Mayor Christian Erosi, who represents the city of Nice, tried boarding a colossal Royal Caribbean cruise ship carrying 3,000 passengers after he recently pushed for a limit on disembarkations to protect the local area
A huge row erupted last week after an enraged mayor raced towards a giant cruise ship on a boat telling the crew to “get out!”.
Mayor Christian Estrosi was accompanied by other officials and a team of journalists when he boarded a small motorboat to reach the Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas cruise ship.
The colossal vessel and its 3,000 passengers were anchored off the coast of Villefranche-sur-Mer in the French Riviera on Thursday morning.
Mr Estrosi accused Royal Caribbean of breaching a new regulation that limits the amount of people disembarking to ships with 2,500 passengers. The mayor had been aiming for a 900-passenger limit. He is arguing that the regulations help to curb pollution and prevent the consequences of mass tourism on the area.
Before heading towards the ship, Mr Estrosi told Nice Matin, “Like Captain Watson, I’m going to board her”. He was referring to the founder of the Sea Shepherd, environmental activist Paul Watson.
France 3 Côte d’Azur shared a video in which Estrosi is heard shouting: “You are not allowed to be there. You will be heavily punished for this. You are nobody.”
Seconds later, he said in French: “Stop! Get out of here!”
Mr Estrosi shut down the cruise terminal overseen by the Metropole. However, the port of la Darse in Villefranche-sur-Mer, governed by the Departmental Council rather than the mayor, stayed open, allowing the cruise ship to still disembark passengers.
The mayor later wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “This morning, the Royal Caribbean Group ship ‘Voyager of the Seas’, carrying 3,114 passengers, anchored in Villefranche harbour at 6am, in violation of the measure that came into force on 1 July prohibiting the disembarkation of any cruise ship carrying more than 2,500 passengers.
“I immediately contacted the Alpes-Maritimes prefect, the Mediterranean maritime prefect and the Minister for Ecological Transition, asking them to take all necessary steps as quickly as possible to order the ship’s immediate departure from Villefranche harbour.
“As port authority, I insisted on going on board the ship myself to formally notify the crew of the disembarkation ban.
“The captain not only refused to receive me on board, but also to take my official notification into account.
“Faced with this refusal, I ordered all access to the ferry terminal to be closed.
“The day after the ocean summit, I will not give up. I am asking all the authorities concerned to stand firm on this issue. I intend to ensure strict compliance with the decisions taken to combat maritime pollution, preserve air quality and protect the quality of life of local residents.”