The Mayor of Nice, France had an angry confrontation with cruise ship crew just days after new ship restrictions came into force.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi, who is also president of the Nice-Côte d’Azur metropolitan area, met Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, anchored in the bay off Villefranche sur Mer.
Confrontation Filmed by TV Crew
Accompanied by police and a TV crew, he aimed to deliver a letter informing the ship it was in violation of new cruise restrictions which became effective on July 1.
New rules now limit cruise ships to 65 calls per year, and only one ship visit per day.
This is for ships with a maximum limit of 2,500 passengers anchoring in the bay at Villefranche sur Mer.
Only smaller ships with no more than 450 passengers are permitted to dock at the port in Nice.
Voyager of the Seas’ crew denied the Mayor boarding, insisting it was a scheduled and approved visit per port officials.
The ship has a capacity for 3,600 guests. In a small police boat, The Mayor angrily shouted at crew to “Get out of here. You are not allowed to be there.”
Cruise ship guests were able to disembark to Nice without issue.
There are at least 14 other scheduled calls by ships with a capacity of more than 2,500 guests planned during the summer.
A spokesperson for the Alpes-Maritimes département authority suggested there remains confusion about the legality of the new ship restrictions in a local TV news interview due to the various stakeholders that share jurisdiction of the port, Nice metropolitan area, and Villefranche territorial waters.
CLIA Criticizes Mayor’s Actions
Cruise Lines International Association slammed the Mayor’s confrontational actions. “Such conduct is deeply regrettable, as they undermine efforts by the cruise industry to build cooperative relationships with municipalities – relationships rooted in mutual respect and open dialogue, not threats.”
The Mayor was unrepentant. “I will not give up. I call on all relevant authorities to take the utmost firmness on this issue. I intend to strictly enforce the decision,” he said.
