In short
Cannes: ships anchor in the bay, and tenders bring passengers to Quai Max Laubeuf in the Old Port in 10–15 minutes. From there the Palais des Festivals, La Croisette, the Forville market and the old quarter of Le Suquet are all on foot. Four hours covers the centre; a full day adds the Lérins Islands or Antibes.
Where do cruise ships anchor in Cannes, and how do you get ashore?
Almost always at anchor in the bay: Cannes is a tender port. Boats take you ashore in about 10–15 minutes and land you right in the Old Port, at Quai Max Laubeuf. From there the whole town is on foot: the Palais des Festivals is 5–10 minutes away, the old quarter of Le Suquet starts just above the port, and La Croisette begins behind the Palais.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where the ship anchors | In the Bay of Cannes, off the Old Port. Only small ships occasionally moor inside the harbour itself. Since 2026 the town has limited calls by large ships and the number of cruise passengers per day, so big ships call here less often than before. |
| Tender | The crossing takes about 10–15 minutes, depending on the sea. You land at Quai Max Laubeuf in the Old Port. Tender tickets or time slots are handed out on board — how it works is in the daily programme. |
| Into town on foot | The Palais des Festivals in 5–10 minutes, the Forville market and the climb to Le Suquet in about 10, La Croisette right behind the Palais, the train station in 10–15 minutes. |
| Typical call | Usually 6–9 hours. Your time ashore is a little shorter: the first tenders take a while to get going, and the last one leaves well before the ship does. |
| Time zone | Central European Time, as in the Netherlands and Germany (UTC+1, summer UTC+2). The ship normally keeps local time — check the daily programme. |
| Money and language | Euro. French; in the centre, shops and waterfront cafés get by easily in English. Cards are accepted almost everywhere. |
| Documents | France is in the EU and Schengen. If the ship comes from a Schengen port (Barcelona or Genoa, for example), there is usually no separate check; if it comes from outside Schengen, checks take place on board or at the port. Carry the document your cruise line asks for (what to check). |
| All aboard | The last tender usually leaves 30–60 minutes before departure, and a queue builds up at the pier towards the end. Be back at the landing at least 30–45 minutes before the last tender. |
- Wind19 km/h
- Sea23°
- Sunset18:49
- Thu24°17°💧0%
- Fri22°19°💧0%
- Sat24°17°💧6%
- Sun22°16°💧25%
- Mon22°17°💧36%
- Tue23°18°💧49%
- Wed21°16°💧50%
Forecast by Open-Meteo, updated hourly. Check the forecast again the day before your stop.
What can you fit into a day in port in Cannes?
Cannes is compact: the Palais des Festivals, La Croisette, the Forville market and the old quarter of Le Suquet on the hill fit into 3–4 hours on foot. A longer call leaves room for a boat to the Lérins Islands or a short train ride to Antibes.
Palais, Croisette and Le Suquet
Start at the Palais des Festivals, home of the film festival: take a photo at the foot of the famous steps and look for film stars' handprints set in the pavement around it. Stroll along La Croisette past the beaches and the Belle Époque hotels, then come back through the Old Port and climb the lanes of Le Suquet to the church of Notre-Dame d'Espérance — the square in front of it has the best view over the bay and your ship.
Add the Lérins Islands
Boats to Île Sainte-Marguerite leave from Quai Laubeuf, next to the tender landing, and take about 15 minutes. On the island: paths through pine and eucalyptus, clear water and the Fort Royal, where the Man in the Iron Mask was held — his cell is part of the museum, with paid entry. Allow 3–4 hours there and back. Saint-Honorat, with its working monastery, has its own boat; you can't do both islands on one trip.
Antibes — on a call of 8 hours or more
Regional trains from Cannes station reach Antibes in about 10–15 minutes. Old Antibes sits behind its sea walls: the Picasso Museum in the Château Grimaldi, the covered Provençal market on Cours Masséna in the mornings, and Port Vauban with its superyachts. Allow 4–5 hours including the trains, and check the museum's opening days. From Cannes station to the tender landing it is another 10–15 minutes on foot.
Grasse, the perfume town
Trains from Cannes reach Grasse in about 30 minutes; the station lies below the old town, so expect an uphill walk. Grasse has been the capital of French perfume for centuries: historic perfume houses run factory tours, some with no ticket needed, and the old town is a maze of steep lanes. Allow 4–5 hours. Or keep it simple: the Forville market in the morning (Tuesday to Sunday) and a swim at the Plage du Midi.
Places on the map
The places from this guide, ready for your phone. The numbers on the map match the list. “Map” opens Google Maps; “Walk from the pier” shows the walking route from where ships usually dock.
Map images are loaded from OpenStreetMap servers. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
- ⚓Cruise pierMap
- 1Palais des FestivalsMapWalk from the pier
- 2La CroisetteMapWalk from the pier
- 3Forville marketMapWalk from the pier
- 4Le Suquet (Notre-Dame d'Espérance)MapWalk from the pier
- 5Île Sainte-Marguerite (Fort Royal)Map
- 6Île Saint-Honorat (Lérins Abbey)Map
- 7Antibes (Picasso Museum)Map
- ⏱Will I make it back?Plan your day here by the minutePlan →
Which pier your ship uses depends on the day: check the daily programme.
A tender port — what difference does it make to your day in Cannes?
A lot. In Cannes you don't just walk down the gangway: boats take you ashore, and their timetable shapes the whole day. Check in the daily programme how tender tickets are handed out and when the last tender leaves.
- Tender tickets. On a big ship you usually get a numbered ticket or a time slot; passengers on the ship's excursions go ashore first. If you want an early start, head to the meeting point as soon as tenders are announced.
- Weather. In strong wind or swell the captain may delay the tenders or cancel the call altogether — it is a matter of safety. Keep a plan B on board in mind, and don't book anything ashore that you can't cancel.
- Fewer big ships. Since 2026 Cannes has limited calls by large ships and the number of cruise passengers per day. If Cannes is on your itinerary, the call has already been planned within these rules; some itineraries now stop at other Riviera ports instead.
- The museum at the top of Le Suquet. The old castle on the hill houses the Musée des Explorations du Monde and a tower with a view over the bay. It is closed on Mondays and closed for renovation until 30 October 2026 — check before you climb up for it.
- The film festival. In May, during the festival, and on days of big conventions, the area around the Palais is fenced off and the town is very busy.
On your own or on a ship's excursion?
Cannes is easy to do on your own: the whole town is walkable from the tender landing, the island boats leave from the same quay, and Antibes and Grasse are a short train ride away.
A ship's excursion makes more sense for places that are awkward by public transport — Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Èze or Monaco (about an hour each way by train) — or on a short call when you want to see several Riviera towns in one go. Excursion passengers usually board the tenders first, and the ship generally waits for its own excursions if they run late — it does not wait for independent passengers.
How do you make sure you are back on board in Cannes?
- Go by the last tender, not departure time. What counts is the last tender time in the daily programme. Towards the end of the call, a queue builds up at the pier.
- Island boats run to a timetable. Check the return sailings when you buy your ticket, and take a boat that gets you back at least an hour before the last tender.
- Trains on the Riviera. Regional trains are sometimes late or cancelled. From Antibes or Grasse, pick a train that leaves you at least an hour to spare.
- Watch the sea. If the wind picks up during the day, the last tender may be brought forward. Keep your phone on and listen for announcements at the landing.
- What to take. Your cruise card, the document your cruise line asked for, sun protection and water, comfortable shoes for the climb to Le Suquet, a little cash and a phone with the ship's emergency number.
Where do cruises calling at Cannes start?
Cannes is a port of call: on Western Mediterranean itineraries the ship stops here for the day, and you board in another port on the route. Departure ports with cruises along the Riviera (check that your sailing includes Cannes):
- Cruises from Barcelona — week-long Western Mediterranean routes with a stop on the French Riviera.
- Cruises from Civitavecchia — the port for Rome, with routes through Italy, France and Spain.
- Cruises from Genoa and cruises from Savona — the Italian start ports closest to the Riviera.
- Cruises from Marseille — a French start port, a few hours' sailing from Cannes.
- Genoa or Marseille? — the two start ports compared.
Often on the same itinerary: Villefranche-sur-Mer in a day, Marseille in a day and Livorno in a day.
Common questions
Where do cruise ships dock in Cannes?
Usually they anchor in the Bay of Cannes: it is a tender port. Tenders take passengers to Quai Max Laubeuf in the Old Port in about 10–15 minutes. Only small ships occasionally moor inside the harbour. How going ashore works is in the daily programme.
Can you walk from the Cannes tender pier to the town centre?
Yes: the tender landing is in the Old Port, right in the centre. The Palais des Festivals is 5–10 minutes away, the Forville market and the climb to Le Suquet about 10, La Croisette starts right behind the Palais, and the train station is 10–15 minutes away.
Can you visit the Lérins Islands on a cruise call in Cannes?
Yes: boats to Île Sainte-Marguerite leave from Quai Laubeuf next to the tender landing and take about 15 minutes. Allow 3–4 hours for the island including the crossing. Saint-Honorat has its own boat, so you can't combine both islands on one trip.
What can I see in Cannes in 4 hours from a cruise ship?
In 4 hours in Cannes you can see the Palais des Festivals and the stars' handprints, walk along La Croisette, pass through the Old Port and climb Le Suquet to the church of Notre-Dame d'Espérance for the view over the bay. On mornings from Tuesday to Sunday, add the Forville market.
Can you get from Cannes to Nice or Monaco on one cruise call?
Trains reach Nice in about 30–40 minutes and Monaco in about an hour. With tender time on top, that only works on a long call with a good margin for the way back. The ship's excursion is easier: the ship waits for it if it runs late.
Do I need my passport to go ashore in Cannes?
France is in the EU and Schengen. If the ship comes from a Schengen port, there is usually no separate passport check; if it comes from outside Schengen, checks take place on board or at the port. Take ashore the document your cruise line asks for.
How the club fits in
Cruises calling at Cannes that are available in the club work on the same terms as any other route. You choose one way to pay per booking: the member price (INsider Pricing), roughly 17% below the listed price, or your Reward Points, which can cover up to half of the cruise price. They do not add up. To pay up to 100% with points, you need to have accumulated enough points and book 270 days or more before departure.
Not every cruise line can be booked through the club: check the specific sailing in the club's search, or ask us and we will tell you which itineraries calling at Cannes are available in the month you have in mind.
How booking with points works →
Practical port information is summarised from public sources as of October 2026: berths, call times, timetables, entry rules and visiting arrangements may change. Before you travel, check the ship's daily programme and the requirements for your passport. Percentages describe the club's rules and are indicative. Reislite is an independent information site run by partners, not a website of inCruises.