Casablanca Cruise Port Guide — Ships, Excursions & Tips

Currency

Moroccan dirham (MAD); ATMs widely available. Euros are sometimes accepted in tourist-facing businesses but dirhams give a better rate. Dirhams cannot be exported — exchange only what you need.

Language

Arabic and French; English is spoken at major tourist sites, hotels, and the Hassan II Mosque.

Time in Port

Ships dock at the Port de Casablanca, which is an active commercial port. Transfers to the city centre take 15–20 minutes.

Pier Location

The cruise terminal is within the port perimeter; the city centre (Boulevard Mohammed V, the Medina, and the Hassan II Mosque) requires a short taxi or coach transfer.

Best For

The Hassan II Mosque, art deco architecture, Moroccan cuisine, and gateway access to Rabat and Marrakech

About Casablanca

Casablanca is Morocco's commercial capital and its most modern city — a French colonial-planned metropolis of wide boulevards and art deco architecture on the Atlantic coast, quite different from the ancient medinas of Fes or Marrakech. The city's defining landmark is the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest and most magnificent in the world, built on a headland above the Atlantic so that worshippers can see the ocean through the glass floors. For cruise passengers Casablanca serves a dual purpose: the city itself has genuine appeal beyond the mosque, and it sits within reach of Rabat (the royal capital, 90 minutes) or — for long port calls — Marrakech (2.5 hours south).

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Insider Tip

The Hassan II Mosque sells non-Muslim entry tickets on arrival at the door — there is usually no need to pre-book except on peak-season weekends. Tours last about 45 minutes and the guide speaks French and English. Go early (first tour is typically 9am) before the heat and the crowds; the light on the white marble and zellige tiles is best before 11am.

Highlights

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Hassan II Mosque
The third-largest mosque in the world and the largest in Africa: a 210-metre minaret (the world's tallest), a retractable roof, heated floors, and a vast prayer hall for 25,000 worshippers built on a promontory over the Atlantic. Non-Muslims can enter on guided tours (available except during prayer times); the interior craftsmanship — carved cedar, hand-laid zellige tiles, and hammered brass — is extraordinary.

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Quartier Habous (New Medina)
A planned 1930s French-era medina built to house rural migrants, with more navigable streets than historic medinas: covered souks selling spices, argan oil, leather goods, and Moroccan pastries in an atmosphere that feels authentically local without the labyrinthine confusion of Fes.

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Art Deco Boulevard Mohammed V
Casablanca's French colonial heritage produced one of the finest concentrations of 1930s Hispano-Moorish art deco architecture in the world — the Banque du Maroc, the Wilaya (Prefecture), and the covered market are highlights of a 1-hour walking circuit down the main boulevard.

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La Corniche (Ain Diab)
A 5km Atlantic waterfront strip of beach clubs, seafood restaurants, and the striking La Sqala fortress at the western tip — a calm counterpoint to the city's commerce, popular with Casablancans on weekends.

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Old Medina & Place des Nations Unies
The original walled medina of Casablanca, smaller and less overwhelming than those in Fes or Marrakech, with a few traditional craftsmen's workshops, the 18th-century Skala ramparts, and a relatively relaxed atmosphere for market browsing.

Local Food & Drink

Tagine — slow-cooked lamb with prunes and almonds, or chicken with preserved lemon and olives in a conical clay pot; the definitive Moroccan meal, served at any traditional restaurant.
Bastilla (B'stilla) — a flaky warqa pastry pie traditionally filled with pigeon, eggs, and almonds, dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon; a Moroccan banquet dish, now often made with chicken, at good Casablanca restaurants.
Harira soup — a thick, spiced broth of tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, and lamb with coriander and lemon; the Moroccan comfort food eaten year-round for breakfast or after-prayer meals.
Mint tea — the ritual three-pour Moroccan mint tea (poured from height to create a foam) with pastilla honey biscuits; served at every traditional café and tea house; accepting it is a gesture of hospitality.

Shore Excursion Ideas

1 Hassan II Mosque guided tour — the non-negotiable Casablanca experience; tours run every 30 minutes to non-Muslims except during prayer times.

2 Art deco city walk and Habous Medina — a half-day on foot through the French-era boulevards, covered market, and New Medina souks.

3 Rabat day trip — Morocco's tranquil royal capital (90 minutes by train): the UNESCO-listed Hassan Tower, the Kasbah of the Udayas (a 12th-century cliff fortress with ocean views), and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V.

4 Marrakech full-day excursion — the 4-hour round train or private car journey is long but the Djemaa el-Fna square, souks, and Bahia Palace reward those with a long port call (8+ hours ashore).

5 Seafood lunch on the Corniche — pick a restaurant along the Ain Diab waterfront for grilled sea bass (loup de mer), Atlantic prawns, and a view of the ocean.

Sailings to Casablanca

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