This month three cruise ships are scheduled for regular stops at the port of Venice. The return of the cruise liners after a long 17 months ban saw the first ship MSC Orchestra sailing to the lagoon to pick-up about 650 passengers on Saturday, June 5. MSC Orchestra will make regular stops in Venice each Saturday during her 7-day Mediterranean voyages this summer.

MSC Magnifica will start cruising from Venice on June 20, with regular stops each Sunday. Costa Deliziosa will follow with the first stop on June 26, arriving in Venice each Saturday for a 7-day Mediterranean cruise. 

The return of cruise ships in Venice was celebrated by the maritime and tourism industry while at the same time the return was met by “NO Grandi Navi” demonstrators lined up on the rafts with flags and megaphones shouting "Ships out of the Lagoon".

The Cruise Lines International Association underlined the importance of the recovery, but also the attention for sustainable solutions: 

"We celebrate the return of international tourism to the city, with benefits for local communities and the regional economy," CLIA statement reads. “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. These health protocols, in which Italy played a pioneering role, have been a reference point for tourism globally. In fact, since the start of the pandemic, CLIA has worked alongside with its members and health authorities to continuously develop and improve exemplary Covid guidelines and protocols. 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.”