Monaco Cruise Ports
The sovereign city-state and microstate is surround by the country of France to the north, east and west, with its southern border been the Mediterranean Sea and it is also close to the border with Italy.
Only around a quarter of those who live in the country are Monegasque, or born in the country, as the tax free opportunities attract the wealthy from across the globe.
With the city-state known for the immense wealth of those living their and for the opulent life style that accompanies that, it will be no surprise that the countries harbour is full of superyachts, the streets are full of designer shops and the streets are full of supercars.
That makes the Principality an ideal place to visit on a cruise as the whole of its capital, Monte Carlo, can be easily enjoyed on foot after a short walk from the cruise terminal and with the best activities on offer been simply wondering around, taking in the sights, walking around the F1 course and taking in the stunning views of the Med all whilst taking a glimpse into how the rich and famous live- something most of us will have had enough of by the time all aboard comes around.
Cruises To Monaco
Cruise Holidays To Monaco
As a coastal country, located in the Mediterranean Sea, it will come as no surprise that there are lots of option when looking to book a cruise to Monaco.
There are a choice of cruises that start and end their holidays in the Med with popular ports of departure including Barcelona, Rome, and Palma whilst there are a small amount of companies that offer holiday starting and/or ending in Monte Carlo itself although these do tend to be on luxury lines with premium prices.
If you would prefer not to fly as part of your holiday, there are a small number of cruises that head for round trip holidays to the Med from the British Isles and include a stop in Monte Carlo, with P&O more often than not offering the widest range of itineraries.
No fly cruises will take from 14 nights onwards whilst those flying to the Med can enjoy a wide range of companies, itineraries and cruise lengths starting froma few short days up to a month or so.
Monaco Cruise Guide
Our guide for cruises to Monaco brings you all of the information that you need to make the most of your next holiday and to decide if a stop in Monte Carlo is the right choice for you or not.
Popular Ports
The capital city of Monaco is also the countries only cruise port where 1 cruise ship at a time can dock at the Quai Rainier III, which is close to the main cruise terminal at Esplanade des Pecheurs in the eastern section of the famous Monte Carlo port that is filled with luxury superyachts and is a huge part of the countries Formula 1 race.
The Quay is just a short walk from the main sites and attractions of Monte Carlo but due to the limited room, if you are unlucky to visit on day when you are not the schedule cruise ship to dock, you will have to tender ashore.
Located just across the border in France, a number of cruise line opt to dock in Villefranche from where it is just a short drive along the beautiful French Riviera coast to Monaco, from where you can enjoy a tour of the country before spending a day exploring the capital of Monte Carlo.
Similarly, the French port of Nice is also used as an alternative for cruise lines and is also a short drive along the coast from Monaco but the city is also a popular destination in its own right as the ‘capital of the French Riviera’.
Popular Cruise Lines
As a popular port of call in one of the world’s most popular cruising regions, it will come as no surprise that there are a lot of cruise lines that offers stops in Monaco.
Amongst the lines to offer the widest range of itineraries are Oceania Cruises, Holland America Line, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and Princess Cruises whilst the likes of Cunard and P&O offer cruises direct from the UK.
Monaco
The small country of Monaco could easily be a place for the rich, famous, and powerful to hide away from the wrest of the world in the sun and luxury of the streets of Monte Carlo but the Principality has remained a popular destination for day trippers and holidaymakers who usually enter from the French Riviera thanks to the train line that connects Nice to Monte Carlo but the country has also started to embrace cruise ships more and more over the last decade or so.
In the not too distance past, the only ay to visit the country was to dock in France and be bussed in or to tender from off shore anchor points but now ships can dock right in the heart of the city and make it a must visit destination in what is a crowded part of the world for cruise ships.
It was in the 1950’s when the country really rose to worldwide prominence when the then ruler Prince Rainier III married the American Hollywood star Grace Kelly.
Over the years since then, the country has remained constant in popular culture including in many films such as James Bond’s Never Say Never Again and GoldenEye and of course the world famous Monte Carlo Formula Race is viewed by millions each year.
That has made a lot of the more historic buildings, such as the Casino, iconic and must visits on any day ashore whilst on your cruise holiday to Monaco.
Best Time To Visit
Although Monaco enjoys great weather all year round, it can get exceptionally hot in the main summer months when it is often very crowded and of course you will not want to be there around the Formula 1 race, unless you are there specifically for it, as lots of areas are off limits and the crowds are vast.
Cruises From UK
Although it is possible to set sail from the UK to the cruise port of Monaco, the opportunities are few and far apart.
If any itineraries do appear, they will likely be on more luxurious cruise ships and on longer itineraries that need big budgets to enjoy.Cruises From Southampton
The good news is that there are several different itineraries that set sail from the UK to ports nearby, such as Villefranche, form where you can take a shuttle bus to the capital of Monaco, Monte Carlo.
The majority of those itineraries set sail from the cruise port of Southampton on the south coast of England.
Here at CruiseHols.co.uk we bring you all of the information you will ever need to choose the right cruise destination for you and your family.
Our destination guides include everything from ports to attractions and excursion to the positives and negatives of the destination.