Last month Christian Estrosi signed an order prohibiting cruise ships carrying more than 900 passengers from putting them ashore for sight-seeing excursions of the Mediterranean port city.

"Pleasure boating, yes, floating buildings, no," Estrosi said at the time.

The order would still have welcomed smaller ships, which generally offer much more luxurious cruises with a higher spending clientele.

Large cruise ships disgorging huge numbers of tourists have caused tensions in numerous port cities as they overwhelm sites. Furthermore, many ports aren't equipped to supply large cruise ships with electricity, so they must keep their engines running, causing pollution that disturbs nearby residents.

The order caused dismay among many local businesses and the cruise industry, but was welcomed by environmentalists who immediately attacked Estrosi's decision to backtrack.

"The Mediterranean isn't a trash bin and our coast shouldn't be sacrificed to satisfy the economic interests of a few," local environmentalists said in a statement.

After consulting with local leaders, Estrosi will submit on March 7 to the port authority a plan that seeks to find a compromise between "public health interests and supporting the local economy".

The plan would see 65 cruise ships carrying up to 2,500 passengers allowed into the nearby bay of Villefranche-sur-mer, but never more than one at a time. Ships with less than 450 passengers would be allowed to put into Nice's port.

According to the port authority, nearly 90 cruise ships will put in at Villefranche-sur-mer this year, including around 20 with more than 2,500 passengers.

Some 125 cruise ships will dock at the port of Nice this year, with a dozen carrying over 125 passengers.

Estrosi's decision comes shortly after he met with environmental activist Paul Watson, founder of the conservation group Sea Shepherd, as part of the preparations for the third United Nations Ocean Conference, which will take place in Nice in June.