🇲🇨 Visiting Monte Carlo, Monaco
After a long overnight flight delayed by a gate hold at Kennedy Airport, we arrived in Nice, France around 9 AM. After clearing immigration, we stepped outside the terminal and found our Seabourn driver waiting just beyond customs. Within minutes we were riding along the beautiful Riviera coastline toward Monaco.
The drive itself was stunning. Monaco rises dramatically from the Mediterranean, with steep hillsides dotted by elegant villas, luxury yachts, and spectacular sea views.
Our destination was the Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, one of the hotel options offered through Seabourn’s pre-cruise program. It remains one of the most luxurious hotels we’ve stayed in anywhere in the world. The hotel’s elegant Belle Époque architecture and domed glass ceiling create a grand yet welcoming atmosphere, and our room overlooked the famous Monte Carlo marina.
After a short jet-lag nap, we headed out to explore. Walking along the boulevards surrounding Casino Square, we took in the beach views, luxury shops, and what seemed like an endless parade of exotic cars. Monte Carlo has long been known as one of Europe’s playgrounds for the rich and famous, and the atmosphere certainly reflects that reputation.
Our dinner reservation was for 8 PM, which we quickly discovered is extremely early by Monaco standards. When we arrived, the restaurant staff was still setting up for the evening and there were no other diners yet. Clearly we had just identified ourselves as Americans.
The staff invited us to sit at the bar while they finished preparing the dining room. The bartender brought us Ibérico ham and cocktails, a wonderful introduction to dining on the Riviera.
🎰 Exploring Monte Carlo
After dinner we wandered toward the famous Monte Carlo Casino, made legendary by the James Bond film Casino Royale.
The experience was very different from the bright chaos of Las Vegas casinos. Entry required a small cover charge, and inside the atmosphere was quiet and elegant. Even the slot machines barely made a sound.
We walked through several gaming rooms where small groups played high-stakes blackjack and poker. Eventually we found a small bank of slot machines and tried our luck for a few minutes, but the subdued atmosphere made it feel almost too polite for serious gambling.
At around 10 PM, the casino still felt fairly quiet. We later learned that nightlife in Monaco tends to begin much later.
💡 Travel Tip:
When dining in Europe, especially along the Riviera, it’s common to eat around 9:30 or 10 PM. Visiting the casino afterward will likely reveal a livelier atmosphere.
After leaving the casino we walked along the marina where dozens of superyachts were docked for the evening. Some were so large they looked bigger than our cruise ship. Later we learned that docking fees for the largest yachts during peak season can exceed $100,000 per night.
🏙️ Exploring Monaco the Next Morning
The following morning we enjoyed a fantastic breakfast at the Hotel Hermitage before heading out to explore more of Monaco.
The city is built on steep hillsides above the Mediterranean, and wandering the streets means constantly climbing and descending through narrow roads and elegant boulevards. Along the way we passed luxury apartments, designer shops, and cafés tucked into quiet corners.
At one point we discovered one of Monaco’s clever transportation solutions — public elevators built directly into the hillsides that quickly connect different levels of the city.
After a late checkout and a relaxing lunch at a small corner bistro, we met the Seabourn representative who escorted us to our transportation for the short ride to the harbor. Our luggage had already been transferred, and within minutes we were boarding the Seabourn Legend, docked along the outer edge of the marina.
🛎️ A Warm Welcome Aboard
Seabourn’s service was evident immediately. Check-in took only a few minutes before we were escorted to our cabin by our room attendant, who kindly showed us around and asked what beverages we’d like stocked in our refrigerator.
Waiting in our cabin were:
- A chilled bottle of champagne
- Chardonnay
- A fruit and cheese platter
These thoughtful touches continued throughout the cruise.
Because we booked the trip a little late and were watching our budget, we ended up choosing the forward-most cabin on the ship. The cabin was larger than most in its category, which seemed like a great deal at the time.
There was only one drawback.
Our room was located next to the ship’s anchor mechanism, which meant we were occasionally awakened early when the anchor chain was lowered in port. On the bright side, we were also next to the ship’s laundry room, which turned out to be surprisingly convenient.
🌊 Rough Seas on the Mediterranean
Another lesson we learned about forward cabins is that you feel the ship’s motion much more.
During one stretch of the cruise we encountered about 36 hours of rough seas. At one point overnight we were actually thrown up off the bed when the ship crashed down into a larger wave.
Rather than worry, we laughed about it knowing it would make a great story when we got home.
The following morning the captain advised passengers to remain in their cabins for a few hours until the seas calmed down. Eventually the water settled and the day became a relaxing opportunity to read and enjoy some quiet downtime.
Ironically, our cabin attendant was on her first cruise assignment, and she was feeling quite seasick herself. I gave her my seasickness bands, which she was very grateful for.
🌍 Mediterranean Cruise Highlights
This 14-day cruise included several remarkable ports across the Mediterranean. Some of the highlights included:
- Portofino
- Cinque Terre
- Sicily
- Sorrento and Pompeii
- Tunis
- Florence
- Rome
Each destination offered a completely different cultural experience.
🇮🇹 Portofino – A Photographer’s Paradise
Portofino may be one of the most beautiful small harbors in the Mediterranean. Pastel buildings climb the hillsides above a tiny harbor filled with colorful fishing boats and luxury yachts.
We joined an excursion to the famous Hotel Splendido, a historic hillside retreat that has hosted celebrities and royalty for decades.
After touring the property, we enjoyed a four-course lunch featuring regional olive oils, all served with breathtaking views overlooking the harbor.
Later we walked along the road above the town enjoying several spectacular viewpoints. One of the photos we took that day eventually became a large framed print that now hangs in our dining room.
🇮🇹 Cinque Terre – Five Villages Along the Cliffs
Another highlight of the cruise was visiting the stunning Cinque Terre region along Italy’s Ligurian coast.
Cinque Terre consists of five historic villages perched dramatically along steep cliffs overlooking the sea. A train runs through tunnels connecting the villages, but many residents and visitors travel between them by small colorful boats.
Seabourn arranged an excursion that allowed us to visit three of the villages, each with its own unique character and history.
It’s one of those destinations where a single day only scratches the surface. We would love to return someday and spend several days exploring the entire region.
🇹🇳 Tunis, Tunisia – A Unique Cultural Experience
Our stop in Tunis turned out to be one of the most fascinating ports of the cruise.
Despite scorching temperatures, we visited the Bardo Museum, home to one of the most important collections of Roman mosaics in the world. Many of the pieces date back more than 2,000 years.
Normally the museum is closed on Mondays, but Seabourn arranged a private opening for passengers, creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the museum with only about forty other guests.
Later we wandered through the bustling bazaar, where one enthusiastic carpet merchant gave us an impressive sales presentation.
We somehow managed to leave without buying a rug — no small accomplishment.
Many passengers stayed onboard that day because of the heat or concerns about visiting Tunisia, but we had a wonderful experience and never once felt unsafe.
🌊 Sea Day – Water Skiing on the Mediterranean
One of our sea days brought plenty of laughs.
At the stern of the ship, the Legend had a small marina platform stocked with water toys including skis, floats, and small boats.
Marilyn decided she wanted to try water skiing on the Mediterranean Sea.
Despite fairly rough conditions, the marina crew happily took her out on a skiff so she could give it a try.
She managed to get up for about 30 seconds before hitting a wave and going head-first into the water.
It looked more like skiing moguls on a black-diamond slope than water skiing — but technically she has now skied on the Mediterranean Sea.
Others tried the banana boat with similar results, while wiser passengers relaxed on the large floating platform behind the ship.
🇮🇹 Sicily – Finding the Party
Our stop in Palermo, Sicily turned into a small adventure.
We arrived on a Sunday that also happened to be a holiday, and nearly every shop and restaurant in the city was closed.
Traveling with our new cruise friends from New Zealand — Rob and Judy — we decided to “find the party.”
Locals told us everyone had gone to the beach, so we boarded a bus and headed about 40 minutes south. When we arrived, thousands of locals were enjoying the sunshine along the broad stretch of sand.
Searching for lunch, we found a seafood restaurant across from the beach where we enjoyed several local specialties, including a massive octopus salad.
Getting back to Palermo proved a little more complicated since few locals spoke English and there were multiple buses departing from the same corner. Eventually someone pointed us toward the correct bus and we made it back to the ship just in time for the final launch.
🇮🇹 Sorrento and the Ruins of Pompeii
Another memorable stop was Sorrento, where we joined an excursion to the ancient ruins of Pompeii.
Pompeii offers an extraordinary glimpse into Roman life nearly 2,000 years ago, before Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and buried the city in volcanic ash. Our guide did an excellent job of vividly painting what life in Pompeii was like at the time of the eruption.
Marilyn had recently read the novel “Pompeii” by Robert Harris, which vividly describes the eruption and the people who lived there. Reading the book before visiting the ruins brought the experience to life even more.
After returning from Pompeii we spent time strolling through Sorrento’s colorful streets filled with shops, cafés, and gelato stands.
Heavy traffic between Naples and Sorrento meant we spent quite a bit of time on the bus, but the experience was absolutely worth it.
🇮🇹 Florence and Rome
The final two stops on the cruise were Florence, where we stayed overnight, and then Rome, the final port of the journey.
Both cities are covered in more detail in our other posts within our Mediterranean Sea Adventure series, but it’s worth emphasizing that these are destinations where visitors should plan to spend extra time before or after a cruise.
Both cities are filled with history, remarkable architecture, world-class art, and outstanding food.
🚄 Continuing On to Paris
Although our cruise ended in Nice, our European adventure was far from over.
From Nice we boarded a high-speed train to Paris, traveling more than 500 miles across France in comfort and surprisingly little time.
Paris, of course, deserves its own story.
Look for our upcoming post about exploring the City of Lights.