Nice Will Ban Large Cruise Ships Starting This Summer

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:05 PM ET, Fri January 31, 2025

Update: January 31, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET

Nice's mayor Christian Estrosi signed an official decree on January 24, banning cruise ships carrying more than 900 passengers from visiting the city. The decision was made in a bid to promote “selective tourism” and combat the type of overtourism that plagues many popular European destinations.

According to French newspaper Le Monde, while the mayor does not have the authority to ban ships outright, he can prevent them from unloading passengers for excursions.

This new policy is expected to have a significant impact on the nearby harbor of Villefranche-sur-Mer, a common stop for large cruise liners. In 2025, nearly 90 cruise calls are scheduled there, with roughly two-thirds involving ships that exceed the 900-passenger threshold. Meanwhile, Nice will continue welcoming smaller vessels, with approximately 124 scheduled calls this year from ships that meet the new limit.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) expressed surprise at the mayor’s decision, noting that no large cruise ships are actually scheduled to dock in Nice in 2025. However, Villefranche-sur-Mer remains a key concern, with CLIA reporting that this year’s schedule includes three large cruise ships and 34 medium-sized ones.

In a statement, the organization urged Estrosi to reconsider the restrictions, arguing that the policy could negatively impact local businesses and travelers. According to Travel Weekly, CLIA described the move as one that "stigmatizes the cruise industry and does nothing to promote sustainable tourism."

Original Text

In an attempt to address overtourism challenges, the mayor of Nice, France is proposing a ban on large cruise ships visiting the city.

Mayor Christian Estrosi would like the ban, which would apply to ships carrying more than 900 passengers and more than 620 feet in length, to go into effect as soon as July 1, Travel + Leisure has reported.

“Tourism, yes, overtourism, no,” Estrosi said in a speech to Nice residents this week, per Travel + Leisure. “The cruises that pollute and dump their low-cost clientele who consume nothing, but leave their waste behind … these cruises have no place with us.”

It seems residents of the city are not exactly caught off guard by the mayor’s proposal. Estrosi has a track record of fighting against the pollution that comes with such large ships docking in the city’s port. The mayor’s efforts have included cutting back significantly on the Nice to Corsica ferry schedule.

It is expected that the ban would have a particular impact on Nice’s neighboring town of Villefranche-sur-Merm, which is part of the Nice metropolitan area and has one of the region’s deepest natural harbors. Villefranche-sur-Merm regularly welcomes cruise ships with as many as 3,500 travelers.

Several well-known cruise lines would be impacted by the proposed measure if adopted including Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Holland America Line, Cunard and Norwegian Cruise lines, according to Travel + Leisure. In addition, Viking, whose ships have a max capacity of 930 people, would also be impacted.

Several smaller cruise lines also port in Nice or in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer. They include Sea Cloud Cruises, Windstar, and Atlas Ocean Voyages, all of which would be unaffected by the development.

Meanwhile, Estrosi has also said that he would like to invest about €7 ($7.29) million in projects that would bring electrification to ports, allowing smaller ships to plug into shore power. The mayor has also floated the idea of constructing a dedicated “high-end” maritime terminal for smaller vessels.

As for the measure restricting visitation from larger ships, it must still be voted on by regional authorities.