Italian authorities have approved a ban on cruise ships entering the historic centre of Venice.
The country’s culture minister said on Wednesday, ‘that the decision came in response to UN cultural body Unesco’.
Large ships will now have to dock at the city’s industrial port until a permanent solution is found.
Critics argue the ships cause pollution and erode the foundations of the city, which suffers from regular flooding.
On Wednesday, Italian ministers agreed that large cruise and container ships would no longer be able to enter the city’s Giudecca canal, which leads to the historic St Mark’s Square.
Culture Minister Dario Franceschini hailed the move, which he described as “a correct decision, awaited for years”.
The government will hold a “call for ideas” for an alternative cruise terminal in the city.
Cruise ships are currently unable to enter Venice due to coronavirus restrictions but their absence since has been credited with improving water quality in the lagoons.
Pressure to pass a ban on large vessels mounted in 2019 after a cruise ship crashed into a harbour in the city, injuring five people. However, no permanent solution was found.
Previous initiatives to stop cruise ship traffic have also failed. In 2013, the government banned ships weighing more than 96,000 tonnes from the Giudecca canal, but the legislation was later overturned.
Other plans to divert cruise ships from the centre of Venice were announced in 2017 but were never fully implemented.
Clia has urged the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lift its framework for conditional sailing order (CSO) and allow the sector to plan for a phased resumption of cruise operations from US ports by the start of July.
“These voyages were successfully completed with industry-leading protocols that effectively mitigated the spread of Covid-19,” said Craighead, who noted plans for further sailings in the Mediterranean and Caribbean during spring and into summer. Craighead said the CDC order no longer reflected operational realities thanks to a combination of an accelerated vaccination programme and better Covid mitigations and protocols. “The cruise industry has adopted a high bar for resumption around the world with a multi-layered set of policies intended to be revised as conditions change,” said Craighead. “Our members continue to follow this multi-layered approach to enhancing health and safety that has proven effective, making cruising one of the best and most adaptable choices.”
The association said this would dovetail with President Biden’s forecast for when living in the US would be “closer to normal”; president and chief executive Kelly Craighead said the “highly-controlled” resumption of cruising in Europe, Asia and the South Pacific had proved it was possible.
MSC Cruises has announced that it will be offering a “special range of short breaks and week-long cruises around the British Isles” in summer 2021, starting from May 20, for UK holidaymakers only.
Departing from the new terminal in the port of Southampton, these first sailings will kick off with a series of short cruises and will be followed by seven-night sailings visiting “some of the UK’s favourite destinations and offering additional ports of embarkation to guests,” the cruise line said in a press release.
“Our experience of sailing safely and responsibly since August last year in the Mediterranean under our industry-leading protective health and safety protocol has given us a great deal of knowledge and data about safe cruises,” said Gianni Onorato, CEO at MSC Cruises.
“We also remain confident that we will soon be able to welcome British guests back on board one of our ships further afield, once current international travel restrictions are lifted and more of our ships will have restarted across the Mediterranean as well as other areas traditionally favoured by the British,” he added.
Antonio Paradiso, the managing director at MSC Cruises UK & Ireland, said that the cruise line’s hope is to “offer every type of holidaymaker the chance to escape this summer – from grandparents to teens and even the smallest of passengers looking to explore.”
Both vaccinated and non-vaccinated guests would be welcome, Paradiso explained.
“All guests will be tested prior to embarkation, while non-vaccinated guests will also be required to show proof of negative test done within 72 hours prior to embarkation,” he said. “Crew in addition to the protocol-mandated test and 14-day quarantine prior to embarkation will also receive weekly testing, in addition to other ongoing health monitoring measures.”
According to Paradiso, MSC Cruises has carried more than 50,000 guests since its restart of operations in August 2020 under the protection of a health and safety protocol.
“It is built around a comprehensive strategy that includes universal testing of all guests and crew prior to embarkation and periodically throughout the cruise, deep and ongoing sanitation, protected-only shore excursions, as well as many other measures that we are used to in our daily lives, such as social distancing and the wearing of face coverings. We will sail with a reduced capacity so that guests have even more space,” he said.
“Our industry-leading protocol was developed with input from international health experts – including our own ‘Blue-Ribbon’ expert group – and in close cooperation with relevant health, transport and safety authorities and was designed to respond to a fluctuating health situation ashore. This allowed us to support continued cruise operations in the Mediterranean through to today, safely welcoming guests onboard from across the Schengen area throughout the different phases of the evolution of the pandemic in the various countries,” he added.
Paradiso said that MSC will continue to adapt the protocol in line with relevant requirements and guidance, to “provide the (UK guests with the) same seamless experience they are used to when cruising.”
“We understand how important this particular summer is to holidaymakers and we’re committed to providing guests with a range of fantastic activities in a healthy and safe environment. Guests can expect a variety of fun and engaging areas for children with play areas for a range of ages and world-class dining and round-the-clock entertainment offerings that provide multi-generational groups with a holiday option that suits this summer,” he said.
According to Paradiso, MSC Cruises is also working on a program of protected shore excursions for its guests to experience the destinations it will visit, but “of course, this is subject to prevailing circumstances and local guidance at the time of sailing.”
“We believe that this special offering will provide UK holidaymakers with a unique summer of cruising and be the ultimate destination for families and friends to reconnect and create new memories this summer. In the meantime, we continue to engage with the UK Government and all relevant authorities as we evaluate the ever-changing travel landscape and prepare for any potential roadblocks that could arise as we journey on the roadmap to recovery. Whilst we are excited for a summer of British cruising, we remain confident that we will soon be able to welcome UK guests back onboard further afield,” he said.
Further details regarding the sailings will be announced shortly, Paradiso said, highlighting the cruise line’s commitment to providing flexibility to guests.
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