Government officials in Rome on Tuesday ordered a halt to large cruise ships passing through the Venice lagoon, effective from November 2014, and a limit on smaller cruise vessels effective in January, the ANSA news agency reports.
Ferries will also be limited from passing in front of St Mark's Square. As of January, the number of cruise ships with gross tonnage in excess of 40,000 must be reduced to 20% of their current volume in Venetian waters. The outright ban on cruise ships in November 2014 only applies to those over 96,000 gross tons.
“According to the order, cruise traffic will eventually be rerouted through the Contorta Sant'Angelo Canal, so that any accident would not touch the best-known and most vulnerable parts of the city. Environmentalists warn that the lagoon surrounding Venice, itself a UNESCO heritage site, is at great risk due to its fragile ecosystem,” the report said.
The move will mean that Post-Panamax cruise ships can no longer offer a few of St Mark's Square from their decks ass the ships sail in and out of the port.
