Locals in a quaint UK seaside town have expressed fears that their home will become "the next Venice" as the latest in a string of giant cruise ships have sailed into their harbour.

Spirit of Adventure, a ship the equivalent of 22 London buses long, arrived in Fowey, Cornwall, on Friday, September 1 to much fanfare.

It's said to be the biggest cruise ship to ever call in to Fowey at 60,000 tonnes and 236 metres long. But the ship didn't stay long as it later departed for its destination in Weymouth, Dorset.

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But what it left behind was a debate over the harm large ships can do to waterways, with one woman using Venice in Italy as an example.

"The same thing will happen to Fowey Harbour that happened to Venice with these cruise ships," Cynthia Schramm wrote on Facebook.

"They destroy the area and overrun it with tourists. Venice finally banned them. Hopefully Fowey will do the same."

Cynthia later added that the ships "pollute, [and] they are destructive to the harbour."

Dozens of other people shared their awe on social media, with several people calling the spectacle "amazing".

However, some were sceptical of the perceived benefits of having the ship in the small harbour town.

"Did they bus them all off to Eden and Padstow as usual rather than actually spending any money in the town?" wrote Ben Paul.

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Paul Everest added: "These cruise ships have been shown to contribute very little to the economy. As they are all inclusive packing deal the customers usually return to the ship to eat

"I understand Venice banned them."

Others expressed concerns that the ship, which temporarily increased the local population by 50 per cent during its visit, affected the air quality.

In April 2021 it was announced that cruise ships were no longer allowed to sail into Venice's historic city centre, following a new decree signed by Italian ministers.

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Until then, cruise ships and container ships could enter the city's Guidecca canal, which leads to the iconic St Mark's Square.

Under the new decree, larger ships will no longer be able to sail into the city centre but instead will be required to dock at a nearby industrial port.

For years locals have raised concerns that larger ships could be damaging the city's foundations, and contributing to overtourism due to the number of passengers descending on the city.

Spirit of Adventure left Falmouth on Thursday night before arriving at the port of Fowey at around 6am on Friday, where it stayed until around 5pm.

Saga, the ship's owner, has been contacted for comment.

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