Cruises without Venice: Norwegian Cruise Line changes routes

One of the world's leading cruise lines, Norwegian Cruise Line, has officially announced that it will exclude the Italian city of Venice from its cruise itineraries in 2024 and 2025. Henceforth, the cruise line will no longer include Venice as a port of call in its plans.

The reason cited is that the city declared its waterways a "national monument" and prohibited large cruise ships from entering. Consequently, Norwegian has decided to remove the city from its routes, as reported by Travel & Leisure.

"Acknowledging restrictions on the entry of large cruise ships into the Venice Lagoon and their docking at regular marinas, large cruise ships visiting Venice will need to anchor outside the lagoon and utilize smaller boats to access the port of Venice," explained a company spokesperson.

The Cruise Line highlights that despite efforts to address the situation, the conditions imposed by the city of Venice do not align with the standards the company strives to maintain. It is emphasized that Norwegian will revise its 2024 itineraries, previously including Venice, by substituting visits to the ports of Ravenna, Rijeka, and Zadar, or Koper. In 2025, Venice will be replaced with either a sea day or another port, subject to availability.

"We acknowledge that Venice is one of the world's top destinations, cherished by both our guests and crew, and therefore understand the inconvenience and frustration this disruption may cause," stated the cruise line.

Meanwhile, other cruise lines are employing alternative methods to transport guests to Venice. For instance, MSC Cruises docks in Marghera, which is nearby. Others, such as Princess Cruises and Holland America Line, stop in Trieste, situated near the Slovenian border. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises opt for Ravenna, approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes away from Venice.

Furthermore, as the authors note, Venice has been endeavoring to curb excessive tourism for years. The city, repeatedly delayed from UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in Danger, also intends to introduce a tourist tax for day visitors this spring and aims to limit the number of tourist groups.