French maritime authorities have enacted a regulatory framework governing cruise ship operations along the Alpes-Maritimes coastline, extending a unified set of limits to major Mediterranean ports such as Nice, Cannes, Villefranche-sur-Mer and Menton. The inter-prefectoral decree, authorised by the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes and the Maritime Prefect of the Mediterranean, imposes quantitative constraints on passenger disembarkations and ship calls with the aim of managing overtourism while preserving the economic contributions of cruise visitation.
Under the new provisions, the number of passengers permitted to disembark at each port per call is governed by an annual average limit of around 2 000 persons, with an upper threshold of 3 000 disembarking on particularly busy days so long as the annual average remains compliant. Vessels carrying more than 1 300 passengers are restricted to a single stopover per day in each anchorage or stopover area, and during the peak summer period from July 1st to August 31st, such larger vessel calls are capped at no more than 15 per month in each port. These restrictions are targeted at operations that anchor offshore and do not apply to vessels berthed directly at quay facilities.
Priority in scheduling and port call authorisations will be given to cruise lines that have formally adopted the Sustainable Cruise Charter for the Mediterranean, a programme that embeds enhanced commitments on biodiversity protection, reductions in waste and discharges to sea, mitigation of noise and light emissions, and the promotion of low-emission transport for shore excursions. The charter’s strengthened 2025 iteration was completed earlier in the year with the participation of most of the region’s principal operators.
Industry stakeholders, including regional representatives of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), participated in the consultative processes that preceded the decree. They have noted that cruise itineraries are typically planned years in advance and have emphasised the need to consider long-term deployment cycles and the economic implications for local communities as the regulations are implemented and their effects assessed.
The regulatory measures follow earlier efforts at the municipal level to manage cruise traffic, including proposed limitations on vessel calls and passenger volumes in individual ports, which were ultimately superseded by this broader territorial approach. The consolidated framework represents the region’s effort to balance the flow of cruise visitors with environmental protection and the operational requirements of ports along this segment of the Mediterranean.