If you’re involved in European tourism and are close to a big body of water, cruising is part of your livelihood. Cruising — on the Mediterranean, in the North and Baltic Seas, and on rivers — is huge. And so are the ships, which becomes clear if you’re standing on Piazza San Marco in Venice. The towering broadside of a 14-story-tall cruise ship — with hundreds of its 3,000 passengers gathered on its top deck to enjoy one last look at the Doge’s Palace — is a spectacle in itself. If you’re not expecting it, this scene can seem like a clip from a disaster movie. Venice is one of the three or four main ports of embarkation for the entire Mediterranean, so there’s a very good chance you’ll start or end your cruise here. The scene in this video — which happens several times most evenings — is one you wouldn’t have seen a few years ago.
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.
Ugh!!!!! Awful awful awful!!!
We tried a cruise last year. The Norweigen Epic. It was even bigger than this one. But we were never in a port like Venice. They were actually way out of the town where all the ships come in for everything. The one part I did not like about the cruise was that it took so much to actually get to what you wanted to see. I still think that for some people old and disabled and with kids this is really the greatest way for them to travel. If you pay for it you get door to door service.
I find this horrific! I have only been to Venice once, in 2008, and am pleased to say that I did not witness this. I thought Venice was going to ban cruise ships from being close in to Venice due to the effect the large ships were having as far as flooding issues. I guess money talks, as usual. I hope to return there soon and I will hope that ships like this are banned before I get there. I feel like I just watched a horror flick. I weep for La Serenissima.
So, Italy’s economy is in the tank and people want to hurt the Italian economy more because they don’t like cruise ships? This makes no sense. Venice will never EVER ban cruise ships is it brings in huge money for them which is good. If it becomes too big of a problem, vote with your wallets and don’t go there.
And yes, money talks. As it should. The people of Venice deserve every last penny they earn from tourism including cruise ships.
“one you wouldn’t have seen a few years ago”
Depends on what you mean by a few years. I have a similar photo from 2007.
Money may talk, but you can chose how it talks. Venice has taken the mass tourism route. Bhutan has taken the exactly opposite route, limiting numbers and charging high prices. No reason Venice can’t limit cruise ships and charge higher docking rates. I think they need to do something, as RS’s photos show, it’s a bear garden in high season (after a quick peak in June 2004, I went for six nights in November 2007, and it was still packed during the day on the main drag, but blissfully quiet elsewhere).
We all know that buying in bulk saves a lot of money but it is does not apply in meat. Doing so is the best way to get a steakhouse quality steak at home. So let her know that you liked the way she treated someone or that you like the intensity that she has towards whatever she is doing.