Cruise ships restart in Venice, bring environmental protests

VENICE, Italy (AP) — The first cruise ship since the pandemic has wended its way through the heart of Venice It was escorted by triumphant water-spouting tugboats and elated port workers as it traveled down the Giudecca Canal.

The battle for Venice’s future was stark as the MSC Orchestra set sail with some 1,000 passengers.

Hundreds of canal-side protesters and a small armada of wooden boats waving “No Big Boats” also saw the ship off on Saturday.

The voyage heralded the return of cruise ships to the Italian city but reignited an anti-cruise movement that for more than a decade has opposed the passage of the enormous ships through the fragile lagoon due to environmental and safety concerns.