A Journey of Island Wonders & Serene Riviera Exploration

Day

Date

Arrival

Departure

15th Jun 2026 Monday

Barcelona

20:00

16th Jun 2026 Tuesday

Ibiza

12:00

22:00

17th Jun 2026 Wednesday

Mahón, Menorca

09:00

18:00

18th Jun 2026 Thursday

Alghero, Sardinia

09:00

19:00

19th Jun 2026 Friday

Saint-Tropez

09:00

23:00

Saint-Tropez conjures up images of the good life, beautiful people, yachts and paparazzi. Yet, that luscious strip of seacoast in the Cote d'Azur region was once a sleepy fishing village offering little more retail panache than a few sandal makers. The balmy Mediterranean spot was first adopted in the 19th century by writers and artists, who migrated there from Paris in the summers. It became an international sensation in the 1960's after Brigitte Bardot put on a bikini and starred in a film ("And God Created Woman," directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim). She liked the area so much that she settled in the community, and the photographers followed. Then, other celebrities showed up. And ... voila. But what's with the name? Who has ever heard of a saint named Tropez? The story told is this: In 1055, one of Nero's centurions (a certain fellow named Torpes) refused to forsake his religion and was beheaded in Pisa. His body and head were placed in a boat, along with a dog and a rooster. The animals were supposed to eat his body and conceal the crime, but when the boat floated into the estuary of what was then called Athenopolis, the head and body were found intact. Apparently, the dog watched over it and protected it. The town name was changed to Ecclesia Sancti Torpetis, and after the French Revolution, it became Saint-Tropez. Because of medieval Fido's loyalty, it's said that dogs in Saint-Tropez bear as much cachet today as any rich movie star, and it's also said that you can get in anywhere, even into the packed and exclusive Les Caves du Roy night club, if you bring a well-dressed dog. And indeed, as you amble the streets and squares around this charming village, you see lots of well-behaved pooches with their owners, enjoying the Provencal sun. The first things that you see when you arrive in the harbour, however, are the glamorous yachts at anchor or manoeuvring into the port. The yachts that do find berths in the old port harbour are smaller than the floating palaces at anchor, but they are also the ones that back up their aft ends to the quais so the occupants can lunch in full view of the walking, gawking masses. It's quite a show. And also expensive: It costs 5,000 euros per day to dock a yacht in the old port harbour during the official summer "social season," from July 10 to August 15. Berths are typically booked for three years in advance. The town itself is a jumble of ochre-coloured buildings surrounding the port and narrow streets and alleys that climb away from it to the hills above. The Citadelle, an ancient fortress on a rise, stands guard and is visible from the sea. Most of the town's industry depends on tourism, but what you have when you strip away the celebrities, the yachts and the paparazzi is a happy, comfortable place -- a small French town with history and a sense of place, a maritime sensibility, world-renowned sandals and the famous Tarte Tropezienne, a cream-and-sponge cake developed by a relocated Pole from a recipe he got from his grandmother. It's a glorious place, the perfect embodiment of the French Riviera, smaller than Nice or Cannes -- even without a stellar beach. The best thing about Saint-Tropez is that you can make it your own and choose the way you want to see it -- a playground for spoiled rich folk or charming little Provencal town.

20th Jun 2026 Saturday

Monte Carlo

09:00

23:55

Arriving by ship into the Monte Carlo harbor is an amazing experience. If your docking time is before dawn, you'll see the lights of the principality twinkling throughout the mountains that surround the harbor and the beautifully lit Grand Casino at center stage. If you arrive during daylight hours, you are faced with the sight of one magnificent yacht after another vying for space in the little harbor.

Monaco is a self-governed sovereign nation under the protection of France. It has been ruled by the Grimaldi family for the past 700 years (with a slight diversion during the French Revolution), and its 1918 treaty with France decreed that if the prince -- any Grimaldi prince -- failed to produce a son, the territory would be ceded back to France upon his death. This was changed in 2002. If Albert II, the current prince, fails to produce a male heir, the throne will be passed to his sister Caroline.

Monaco, which comprises a miniscule 485 acres in total, and is Europe's smallest state after the Vatican, is barely west of the Italian border and surrounded by France on all sides except for the 2.5 miles of coastline. If you are looking at Monaco from your ship in the harbor, you can't tell where the principality ends and France begins. (Hint: Somewhere around the Middle Corniche.) As tiny as it is, it contains five sectors, of which Monte Carlo is the best-known. The principality, which is home to the most millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world, has no natural resources; its national economy is based on tourism and banking.

The two go hand in hand in this idyllic slice of the Cote d'Azur. The wealthy Europeans who do their banking here expect -- no, demand -- the best, and cost be damned. This makes it harder for workaday folks to enjoy a stay (rooms go for an average of $700 a night in a nice hotel), but coming in on a cruise ship for the day gives one a sense of James Bond cool.

If you're lucky enough to be in Monaco during the third week in May, you can actually see part of the Grand Prix Formula One race from the comfort of your cruise ship. We were surprised to see that the track is actually in the middle of the city and goes under an overpass within direct view of the cruise ship dock.

However, whenever you are fortunate enough to visit Monaco and the dazzling district of Monte Carlo, you'll find plenty to do. In fact, these 485 acres offer so much, you'll need to come back to explore again.

21st Jun 2026 Sunday

At Sea