One Ship Is Allowed Inside the Monaco Grand Prix. Here's How You Can Be On It.

Picture it...you're on a private terrace, coffee in hand, the Mediterranean glittering in front of you and the glamour of the streets of Monte Carlo just steps away…and maybe a few celebrity sightings?!  Formula 1 cars are screaming through one of the most dangerous tracks in the circuit and you're there for it all.

No crowds to fight. No yacht-charter price tag. No arrival or exit congestion.  Just you, docked right in the heart of it all, aboard the only ship of its kind allowed into Monaco's legendary Port Hercule for the entire race weekend.

This sounds like a dream, but it's actually a reality that can be yours with Explora Journeys Monaco Grand Prix special event.

🏎️ The most glamorous race in the world, from the best seat in the house

The Monaco Grand Prix is the crown jewel of the F1 calendar.  The streets are incredibly tight.  And dangerous.  Sharp turns and blinding lights contrasted with dark tunnels make even the slightest error by a driver catastrophic!  The harbor views and glamour through the city leaves the rest of the circuit feeling a little jealous.  Okay.  A lot jealous.  Most fans watch from a grandstand, a balcony, or a super yacht that costs more than a house. Or their couch hundreds or thousands of miles away.

🏁 Here's where I get really excited!

Watching from the deck is incredible...but you don't have to stop there. Explora also offer Grandstand and F1 Paddock Club™ tickets.

And this is the part that gets me. When you're ready to be right in the thick of it, you walk down the pier. That's it. No traffic. No parking nightmare. No hunting for a hotel that's somehow both close and affordable during the busiest weekend Monaco sees all year. (Spoiler: those hotels don't really exist.) Just a short, easy stroll from your suite to some of the best seats in all of motorsport.

And when you've had your fill of roaring engines and adrenaline? You walk right back onboard to a sanctuary complete with fine wine, elevated food, and your private terrace waiting just for you.

I've planned a lot of trips. And I can say, with a completely straight face, that this is the most elevated way to experience Monaco. Full stop.

🚢 Okay, but which ship?

Explora I is the same ship that anchored the whole event last year, docked right in Port Hercule for the entire race weekend. And it's the perfect place to call home base.

Here's what I love about Explora I...it's intimate. Fewer than 1,000 guests, so it never feels crowded or hectic (a pretty dreamy contrast to the beautiful chaos happening dockside). And every single suite is ocean view, with floor-to-ceiling windows and your own private terrace. You can enjoy a slow morning with an incredible view (and deliciously strong Italian coffee...I just special ordered the same kind last week!).

Then there's the fuel for your soul...restaurants for every mood...French, Pan-Asian, a seriously good steakhouse, Mediterranean up on the top deck...plus (included!) in-suite dining whenever the mood strikes. And the bars? Twelve of them. My personal daydream is a glass of champagne at the Sky Bar, watching the sun melt into the harbor. Race cars by day, sunset cocktails by night. I mean...come on?! Take me there now!

👨‍👩‍👧 Full disclosure...we're an F1 family

I'll be honest with you. I'm not writing this just because it's good business. My family and I are genuinely, (maybe a-little-obsessively) into Formula 1. We wake up early to watch qualifying on European time. We've attended the Miami Grand Prix. And my husband and daughter even have a sports podcast where they regularly discuss F1 strategies and standings.

So when the idea of pairing F1 with Explora landed on my radar? I lit up. A brand I adore and a sport my family loves...that's not a business pitch. That's a dream trip!

✨ And yes...I'm all-in on Explora

Here's the thing. I don't just dabble in Explora Journeys. I'm an Explora Journeys Certified Expert, and I've done the work to know this brand inside and out.

Need proof? I'm in the midst of planning a yoga retreat group (over 50 travelers and still growing) aboard Explora II for fall 2027. And my own family? We booked an Explora sailing to Alaska for spring 2027. So yeah...we're a little smitten with the brand, the luxury, and the entire Explora experience!

And it's not just me gushing. Explora's list of accolades keeps growing...a Travel + Leisure World's Best winner, named Best Luxury Cruise Line by Cruise Critic, and (fittingly, given where we're headed) crowned Best Luxury Cruise Company by Robb Report Monaco & Côte d'Azur. The industry is smitten, too.

Once you've experienced the all-suite living, the included fine dining and free-flowing beverages, the calm and intentional design...it's genuinely hard to go back. Now pair all of that with a bucket-list race like Monaco. That's the kind of trip I live to plan AND take!

📣 So...why am I telling you all this now?

Because timing is everything.

Explora Journeys is having a moment. The awards keep piling up, the fleet keeps growing, and the secret is very much getting out. Which means a once-in-a-lifetime sailing like the Monaco Grand Prix is only going to get more coveted.

Here's the timing part...details and waitlist availability for the 2027 Monaco Grand Prix sailing open mid-September. As an authorized Explora partner, I'll be notified the moment they do...and I want my people to have a head start. This is your chance to get in on something incredibly special before the rest of the world takes notice.

So I did something about it. I started a private Facebook group built entirely around Explora Journeys F1.

It's where I'll drop updates, brand-approved details, and (most importantly) waitlist news the second it lands in my inbox. If watching the Monaco Grand Prix from a cruise ship has been living rent-free in your head...well. Consider this your official invitation.

👉 Join us here: Explora Journeys F1: Monaco Grand Prix

Come for the race. Stay for the ship. Let's get you a seat at one of the most iconic events in the world before everybody else catches on.

I'm an independent travel advisor and Explora Journeys Certified Expert. I share brand-approved content, but I'm not an official Explora Journeys, MSC, or Formula 1 channel. Select images courtesy of Explora Journeys.