Cruise lines carry “Venice in their heart” and donate more than 1 million euros to restore the city

The Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, has received a donation from the cruise industry of more than 1 Million Euros to go towards the restoration effort following the unprecedented flooding in November.

Following the unprecedented flooding of Venice on 12 November various CLIA Cruise Line Members have joined forces to aid in the restoration of the city. The donation is the result of the cruise industry’s commitment to being a partner to the ports and destinations on which they call – in good times and in difficult times. 

Donations were made by the leading cruise lines that call in Venice – including Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean, in addition to Global Ports Holding, Venezia Terminal Passeggeri (VTP), and other cruise lines, including Sea Cloud Cruises, all of whom immediately responded to VTP’s call for donations and committed to support the rebirth of the city.

“We followed the events of 12 November with a great amount of concern; it became immediately clear that the situation was very complex and it would take months to calculate the full extent of the damage. We and our cruise line members were struck by the “Venice in your heart” (“Venezia nel cuore”) fundraising initiative and therefore made the decision to provide a concrete contribution to this city that is in the hearts of all of us, our employees, crew, and our passengers.  With this spirit and with utmost respect for the city and its inhabitants, we decided not to adopt a specific project, but to entrust to the city’s Mayor a sum that will enable the Municipality to concretely face the immediate and urgent needs of the city and its citizens. Our contribution provides a way for us to sponsor one of the most beautiful cities in the world, as well as demonstrate our deep respect for the city,” said Kelly Craighead, president & CEO of CLIA on behalf of all CLIA Cruise Line members.

Adam Goldstein, CLIA Global Chair added: “The cruise industry’s support for Venice will not wane, nor will Venice’s importance for all the ports of call and the cities in the Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean itineraries. We are providing tangible assistance to the Government and local bodies of the Veneto region by supplying technical information, studies, assessments and simulations, in order to ensure that decisions about the future of cruising in Venice are informed, sustainable, and forward-looking. We are equally committed to investing in advanced technology, design, and ‘zero-impact’ solutions to minimize our footprint on the cities and ports that host us. We are aware there is still a lot to do, but our industry has been able to leverage innovation as a major means for growth: we are convinced that the Blue Economy is a major asset for local territories and by joining forces with other stakeholders, we can really make a difference.”

Contributions to date to “Venezia nel cuore” have been received from:

  • Costa Cruises 
  • Global Ports Holding
  • MSC Cruises
  • Norwegian Cruise Lines
  • Royal Caribbean
  • Sea Cloud Cruises

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