Exploring the French Riviera

Facilities in Liverpool are constantly being improved to make boarding, stopping off or leaving your cruise ship easy, enjoyable and stress-free.

Dominated by ‘the Rock', a towering 1, 396 ft sentinel that guards the Straits, the Arabs' Gebel el Tarik or Tarik's Rock is today simply ‘Gib'. Resolutely British for nearly 300 years, its unique setting unites the oddly familiar - from the helmeted policemen to Marks & Spencer - with an extrovert Mediterranean mood. Test the shops and pubs in Main Street and Irish Town, take a cable-car ride to enjoy the grandstand views to a nearby Africa, and of course make a call on those Barbary apes!

Historic Toulon has been a principal naval base of France for three centuries and, despite post-war reconstruction, a sense of its traditional charm survives amid the old town's narrow streets behind the waterfront and Vieux Port. Enjoy the fine views from Mount Faron and the colours of the flower market – or head east for the glamour of the Riviera, where St Tropez, Nice, Cannes, Antibes and Monte Carlo are now the glittering haunts of the beau monde of the Cote d'Azur!

One of the most picturesque old fishing ports of the Cote d'Azur, Villefranche lies at peace between the more energetic pace of its famous close neighbours, Nice and Monte Carlo. Its tall brightly coloured and almost Italianate buildings rise beside narrow streets and stairways from the sheltered harbour, where fishing boats and yachts are moved and enticing restaurant terraces look out to sea. From here shore visits will take you to Monaco, Nice, Cannes and other legendary highlights of the Riviera!

Friendly capital of this captivating ‘Isle of Beauty', whose rugged coastline and flawless beaches enclose a fragrant maquis-carpeted interior dotted with mellow old hill-towns. Fought over by Greek, Roman, Vandal, Byzantine and Saracen, Corsica was sold by Genoa to France in 1768 - a fateful day for Europe, for a year later one Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio (his birthplace is now a museum).

Today Spain's major commercial port and naval base, Cartagena lies on the coast of Murcia, its great indented bay guarded by rocky promontories, each topped by a fort. Founded in 221 BC by Hasdrubal, leader of the Carthaginians (hence the name) from North Africa, it has a fascinating history - and as Nova Carthage was long the Romans' principal settlement in their Iberian stronghold. Attractive promenades extend along the harbour, while to the northeast is the famous beach and watersports resort area of the lagoon-like Mar Menor.

The busy port city of Andalusia, the Spain of gazpacho and paella, flamenco and fiesta, recaptured from the Moors of the 15th century after 800 years of conflict. Enjoy the panorama from Gibralfara Castle, and visit the Moorish Alcazaba fortress, the birthplace of Picasso, and a wine cellar to try the famous local dessert wines. Or travel to Granada, to the glorious Alhambra, whose proud 14th century palaces and exotic gardens are Spain's finest expression of Moorish art.

Facilities in Liverpool are constantly being improved to make boarding, stopping off or leaving your cruise ship easy, enjoyable and stress-free.