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The population of Venice these days is about 56,000 but she plays host to 25 million visitors a year. Venice exists for and survives on tourism. Cruise ships have always docked here but only recently have the mega-ships arrived. More than a few residents are pissed off. Flags like the one in the inset are flying from windows and clotheslines all over town.

These behemoths look surreal in the Venetian landscape. They're over 300 meters long and with 18 decks they dwarf the city's palaces and towers. They dock, stay for a couple of days and disgorge thousands of tourists onto already crowded streets.

But this means big bucks for Venice. Docking fees run into hundreds of thousands of €uros daily - not to mention what the passengers spend. But there is also a fragile lagoon ecosystem to consider that supports all of this. It's an ongoing issue.