Cruise industry navigates ship ban efforts on the French Riviera

Travel Weekly

22-07-2025

On July 3, Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, France, rode a dinghy up to the hull of Royal Caribbean International's 3,602-passenger Voyager of the Seas, which was docked in neighboring Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Videos of the encounter in French news reports showed Estrosi approaching the ship and telling the crew, "You are not allowed to be there."
The incident punctuated the efforts of multiple cities on the French Riviera attempting to impose new restrictions on the cruise industry and testing who in the region has the authority to regulate ports.
First Nice, then Cannes and then Nice again have passed laws to restrict the size of cruise ships that can enter their ports. So far the attempts by Nice's municipal government have proven unsuccessful, with the first withdrawn and the second suspended.
As such, the Voyager of the Seas did not leave, and Estrosi was also not permitted to board to converse with ship officers.
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said that as part of its protocols, any visit request must follow a formal process and a request made in advance. "While we are more than happy to welcome and engage with authorities at any time, we ask that all visitor requests follow the established procedure."
Protests spark dialogue
Estrosi's Instagram page, with images of the standoff, has a multiparagraph caption in French that ends with the promise to "strictly respect the decisions taken regarding the fight against maritime pollution, the preservation of air quality and the protection of residents' living environment."
His efforts come amid a second summer of overtourism protests across Europe and as more destinations look to join the multiple ports that have moved to more tightly regulate cruise activity, including Barcelona, Amsterdam and Venice.
But at least on the French Riviera, those destinations are finding that difficult to do. Nice's newest law was suspended after a judge said it was passed without proper jurisdiction and referred it to an administrative court, per a report by the French newspaper Le Figaro.
The law would have blocked ships with more than 450 passengers from Nice and those with more than 2,500 passengers from Villefranche-sur-Mer. It followed a decree in late January that would have banned ships with more than 900 passengers from disembarking at either port. Estrosi backtracked from that move in March, according to the outlet France 24.
Cannes' new law, designed to take effect Jan. 1, would limit calls by ships with more than 3,000 passengers from two calls per day to one and impose a daily cap of 6,000 cruise passengers. It was enacted without consulting with industry stakeholders, according to CLIA Europe.
"We are particularly concerned by the unilateral and abrupt nature of this announcement, made without prior consultation or coordinated planning, which risks harming local businesses and service providers," said a CLIA spokesperson.
The moves led to a coordinated effort to evaluate cruise access in the region by political, business and maritime stakeholders. The group gathered July 11 and plans to hold another meeting in September, which CLIA was invited to. The trade association applauded the effort.
"What we welcome in this initiative is the start of a collective dialogue aimed at identifying practical solutions that will enable the sector to continue operating in the region with clarity and confidence -- while also safeguarding the fundamental principles of free trade and freedom of movement," CLIA said.
As more size limitations are introduced, cruise lines with smaller vessels will develop a competitive edge in Europe, said Sandy Chen, a professor of hospitality and tourism at Ohio University.
"The new regulations may actually present an opportunity to expand their market share," she said.
Crystal Cruises, whose two ships each have capacities under 800 passengers, said it is not against size restrictions in some destinations.
"Some of the most popular ones can be overcrowded and therefore not offer a positive experience for guests," said Mario Parodi, vice president of itinerary planning and port and fuel operations for the line.
Carnival Cruise Line said one of the reasons it has only one ship in Europe, the Carnival Miracle, is because as its ships grow in size, it is aware that many ports in Europe can't handle them, said president Christine Duffy. It is one of the reasons she said cruise lines are putting more emphasis on their private islands. "We can bring our biggest ships to those destinations," she said. "We aren't overwhelming anyone."
Explora Journeys, which only has smaller ships, considers it important to develop a trusting relationship with ports and port towns, said president Anna Nash. To do so, the company makes a point of visiting the ports multiple times to show commitment and build brand awareness and also collaborates with the destinations themselves.
"We really want to show that we can bring the type of clientele that will enjoy and respect the culture," Nash said.
Size limitations still won't completely deter larger cruise ships from the region, Chen said; they'll find alternative ports there. But it will become increasingly expensive and competitive to operate.
"The old model of prioritizing volume over impact won't hold up under mounting environmental and social pressure," she said. "The message from European port cities is loud and clear: adapt or risk being shut out."