Led by groups that have long protested huge cruise ships docking in, and occasionally running into, Venice, numbers of Venetian locals held a part last Friday to celebrate announcements that the ships won’t be returning soon.
The coronavirus pandemic has shut down cruising for months, and two of the major cruise lines that had Venice port calls have announced that when they resume cruising in coming months, they will call in Genoa or Trieste instead, since those ports are considered better able to handle the health and safety issues.
The effects of the megacruisers on the city’s infrastructure and on the ecology of the Venice Lagoon have long been a source of anger for campaigners against overtourism. Over the years, there have been plans to have the huge ships dock in other areas of the lagoon, but many activists would prefer having them not return at all; other local groups want a solution that loses the ships but keeps the economic boost.
