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Cruise ships carrying 900-plus passengers are no longer welcome at destinations in the Nice-Côte d'Azur region in France.
Nice mayor Christian Estrosi signed a decree on Jan. 24 banning cruise ships that carry more than 900 guests from visiting Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer, according to a report from French newspaper Le Monde. The limit will kick in on July 1st.
Estrosi said the goal is to promote "selective tourism" amid the threat of overtourism.
While the mayor lacks the authority to ban ships from visiting, he can ban the ships from disembarking their passengers in the region for excursions, Le Monde reported.
The new decree will prevent passengers from larger ships from disembarking via tender. Larger ships call in the nearby harbor of Villefranche-sur-Mer. Close to 90 calls are scheduled there in 2025, and two-thirds of them are ships with 900-plus passengers, according to Le Monde.
About 124 calls are scheduled in Nice this year on ships carrying fewer than 900 passengers, which would continue to be allowed. Nice is looking at adding shore power so ships can turn off their engines while in port.
CLIA issued a statement that the association is surprised by the mayor's decision given no large ships are scheduled to call at the port of Nice in 2025. CLIA said three large cruise ships and 34 medium-sized cruise ships are scheduled to call at Villefranche-sur-Mer this year.
The association urged Estrosi to reconsider his decision in the interest of local businesses and guests who want to visit. The organization said the measure "stigmatizes the cruise industry and does nothing to promote sustainable tourism."
Nice is not alone in seeking cruise ship restrictions. Barcelona, Venice, Santorini, Mykonos and Amsterdam have sought to reduce cruise traffic.
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Growing JetBlue’s New England Presence
In addition to its growth in Boston, JetBlue is adding new New England routes from Providence, Rhode Island, and Hartford, Connecticut, to New York’s JFK, providing onward connectivity to JetBlue’s extensive JFK network. Service from Providence to Tampa and Hartford to Fort Myers will also expand from winter seasonal to year-round service. Elsewhere in the region, JetBlue recently made Portland, Maine, a year-round destination, and next week, it will start service in Manchester, New Hampshire, with multiple routes to Florida.
Fresh Routes to the New York Area and Beyond
As New York’s Hometown Airline®, JetBlue is announcing new and returning routes across the New York metropolitan area.
JetBlue will resume daily service from JFK to Washington, D.C., starting March 30, followed by the launch of daily flights from JFK to Detroit, Hartford, Pittsburgh, and Providence on April 30. On the same day, the airline will also resume service between JFK and Burbank on a seasonal basis. These flights not only provide travelers with convenient access to the New York metro area but also connects them to a world of leisure destinations, especially in the Caribbean, through JetBlue’s expansive JFK focus city network and offers operational benefits as the airline plans a more reliable and efficient JFK schedule.
From Newark, JetBlue is relaunching service to popular destinations Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Los Angeles, complementing JetBlue’s year-round service to these destinations from New York’s JFK. Service between Newark and Los Angeles will feature the airline’s Mint® premium experience with fully lie-flat private suites and restaurant quality dining.
“With these new destinations and routes, JetBlue is introducing even more travelers to our industry-leading service, strengthening our position in New York and as the East Coast's leisure airline,” said Shurz. “We’re excited to build on our momentum, offering customers across the Northeast and beyond even more travel opportunities.”
New York Metro Routes: New York Area Airport: Launch Date: Frequency:
Washington D.C. - John F. Kennedy Intl. March 30, 2025, 1x daily, year-round
Boston, MA - Long Island MacArthur April 30, 2025 1x daily, summer seasonal
Tampa, FL - LaGuardia April 30, 2025 2x daily, year-round
Hartford, CT - John F. Kennedy Intl. April 30, 2025 1x daily, year-round
Burbank, CA - John F. Kennedy Intl. April 30, 2025 1x daily, summer seasonal
Detroit, MI - John F. Kennedy Intl. April 30, 2025 1x daily, year-round
Pittsburgh, PA - John F. Kennedy Intl. April 30, 2025 1x daily, year-round
Providence, RI - John F. Kennedy Intl. April 30, 2025 1x daily, year-round
Los Angeles, CA - Newark Liberty Intl. April 30, 2025 3x daily, summer seasonal
San Pedro Sula, Honduras - John F. Kennedy Intl. June 12, 2025
1x daily, year-round
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - Newark Liberty Intl. June 12, 2025
1-2x daily, summer seasonal
Latin America and Caribbean Growth
JetBlue is enhancing its connections across Latin America and the Caribbean, regions where its low fares and award-winning customer service have made it a leading airline. The airline is excited to introduce its first flights to Honduras and the return of service between Santo Domingo and Newark. Additionally, starting April 30, 2025*, JetBlue will expand its presence in Guatemala City with a new daily flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This route will complement the airline’s existing service between Guatemala City and New York’s JFK, providing customers with even more travel options.
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Royal Caribbean Group is taking on a new challenge with plans to launch a premium river cruise product to begin sailing in Europe in 2027.
Called Celebrity River Cruises, the brand has signed an initial order for 10 river ships that will take design inspiration from the line's Edge Series ocean ships.
Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said the company plans to enter the river market with Celebrity but will keep an eye toward scaling up and possibly launching another river product through its Silversea luxury brand.
"As we build up this kind of engine for river under Celebrity, it will certainly provide opportunity for our ultraluxury guests to consider a river experience under Silversea," he said. "We're going to start off with Celebrity. We're going to assume that's where we think that there is great scale opportunity. And then, of course, we'll be looking to see if there's other ways to expand it for our other brands as it sees fit.
"We are never satisfied with the status quo, and we are obsessed with delivering the best vacation experiences in the world and driving exceptional shareholder returns. Today's launch of Celebrity River Cruises is an example of our commitment to deliver on that promise and ultimately capture a greater share of the $2 trillion global vacation market."
Liberty said about half of the group's guests have experienced or intend to take a river cruise. The group plans to leverage its loyalty program across the brands to deepen customer engagement and keep guests within the company's ecosystem.
The big-picture goal is to continue to keep guests within that ecosystem of vacation experiences within its three brands, for which it has four new ships and four new private destinations coming online by 2027, not including the river vessels.
The cruise line will sail on rivers around the world and has already secured berthing rights, although Liberty did not specify where.
Each ship will carry about 180 passengers, and the line will allow kids to sail, Liberty said. Like the Celebrity brand, the river cruise product will not be all-inclusive.
The line plans to begin taking bookings this year. Details about Celebrity River Cruises, including when bookings will open, destinations, fleet size and ship details will be announced in the coming months.
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