Silver Ray becomes the first to homeport at new Fusina Cruise Terminal, Venice

The recently named Silversea ship arrived on the morning of September 5 and departed the same evening after taking on new passengers.  

Fusina’s two docks can handle ships measuring up to 210 and 250 meters in length.

Purpose and funding

The new €5m cruise terminal was funded by Venezia Terminal Passeggeri, and designed and built with the support of the Port System Authority of the Northern Adriatic Sea and Venice Ro-Port Mos – the company that manages the Autostrade del Mare terminal for ferry traffic and where the new cruise terminal is located. This is a key step in the implementation of a new, widespread landing model.

Temporary moorings can be found at and Marghera Port (Liguria and Lombardy docks for ships over 25,000gt) in addition to Venice’s San Basilio and Marittima (berths for ships up to 25,000gt) terminals based on the ban of larger ships from the Lagoon city.

Features

Spanning 3,000 sq m over a single floor, Fusina Cruise Terminal can accommodate up to two cruise ships homeporting simultaneously, allowing for the movement of 400 passengers per hour in an air-conditioned space equipped with 450 seats, five check-in desks and W/C facilities.

It is suitable for passengers with reduced mobility, has an infirmary, and contains areas dedicated to law enforcement. Outside there is capacity for taxis, buses and other services.

Related:Cruise ships get the green light to homeport at Fusina, Venice

The facility can handle 400 passengers per hour

Efforts to draw in luxury vessels

At the inauguration ceremony of the cruise terminal on August 30, Fabrizio Spagna, president and CEO of Venice Passenger Terminal (Venezia Terminal Passeggeri), said, ‘Today we are setting a new milestone for VTP and the port of Venice.

‘This new terminal contributes to laying solid foundations for the creation of a new idea of sustainable and modern cruising for Venice and Veneto.

‘From today, we have the possibility of permanently welcoming two ships in home-port mode without having to rely on the support of the Marittima, thus creating an important piece of that program of widespread landings that will represent the new model of cruise offering, compatible with the city and respectful of the economic fabric of the territory.’

This model, he explained, supports ‘more and more companies and passengers of the luxury segment – like those who will arrive here in Fusina – ensuring increasingly cutting-edge services that allow us to attract a category of top-spending tourists who are also willing to exceed their budget in order to live an authentic experience that lives up to their expectations.’

The opening of Fusina Cruise Terminal on Aug. 30

Fulvio Lino Di Blasio, president of the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority - Ports of Venice and Chioggia and commissioner for cruises at Venice said the new facility ‘confirms the ability of the entire port system to renew itself [and] to provide certain answers to the market without compromising on environmental sustainability…’

In 2024, Venice will receive 240 calls, 95% of those homeporting. The number of cruise passengers is expected to grow by 9% this year, reaching 540,000 compared to the 497,000 passengers registered in 2023.