Monster Ship Cuts Through Sinking City

If you're involved in European tourism and are close to a big body of water, cruising is part of your livelihood. Cruising — on the Mediterranean, in the North and Baltic Seas, and on rivers — is huge. And so are the ships, which becomes clear if you're standing on Piazza San Marco in Venice. The towering broadside of a 14-story-tall cruise ship — with hundreds of its 3,000 passengers gathered on its top deck to enjoy one last look at the Doge's Palace — is a spectacle in itself. If you're not expecting it, this scene can seem like a clip from a disaster movie. Venice is one of the three or four main ports of embarkation for the entire Mediterranean, so there's a very good chance you'll start or end your cruise here. The scene in this video — which happens several times most evenings — is one you wouldn't have seen a few years ago.