by Hi my lovely readers!
The summer season normally means it’s Mediterranean cruise season. The cruise industry has been hit pretty hard by the pandemic and cruise companies had to suspend operations all together for almost an entire year.
And now the cruise industry most recently has been in the news again, but this time it’s about one specific port – Venice.
Venice has been a popular embarkation and disembarkation port for many cruise lines over the years and I can totally see why. The cruise port is located pretty much in Venice, which is the perfect location for city sightseeing as everything is within walking distance and attractions are easily accessible. Plus, sailing out of Venice is such a special experience as you get to pass St Mark’s Square.
But no more. In March Venice announced a ban on cruise ships or in general larger vessels also including container ships that weigh more than 25,000 tonnes. From 1st August 2021 vessels over that tonnage will have to dock at the industrial port of Marghera, which is located outside the city and currently being modified to accommodate those larger vessels and cruise passengers.
This cruise ship ban has been in the making for several years though. Many residents have been campaigning against the ban of larger vessels for many years as they cause pollution and underwater erosion to the foundations that Venice is built on. Additionally, UNESCO announced that it would place Venice on its endangered list unless cruise ships would be banned forever.
The residents are happy and the cruise industry seems to be the loser of this larger vessel ban as there’re hardly cruise ships under 25,000 tonnes.
Back in 2016 I had the chance, which I’m so grateful for, to take a Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Civitavecchia (Rome) with Silversea. The ship back then could carry 540 guests and was 36,000 tons before it got enlarged, which hardly is a big cruise ship in comparison to for example the Norwegian Epic, which can accommodate up to 4,100 passengers.
I’m not gonna lie, it was rather nice to sail out of Venice. It was a breeze to get to the cruise port and I loved sailing out at night, passing St Mark’s Square and seeing it all light up.
But I totally understand why the government decided to ban cruise ships and larger vessels in general from the Venice lagoon. In my opinion it’s better to preserve Venice and have cruise ships docking outside the city and offering shuttle services than to lose the city.
Because without Venice, there is no sailing out from Venice and the city and it’s resident, the people that call Venice their home, should be more important than large corporations. and tourists that only spend little time in the city. Yes, they spend a lot of money and yes it will be more of a hassle for them to reach Venice, but I don’t believe it will deter people from booking a Mediterranean cruise.
