Venice cruise ship crash sparks protests, backlash A collision on a busy canal in Venice is sparking new calls for banning cruise ships in the area. On Sunday the MSC Opera cruise liner lost control – the massive ship unable to stop. On the dock, people fled as the towering, 13-deck-high vessel, its horn blaring, grinded into a much smaller river boat and a crowded pier. Five people were hurt. Seth Doane reports.