Just Hop a Tender to Villefranche and the Cote d’Azur is Yours

If you make a point of it, it’s easy to avoid the cruise mobs both on and off the ship. For example, in Villefranche on the French Riviera, I skipped breakfast and “tendered” into port as others were hitting the breakfast buffet.

The only time we didn’t actually dock at a pier was in Villefranche, our springboard for the French Riviera. There we “tendered” in with a big shuttle boat that seated about 200. To avoid congestion (as lines to get off the cruise ship onto the tender can be very long), I skipped breakfast, caught an early tender (about 8:30), and found breakfast in Villefranche. I had expected congestion and waiting in line to be a daily part of the cruise routine. But even though our ship was sold out, I never noticed congestion. Both onboard the ship and on shore, if you make a point to get away from the mobs, you can. For example, I enjoyed being all alone on the bow of the ship at night under the moon. After dinner, the top deck was all mine. A few ports (like Dubrovnik) can be inundated by cruisers when several ships are in port at the same time. But in each of the ports on this cruise, I could be on my own — without a hint of the cruise industry — within an hour of finishing my onboard breakfast buffet.

Here is the view from where our tender dropped us off. Thousands of cruise travelers wash in and out of ports like Villefranche daily throughout the season. It’s like a tide bringing in nutrients: the locals make a few bucks and the travelers are free to either glob together in tour-bus groups or get lost on their own. Throughout the cruise, I found a very healthy and efficient “find a need and fill it” energy in ports accommodating the demand for whatever cruise travelers might want: Internet access, taxi service, hats to provide shade, and small shops renting electric cars or bikes.
Comments

5 Replies to “Just Hop a Tender to Villefranche and the Cote d’Azur is Yours”

  1. I was also surprised that on a ship with 4000 passengers that we would not hit crowds. The breakfast buffet got busy on shore mornings, but they also offered sit down breakfast in the dinning room. I think it is no different than learning how to avoid crowds at museums and popular sites when traveling on your own.

  2. Find a need and fill it. Wish there is a way they could erase the cruise ships from view from the shore. I had a terrific view of the Med from my hotel room in Villefranche until two large cruise ships entered the bay early one morning and stayed all day. Ruined the view for me. Still can’t quite believe that Rick is on one of those large hideous cruise ships.

  3. He’s on that ship because he’s a businessman first and foremost and is trying to corner the cruise ship market.

  4. I could be wrong, but it seems like the only way you could know that those large, hideous cruise ships entered the bay early one morning and stayed all day, ruining the view from your hotel, would be that you were actually in your hotel all day. Otherwise, why would you care if the view from your hotel room was obstructed? I get a kick out of tourists who complain about other tourists ruining their experiences abroad. Aren’t we all tourists, after all?

    I’m also puzzled by William’s comment…can’t tell if he’s being serious or sarcastic, in a silly way. I hope it’s the latter! If not, I guess I’m not sophisticated enough to “get it.”

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