The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, personally intervened to demand the departure of a cruise ship carrying more than 3,000 passengers, which he claimed was violating new local regulations. However, his attempt was met with a refusal from the crew and provoked a strong reaction from the Union Maritime des Alpes-Maritimes.
On Thursday, July 3, the ship Voyager of the Seas from the Royal Caribbean International company anchored in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer. This cruise ship carries 3,100 passengers. However, since July 1, a metropolitan order limits access to this port to ships accommodating fewer than 2,500 passengers. The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, who is also the president of the Métropole Nice-Côte d’Azur, went on-site to enforce this measure.
Informed of the situation in the morning, the official boarded a boat from the Nice port police. He intended to deliver a letter to the captain of the Voyager of the Seas, reminding him of the new regulation. But the latter refused to let him board. The mayor then directly addressed the crew members in English, in front of cameras. “You are not authorized to be here. You will be heavily fined for this. You are nobody,” he can be heard saying in a video broadcast by France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
Despite this strong intervention, the ship did not leave the bay. The mayor decided to close access to the maritime station and announced his intention to file a complaint for non-compliance with the Métropole’s decisions. He also indicated that he had alerted the Minister of Ecological Transition and the maritime prefect. However, this action is not unanimously supported.
UM06 condemns an illegal and dangerous action
In a statement published shortly thereafter, the Union Maritime des Alpes-Maritimes (UM06) strongly condemned the mayor’s intervention. According to the organization, the ship’s stopover had indeed been validated by the competent authorities, including the Métropole itself, before the new measure came into effect.
The ship would therefore have docked legally. The UM06 denounces “a violation of the maritime regulatory framework” and believes that the mayor’s attempt to board endangered “the safety of passengers, crew, and the proper execution of port operations.”
The Union adds that this media intervention damages cooperation efforts between local authorities and maritime stakeholders. It also emphasizes that the cruise industry has committed to reducing its environmental impact.
In this situation, each side stands firm. On one side, the mayor invokes the fight against pollution and overtourism. On the other side, maritime sector representatives emphasize the importance of maritime law and consultation. Now, the courts or government services will need to clarify responsibilities.
