A cruise in and out of the beautiful city of Venice is one of life’s great experiences. The sight of canals, bridges, piazzas and wonderful architecture really do make it one of the best cities in the world to visit and it has long been said that the best way to view it is from afar via cruise ship.
It’s a magical experience, the entrance into the Lagoon itself is a sight to see but as you transit the canal, Venice literally comes to life. The view from the ships top deck across St Mark’s Square is breath-taking, it’s an experience I have been lucky enough to have and one that I would like to think I can have again.
The city, however, suffers from severe flooding and Venetians have long been concerned over the effect cruise ships coming in and out of the Lagoon are having on the area as a whole. Of course this is their home, their city and they want to ensure its future so it’s come as no surprise that the Italian government are planning on implementing some changes when it comes to the amount and size of cruise ships visiting.
From January 2014 the amount of ships visiting on a daily basis that are over 40,000 tonnes will be cut by 20% and from November 2014 those over 96,000 tonnes shall be banned altogether.
So what does this mean for cruise passengers? – Well, in short it means those of us wishing to see this beautiful city on a ship over 96,000 tonnes will miss out on the sail in and out of the city via the Giudecca Canal, but don’t worry you can still get there via the Contorta Sant’Angelo Canal.
Although the entrance via the Contorta Santa’Angelo Canal is not quite as impressive it is still a wonderful experience and the rest of the city will remain your oyster to explore and fall in love with. Those visiting on ships under 96,000 tonnes will of course still have the chance to see the city from the Giudecca Canal and you really must savour every moment of it.
As of yet there are no definitive answers as to how they plan to implement these rules or how it will work, but we are assured that Venice shall remain a regular port of call on numerous itineraries even though getting there must inevitably change.
A large number of vessels are still scheduled to call on Venice in 2014 and 2015 including Viking Star, Queen Elizabeth, Regent Seven Seas Mariner, Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Azamara Journey and Crystal Serenity, just to name a very small few. So clearly there is no shortage of available ships and itineraries!
For more information on cruises to Venice please call one of our cruise experts on 0800 008 6677
