tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156248092240493103.post4994041347493376379..comments2024-03-28T07:41:39.861-07:00Comments on The Gondola Blog: Leaving Venice by Cruise Ship - from the Giardino to the AdriaticGondola Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851059697312050099noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156248092240493103.post-17481501909892487102012-11-22T06:02:19.530-08:002012-11-22T06:02:19.530-08:00As a resident of Venice for the last two years (wh...As a resident of Venice for the last two years (whose young son goes to pre-school here) and a vogatore myself, I appreciate your affection for the city and for rowing. But I must tell you and your readers that THE LAST THING that anyone who truly loves Venice should do is come into or depart from the city in a cruise ship.<br /><br />To be blunt, most Venetians loathe cruise ships. They are a source of air pollution, structural damage to the city and environmental damage to the lagoon. While the port of Venice--whose income goes to the national gov't--makes money from them, the vast majority of Venetians and the city itself do not. In fact, studies show that at least 1/2 of cruise ship passengers do not even leave the ship. Those who do come into the city spend an average of just 19 euro each.<br /><br />However the damage the cruise ships do to the structure of the city costs the city & its residents money. Much more than 19 euro per head.<br /><br />There has been much written about this, one example of which you will find here:<br /><br />http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9648824/Cruise-ships-bringing-vulgar-touch-of-Las-Vegas-to-Venice.html<br /><br />And the number and intensity of protests here against cruise ships is increasing. <br /><br />From personal & daily experience, I can assure you that those people you saw who were "smiling and waving" to you as you passed by on that gargantuan ship were simply other tourists.<br /><br />The gestures that Venetians themselves make toward those gaudy destructive things, and the words they address toward their passengers, are far less flattering. <br /><br />I was born & raised in California, attended grad school at Irvine, but my family & I are also Italian citizens & have made Venice our home. As such, and on behalf of so many other Venetians whose only wish is to preserve their unique old city, I ask you to spread the word that no one should take a cruise ship in or out of Venice.<br /> <br />Thanks.<br /> <br /><br /> Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156248092240493103.post-34114245924304729902012-11-20T00:21:35.564-08:002012-11-20T00:21:35.564-08:00Thanks a lot for making me back to Venice. I was t...Thanks a lot for making me back to Venice. I was there once, few years ago.<br />Italy is a very espcial place where someone always would and should like to go back.<br />Thannkyou again for discovering and showing us, stories ands places of that wonderful city of the lagoon.Joanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03805235136051724634noreply@blogger.com