Cannes welcomed record passengers and Nice marked an important anniversary with Ponant
By
Rebecca Gibson |
July has been a busy month for several of the cruise ports in the French Riviera Cruise Club association.
Ponant Cruises’ Le Ponant marked 20 years of calling at the port of Nice in France on 6 July.
The three-masted sailing ship was one of the first cruise vessels to berth at the port and has since embarked passengers from Nice for Mediterranean cruises between May and October each year. In total, 16,000 guests enjoyed the nearly 250 calls in Nice over the past two decades.
To mark the anniversary, representatives from various local authorities and the port boarded Le Ponant to enjoy cocktails, music and food.
On 10 July, Cannes welcomed a record 10,000 passengers on three ships – Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic, Pullmantur Cruises’ Sovereign and Princess Cruises’ Emerald Princess. Hailing from different nationalities, the passengers left Cannes port on 48 buses to spend the day exploring the city and surrounding areas.
Cannes also welcomed three ship calls from Norwegian Epic, Sovereign and P&O Cruises’ Azura on 17 July.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean International’s Anthem of the Seas made her second call to Villefranche-sur-mer with 5,000 passengers and crew members. To mark the visit, more than 100 local stores displayed ‘Welcome to Cruise Passengers’ pennants and offered commercial discounts.