There are so many destinations to choose from when you’re picking up your dream cruise. From the Caribbean, Bahamas, Asia, Europe or the Mediterranean, all the destinations are as beautiful as the ships themselves. But for any worthy cruise enthusiast, it’s not all about the commodities or the destination; it all comes down the journey itself.
When you arrive at the port…
When you arrive at a port, you usually have a day to discover the beauties surrounding the bay, the city center or a few beaches. But to visit the area in only a few hours, you better be prepared.
When I left Barcelona on the Celebrity Equinox with my husband, it was my first time on a cruise ship; and what a ship. I found everything I needed, including the swimming pool and four Jacuzzis on the top level.
Basically 13 decks of pure excitement, with restaurants, bars, shops and anything I could think of.
My husband and I were on our (better late than never) honeymoon.
And while I wanted to see it all, I started to plan my off-board trips like when we stopped in the French city of Cannes just after leaving Barcelona. We really wanted to visit Genoa in Italy or Zadar in Croatia but I also really wanted to discover France and when the cruise ship arrives at 10am and leaves at 8pm, that’s not much time to see it all.
…You can decide to take a tour of the city
So we decided to take a tour from the Port of Cannes. For me, it was already an incredible vacation being on the cruise but what a surprise when we got our very own car with driver.
The Port of Cannes is a wonder
We saw pretty much everything we could in a day; we stopped at Eze with a beautiful view of Villefranche. The driver took us to Monaco where we took pictures overlooking the principality. We then had a late lunch in Nice at the flower market and it was still amazing to see “la promenade des anglais” and the old town. The best part is we never had to worry about parking the car; the driver just dropped us off and picked us up.
We took a tour at St Paul de Vence to see the medieval village and took coffee there. The driver brought us back in Cannes, just in time to walk on the beachside before going back on the cruise ship.
The old town of St. Paul de vence is a must see!
We couldn’t take a tour on all our destinations but at least I saw the French Riviera. We visited the other city centers and really took the sun. For those who are stopping in Toulon, Cannes, Villefranche or Monaco, you should take our example and get yourself one of the Dream Tours.