Cruise Itinerary

Villefranche-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera and is located south-west of the Principality of Monaco, which is just west of the French-Italian border.

Settled first by the Romans, then ruled by Genoans for nearly half a millennium, Calvi was freed by Corsica's native son Napoleon in 1791. In 1982 it was given special status and now enjoys a uniquely autonomous position within the realm of France. Ringed with alternating precipitous cliffs and fine sand beaches, the island resembles a mountain thrust up out of the water, but its ruggedness is tempered by brilliant sunlight and groves of olive and orange trees. Napoleon once said that he could recognize Corsica with his eyes closed - by its perfume alone. While touring Corsica, be advised that the roads about this mountainous island are quite winding with many curves.

Cannes was founded in the 2nd century BC by a Ligurian tribe, and was subsequently colonized by the Romans in 154 AD. During the town's entire history it went through a period of upheaval and desolation by war. In 1834, Lord Brougham, an English aristocrat, was so enchanted by Cannes that he decided to settle there. This marked the beginning of the town's affluence, with luxury residences springing up to provide winter accommodations for international nobility. From 1930 onward, Cannes became a summer resort. Its local economy had traditionally relied on fishing, but was quickly replaced by tourism. Today, Cannes is best known for its world famous film festival and, for two weeks in May each year, attracts the brightest and most talented stars of the silver screen.

On the southern shore of one of the most beautiful bays of the Riviera, the little port of St. Tropez has become one of the best known resorts in Europe, a crossroads where journalists, photographers, writers, artists and celebrities meet. Guy de Maupassant discovered the town, but it was the painters who made it more widely known - Signac, Matisse, Bonnard, Marquet, Camoin - who all stayed for varying amounts of time. The harbor teems with life. Fishing boats, excursion craft and hundreds of yachts share the harbor. On the waterfront are old pink and yellow houses, which have been converted into cafes, cabarets and restaurants, luxury boutiques, galleries and antique shops. A picturesque and cosmopolitan crowd strolls the streets in season.

Nestled between Marseilles and Toulon, the port of Sanary-sur-Mer is located in Provence on the Cote d’Azur, and is arguably the sunniest place in France. Its beautiful coastline is dotted with small beaches, while Sanary’s quiet, pedestrian streets cluster around the medieval 13th century watchtower—now home to the Frédéric Dumas Diving Museum, and featuring original equipment of undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau. Visit église Saint Nazaire, a late 19th century Gothic Revival church, or admire the view from the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Pitié, built in 1560. Cap your stay with a stroll along the palm-lined harbor, where you’ll find rows of old Provençal wooden fishing boats, pointus, and if you’re lucky, some local fishermen selling the day’s catch. Or simply taste the freshest seafood in any number of Sanary restaurants and enjoy watching the bustle of everyday life in this charming and inviting town.

Founded by Greeks in the pre-Christian era, the Catalan town is set on a lovely curve of beaches on Spain’s Costa Brava. It is crowned by the Castell de la Trinitat, which anchored the wall that encircled the entire town in medieval times. It was the site, until 2011, of Ferran Adria’s Michelin three-star restaurant El Bulli, which will reportedly reopen in 2014 as a culinary creativity center. Shop for a souvenir from the back of a street hawker’s donkey, or wander to nearby Figueres or Cadaques to visit one of Salvador Dali’s museums.

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is said to have been founded by the Phoenicians, and was once the rival of the powerful states of Venice and Genoa for control of the Mediterranean trade. Today, it is Spain's second largest city and has long rivaled, even surpassed Madrid in industry and commerce. The medieval atmosphere of the Gothic Quarter and the elegant boulevards combine to make the city one of Europe's most beautiful. Barcelona's active cultural life and heritage brought forth such greats as the architect Antonio Gaudi, the painter Joan Miro, and Pablo Picasso, who spent his formative years here. Other famous native Catalan artists include cellist Pau Casals, surrealist Salvador Dali, and opera singers Montserrat Caballe and Josep Carreras. Barcelona accomplished a long-cherished goal with the opportunity to host the Olympics in 1992. This big event prompted a massive building program and created a focal point of the world's attention.