Cruise Excursion Provence

I'm not the best to give advice around Marseille. One good place to look is cruisecritic.com. They have reviews of every possible excursion from every port. I normally avoid the tours offered by the cruises, in favor of going on my own. I often start at cruise critic to get a flavor of the different options, then figure out how to do it on my own. If you don't feel comfortable doing it outside a tour, you can almost always find a local guide that will give you the same experience (with a small group) for less than the cruise tours charge for their big bus tours.

As noted, this is not primarily a cruise website, so you might inquire elsewhere. On the rare occasions we take a cruise, I often buy a couple of guidebooks to help me answer the question you are asking. You told us about your wine concerns, which are important - especially on a big excursion, you're not likely to get to choose which wines are offered. I'd add that there is substantial driving involved in most of these trips. Unless your boat is staying overnight, I would say that the risk of not getting back in time for departure weighs in favor of taking the cruise's excursion - that completely eliminates any worries that could spoil your day, even if you do get back in time. Cruise excursions are expensive, that's just the way it is. If money is tight and Marseille is of interest to you, take advantage of a port in a real attraction and tour on your own with a guidebook or a cabdriver. If you want to see the countryside or a different, important attraction (like Arles or Avignon, etc.) take an excursion.

I like Arles but am ambivalent about both St. Remy and Aix. Roussillon and Gordes are in the Luberon which is very scenic with perched villages, orchards and vineyards. I would go with the Luberon or one of the Arles excursions. If you liked wine more Chateauneuf du Pape and Avignon would be a good choice as well.

Heather, For a one day excursion on what will probably be a very hot day, I'd do number 1 or 2. I have been to all the places offered. Arles has interesting Roman ruins and interesting museums and most people find St. Remy charming. Arles may be pretty hot. Roussillon (the town, not the region) is a very unusual place. It can be cool walking there, as some of the sights have tree shade. The soil is sandy, so wear shoes for walking outside. Gordes is a what's called a perched hill town, very traditional style and charming. If you want more information, you can send me a private message.

I recommend you get Rick's book, Mediterranean Cruise Ports. We used it on the cruise portion of our European trip last summer and it was invaluable. By the way, we chose to take a bus to Aix and spend the day there, having a relaxing lunch and strolling through the open market, but Rick's book will provide you with many options and how to do them yourself if you wish. He also suggests when it is more ideal to take a ship's excursion. Enjoy!