Marseille cruise port

Notre-Dame de la Garde, the calanques and Provence, a shuttle ride away.

Marseille is France’s oldest city and its busiest cruise port, but the ships dock a long way from the postcard: the Marseille Provence Cruise Terminal (MPCT) sits on the Môle Léon Gourret inside the Grand Port Maritime, about 5 miles north of the Vieux-Port, so your day starts with the free port shuttle, a cruise-line shuttle or a taxi. Most cruisers climb to the golden Virgin on Notre-Dame de la Garde and wander Le Panier, or leave town for Aix-en-Provence or the white cliffs and turquoise coves of the Cassis calanques. MSC and Costa start loops here, but this page is Marseille as a day stop: SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls here from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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DockedMPCT at the Môle Léon Gourret, 5 miles out; shuttle, bus 35 or taxi to the Vieux-Port
Eurocards everywhere; French, English in tourist spots, 6 hours ahead of New York
May to Jun, Sep to Oct70s to low 80s, sunny, calmer winds and crowds
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
Start here

Three ways to do Marseille

Do the city from the Vieux-Port, go to Aix-en-Provence for a Provence market morning, or take the boat into the calanques at Cassis; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

City day

Vieux-Port, Le Panier and Notre-Dame de la Garde

  • Shuttle to the Vieux-Port, then bus 60 or the little tourist train (about €8 to €10) up to the basilica: free to enter, the whole city and your ship laid out below
  • Walk back down through Le Panier’s pastel lanes and street art to the MuCEM and Fort Saint-Jean on the harbor mouth, then the morning fish market on the quay
  • Lunch of bouillabaisse is a €60 to €80 affair at the famous places; a plate of panisses and a pastís on the quay is about €15

Best for: first-timers, walkers, photographers

Provence

Aix-en-Provence

  • Cézanne’s elegant town of fountains and plane trees, 20 miles north: the Cours Mirabeau, the market in the squares (best Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings) and the painter’s studio
  • Ship tours run 4 to 5 hours at about $60 to $100; on your own the train from Saint-Charles is 45 minutes and about €9, or bus 50 is 35 minutes and about €6
  • Some tours pair Aix with Cassis for a 7 to 8 hour Provence day at about $150 to $180

Best for: couples, foodies, Provence lovers

Coast

Cassis and the calanques

  • The fishing village 15 miles east and the national park of white limestone fjords beyond it, best seen from a 45 to 90 minute boat trip out of Cassis harbor (about €20 to €35 for 3 to 8 calanques)
  • Ship tours run 4 to 5 hours at about $100 to $155 and include the boat; hikers can walk from Cassis to Port-Miou and Port-Pin in an hour each way
  • Boats stay in port in strong mistral winds, so this is the one to book through the ship, which refunds a blown-out day

Best for: swimmers, hikers, repeat visitors

Live from the cruise lines

Marseille cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Marseille from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Marseille

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

In port

Things to do in Marseille

Budget about 2 hours of your docked time for the shuttle each way and the walk to the gate; here is how to spend the rest.

Notre-Dame de la GardeThe striped basilica with the golden Virgin on the hill above the harbor, the symbol of Marseille and the best view in Provence. Free to enter; bus 60 from the Vieux-Port (about €2), the little tourist train (about €8 to €10) or a steep 30 minute climb.
Le Panier and the Vieux-PortThe oldest quarter, a hill of pastel lanes, cafes and street art between the harbor and the cathedral, with the Vieille Charité almshouse at the top. Free; the morning fish market on the Quai des Belges and the mirrored Ombrière canopy are at the bottom.
MuCEM and Fort Saint-JeanThe lace-concrete museum of Mediterranean civilizations on the harbor mouth, linked by a footbridge to the 17th century fort, 10 minutes from the Vieux-Port. About €11 for the galleries; the fort gardens and rooftop walk are free.
Château d’IfThe island prison of the Count of Monte Cristo, 20 minutes by boat from the Quai des Belges; about €11 for the ferry and €7 to enter, allow 2 hours. Boats stay in port when the mistral blows.
Aix-en-ProvenceThe fountain-filled Provence town 20 miles north with its market squares and Cézanne’s studio. Ship tours of 4 to 5 hours run about $60 to $100; the train from Saint-Charles is 45 minutes and about €9 each way.
Cassis and the calanquesWhite limestone fjords with turquoise water east of the city, seen from a 45 to 90 minute boat trip out of Cassis (about €20 to €35) or on foot. Ship tours of 4 to 5 hours run about $100 to $155 and include the boat.
Hop-on hop-off busMarseille Le Grand Tour loops from the Vieux-Port past the basilica, the Corniche and the Palais Longchamp in about 90 minutes, about €25 for the day; the painless way to see the spread-out sights.
Avignon and the Pont du GardThe papal city and the Roman aqueduct are 60 to 70 miles northwest, an 8 to 9 hour ship tour at about $150 to $200; only on the longest calls, and only through the ship.
Pick your style

Which lines call at Marseille?

Marseille handles more than 500 calls and 1.5 million cruise passengers a year, with MSC and Costa based here and almost every other Mediterranean line stopping by; these are the ones with the most sailings.

MSC CruisesThe home team: World Europa, Euribia, Grandiosa, Meraviglia, Seaview and more on 7 night Western Med loops, year roundSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Costa CruisesSmeralda, Toscana, Diadema, Pacifica and Fascinosa on 7 night loops from Marseille, Savona and Genoa, year roundSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Royal CaribbeanHarmony of the Seas 7 night Barcelona loops plus Explorer and Legend of the Seas on Rome and Barcelona itineraries, April to NovemberSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Epic and Escape on Barcelona and Rome Western Med sailings, spring to fallSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Princess CruisesSun Princess 7 night Barcelona to Rome runs and Southampton Mediterranean voyagesSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Celebrity CruisesCelebrity Xcel and Apex on 7 to 11 night Mediterranean sailings between Barcelona and RomeSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Disney Cruise LineDisney Dream summer Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona with Marseille port adventuresSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit VikingSeven ocean ships on Mediterranean itineraries with overnight calls in Marseille, spring and fallLive prices Oceania and Explora JourneysAllura, Sirena, Insignia and Explora I on luxury Western Med sailings with late departuresSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
Timing

When to go

Marseille has 300 days of sun a year; summers are hot and crowded, spring and fall are the sweet spots, and the mistral wind can blow hard any month and cancel the calanques boats.

April to JuneHighs from the mid 60s to the upper 70s, long days, the calanques swimmable from late May and the markets at their best. May and June are the best balance of weather and crowds.
July to AugustMid 80s and bone dry with four or five ships on peak days; do the basilica first thing, the calanques by boat rather than on foot (trails close on high fire-risk days), and the beach after 4 pm.
September to OctoberUpper 70s easing to the low 70s, the sea at its warmest, the ships thin out after mid October. October brings short heavy rains, usually gone in an hour.
November to MarchHighs in the mid 50s to low 60s, bright skies between mistral days, no lines anywhere. MSC and Costa keep sailing all winter; pack a windproof layer for the basilica.
Good to know

Marseille questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Marseille, and how far is it to the Vieux-Port?

Most ships dock at the Marseille Provence Cruise Terminal (MPCT) on the Môle Léon Gourret inside the Grand Port Maritime, about 5 miles north of the Vieux-Port in a working industrial port with nothing to walk to. Follow the green line on the ground 5 to 12 minutes to the Gate 4 (Porte 4) stop for the port’s free shuttle, which runs every 20 to 30 minutes on ship days to Place de la Joliette beside the Terrasses du Port mall; from there the Vieux-Port is one stop on metro line 2, bus 55 or 82, or a 25 minute walk. Cruise-line shuttles go straight to the Vieux-Port for about $16 to $20 round trip. Only small ships and yachts dock at the J4 Joliette terminal beside the MuCEM, a 15 minute walk from the Vieux-Port.

How do I get around Marseille?

From the Joliette shuttle stop, the metro (line 2 to Vieux-Port, about €2 a ride) and the buses cover the city; bus 60 climbs to Notre-Dame de la Garde and the little tourist trains leave from the Vieux-Port. Taxis wait at the terminal and cost about €20 to €25 to the Vieux-Port; the hop-on bus is about €25. RTM bus 35 (35T on cruise days) runs from Gate 4 to Joliette for about €2 if you miss the free shuttle. For Aix, the train from Saint-Charles station; for Cassis and the calanques, a ship tour or a taxi.

What money do I use, and will my phone work?

France uses the euro and nearly everything takes cards and tap-to-pay; carry a little cash for the market and the tourist train. French is the language and English is fine at the sights, less so in the bus. Marseille is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of New York. Most US carriers sell a daily international pass of about $10 to $12, or buy an eSIM before you sail; the terminal and most cafes have Wi-Fi.

Is Marseille safe for cruise passengers?

The tourist core is fine and busy all day: the Vieux-Port, Le Panier, the basilica, the Corniche and the MuCEM. Marseille does have a reputation and the cruise lines and the U.S. State Department both say the same thing: pickpockets work the Vieux-Port, the metro and the buses, and the northern districts beyond the port are not for visitors. Wear a cross-body bag in front, leave the passport in the cabin safe, use the metered taxis and the shuttle, stay in the tourist areas and you will have no trouble.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

If it is your first time, Notre-Dame de la Garde and Le Panier on your own by shuttle give you the real Marseille for the price of a bus ticket. For Aix-en-Provence or Cassis, the ship tour earns its price on a short call: the drives are 40 to 60 minutes each way, the calanques boats cancel in wind and the cruise line guarantees your return. Avignon is only for 11 hour calls and only through the ship. On a turnaround day for MSC or Costa guests, the free shuttle and the Vieux-Port are all you need.

Do I need a passport for a Mediterranean cruise?

Yes. Every Mediterranean cruise needs a passport valid for at least three months beyond your return (we recommend six), and there is no closed-loop exception as there is for round trips from US ports. The EU’s new entry-exit system records your arrival at the first Schengen port, and the ETIAS travel authorization is being phased in; check the EU’s official site before you fly. Our specialists keep a current checklist for every sailing.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, government taxes, fees and port expenses, so the number you see is the number you pay for the cruise. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and onboard gratuities are extra, and SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on the picks at the top that you cannot get booking direct.

Talk to a Marseille cruise specialist

Tell us your dates and whether you want Provence, the coast or just a long day in the city, and we will find the Western Mediterranean sailing with the most SmartCruiser value and book it for you. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560