Protesters Block Cruise Ship From Docking at Port

Environmental activists were out in force last weekend in Brittany, France, in opposition to the growing number of cruise ship visits. The Stop Croisières BZH and Extinction Rebellion groups managed to block a cruise ship entering the port of Finistère.

Protestors Stop Luxury Cruise Ship Guests from Coming Ashore

Several protestors took to the water to deny access to the Seven Seas Voyager. The ship has a guest capacity of almost 700. Protestors waved a banner stating: “We are the iceberg.” The ship was unable to tender guests ashore.

“No cruise liners called at Concarneau today. For us, that’s a success because we’re fighting against luxury cruise ships,” one activist said. “We think they’re an ecological absurdity and a symbol of social inequality.”

Last year, cruise passengers were jeered when coming ashore at the nearby port of Douarnenez. There were cries of “you are not welcome” and “shame on you” aimed at guests aboard the Atlas Ocean Voyages vessel’ World Traveller.’ This is a relatively small yacht-style vessel with a guest capacity of just over 100.

Although there have been no arrests, the port of Douarnenez has been something of a flashpoint for anti-cruise protests. Shore visits have in the past been canceled or supervised by a police escort.

🔴 On suffoque, et en mer Méditerranée et dans nos ports, d'énormes bateaux polluent notre air en toute impunité ! Vous voulez que ça s'arrête ? Moi aussi.

Marseillaises, Marseillais, mobilisons-nous !

Signez la pétition de @marseille : https://t.co/8S1sqwDBgS pic.twitter.com/fV3PwWouv4

— Benoît Payan (@BenoitPayan) July 19, 2022

Like elsewhere in Europe, there is growing opposition to the unrestrained growth of cruise ship tourism in France. The mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan has been vocal in opposition to large cruise liners, which he describes as “floating cities” that he claims “emit as much pollution as a million cars.”

A 2023 study found Marseille and the Channel ferry port of Le Havre were among the most polluted ports in Europe.

Anti-cruise Sentiment Spreading Across Europe

Major tourist destinations like Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Venice have taken measures to restrict cruise ship traffic. Just recently, Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis revealed plans to restrict ship visits to the islands of Santorini and Mykonos.