Cruise lines issue plea against Nice ban as more of Europe lines up against big ships

• The city of Nice in France has signed a decree to deny access to cruise ships that carry more than 900 passengers.
• Cruise Lines International Association is making a plea for the town to reconsider this decision.
• It’s an important move, acknowledging the tension between the cruise industry and European port cities.

The Cruise Lines International Association is launching a bid to keep cruising alive in the French port of Nice. The city’s Mayor Christian Estrosi has signed a decree that pledges to ban ships carrying more than 900 passengers from entering the town’s port.

This would of course make the vast majority of cruise lines unable to visit the popular Mediterranean port. It is estimated that the proposed change would reduce cruise passenger traffic by 70%. The new rule is set to come into effect in July.

Samuel Maubanc, director general for CLIA in Europe made a plea for the city to reconsider its decision.

“We are urging reconsideration of any actions that would ban cruise tourism in favour of a holistic tourism management approach, which proves time and again to be a best practice and the best way to manage tourism in ways that help communities thrive.”

Estrosi’s harsh words from earlier this year don’t suggest that his policy has much breathing room. itis the familiar rhetoric of those who oppose cruise tourism, claiming the lines “Dump their low-cost clientele who consume nothing but leave their waste behind.”

Nice commonly appears on Mediterranean itineraries for cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and several more lines.

Is this the real worry?

While Nice is undoubtedly a real and serious worry for the cruise industry, perhaps the real fear and urgency in CLIA’s plea is the worry of Nice beginning a domino effect. Europe’s general resistance and antagonistic attitude towards cruise has been well documented. The following are just some examples outlined previously by Cruise Passenger.

• Venice has banned large cruise ships to the city centre.
• Norway will be banning all non-fuel-efficient ships from visiting its waters. 
• Iceland has seen ships cancel visits due to a significant new tax on cruise ships.
• Nice and Cannes are looking to ban cruises from 2025. 
• Barcelona is instituting new taxes on cruise passengers, as well as discussing cruise caps. 
• Also in Spain, Mallorca is reintroducing cruise caps. 
• Dubrovnik in Croatia has been steadily tightening cruise caps over recent years. 
• Amsterdam has pushed back on cruise with new caps and potentially moving the port out of the centre of the city.
  

It’s possible that those in the industry worry that if Nice is the next domino to fall, more countries and cities will follow in shutting out larger vessels.

The move comes at a time when the industry is building bigger ships, and shifting its concentration to the Caribbean and North America where demand is strong, the dollar is strong and destination a lot more welcoming.

Cruise Passenger has previously highlighted that cruise can definitely be scapegoated. Its presence in comparison to overall tourism is often relatively low, particularly in the European cities that single it out as a cause of overtourism and overcrowding.

However, the fact remains that in many cities, a harsh stance against cruise or towards the reduction of cruise traffic can score quick political points, and if it proves popular in Nice, the industry may worry it could spread.

Question marks over Santorini

Another cruise port that has been the topic of much discussion is Santorini. While Santorini has also been making headlines for discussing cruise caps and taking initial steps towards limiting cruise traffic, this has been on hold as the island deals with the fall-out from a series of earthquakes.

The hugely popular tourist destination is currently in a state-of-emergency, raising many questions over the season ahead. Cruise lines such as Princess and Celebrity Cruises are scheduled to visit as soon as April, and the island is declared to be in emergency until at least March 3.

With the island seeing significant increases in seismic activity, and scientists unable to confirm that the worst is over, Santorini is far from a safe bet for the season ahead. The strongest earthquake yet, of a 5.3 magnitude, struck only a few days ago, on February 10.

While Mediterranean itineraries are generally heavily destination-focused, with few sea days, Santorini is undoubtedly a star attraction and a key motivator for those who book cruises in the region.

This also leaves cruise lines in a classically difficult situation, whether to cancel well ahead of time so they can arrange another port, or whether to wait until the last minute and potentially end up with no port and unhappy passengers.

Viking Cruises has already cancelled visits to Santorini that were scheduled for later this month.