A group of Venetians campaigning against cruise ships entering Venice have disputed a cruise line’s assertion that passengers bring significant economic benefits for the city, arguing that the majority don’t leave the vessel.
Matteo Secchi, the head of the Venessia.com campaign group, said that giant cruise ships entering the city are not only an ugly eyesore, but are also potentially dangerous because they could smash into St Mark’s Square, where some ships pass as close as 100 metres away.
“We just ask that they stop passing by St Mark’s Square,” Secchi told Travel Weekly, explaining that the biggest problem with cruise ships is that they could cause an accident.
He cited an incident in 2004 when a German ship called the Mona Lisa ran aground, stopping only 50 metres away from the square, because heavy fog prevented the crew from realising how close they were.
“We are paranoid that it will happen again,” said Secchi.
There has been a large increase in the number of cruise ships docking in the Venetian lagoon, rising from 206 in 1997 to 655 in 2011.
The largest ship to enter the Venice lagoon so far is the MSC Divina, which at 135,000 tons is three times the size of the Titanic.
MSC Cruises’ UK and Ireland managing director Giulio Libutti told Travel Weekly that although cruise passengers represent only one third of all passengers who embark and disembark in Venice, with the rest arriving on ferries and other vessels, “their importance in terms of economic impact is huge as they generally have more spending power”.
The company said that according to a survey commissioned by Autorita’ portuale di Venezia (APV) and Venice Terminal Passenger (VTP) in 2005-06, each cruise passenger in Venice spends an average of €107 per daily visit.
However, Secchi believes that the importance of cruise passengers to the Venice economy has been overstated.
“The tourists on the cruise ship, a big part of the tourists stay on the ship,” he said. “They are not important for the Venetian economy.
“Everyone has the right to come to Venice, even for a few hours. I have got nothing against someone who comes here for a couple of hours.”
The disadvantages that cruise ships pose by entering the city outweighs the benefits, he said.
“The ships are too big,” said Secchi. “If you are in the Venice square in the summer and watch the lagoon when there’s a big ship, you can’t see anything. These big ships are bigger than the square. It’s a monster.”
The ships also pose problems for the foundations of Venice, explained Secchi, with big vessels creating a wave underneath the water which then hit the buildings, eventually causing the buildings to crumble in as little as 10 to 12 years.
He suggested that, rather than entering the lagoon, cruise ships should use other ports such as an offshore terminal used for oil-tankers.
However, the cruise industry say that strict safety regulations mean there is little risk of an accident, and that when cruise ships enter the lagoon, they are steered by two tug boats, the captain and two pilots.
Libutti said four MSC cruise ships visited Venice in 2012, and it plans on sending the same number again in 2013.
He disputed criticism that large cruise ships are damaging Venice’s buildings, saying: “Despite a number of studies, there is no evidence that big ships create waves or vibrations that harm the built environment.
“Nevertheless, the cruise industry has expressed its willingness to evaluate alternative options that Venice institutions and authorities are working on.”
“We recognise that Venice is a unique city and that it is our privilege to be able to bring guests here, and as such we operate our ships to the highest safety standards and with great respect for the fragile environment of the lagoon,” said Libutti
“The industry has long been engaged in constructive dialogue with the Venetian authorities and actively participated in Venice’s Blue Flag scheme. One result of the scheme is that, since 2010, all MSC ships calling at Venice – including MSC Divina – use low sulphur fuel oil while entering the Venice lagoon, which has helped improve air quality significantly.”