Don’t book that cruise to the French Riveria just yet.
Nice, the capital of France’s celeb-loved Côte d’Azur, is outlining new plans to address problems with pollution and overtourism caused by large cruise ships, Travel and Leisure reported. The city’s mayor Christian Estrosi told residents that he wants to prohibit vessels carrying more than 900 passengers—or measuring over 620 feet long—from coming into Nice’s picturesque ports or anchoring in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer. If the proposal is approved by authorities, the ban could go into effect starting July 1, 2025.
Currently, the mayor is taking into consideration which sailings can be canceled for the upcoming summer season and which can’t be. In terms of the cruise lines that are at risk based on their size and capacity, big-name players including Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Viking, Holland America Line, Cunard, and Norwegian Cruise Lines are the most likely to be affected by the decision. Meanwhile, smaller ships such as Sea Cloud Cruises, Windstar, and Atlas Ocean Voyages will be allowed to operate as usual.
“Tourism, yes, overtourism, no,” Estrosi reportedly explained to residents earlier this week, according to the outlet. “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.”
In addition to curbing cruises, the mayor revealed plans to invest more than $7 million so Nice can explore electrifying its ports to cut further pollution, as well as aspirations to construct a new maritime terminal solely dedicated to smaller boats.
Cannes, a French city neighboring Nice, is also looking into banning cruise tourism and other European hot spots have already put restrictions in place. In 2023, Amsterdam passed a proposal to prevent cruise ships from docking in the city center to avoid overcrowding, The New York Times reported. Barcelona followed suit and also got permission from local authorities to close a terminal to curb the amount of cruise traffic caused by visitors disembarking. On land, cities around the world have even started to implement a tourist tax to limit the number of visitors during peak summer months to improve the quality of life for residents. Venice, for example, is now charging an entrance fee in order to explore its canals and historic sites.
