Here is the translated text from French to English:
From 2026, cruise ships with more than three thousand people will be limited to one per day in the bay of Cannes. Although the primary goal of this measure is ecological, the residents and merchants are very divided on the issue.
Starting next year, only one cruise ship with more than 3,000 people per day will be allowed in the bay of Cannes. This measure was taken by David Lisnard, the mayor of Cannes, on June 27th last year. The number of ship stopovers is expected to decrease by nearly 50%, with a limit of six thousand cruise passengers per day. Thirty-four stopovers are planned for 2026 and then thirty-one in 2027. This environmental measure comes after similar decisions made by Christian Estrosi and a few weeks after the UNOC. For residents and merchants, this measure has both its advantages and disadvantages.
A well-received measure
“Yes, it’s good, I honestly didn’t like seeing those big ships from the port. From my apartment, I have a view of the sea, and it was not nice to see those huge ships, so I am happy,” explains Jacqueline, seventy-one years old. With this measure limiting large cruise ships to one per day in the bay of Cannes, the retiree hopes to regain some calm at the port. “I often come for coffee with friends, but when tourists disembark all at once, it’s too much. There’s noise, too many people,” she adds.
While retirees are mostly happy with their mayor David Lisnard’s decision, younger people are as well. For Bastien, a twenty-one-year-old student, this decision is another step towards a more environmentally friendly world. “Nice already made a similar decision, the city hosted the UNOC a few weeks ago. It’s good that today, Cannes follows suit. When you see the state of the sea and beaches, I am very happy, of course, it’s a good decision,” he explains.
Remember, Christian Estrosi has made the fight against cruise ships one of his main efforts. He notably decided, several months ago, to ban ships with more than 2,500 passengers in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer. He even attempted to make one of them leave on Thursday, July 3rd. In vain.
A major loss for some
This limitation of cruise ships in Cannes is not well received by everyone. This is particularly true for merchants. Faced with a reduced influx of cruise passengers, some see it as a major obstacle for their revenue.
“This measure is a huge loss for us, for sure. These ships are the majority of our clientele, the vast majority. We are against the measure because it will really affect us. It’s especially the Epic ship, with which we did a lot of business. Many Americans came. It’s tough,” explains the manager of the souvenir shop “French Kiss”, right in the heart of the port of Cannes.
For restaurant owners, the situation is similar. The owner of a restaurant in the port, who wished to remain anonymous, explains how this measure will affect him. “We offer continuous service. The wealthiest tourists and the French don’t come to eat just at any time, they come at lunchtime and in the evening. Cruise passengers, depending on when they disembark, might come in the afternoon. That was what we noticed, and that’s why we offered continuous service because with these tourists, it worked quite well. Now, with this measure, I’m wondering. Will it be worth it to stay open all the time,” he says.
An important loss of revenue for merchants and restaurant owners. Remember, in 2024, the bay of Cannes welcomed 175 stopovers and over 460,000 cruise passengers. This number will drastically decrease in the coming years, as by 2030, the city aims to ban ships accommodating more than 1,300 passengers.
Other merchants happy
For some merchants, this limitation is good news. Alexandre Thomas, a wine merchant in the city center, hopes for a smaller flow for better sales. “The issue isn’t so much the cruise ships, it’s the influx of people it generates. And sometimes, for us, it’s just passersby. We might have purchases, but not from everyone,” he explains.
“I prefer smaller boats, with people who will take the time to buy a nice bottle. Cruise passengers don’t necessarily take the time to visit our shops,” he adds.
The wine merchant also hopes that this measure will help decongest the streets of the city center during the summer. When the streets are crowded, it is difficult for some to enter the shops. “People who want to come to us might no longer have all this crowd in the streets to navigate through. This will give the city back some clarity and improve its image. And it’s a nice environmental measure, so I am personally happy,” concluded Alexandre Thomas.
The limitation of cruise ships carrying more than 3,000 people: a mixed sentiment for the people of Cannes. Nonetheless, this measure represents a significant ecological advance for the protection of the oceans, at the heart of a year 2025 focused on the sea.
