A decree that would have banned larger cruise ships from calling at Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer on the French Riviera has been overturned.

The Administrative Court of Nice suspended the ban which was issued by Mayor of Nice and President of the Nice Cote d’Azur Métropole Christian Estrosi on Monday after it was challenged by the Prefet of the Alpes-Maritimes, Seatrade Cruise News reported.

First flagged in March, the decree, issued by Estrosi on 9 July, was due to take effect on 11 July, limiting cruise ships to 450 passengers in Nice and 2,500 passengers in Villefranche-sur-Mer.

He cited “a climate urgency, the protection of marine biodiversity and of local heritage, and the promotion of sustainable tourism” as the reasons for the move.

However, the court ruled that Estrosi did not have the authority to put such restrictions in place, insisting these powers instead belong exclusively to the Prefet. It highlighted the latter’s role in “policing the water place, to organise the entries, exits and movements of ships.”

The court also added that the proposed limitations “go against the freedom of movement for cruise ship passengers and the freedom of trade and industry for cruise operators.’

The decree would have impacted 12 additional ship calls with a combined capacity of 38,000 passengers this year, the Villefranche-sur-Mer maritime station confirmed. For 2026, 53 stopovers representing over 200,000 passengers would have been affected.

Talks are underway regarding how the region will handle cruise ship visits going forwards, with the aim of establishing a “harmonious and legally secure framework”. Consultations will begin in September.

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