The cruise industry is under increasing scrutiny in Europe, as more destinations reveal new rules and regulations for cruising, blaming the sector for over-tourism.
Cruise ship bans are not new in Europe. The Italian government banned large cruise vessels from the Venice Lagoon back in 2021, but the bans look to be becoming increasingly common.
Last month Nice mayor Christian Estrosi banned large cruise ships carrying 900 or more passengers from docking in the French Riviera city from 01 Jul, and also prohibited these ships from the port or in neighbouring Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Then there’s Iceland. While it hasn’t banned ships, reports state it has introduced a new infrastructure fee which must be paid by each passenger on board an international cruise ship anchored in the country. The fee is in effect now and it’s ISK2500 per passenger per 24 hours, that’s around $31.
. . . Barcelona
Barcelona is also planning to ‘substantially’ increase its cruise passenger tax from its current EUR7 a day, according to an El Pais interview with Jaume Collboni, a member of the Catalan Socialist party.
The Majorca Daily Bulletin adds that a proposal has been approved to renew the agreement on limiting the arrival of cruise ships in the port of Palma. Under the deal, only three ships are permitted each day, and only one of them will be permitted to carry more than 5000 passengers.
And last year Amsterdam revealed plans for cruise ships to be banned from the city center from 2035 by relocating its passenger cruise terminal outside of the city.
Amsterdam is also reportedly planning to almost halve the number of cruise ships allowed to dock at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam from the current 190 to a maximum of 100 from 2026.
. . . Norway
Meanwhile Norway has announced new regulations for the cruise sector, with a notably more cruise-friendly attitude.
Effective from 01 Jan 2026, tourist ships and ferries must be zero-emissions to operate in Norway’s World Heritage Fjords, with this to apply to larger cruise ships of more than 10,000 gross tons from 01 Jan 2032.
The government will also contribute funding for shore power facilities in Flåm.
