Europe’s Major Ports Rein In Cruise Travel

A cruise ship in Nice, France, is among the many European destinations to ban or significantly reduce the number of cruise ship visitors to be allowed in 2026.

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Throughout 2025, in a bid to tackle overtourism, Barcelona, Nice, Cannes, and Isafjordur in Iceland introduced plans to reduce the number of cruise ship passengers allowed to disembark in European ports. It appears that 2026 will be another year of reining in cruise travel in Europe, at a time when cruises have never been more popular globally.

The cruise industry is booming and rapidly shedding its image as floating retirement homes; there is, quite simply, a cruise tailored to everyone and every pastime, and it is primed for growth. Cruises only make up 2.7% of the international travel sector and are seen as one of the safest form of travel. In 2024, there were 34.6 million ocean-going cruises globally, and from 2023 to 2024, the number of passengers sailing increased by 22%.

Spain Overtourism—Cruise Berths Reduced In Barcelona

Spain has long been a microcosm for the rest of Europe regarding overtourism issues, and nowhere else is the tension felt so acutely. Record-breaking visitor numbers are straining local resources and sparking protests about the perceived impacts of having too many holidaymakers or digital nomads.

The latest effort by the Spanish government to curb tourist numbers involves reducing the number of terminals available to cruise ships in Barcelona’s docks. In 2024, nearly 13 million cruise passengers arrived in Spain, with almost four million of these disembarking in Barcelona.

As a result, Bloomberg reports that the city council will reduce the number of berths from seven to five in 2026. The number of visitors disembarking from cruise ships increased by 20% between 2018 and 2024, so this is a move that the city council believes renders the Spanish cruise sector “more controlled and sustainable.”

Overtourism in France Means 2026 Will Bring In More Cruise Bans

At the end of June, 400 miles away along the Mediterranean coast, Cannes implemented a ban on cruise ships. From January 1, 2026, onwards, the port will only accept cruises carrying fewer than 1,000 passengers. Larger cruise ships will use smaller boats to transfer passengers into the town, as is the case in some Caribbean ports, such as St. Maarten. In addition, only 6,000 daily cruise ship passengers will be able to visit Cannes in total.

Cannes’ Mayor David Lisnard said in a statement that “Cannes has become a major cruise ship destination, with real economic benefits. It’s not about banning cruise ships, but about regulating, organizing, and setting guidelines for their navigation.” The City Council said its aim was “for cruise tourism to be less numerous, less big, less polluting and more aesthetic.”

It follows a move made just 20 miles along the Côte d’Azur five months earlier by Nice’s Mayor, Christian Estrosi, which banned cruise ships with more than 900 passengers from entering the harbor from July 2025. Nice recorded 160,000 cruise ship visitors in 2024, with an expected demand of over 300,000 for 2026. However, a French court has since blocked the ban, claiming that Estrosi lacks the legislative power to control the harbors, and that only regional or national authorities have the power to impose such restrictions. It is a fight expected to rumble into summer 2026.

Iceland introduced measures to reduce the number of cruise ships and visiting passengers by implementing a new fee of approximately $18 per person, per nightly stay. This fee adds thousands to the cost for cruise companies and has led to some cancellations.

It’s likely not the last time a European port closes its docks to large cruise ships, with statistics indicating that cruise companies are increasingly heading to the Caribbean for various reasons, one of them being European overtourism.

Overtourism—France And Spain Are Europe’s Most Visited Countries

France is the most visited country in the world, with Spain not far behind. In 2024, France welcomed over 100 million visitors through its borders, a record, and Spain saw 94 million travelers.

Visitor numbers far outnumber residents; France, for example, has a population of just under 70 million. Europe itself has far more visitors than residents annually; in 2024, the number of visitors exceeded 747 million.

Due to its preeminent position as a host for travelers from around the world, France sees more than its fair share of private jets arriving in Paris and/or heading down to the Mediterranean. It has arguably done more than other countries in trying to address the environmental impacts of its visitors, by legally banning short-haul flights when a train journey of under 2.5 hours is available. It has also been one of the few European countries to propose curbing cheap flights by suggesting the use of EU-wide minimum prices. The government has rolled out an unlimited summer monthly train pass for 16-27 year-olds for €49, and €1 train tickets for everyone on the first weekend of every month. The country has also heavily invested in cycling infrastructure.

But it’s a fine line. These measures arguably don’t go far enough to solve the environmental and social problems. The economic picture is far more complex, as it’s unclear whether cruise passengers add enough to the local economies they visit to make the congestion and environmental headache worthwhile for the locals. Cue the decision to limit the number of cruise ship berths and to implement passenger limits.

Further along the Côte d’Azur from Nice and Cannes, locals in the southern French city of Marseille are currently battling the development of a luxury cruise terminal project on its picturesque coastline opposite the Chateau d’If, the fictional prison of Edmond Dantès in the Count of Monte Cristo. The kicker is that almost half is set to be funded by the State.

So, while Spain and France can lead the way with innovative regulations to control overtourism, as the two most visited destinations globally, is it enough?

Europe’s Major Ports Rein In Cruise Travel

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