CLIA urges rerouting for large ships in Venice after cruise crash

Venice, Italy - May 17, 2015: A huge cruise ship belonging to the Swiss-based MSC Cruises entering Venice on the Giudecca Canal at sunset, as seen from a small canal in the Dorsoduro area of Venice, Italy. Groups of people can be seen canal-side, on a bridge, and on the decks of the boat. Allowing large ships in the delicate Venetian lagoon has elicited controversy and protest.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is supporting renewed calls to reroute large ships dropping anchor in Venice, after a cruise liner crashed in the Guidecca Canal at the weekend.

CLIA has welcomed the Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro’s statements demanding “an urgent solution” allowing cruise vessels to enter the Venice cruise terminal through an alternative route to the Giudecca Canal, which came after an MSC vessel crashed at port, injuring five people and damaging a River Cruises vessel at anchor.

“The member lines of CLIA have been actively engaged in discussion about using the Vittoria Emmanuele Canal as a solution for a considerable time and have been cooperative in simulations and studies that resulted in the Comitatone recommendation,” CLIA said in a statement.

CLIA chairman Adam Goldstein said: “The cruise industry has worked diligently with the Mayor of Venice, the Veneto Region, the Port Authority and many others, to find viable solutions to allow larger cruise ships to access the Marittima berths without transiting the Giudecca Canal.

“We are in agreement with the solution developed by Comitatone in 2018 to utilise the Vittorio Emanuele Canal as the best and most prudent means to move larger cruise ships away from the Giudecca. CLIA cruise lines welcome and will support the urgent implementation of this solution.”

CLIA’s statement comes after the MSC Opera smashed into the wharf at the Giudecca Canal on Saturday, injuring five people, including two Australians.

Here the video from people angle escaping from cruise ship losing control approaching the pier in Venice.
The noise of siren and of clash is totally frightening, looking like a scene from a disaster movie #grandinavi pic.twitter.com/TGIIR2oFut
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) June 2, 2019

Following the incident, CLIA has urged all parties in Venice to reach a conclusion to start the preparation work to dredge the Vittoria Emmanuele Canal to begin to reroute larger ships.

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clia Giudecca Canal Vittoria Emmanuele Canal