Cruise tourists overwhelm Europe's ancient resorts

An article published today on the BBC website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40592247

So basically they want our money but not the ships or all the tourists. Imagine how many jobs would be lost.

However I've long thought it doesn't seem right to let the big ships into Venice. It just looks wrong and you would think it must cause some damage.

I saw that little Guernsey had 6,000 visitors on one day this week!

The infrastructure (port facilities, transport, town facilities, shops, excursions, etc) of the places visited need to be able to cope otherwise it is just a overcrowded free for all and no one, passenger or towns people get benefit out of the visit. We have similar issues with some ports down our way, where the sewer system cannot even cope let alone the roads etc. Tour operators and destinations are often overwhelmed so that they deliver a worse product so reviews are bad.

There's a programme on BBC 1 on Monday 31st July at 7.30pm entitled "When the Boat Comes In" about cruise ships going to Orkney and some locals aren't happy.

There is also an article in today's Daily Mail Weekend supplement "Invasion of Orkney! (and it's not the Vikings...)."

The remote Scottish Islands have become the cruise capital of Britain with 120,000 visitors a year. 140 cruise ships are due to visit this year (up from 87 in 2015) with 135 already booked for 2018. The biggest ship to dock in Orkeny is MSC Preziosa which can carry 4,345 passengers.

So I can understand why not everyone's happy - such as the cafe owner who says some people just buy a coffe and use the wi-fi for hours. And another who says some ships are so huge they block out the sun! :). But of course business is flourishing for some, like a bus company which has grown from one bus to more than twenty. And apparently someone from the harbour authority has been convincing major cruise lines to include Orkney on itineraries.

An article published today on the BBC website

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40592247

 

So basically they want our money but not the ships or all the tourists. Imagine how many jobs would be lost.

 

However I've long thought it doesn't seem right to let the big ships into Venice. It just looks wrong and you would think it must cause some damage.

My first visit to Venice was on a cruise circa 1992, however we docked in Trieste. I seem to remember enjoying plenty of time in Venice on a 'on your own' tour off the ship. I really think Trieste should be the port for Venice. I really dislike seeing huge ships sailing into and out of Venice. It is wrong.

Is it a 90,000 tonne limit for ships to use the Venice Grand Canal these days?

I have been through there on Ruby Princess and Arcadia.

As of November 2014, the biggest cruise ships – liners of over 96,000 tonnes – will be entirely banned from sailing in the Giudecca Canal.

But then they held back again... P&O had the big Ventura visiting out there for a season, then changed her for the much smaller Oceana, because the ban was supposed to begin... and it didn't.

Thanks, tonnage limit means the 'Grand Class ships', most of Princess Cruises fleet plus Britannia, Ventura/Azura are barred.:loudcry:

There's a programme on BBC 1 on Monday 31st July at 7.30pm entitled "When the Boat Comes In" about cruise ships going to Orkney and some locals aren't happy.

 

There is also an article in today's Daily Mail Weekend supplement "Invasion of Orkney! (and it's not the Vikings...)."

The remote Scottish Islands have become the cruise capital of Britain with 120,000 visitors a year. 140 cruise ships are due to visit this year (up from 87 in 2015) with 135 already booked for 2018. The biggest ship to dock in Orkeny is MSC Preziosa which can carry 4,345 passengers.

 

So I can understand why not everyone's happy - such as the cafe owner who says some people just buy a coffe and use the wi-fi for hours. And another who says some ships are so huge they block out the sun! :). But of course business is flourishing for some, like a bus company which has grown from one bus to more than twenty. And apparently someone from the harbour authority has been convincing major cruise lines to include Orkney on itineraries.

Quite a good programme. Also featured Norwegian Jade and Caribbean Princess. A pity that the weather wasn't too good for them.

Another plus was that the charity shops did well from the crew members who could purchase clothes and bedding at a low price.

So just the cafes missing out on business as passengers just go back to the ship for their meals.