TRIESTE – The 2026 cruise season has opened in the ports of Venice and Chioggia with the arrival of the Viking Star at the Fusina terminal, confirming the market’s gradual shift towards smaller ships and a high-end tourism offering.
According to forecasts for 2026, the two lagoon ports will host 30 cruise lines deploying a total of 55 ships over the year, for an overall 366 calls. Expected passenger numbers stand at around 543,000, across both ocean and river cruises, down 12% on 2025 despite the same number of calls. The decrease in passenger numbers is mainly linked to the change in the cruise model adopted in Venice in recent years, which favours medium-small ships and premium tourism. More than 90% of the cruise lines expected in 2026 in fact belong to the premium and luxury segment, with vessels generally under 250 metres in length.
Among the season’s new features are the arrival of operators such as Orient Express Sailing Yachts and Four Seasons Yachts, which will bring luxury hospitality models based on newly built yachts to the cruise market. The Venetian cruise system is also continuing to focus on its home port role. More than 95% of the calls scheduled for 2026 will in fact be turnaround calls, while around 40% of calls by high-end ships will involve stays of two days or more. This formula allows visitors to extend their stay and explore not only Venice’s historic centre but also other destinations across the wider Veneto area.
Another significant element concerns the gradual deseasonalisation of traffic flows. In 2026, more than 50,000 passengers and 33 calls are expected during the low season, an increase of around 80% compared with the same period of the previous year. From an operational perspective, ships will continue to use the system of dispersed berths introduced after restrictions on large ships entering the lagoon. The calls scheduled include Fusina, Porto Marghera (Liguria and Lombardia quays), San Basilio and Marittima for ships up to 25,000 gross tons, as provided for by Decree Law 103 of 2021, in addition to the available berths in the port of Chioggia.
At the same time Venice Terminal Passeggeri has confirmed a €28.6 million investment plan for the 2025-2036 period, aimed at improving reception capacity and services dedicated to cruise traffic. The Fusina terminal, which entered service in August 2024 thanks to an investment of around €5 million made by VTP, is consolidating its role as one of the main cruise berthing points in Venice. For 2026, passenger traffic there is expected to rise by 20%, along with a 9% increase in ship laytime at the two available berths.
The season will also feature the port of Chioggia, where nine ships are expected to make 23 calls, up from 18 the previous year. Expected passenger numbers are around 35,000, compared with 24,000 recorded in 2025.
