as it did almost 100 years ago when the Titanic hit a very similarly shaped submerged object.

Please keep everyone impacted by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.  While the ship will ultimately be repaired, some lives will never be the same.   Our hope is that out of tragedy good will emerge.

Let There Be Green On the Sea

Earth Day 2011 

April 22nd

How Green are Cruise Ships?

Cruise ships operate in every ocean worldwide taking thousands of passengers to all parts of the globe.   There is growing concern that these floating resorts are polluting the waterways and air with all the waste that is generated by normal operations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently conducted a study of the impact of cruise ships and published their findings.  

Download the entire Cruise Ship Discharge Assessment Report (PDF) (162 pp, 1MB)

The Cruise Ship Discharge Assessment Report (Assessment Report) examines five primary cruise ship waste streams -- sewage, graywater, oily bilge water, solid waste, and hazardous waste. For each waste stream, the Assessment Report discusses (1) what the waste stream is and how much is generated; (2) what laws apply to the waste stream; (3) how the waste stream is managed; (4) potential environmental impacts of the waste stream; (5) on-going actions by the federal government to address the waste stream; and (6) a wide range of options and alternatives to address the waste stream from cruise ships in the future.



Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharges Fact Sheet | PDF Version (2 pp, 288K, About PDF)

The Problem: Cruise Ship Water Pollution

Cruise ships currently operate largely unregulated. They release hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw sewage and polluted water (containing bacteria, metals, viruses and nutrients) into  our oceans and coastal waters as close as three nautical miles from shore.

Cruise Ship Environmental Report Card

Friends of the Earth’s 2nd annual Cruise Ship Report Card compares the environmental footprint of 11 major cruise lines and 113 cruise ships.  The results of this evaluation may shock you.   The best grade of all the cruise lines evaluated was a B- with the majority of the ships and cruise lines earning C's, D's, and F's.. 

The failures stem from not implementing equipment and procedures which would minimize pollution.  According to their website, the following determined the scores:

• To determine a cruise line’s Sewage Treatment grade, we compared the number of cruise ships in the cruise line that have installed advanced sewage treatment systems against the total number of ships in the cruise line.
• To determine the Air Pollution Reduction grade for each ship in a cruise line, only ships that dock at a North American port that currently provides shoreside power hookups were graded.
• To determine the Water Quality Compliance grade for ships operating in Alaska, we used 2009 notices of violation issued for individual cruise ships to each cruise line by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Ships were given an ‘n/a’ if they traveled to Alaska but avoided Alaska’s strong water quality standards by discharging outside of those protected waters.
• The grades for each of the criteria were averaged to calculate the Final Grade for each cruise line.

The Solution: The Clean Cruise Ship Act

The Clean Cruise Ship Act (S.1820/H.R.3888) will achieve landmark reductions in water-based pollution from the many cruise ships plying U.S. waters. The bill prohibits the discharge of hazardous waste, sewage sludge, and incinerator ash within all U.S. waters and prohibits the discharge of sewage, graywater, and oily bilge water within 12 nautical miles of shore. In addition, the bill establishes cruise ship water quality standards and monitoring and reporting requirements. The Clean Cruise Ship Act is a substantial but feasible change from the currently under-regulated state of the cruise industry and will help to protect America’s coastlines, food supply, and beautiful natural resources from pollution.

Protect the Environment for Future Generations

Most people that love to cruise also have an interest in protecting the environment for the future.   We want to continue our quest to see more of the world, but at the same time, want to make sure Mother Earth is around for generations to come.  So, what can we as individuals do?

The FOE suggests letting Congress know that we want them to support the Clean Cruise Ship Act.  For those that are interested (click the following links):  Tell Congress to Cleanup the Cruise Industry.    Learn more about the FOE.

Is There Any Good News in the Report Card?

I have to admit that my initial reaction to the report card was one of shock.   The majority of the cruise lines have announced initiatives to protect the environment.   You'll see signs posted in your cabin encouraging you to reuse towels, just like you see in hotel rooms on land.   I have to give them the benefit of the doubt that they do intend to turn things around.  

Of the eleven cruise lines that were evaluated, only two had lower scores in the most recent report card.  Six lines remained the same, two improved and the last one wasn't rated previously.  Perhaps with regulation, there can be additional improvement over time. 

When on a cruise ship, do your part by doing the little things:   reuse your towel,  don't throw anything overboard, or pollute in any other way.

We share this information, not to make any cruise line look bad, but rather to call awareness to a growing problem which can seriously impact all living things if left unchecked.  Thank you for reading this article and for doing your part to protect the environment.

Special thanks to the EPA and FOE for their efforts and for publishing the information which was the basis of this article.