French & Italian Riviera · Mediterranean
Watch the world's most glamorous Grand Prix from the most exclusive address in Monaco — your private suite at sea, anchored in the harbour where history is made every May.
About This Voyage
“There is a hotel suite at the Hermitage and there is a penthouse at the Fairmont and there is a terrace at the Hôtel de Paris. And then there is a suite on Explora I, anchored in the inner harbour, with a view that none of those can buy.”
The Monaco Grand Prix is not simply the most prestigious motor race in the world. It is the one race in the Formula 1 calendar that has remained genuinely unchanged by modernity — the same circuit since 1929, the same hairpin at the Grand Hotel, the same impossible tunnel section where the cars vanish from view at 290 kilometres per hour and reappear a second later in full daylight at the chicane. The circuit winds through the streets of a sovereign state smaller than Central Park, and nowhere else in the world does the spectacle come closer to the spectator.
Explora I offers something that the hotels of Monaco — full eighteen months ahead of the race, at prices that would make a private equity partner blink — cannot. A suite at sea is a suite that moves with the event: no fixed window, no specific stand, no required departure time. The ship's observation deck offers a view across the harbour and sections of the circuit that no landward position can replicate. The onboard team handles all circuit access, paddock arrangements, and hospitality; Explora's culinary team prepares race-day dining on the top deck.
Departing June 2026. Available through Martins Travel with grandstand access, paddock tour arrangements and suite category selection.
What Is Included
Port by Port
Each port of call has been chosen to reveal a different facet of the journey — arriving by sea as travellers once did, and departing enriched, never hurried.
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
Cannes, Côte d'Azur, France
Explora I arrives in Cannes harbour — the Croisette's most dramatic new arrival. A private car delivers you from Nice Côte d'Azur airport or from your hotel to the port. Embarkation in the early afternoon: your suite is open, the Croisette is visible from the balcony, the Mediterranean is the colour it is supposed to be. An afternoon at leisure in Cannes: the Marché Forville for the afternoon market, the Rue Meynadier for provisions, or simply the pool and the first Kir Royale on the sun deck. Dinner in Explora I's main restaurant — the opening menu of the Monaco Race Week collection. The ship departs Cannes for Antibes at midnight.
Aboard Explora I · CannesAntibes & Cap d'Antibes, France
Antibes is where Picasso lived after the war, where F. Scott Fitzgerald imagined the Riviera life he wanted, where Graham Greene retired to a small apartment and wrote contentedly. The old town — the Provençal market, the ramparts, the Picasso Museum in the Grimaldi Castle above the sea — is one of the most civilised places in France. The afternoon is spent at anchor off the Cap d'Antibes: the rocky shore, the pine trees, the water that is clear enough to see the bottom at eight metres. Private tenders for those who wish to swim. The ship's Riviera picnic basket is available on the aft platform. Dinner at anchor, the cap above, the lights of Nice visible to the east.
Aboard Explora I · AntibesMonaco, Principality of Monaco
Explora I enters Monaco harbour on the Thursday morning of qualifying weekend and takes position in the inner basin — a berth that was arranged months in advance and represents one of the most coveted positions in the harbour. From the observation deck: a direct sightline across to the pit lane exit, the section of circuit through the swimming pool complex, and — on clear days — the Fairmont hairpin above. Day 3 (Thursday): Free Practice 1 and 2. The city is beginning to come alive; the team hospitality units are opening; the paddock is accessible by arrangement. Day 4 (Friday): Qualifying. This is when Monaco becomes itself: the sound of a Formula 1 car at maximum attack through a tunnel and hairpin sequence with barrier on both sides at 260 kilometres per hour is unlike any other sound in sport. Paddock Club access for qualifying (selected suite categories). Race-day dinner on Explora I's rooftop deck. Day 5 (Sunday): The Monaco Grand Prix. Your suite balcony. Or the observation deck. Or both. Champagne at 2pm. The presentation ceremony visible from the ship. This is the only race in the Formula 1 calendar where the winner can, in theory, see the ship you are on.
Aboard Explora I · MonacoVillefranche-sur-Mer, France
Explora I moves to Villefranche-sur-Mer for a day of absolute recovery. The deep-water bay — one of the finest natural harbours in the Mediterranean — is flanked by the Cap Ferrat peninsula, home to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and several of the most valuable private estates in Europe. The citadel above the village houses the Chapelle Saint-Pierre, decorated by Jean Cocteau in 1957. But mostly: the bay, the clarity of the water, the lunch on the ship's rear deck, and the absolute absence of any Grand Prix.
Aboard Explora I · VillefranchePortofino, Liguria, Italy
The voyage concludes at Portofino — by universal consensus, the most beautiful small harbour in Italy and, by strong argument, in the Mediterranean. The pastel-painted houses around the piazzetta, the church of San Giorgio on the headland, the Castello Brown above with its garden of agaves: a complete world in miniature. A final lunch at the water's edge, a final aperitivo on the piazza, a final tender back to Explora I. Disembarkation from Portofino, with private transfers arranged to Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport (50 minutes) or to Milan Malpensa (two hours).
Disembarkation · PortofinoThe Onboard Experience
The Vessel · Mediterranean
French & Italian Riviera
Explora I was designed not as a cruise ship but as a private members' residence at sea: 461 suites, all ocean-facing, with a minimum 35 sqm floor plan and a private terrace. Five restaurants, four pools, a 1,000 sqm spa, and a residential aesthetic throughout. Created by MSC's luxury division specifically to compete with the finest land-based hospitality.
Destination · Days 3–5
Principality of Monaco
The Monaco Grand Prix circuit winds through the streets of a sovereign state of two square kilometres. Explora I's position in the inner harbour offers a sightline across the harbour basin to sections of the circuit unavailable from any hotel room or grandstand. On race Sunday, the view from the observation deck is unobstructed, permanent, and — alone on the Riviera — not dependent on a hotel checkout time.
Destination · Day 7
Ligurian Riviera, Italy
The piazzetta of Portofino has been the most photographed harbour in Italy for as long as colour photography has existed. Arriving by private tender from Explora I anchored in the bay, without luggage, without a check-in, without a car — is how this place was always meant to be experienced. The lunch, the light, the return to the ship as the afternoon fades: the proper conclusion to a week on the Riviera.
Private Enquiry
This voyage is presented as a point of departure. We will tailor the suite category, pre- and post-voyage arrangements, private shore excursions, and any special occasion wishes to your exact preferences. A Martins Travel cruise specialist will respond personally within 24 hours.