Cruises to Cannes

501 Reviews
Cannes (Photo:vichie81/Shutterstock)

About Cruising to Cannes

Is Cannes one of the most underappreciated cities you can add to your France cruise itinerary?

Gertrude Stein once said of Oakland, California: "There's no there there." Cannes, sadly, seems to suffer from a similar character flaw. Consider this arch comment from travelmeister Rick Steves: "Cannes has nothing unique to offer the traveler, except a mostly off-limits film festival. You can buy an ice cream cone at the train station and see everything before you've had your last lick."

Clearly, Steves has no affinity for Cannes' je ne sais quois -- insisting the French Riviera resort offers little to visitors apart from luxury brand shopping and a day at the beach. But given a chance, Cannes does deliver. Granted, the Palais des Festivals, which houses the International Film Festival, looks like a no-name warehouse, and its signature red carpet is absent except during the festival's annual 10-day run in May, so there is a sense of a let-down. But dig deeper and you'll uncover some rich history, fabulous food, a modest and sweet Old Town called Le Suquet, and La Croisette, a glitzy palm tree-lined boulevard that makes up for the missing red carpet.

Vive Cannes!

  • More about Cannes

  • Why Cruise to Cannes?

  • Cannes Cruise Port Facilities?

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Cruise Critic Favorite
Celebrity Equinox
E Q19  Aerials F L034

7 Night
Spain & France Cruise

2,313 Reviews
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Norwegian Escape
Norwegian Escape (Photo: Norwegian)

9 Night
Europe - Western Mediterranean - Barcelona

3,046 Reviews
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Oosterdam
Oosterdam

10 Night
Mediterranean Odyssey

1,087 Reviews
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Norwegian Epic
Norwegian Epic

11 Night
Greek Isles & Italy

4,409 Reviews
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11 Night
Europe - Western Mediterranean - Barcelona

3,046 Reviews
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13 Night
Repo - Transatlantic

4,409 Reviews
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9 Night
Europe - Western Mediterranean - Rome

3,046 Reviews
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10 Night
Greek Isles & Italy

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10 Night
Europe - Western Mediterranean - Barcelona

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15 Night
Repo - Transatlantic

4,409 Reviews
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10 Night
Europe - Western Mediterranean - Rome

3,018 Reviews
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12 Night
Europe - Classic Mediterranean

332 Reviews
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10 Night
Europe Cruise

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11 Night
Europe - Western Mediterranean - Rome

3,046 Reviews
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7 Night
Italy, France & Spain Cruise

40 Reviews
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More about Cannes

Why Cruise to Cannes?

Pros:

Cannes is no doubt a glamourous location, where visitors will find beaches, upscale shops and interesting sights

Cons:

Because of Cannes popularity with tourists, pickpockets are often prevalent

Bottom Line:

In addition to walking where the rich and famous have, Cannes has much to offer in the way of history, shopping and dining

Cannes Cruise Port Facilities?

Cannes is an eminently walkable city, very compact, and everything that's a must-see is located within a few blocks. It's as simple as this: Just walk to the promenade from the tender dock, turn right and you'll bump into everything on your to-do list.

The tourist information office is located on the ground floor of Palais des Festivals (1 boulevard de la Croisette), about five blocks from the tender dock. You can pick up a map and brochures there and arrange independent shore excursions. It's open daily: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the summer, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. the rest of the year. There are no toilets at the tourist office.

Good to Know?

Cannes is a tourist town -- and where there are tourists, pickpockets will lurk. Take the proper precautions. Also, much of Old Town is hilly with cobblestones, so wear comfortable shoes.

Getting Around?

If you want an alternative to walking, a neat trolley service, Le Train du Cinema, departs regularly from La Croisette, just past the film festival headquarters across from the Majestic hotel. It offers three tours: La Croisette (35 minutes) and Le Suquet (35 minutes) and a combination hour-long ride. The tours, with commentary in English and other languages, depart year-round, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Other transportation options include taxis and the city bus. The taxi stand closest to the tender dock is located next to Caffe Roma on La Croisette across from the Palais des Festivals. Taxis tend to be expensive. A 10 percent gratuity is the norm on top of the fare. The No. 8 bus, on the other hand, is quite cheap. It departs from the dock and travels the seafront until the boulevard ends at Palm Beach and its casino, the oldest casino in Cannes. The roundtrip ride takes about 40 minutes and does not include Old Town.

Passengers interested in do-it-yourself touring outside of Cannes will find two rental car agencies in the town center. Thrifty and Hertz are both located at 147 rue d'Antibes, about a 15-minute walk from the dock. Reservations can be made online. The rental agencies are closed from noon to 2 p.m. for lunch.

Currency & Best Way to Get Money?

The local currency is the euro. The cheapest and easiest way to get cash is to use your debit card at an ATM. There is a conveniently located ATM at Banque de France (8 boulevard de la Croisette).

Language?

French, of course, though English is widely spoken in hotels and deluxe stores.

Where You're Docked?

Cannes is a tender port. Tenders arrive at a terrific location within easy walking distance of everything you'll want to see: shops, restaurants and the historic center of town. You'll find restrooms at the tender dock.


Cannes Cruise Reviews
Cannes is beautiful and clean but not much to see. Booked an excursion through NCL to Antibe. Antibe was amaing, would not recommend booking excursions through NCL, not reliable.Read More
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swainey1
I loved it here. It's very clean and upscale. Lots of beautiful views. Cannes itself didn't seem to offer much in the form of entertainment, however. There is a casino, if your into that. Read More
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AndrewF87
Cannes was another walking tour - the tour guide thru NCL was excellentRead More
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susanstar88
Spent a little time in Cannes, as the shore excursion was to St Raphael, a seaside vacation town eastward along the coast before St Tropez. Very pretty drive along the coast. Most of the famous beach front boulevarRead More
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sabre635

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