In order to save the historic city, Venice banned large cruise ships from docking in the Lagoon. However, one cruise line has found a way around that, by shuttling passengers from the ship to the city in motor boats. Reportedly, the city’s port authority authorized the move by Norwegian Cruise Lines, despite plans to curb daytrippers in Venice.

Norwegian Cruise Lines find a way around ban in Venice

Venice has been making plans to curb overtourism in the popular, historic city, including stopping large cruise ships from docking in the Lagoon. On top of this, and as recently reported, the city has also imposed a tourist entry fee to try and curb the crowds. The major problem with not being able to dock cruise ships is that passengers who want to visit the city have to take a two-hour bus ride to get there.

Meanwhile, one cruise company has found a way to get around the ban on cruise ships in the Lagoon. The Norwegian Gem anchored outside the Venice Lido early Saturday morning. The ship then launched a number of motor boats which eventually dropped around 1,500 passengers off in St. Mark’s Square in the city. Later in the evening, motor boats headed out again to take passengers back to the ship.

Protecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site

This latest move, which was authorized by the port authority, is apparently part of an experiment. It comes after the Italian government banned ships weighing more than 25,000 tons from docking in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The cruise ship ban followed years of protests by environmentalists to prevent the ships from damaging Venice’s fragile lagoon. However, they fought against those who were concerned that the move would affect the economy, which relies on tourism.

Meanwhile, following the ban, most cruise companies rerouted to ports in Ravenna or Trieste. However, this meant that passengers who wanted to visit Venice had to make a two-hour bus journey to get there. A few cruise ships are docking in Marghera, an industrial area close to the city, which was repurposed as a temporary docking site.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Gem was only transiting through Venice and dropped its passengers off for the day using boats provided by the port authority.

‘Hit and run’ tourism

Reportedly, Venice authorities had no influence over the plan. However, the city’s tourism councilor, Simone Venturini, warned against “hit and run” tourism. Venturini hopes that the tactic used by the Norwegian Gem won’t set a precedent. He told the local press that this is not the type of tourism they want for the city.

About the ban in Venice

In July 2021, Italy banned cruise ships from using the Giudecca canal to enter Venice’s historic center. With the 25,000-ton limit, only freight vessels and small passenger ferries can enter the canal.

The ban was launched after years of protests against the huge cruise ships. On top of this, UNESCO warned that Venice was at risk of being placed on the world heritage endangered list unless the ships were permanently banned.

Meanwhile, at the same time, the government issued calls for bids to construct a terminal outside the Venice lagoon. This was to be equipped to accommodate large ships weighing more than 40,000 tonnes. However, Francesco Galietti of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said the ban had left the cruise industry “in limbo.”

At the same time, the Italian government issued a call for bids for the construction of a terminal outside the Venice lagoon equipped to accommodate ships weighing more than 40,000 tons.

The Guardian quotes Francesco Galietti, director of the Italy unit for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), who said the ban had left the industry “in limbo.” He added:

Venice used to be a home port, which meant people would come one or two days in advance and spend time in Venice [before starting a cruise], book a hotel and eat in the local restaurants. That was the old world.

Galietti added that the “Norwegian episode” shows there is an ongoing struggle for Venice to remain a home port. He added that everything is in a state of flux. According to Galietti, they are trying to understand what the “new normal” looks like.

Will cruise passengers pay an entry fee for Venice?

Should the go-around used by Norwegian Cruise Lines become the norm, it is unclear whether passengers would have to pay an entry fee imposed on daytrippers from January 2023. Using the system, visitors would have to book online, paying €10 ($10) for the privilege of entering the city. Visitors will then have to enter the city using a QR code.