Watch: Mayor Of Nice Shouts “Get Lost” At Royal Caribbean Ship For Violating Cruise Ban

The Mayor of Nice and President of the Nice Côte d’Azur region, Christian Estrosi, got into a heated confrontation with Royal Caribbean International on July 3, after the Voyager of the Seas cruise ship arrived near Villefranche-sur-Mer, ignoring a newly enforced ban on large cruise ships.

The Voyager of the Seas, a massive 137,276 gross ton cruise ship with a capacity for 3,600 passengers, dropped anchor in the Villefranche roadstead at 6:30 a.m. The ship was carrying 3,114 passengers, along with around 1,200 crew members, according to Royal Caribbean’s data.

Estrosi claimed this was a clear violation of a new rule that came into effect on July 1, which bans ships with more than 2,500 passengers from disembarking in Villefranche or Nice.

Though port officials said the ship was on a pre-approved stop, Estrosi saw it as a direct test of the new environmental restrictions. He traveled by police boat to the cruise ship with a formal letter, intending to hand it over to the captain or crew to inform them of the violation and demand the ship leave French territorial waters immediately.

Estrosi was accompanied by a television crew. When the police boat reached the ship, the mayor was not allowed to board. An officer on the ship’s gangway refused both to accept the letter and to let him deliver it to the captain.

The video captured Estrosi shouting, “Where is the captain?” and visibly angry. After being ignored, he reportedly yelled, “Get lost,” “Get out of here,” and “You are nobody,” at the ship’s officer.

Video Credits: France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur/YouTube

Estrosi took to social media platform X to describe what had happened. He said he immediately contacted the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, the Mediterranean Maritime Prefect, and the Minister for Ecological Transition, urging them to take necessary measures to make the ship leave as soon as possible.

As the port authority, Estrosi said he officially ordered that no passengers be allowed to disembark and instructed the closure of all access points to the Villefranche maritime terminal.

He added that he would not give up after this confrontation and called on relevant authorities to act firmly. Estrosi said the rules must be strictly enforced to fight maritime pollution, preserve air quality, and protect the lives of residents and visitors in the area.

In January 2025, Estrosi had first proposed a full ban on cruise ships in the area. His initial order limited ships to under 190 meters in length and fewer than 900 passengers. He later compromised by agreeing to a 2,500-passenger capacity limit.

Estrosi also suggested that large cruise ships reroute to Cannes or Marseille. Cannes has since adopted a rule to limit cruise ships to 1,000 passengers starting January 2026.

Under Villefranche-sur-Mer’s rules, only one cruise ship is allowed each day, with a yearly cap of 65 port calls. Meanwhile, Nice limits cruise ships to those carrying fewer than 450 passengers.

Despite Estrosi’s demands, the Voyager of the Seas continued its scheduled voyage and departed Villefranche that same evening. The ship has now reached Ajaccio, located on the island of Corsica. Its future itinerary shows that it plans to return to Nice on September 20 and 25, and also includes stops in Marseille and Cannes.

In response to the incident, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), a trade group for cruise operators, criticised Estrosi’s behavior. The group called it “apparently illegal” and said it contradicts the Sustainable Cruises Charter for the Mediterranean, which was signed by cruise companies in June.

Estrosi, however, insisted that the local government will continue enforcing the new regulations. In an official letter addressed to the captain of the ship, he requested that no passengers disembark and demanded that the vessel organise its immediate departure from the harbor.

Source: Maritime Shipping News