European mayor tells Royal Caribbean ship to ‘get lost’ amid cruise ban violation

• The Mayor of Nice has directly confronted a Royal Caribbean cruise ship docking in Nice, yelling at the ship to “get lost”.
• This is because Nice has placed a ban on cruise ships that carry over 2500 passengers.
• However, Royal Caribbean claims they had permission and the voyage was perfectly legal.

The Mayor of Nice has made an extremely public and extremely defiant move, taking a camera crew with him to personally confront staff members of Voyager of the Seas.

The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi who is also the President of the region, went to confront the staff aboard Voyager of the Seas as he felt that they were ignoring the regions new ban on large cruise ships.

The Mayor claimed that the ship stopping violates the ban that came into effect on July 1, that prevents ships of more than 2500 passengers from disembarking in Villefranche or Nice, the ship was carrying 3114 passengers. Port officials claimed it was a pre-approved stop.

Estrosi arrived by police boat, carrying a formal letter that he wanted to give to the captain or crew, stating that the ship’s arrival was a violation. 

However, Estrosi was not allowed to board by the crew, with an officer on the gangway refusing to let the Mayor enter or deliver the note to the captain.

The Mayor firmly yelled phrases like “Where is the captain”, “Get out of here”, “You’re nobody here” and more at the officer.

However, the Mayor’s efforts were unsuccessful and passengers were allowed to embark and the cruise continued as normal.

The situation is a confusing one, with the mayor claiming that ship disembarking was in violation of the newly placed laws, but Royal Caribbean and CLIA stating the ship had permission and everything was totally legal, with the only illegality being that the mayor tried to enter the ship.

The region is set to see more than 40,000 more passengers arriving on big ships over the next few months, meaning many passengers voyages have the potential to be affected if some kind of agreement can’t be reached and confrontations continue.

This confrontation represents a breaking point of tension between Europe and cruise. With cities and countries all across the continent placing new restrictions on cruise, how this incident plays out could have significant repercussions for what follows in other cities over coming months and years.

What all the parties said 

Ce matin, le navire « Voyager of the Seas » de la compagnie Royal Caribbean Group, comptant 3 114 passagers, a mouillé à 6h dans la rade de Villefranche, en violation de la mesure entrée en vigueur le 1er juillet interdisant le débarquement de tout navire de croisière de plus de… pic.twitter.com/v2PFn0g14L

— Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) July 3, 2025

Estrosi wrote on social media after the interaction that the ship had violated the regions rules by arriving and he will not “back down” moving forward.

He wrote: “This morning, the ship “Voyager of the Seas” from the Royal Caribbean Group, carrying 3,114 passengers, anchored at 6 a.m. in the Villefranche roadstead, in violation of the measure that came into effect on July 1, prohibiting the disembarkation of any cruise ship with more than 2,500 passengers.

“I immediately contacted the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, the Mediterranean Maritime Prefect, and the Minister for Ecological Transition, requesting that they take, as soon as possible, all necessary measures to order the immediate departure of the ship from the Villefranche roadstead.

“As the port authority, I made it a point to personally go on board the ship to formally notify the crew of the disembarkation ban.

The captain not only refused to receive me on board but also refused to acknowledge my official notification.

“I will not back down. I call on all relevant authorities to show the utmost firmness on this matter. I intend to strictly enforce the decisions made regarding the fight against maritime pollution, the preservation of air quality, and the protection of the residents’ quality of life.”

CLIA wrote: “While constructive dialogue with local authorities is central to CLIA’s mission, access to ships in operation is strictly limited to registered passengers and crew members for safety and security reasons. 

“In this context, the mayor of Nice’s attempt to board a vessel anchored in the Bay of Villefranche without prior authorisation is unlawful.”

CLIA’s statement also noted: “the ship in question had been anchored since 6:30 a.m. at the southernmost point of the bay, in full compliance with the authorisation granted by the Alpes-Maritimes Prefecture. This stopover had been approved by the Nice Metropolitan Authority and has not been subject to any objection since.

The line called for action from the Frnech government: “We believe that the actions in question demand urgent attention from the French national government, particularly given the apparent illegality of mayor Estrosi’s behavior and the clear contradiction with the commitments outlined in the Sustainable Cruising Charter for the Mediterranean signed on June 5 by CLIA and its member cruise lines.

“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.”

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson explained why the mayor wasn’t allowed on the ship: “As part of our internal protocol, any visit request must follow a formal process which includes completing and submitting a request form in advance of any visit. While we are more than happy to welcome and engage with authorities at any time, we ask that all visitor requests follow the established procedure.”