Nice mayor backtracks on banning large cruise ships

Plans to ban cruise ships from the port of Nice have been scaled back by the city’s mayor amid concerns from local businesses. 

Original plans by mayor Christian Estrosi would have seen a ban on ships with more than 900 passengers docking at the port in Nice, or in the bay of nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer, instituted via a local decree.

The move was welcomed by ecological groups but faced backlash from businesses in the area and from the cruise ship industry, with Nice a major stop for Mediterranean cruises. 

Estimates were that each passenger docking in Nice or Villefranche-sur-Mer spent around €70, with the plans resulting in a potential loss of up to €15 million for business.

Compromise and criticism

The mayor has therefore decided to compromise on the ban.

According to a new proposal, ships with less than 450 passengers will still be able to dock in Nice port. 

Ships with up to 2,500 passengers will be able to dock at Villefranche-sur-Mer, although no more than one cruise ship can dock at any given time.

Ships with 2,500 or more passengers will be directed to nearby ports such as Cannes or Marseille. 

A vote on the proposition will be held this Friday (March 7).

Currently, around 20 cruise ships set to dock in Villefranche-sur-Mer this summer have a capacity of 2,500 or more according to the Port of Nice.

In Nice only 10 of the 125 or so ships scheduled this summer have a capacity of 450 or more.

The U-turn has led to criticism from ecological groups who supported the previous ban, calling Mr Estrosi’s actions “an environmental scandal and a political disgrace.”

“The Mediterranean is not a dustbin, and our coastline must not become a sacrifice zone to satisfy the economic interests of a few,” said Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, local Green Party politician. 

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