This month 3 cruise ships are scheduled for regular calls at Port Venice Italy.
The return of the liners after a 17-month ban saw the first vessel (MSC Orchestra) sailing to Venice Lagoon to pick up ~650 passengers on June 5.
- MSC Orchestra is scheduled to make regular calls in Venice each Saturday during her week-long summer Mediterranean voyages.
- MSC Magnifica is scheduled to start sailing from Venice Italy on June 20, with regular calls each Sunday.
- Costa Deliziosa is due to follow with her first call on June 26, arriving at the port each Saturday for a 7-day Mediterranean voyage.
The return of large liners in Venice City was celebrated by the tourism and maritime industry while at the same time it was met by “NO Grandi Navi” demonstrators on the rafts with flags and megaphones shouting "Ships out of the Lagoon".
CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) underlined the importance of the recovery as well as the attention for sustainable solutions:
"We celebrate the return of international tourism to the city, with benefits for local communities and the regional economy. Although we are still dealing with Covid-19, cruising has favored the development and implementation of strict protocols to ensure the maximum health and safety of passengers, crews and residents of the affected locations.
"Since 2012 CLIA has constantly asked local authorities and the Italian government for sustainable solutions for the access of ships to Venice and the Lagoon. We have been working hard for years to relieve the traffic of ships in the Giudecca Canal. For this reason, we welcome the recent decision of the Italian Government, in line with what we have always maintained, namely the decongestion of traffic from Venice and the displacement of large ships from the Giudecca Canal . We can only hope for concrete developments as soon as possible.”