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French Court Blocks Mayor’s Cruise Ship Ban After Confrontation At Sea
A French court has temporarily stopped the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, from enforcing a ban on large cruise ships visiting the French Riviera.
The decision came after a legal challenge from the prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, who argued that the mayor did not have the authority to control ship movements in the region’s ports.
On Sunday, July 13, the administrative court in Nice issued an injunction suspending the mayor’s recent order. The court ruled that only the prefect has the power to regulate maritime traffic, including the entry, exit, and anchoring of ships in local waters.
Estrosi had introduced new limits to reduce what he called the “harmful effects of mass tourism,” especially from cruise ships. He argued that the uncontrolled rise in cruise ship visits was damaging air and water quality and negatively affecting the local population. He referred to a “climate emergency” and said quick action was needed to protect marine biodiversity, local heritage, and promote more sustainable tourism.
Ce matin, le navire « Voyager of the Seas » de la compagnie Royal Caribbean Group, comptant 3 114 passagers, a mouillé à 6h dans la rade de Villefranche, en violation de la mesure entrée en vigueur le 1er juillet interdisant le débarquement de tout navire de croisière de plus de… pic.twitter.com/v2PFn0g14L
— Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) July 3, 2025
As part of his restrictions, Estrosi had capped cruise ship visits in Villefranche-sur-Mer to vessels carrying no more than 2,500 passengers per day and no more than 65 large ships per year. For the Port of Nice, he limited cruise ships to 450 passengers per visit. The most recent version of his order was issued on July 9 and was to take effect from July 11.
But just days before that, on July 3, Estrosi boarded a police boat and went out to confront the Voyager of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship anchored in Villefranche-sur-Mer.
The ship has a capacity of up to 3,100 guests. Estrosi, accompanied by TV cameras, shouted at the crew and demanded they leave immediately for violating the new rule. The ship’s captain refused to meet him, and crew members ignored his attempt to deliver a letter.
Following the confrontation, Estrosi reissued a tighter version of the cruise ban. He claimed that even though the city had already relaxed the initial order slightly, the continued arrival of such large vessels justified stricter limits.
According to French media, the mayor’s restrictions would have immediately affected five upcoming cruise ship calls in Nice and 12 in Villefranche for the rest of 2025. In 2026, the order would impact 15 cruise stopovers in Nice and 53 in Villefranche, involving more than 200,000 cruise passengers.
Prefect Laurent Hottiaux challenged the legality of the mayor’s actions, arguing that such decisions are a matter of state and federal authority. The court agreed and ruled that Estrosi and the metropolis had overstepped their legal powers. The prefect also claimed that the order contained “several illegalities” and could interfere with public or individual freedom.
Following the court’s ruling, Estrosi admitted that the metropolis cannot act alone. However, he warned that if the national government does not take action within a reasonable time, he will pursue legal steps to hold it accountable through the administrative courts.
The prefect’s office has not ruled out taking regulatory measures of its own but made it clear that control of the waterways remains its sole authority.
References: cruisehive, worldports
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