Cruising the South of France & Corsica on the Azamara Pursuit - Azamara Pursuit

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Cruising the South of France & Corsica on the Azamara Pursuit - Azamara Pursuit

11 Days - Ocean Cruise

We begin our holiday in colourful Barcelona before boarding the stunning Azamara Pursuit. We embark on a luxury seven-night cruise along the famed southern coast of France. We’ll explore charming Port-Vendres, the medieval fortress town of Carcassonne, the historical streets of Marseille, and Provence – the ‘City of a Thousand Fountains’. When we are sailing you are free to enjoy all of the onboard facilities the Azamara Pursuit has to offer. You have $50 onboard credit included, so you can treat yourself to a drink in the Discoveries Bar, enjoy a massage in the Sanctum Spa, or try one of the speciality restaurants. Make sure you pack a white outfit for the White Party, being as casual or formal as you wish, but make sure you are comfortable enough to dance! We’ll also discover the glamorous Cote d’Azure with its picturesque coastal villages like Sanary-sur-Mer and the famed city of Saint-Tropez, before cruising to the island of Corsica. Here, you’ll find Calvi – a lively port town in a picturesque bay with mountain views all around. Continuing along the Mediterranean Sea we reach Monte Carlo in Monaco – playground of the rich and famous, and La Turbie, perched high in the hills above the sea. After bidding farewell to the Azamara Pursuit, we disembark in beautiful Nice. Before concluding our holiday here, we’ll call at Antibes – an ancient seafaring town which attracted many artists and writers such as Picasso and Graham Greene, and we’ll also visit Fragonard, one of the oldest perfumeries in Grasse, perfume capital of the world, before returning to Nice.

Holiday Highlights

Seven nights on the Azamara Pursuit, with full board;
One night in a four-star hotel in Barcelona, with breakfast;
Two nights in a four-star hotel in Nice, with breakfast;
Guided tours of Barcelona, Carcassonne, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Monaco, La Turbie, Antibes and a perfumery in Grasse;
Visits to Port-Vendres, Marseille, Sanary-sur-Mer, St-Tropez and Calvi;
Return flights and transfers;
All port charges and airport taxes;
Services of an expert Riviera Travel tour manager throughout;
On board the Azamara Pursuit, you’ll get…
An included visit to one of the ship’s speciality restaurants;
An exclusive wine pairing event on board;
$50 per person on-board credit to spend however you choose;
Complimentary drinks and bottled water;
Daily on-board gratuities;
Services of your Riviera Travel tour manger plus the ship’s own cruise director and associate cruise director;

What's Included

The price of this holiday is per person based on two people sharing a twin room. Single rooms are subject to availability at the relevant supplement. The price includes:
Return flights
Overseas transfers
Port charges
Local accommodation taxes
Airport taxes
Checked luggage (as per airline's allowance)
Three nights hotel accommodation with breakfast (one night in Barcelona, Spain and two nights in Nice, France)
Seven night cruise on the Azamara Pursuit
Full board on the cruise
US$50 per person on-board credit
Complimentary drinks and bottled water on board the ship
Complimentary visit to one speciality restaurant on board the ship
An exclusive wine pairing event on board the ship
Touring as mentioned in the itinerary
Services of a Riviera Travel tour manager

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive at the airport for your flight to Barcelona. On arrival we transfer by coach to the four-star Hotel Catalonia La Pedrera, where our overnight stay includes breakfast. Cosmopolitan Barcelona is an excellent place for shopping, so after checking in why not indulge in some retail therapy? You’ll find department stores and quirky outlets specialising in traditional crafts. The old port area brims with bars, shops and restaurants, set against the backdrop of the attractive harbour. In the evening head for Las Ramblas, the famous pedestrianised boulevard buzzing with tapas bars, musicians and mime artists.

Day 2

During our guided tour of Barcelona this morning, we see the Gothic Quarter that contains the magnificent cathedral, the Ribera district with its imposing 14th-century mansions, the Picasso Museum and much more. However, the Catalan capital is particularly famous for its 19th-century Catalan Modernisme architecture and design. There are more than 50 examples of these buildings and our local guide will point out several of them. This afternoon we board the Azamara Pursuit, our floating boutique hotel for the next seven nights, and depart for the sublime southern coast of France early this evening. Guests of Riviera Travel will also enjoy an exclusive wine pairing event on board, hosted by one of the ship’s own experts.

Day 3

Our first port of call is Port-Vendres, a charming fishing town on the Vermillion Coast, which was a source of inspiration for many famous artists. Included today is a full-day tour to Carcassonne, one of Europe’s finest medieval walled towns. Situated on a rocky outcrop on the banks of the River Aude, its UNESCO-listed La Cité is surrounded by 52 roofed towers and serrated battlements, which top almost two miles of double-enclosure walls. Our tour evokes a real sense of history as we visit a number of glorious structures, including the Castle of the Counts and Basilica Saint-Nazaire Saint-Selse. Afterwards, we sit down to an included lunch before returning to Port-Vendres. Our ship remains moored till tonight, so why not take the opportunity to get to know the town? The colourful port is a pleasant place for a promenade and where you can see the military fortifications commissioned by Louis XIV, such as the Redoute du Fanal.

Day 4

This morning we arrive in Marseille, France’s vibrant second city and the capital of Provençe. Founded by Greek mariners, Massalia, as it was known, sided with the wrong faction at war with Julius Caesar and lost its independence. Marseille became a part of France in the 15th century and some three hundred years later, the city became a focal point of the French Revolution and the birthplace of France’s national anthem, La Marseillaise. Today, the city offers countless cultural attractions, so it comes as no surprise that it was named European Capital of Culture in 2013. A holiday to the region of Provence would not be complete without a visit to Aix-en-Provence, perhaps the most famous of all Provençal towns. Our included guided tour of this ‘City of a Thousand Fountains’ takes you down colourful boulevards, through fine squares and labyrinthine alleys. You’ll see what inspired the city’s favourite son, Paul Cézanne, to produce numerous paintings in and around Aix. After some free time to explore Aix, we return to the ship in time for a late lunch on board. This afternoon you’re free to explore Marseille: Stroll along the old port filled with pleasure boats or soak up the artistic atmosphere of Le Panier, the city’s oldest quarter and site of ancient Massalia. Trace the city’s rich history since prehistoric times at the compelling Marseille History Museum or see the anthropological exhibits of the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations, linked by a dizzying footbridge to the massive Fort Saint-Jean. This evening we will be treated to an exclusive performance of So Frenchy at the stunning Palais du Pharo.

Day 5

A leisurely morning’s cruising takes us to the alluring Côte d’Azur and Sanary-sur-Mer, a picturesque coastal village that’s perfect for whiling away the day. Blessed with lovely weather and plenty of sunshine, Sanary has attracted many famous figures, including writer Aldous Huxley and polymath Jacques Cousteau who pioneered the equipment crucial to deep-sea diving off the waters here. Take your seat at one of the many seafront cafés along the pretty palm-lined harbour and admire the pointu or traditional fishing boats – some more than a hundred years old. From here you can see the Gothic-Revival church of Saint Nazaire and the medieval tower that the village was originally built around. Behind the port lies the lively old town filled with shops and restaurants. The Stations of the Cross path is a pleasant walk uphill to Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Pitié, a 16th-century church with superb frescoes. After dinner on board, the Azamara Pursuit continues cruising along the beautiful French Riviera.

Day 6

Ever since Brigitte Bardot illuminated the silver screen in And God Created Woman and propelled the sleepy fishing village of St-Tropez to international renown, visitors have flocked here to enjoy the jet-setting lifestyle. This fascinating town has a colourful history as an Arab colony, a small republic and a source of inspiration for haute couture heavyweight Coco Chanel. After our morning arrival, you have the entire day to soak up the sunshine and dip your toes in the warm waters of the sparkling sea. Beyond the glitz and glamour is a serene side waiting to be uncovered. Meander the cobbled lanes of its old fishing quarter or simply sip a pastis as you watch pétanque players from a café on the legendary Place des Lices. To discover the town’s rich maritime history, you may wish to visit the museum housed in the dungeon of a 17th-century citadel, which also affords excellent views of the surrounding area. Tonight, our ship continues its coastal journey to our next destination.

Day 7

This morning we find ourselves in Calvi on the French island of Corsica. The Mediterranean’s answer to Mont St Michel, this lively port town enjoys a picturesque position in a crescent-shaped bay, with lovely views of the coast and surrounding snow-capped mountains. Calvi’s star feature is the remarkably preserved citadel that dominates the rocky promontory overlooking the town. Fortified by Genoese rulers from the 13th century, it was here during the Siege of Calvi in 1794 that Vice-Admiral Nelson famously lost the sight in his right eye in an explosion of stone splinters. It’s the perfect place to begin a leisurely stroll along the palm-fringed promenade, which bustles with restaurants, cafés and bars. Watch the world go by over a cup of coffee or head to the town centre for some shopping. If you’re feeling energetic, you may wish to climb the steep steps up to the citadel for a wander. Locals claim Calvi to be the birthplace of Christopher Columbus and the remains of his house can still be seen in the citadel, commemorated by a plaque. After another delicious dinner on board, we continue cruising across the Mediterranean Sea.

Day 8

Hedonistic Monaco is a playground for the rich and famous, but there’s much more to it than that. Today’s included tour gives you a real insight into its history, the story of the Grimaldis and how they managed to retain their independence despite being sandwiched between powerful neighbours. We take in Monte Carlo, famed for its opulent casino, jaw-dropping superyachts and designer boutiques, then drive along part of the famous Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit. In dramatic contrast is charming Monaco Ville, which crowns a pistol-shaped promontory and is the only part of Monaco to have retained its old town. Highlights include the Renaissance-style Prince’s Palace and the Romanesque-Byzantine Cathedral, where crowds pay their respects to Prince Rainier and Princess Grace at their flower-adorned graves. Then we take a short drive to the French town of La Turbie, perched high in the hills above the sea. We stop to marvel at the spectacular Trophy of Augustus, built to celebrate the Romans’ decisive victory over the tribes of the Alps. We return to Monaco with ample time to relax on board or further explore, as the ship departs tonight after dinner.

Day 9

After a final breakfast on board the Azamara Pursuit, we disembark in picture-postcard Nice and enjoy a guided tour of the city. Founded as a Greek settlement and named after Nike the goddess of victory, it was ceded by the Sardinian king to France in 1860. Nice’s Italian heritage is still evident in the old town’s ochre-coloured buildings, Venetian-style arches and no end of pasta shops. See the iconic Promenade des Anglais, named after the aristocratic English patrons who once paraded along the waterfront in their horse-drawn carriages. Our guide will point out a number of landmarks, such as the palatial Hotel Negresco, the famous flower market at Cours Saleya, and Place Masséna, the city’s main square. There’s time for lunch at your leisure before we transfer to the four-star Mercure Nice Centre Notre Dame, where our two-night stay includes breakfast.

Day 10

This morning we drive to Antibes, one of the region’s most enticing coastal towns, with a seafaring tradition dating back to ancient times. On our guided walk through the old town, we follow in the footsteps of artists and writers such as Picasso and Graham Greene, who once walked along these cobbled streets. There’s free time after, so perhaps visit the medieval Château Grimaldi, Picasso’s studio for a brief time and now one of the largest collections of his works. For a slice of local life, the town’s renowned Provençal market is a treasure trove of fresh produce, from delicious cheeses to fragrant lavender honey. In the afternoon we drive to Grasse, regarded as the world’s perfume capital. The fragrance industry in Grasse dates back to the 17th century and we visit Fragonard, one of the oldest perfumeries, to experience first-hand this traditional art before returning to Nice.

Day 11

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Welcome aboard your boutique hotel at sea, the Azamara Pursuit. Journey to unparalleled destinations in style on this mid-sized ocean cruise ship, which has everything modern explorers could ever want for – and more. Taking on a timeless but contemporary feel, the Azamara Pursuit boasts the best ocean cruise entertainment, world-class dining options and spa experiences.

With a deck plan that’s sociable but never crowded, the unrivalled service goes beyond the expectations of even the most well-travelled voyagers. Friendly and approachable, the crew are attentive, and happy to offer everything from poolside service to recommendations for your on-shore exploration.

Whichever deck you opt for, all staterooms have a polished style with air-conditioning, a desk, mini bar, hairdryer and 40-inch TV plus USB ports by the bed. With many spacious staterooms and suites with verandas, you can wake up to breath-taking views and beautifully fresh sea air. In the staterooms you will find the likes of fluffy cotton robes and slippers, luxury French bath products, fresh flowers and, of course, helpful 24-hour room service.

Delightful dining options on the Azamara Pursuit vary from elegant a la carte to themed buffets, with the choice to visit the ship’s speciality restaurants. You can expect a variety of on-board entertainment, with AzAmazing Evenings, signature shows and guest performers, as well as live bands every night.

Indulge in invigorative treatments in the new Sanctum Spa; with massages, manicures, hairstyling services and even acupuncture. Beyond the spa, there is a selection of complimentary fitness classes, as well as a well-equipped gym for you to work out at your own pace.

When you travel on board the Azamara Pursuit, almost everything you could ever want is included. Whether you’re looking forward to unwinding by the pool, dressing up for cabaret night at 54 Below at Sea or dining at one of the six superior restaurants, your exciting pursuit awaits.

Deck Plan

Holiday provided by

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