Venice cruise ban lifted

In Italy, a law banning cruise ships weighing more than 96,000 gross tons from entering the Giudecca Canal in Venice was repealed on Jan. 11. The canal, Venice’s largest, runs past tourist sites such as St. Mark’s Square.

The ban, which went into effect Dec. 1, 2014, was enacted to protect the lagoon environment and buildings in Venice from any environmental degradation and physical damage that might be caused by large ships.

The lifting of the ban will not have much of an effect on the 2015 cruise season, as Cruise Line Association Member cruise lines had already agreed to abide by the ban and had scheduled port calls elsewhere.

A new entrance to the lagoon, the Contorta Sant’Angelo Channel, is being built to accommodate large ships.