We reserved a few years ago but then the COVID Pandemic landed. We had to cancel and Sail Croatia were so great to deal with. A full refund no hassle. We rebooked six months ago and just returned home. We were on the ESperanza Dubrovnik return. Boarding was easy. We met with Mia the cruise director. Such a lovely warm kind person. She was so organised . We got great information and recommendations where to go when ashore. The food was very good . Anna and Antonio were our servers and bar tenders. Nothing was too much trouble to them. The weather was not the best but the captain and the sailors had to rearrange the itinerary to avoid the rough seas at times. We felt safe at all times and managed swim stops in secluded bays every day. Overall we loved it. We made new friends who we will keep in contact with. Two small areas that could improve. The hairdryer in the room wasn't great so I'm told. Also the ladders for getting back onboard after swimming need to be longer. Excellent.
- Anonymous, 19/09/2024 18:40, Travelled in a Couple
Great staff. Made friends with other passengers. Meals on board were great. Beautiful scenery. The boat was expertly steered through storms. Not so good - tour of Vis, Verdan sold it to us as a scenic tour. I didn't expect most of it to be going through military bunkers. I wanted to see the island, not the inside of some old military thing. Dinner at Korcula was not good or tour of Korcula - that woman was painful in her terrible attempts to be humorous.
- Anonymous, 17/09/2024 18:06, Travelled in a Couple
Captain very good at choosing swim locations and avoiding some inclement weather. Food/drinks/service & guides all good and great choice of ports of call. Engines noisy with downstairs cabins at back of boat.
- ED, 17/09/2024 07:55, Travelled in a Couple
No snacks and coffee service only a few hours a day? Also couldn’t get a beverage while band was playing? Boat lost revenue during entertainment because couldn’t access the bar
- Anonymous, 17/09/2024 05:00, Travelled with Family
The mix of people (staff and passengers) was great.
- Anonymous, 16/09/2024 17:50, Travelled in a Couple
Cheap! Great value and really like close to shore docking. Excellent staff, very friendly, helpful with suggestions, and knowledgeable. Rough edges: Broken stuff, no food choice at lunch.
- Anonymous, 16/09/2024 05:56, Travelled in a Couple
- Anonymous, 11/09/2024 08:40, Travelled with Family
We had a great time, all 28 people from all over the world, got on fantastically well. The bikes were of a good quality and everyone managed to get on really well with the e-bike I would have liked some longer rides, the longest ride was only about 50 kms, I would have liked to do this every day. The sail Croatia jersey, should be free to all and a day set aside when everyone wears it. I was the only person that bought a jersey and it certainly was not worth the £50 paid. We only swam off the boat twice and this was something we were looking forward to, This trip is not cheap and I realise we had one of the better boats, but with payment of food when off the boat and more expensive drinks when on the boat, our limit of spending was soon exceeded, to be then expected to pay for tips and what was an expensive payment was above what we could afford. The crew should not have to rely on tips and should be covered on the initial spend. I would be happy to talk more if requested.
- Anonymous, 09/09/2024 07:39, Travelled in a Couple
Thoroughly enjoyed cruising the Croatian islands on our Dubrovnik to Split and return to Dubrovnik tour. Each port we stopped at represented a lesson in history. Thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour in Split and Dubrovnik with the local guides as well as the fabulous dinner with wine in Stari Grad at a local farm restaurant. Our morning swimming stops were a pleasure and the food served on the boat was divine. But there were negatives: 1. Our lower level cabins were adjacent to the engine room therefore when the boat left port early in the morning, no further sleep or talking could be had. These cabins were priced the same as the forward lower level cabins which seems unfair. 2. No itemised bar bills were provided so you had to assume that what you were billed for, you actually drank. 3. The boats internet was rubbish. 4. When rafted up at port with other boats, crossing over was difficult at times due to the height of each boat I.e. need individual ramps and not step up or down.
- Anonymous, 05/09/2024 14:17, Travelled with Family
Dear Rosalie, Thank you for your detailed review and for sharing both the highlights and suggestions on both of your tours. We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the historical walking tours, the fabulous dinner in Stari Grad, and the divine food onboard, as well as the beautiful morning swim stops in lovely secluded bays. We regret to hear that there were some aspects that had an impact on your overall cruise experience. Regarding the noise from the engines, as our ships are small motor cruisers, the engines do make some unavoidable noise when in operation, similar to a running car. We understand this may affect travelers differently, but it is part of the small ship experience. We are pleased to advise that we received a total customer score rating of 4.4/5 for your week onboard. Regarding the bar bill, guests are welcome to request an itemised bill each day to track their consumption. The Wi-Fi can be temperamental as it is subject to download limits and can experience reduced coverage while out at sea. The ramps between boats are designed for ease of movement, but due to the unique designs of each vessel, some variations in height are expected - we appreciate your suggestion of individual ramps. We thank you again for all your feedback and hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip.
Overall we had a great experience and highly recommend! A few suggestions/tips: - We realize that it’s challenging to prepare food on a boat and to meet different preferences. We would suggest having at least some lunch buffets, where people could choose (e.g., salads, sandwiches) instead of 3-course meals. A buffet would be quicker and enable people to sit on the desk rather than the often very hot and stuffy dining room. - The food was often very heavy (fried meats, limited vegetables/salads). If guests were warned about this, they could request vegetarian or other accommodations. - We were not allowed to bring food on board so snacks should be available (free or not). There was fruit but nothing else and often we were unable to leave the boat. We were often quite hungry after the ride but had to wait to eat. - It would be helpful if the trip leader provided information about the towns further in advance than the afternoon that we arrived so there would be enough time to plan.
- Kathryn, 04/09/2024 07:34, Travelled in a Couple
Well it wasn’t Great, the crew were bored
- Anonymous, 03/09/2024 06:56, Travelled in a Couple
Though awesome, a few notes…. -the ac in our room never cooled properly -noting or discussing that though breakfast & lunch are included it’s not forced to participate when we had docked at port early. we loved the lunches, but felt like if we didn’t attend, we would miss out on information -the crew and ivanna were very kind hosts
- Anonymous, 26/08/2024 15:12, Travelled in a Couple
The people - other travellers and the crew - are the highlight of this trip. Recommend for those who want to experience Croatia with new friends 😎
- Anonymous, 23/08/2024 13:31, Travelled in a Couple
We had a nice trip on kingfisher. Our captain and hostess were nice and helpful on making our trip enjoyable. Thank you for a fun trip. A few recommendations yo improve the experience: 1. Please tell the guests to bring more cash for mooring fees and dinners. 2. It would be nice to spend the last night on an island vs split. You can just move check out to 10 am and that would really be a nice way to end the trip. 3. The 42 Lagoon catamaran only has 3 cabins if you use a skipper so that is an important description item as the skipper takes one of the cabins. When they sold us the catamaran they sold it to us as if it could sleep 8 people which is incorrect. It can only sleep 6 guests with a skipper.
- Anonymous, 22/08/2024 16:52, Travelled with Family
Dear Jean, Thank you for your review and for sharing your experience on Kingfisher. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip and found the skipper and hostess helpful. We appreciate your recommendations and we agree that bringing extra cash is a good idea for mooring fees and dining, so that guests can prepare accordingly - we also outline this in our Pre-departure information provided. While we understand the desire to spend the last night on an island, late check-out is not possible due to the extensive safety checks and cleaning required before the next departure. Our website correctly states that this vessel has 4 cabins that can accommodate 8 guests. It's common in the sailing industry, particularly in Croatia, for the crew to use the salon area as a double bed if all cabins are occupied by guests. Thank you again for your valuable input, and we hope to welcome you on board again in the future.
Thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Excellent exercise to work off the meals! Our guides were super, well organized, and very hospitable. Met people from all over the world. Comfortable ship, Well organized itinerary. Enjoyed the swimming, particularly on hot August days! One thing to note is that it was not clear on the website nor from the saleswoman with whom we corresponded if the "total ascent/descent" for a day is combined ascent & descent or the amount one ascends and additionally descends. It is the amount one ascends and then descends as well. For example if a day's total ascend/descend is 640 meters (as ours was listed on Day 3), that means you will climb a total of 640m and then descend a total of 640m.
- Doug, 21/08/2024 00:23, Travelled in a Couple
I would have given this experience a 5* as almost everything was perfect with the exception of a few things. Beach towel for one person for the entire week is not acceptable. Changing of the bath towels every few days is also not acceptable. Breakfast time should be longer. Everything else was great !
- Anonymous, 20/08/2024 17:31, Travelled with Family
The staff were all impressively friendly , helpful, knowledgeable , accommodating and extremely hard working.. The communication regarding daily rides, activities were impressive and able to be flexible when needed The other guests made the trip exceptional sharing the boat and bike rides but life experiences and stories. We are confident we made friends from around the world that we will maintain and see in the future
- Anonymous, 19/08/2024 09:16, Travelled in a Couple
Great people, amazing places and relaxed pace. Accommodating of dietary requirements. Need better beds and pillows. Noisy airconditioner and noise from boats alongside at night.
- Clare, 14/08/2024 09:57, Travelled in a Couple
The boat has everything from under 18 to 65 year Olds plus. Given we spend most of the time on the boat it's frustrating that you put people who have limited interest groups or different stages of life. We were told this was suited to 30 to 40 year Olds. The experiences and tours were all for old people and the boat has very limited toys or experiences so all you can do is eat bad food, sunbake and drink to put up with the small talk - give more information to people prior to joining as Croatia is lovely but this isn't a great way to do it
- Anonymous, 13/08/2024 02:58, Travelled in a Couple
Dear Jeremy, Thank you for your review. We are pleased to hear you found Croatia lovely and we hope you enjoyed visiting the various islands. We're sorry to hear the cruise didn't meet your expectations. We couldn't find any correspondence regarding the age range advised to you, however this cruise type is open to all ages over 18, but typically appeals to a more mature traveler. We aim to offer a variety of meals using fresh local produce, so we regret any disappointment in this area and water toys aren't included, but can be brought on board. We provide detailed pre-departure information via email and on your Online Account, which includes everything you need to prepare for the cruise. We appreciate your input and thank you for your review!
Tour guides and picturesque daily cycling,
- Anonymous, 12/08/2024 09:46, Travelled in a Couple
Marin was the best tour guide, he was so knowledgeable and very honest with his opinions. He would go out of his way to help you with anything you needed and made things run as smooth as possible. A great way to see the sights of Croatia!
- Anonymous, 10/08/2024 11:38, Travelled in a Couple
Great way to see the islands and party through Croatia. Katarina our guide was so lovely, helpful and knowledgeable. Food was nothing special but our guide and the experiences they provided made up for it,
- Anonymous, 09/08/2024 17:08, Travelled with Family
Wonderful crew and an amazing Sail Croatia representative ( Barbara 😊) The boat (Esperanza) was beautiful, and perfectly maintained. The food was delicious. The drinks were fairly priced. My husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary . It was a trip of a lifetime. All and all the itinerary was good. I would skip Mijet. There was not enough to do on the island.
- Anonymous, 06/08/2024 16:11, Travelled in a Couple
Our tour/customer representative, Barbra, was great. The islands were good with a couple of things. We didn't get to explore Vis much since we stayed korcula.. Korcula was great. We stayed in Mijet which was not worth the stop. As for the food. Breakfast was good but could have had more options instead of eggs. Lunch was over the top each day. The food was good. The night before and the day of decorating, we felt rushed off the boat. We had to be off by 9am. Jacuzzi was emptied the night before and could not be used. Did not understand why decorating time could not have been around 11.. The staff was great and the swim stops we a pleasure.
- Anonymous, 06/08/2024 15:56, Travelled in a Couple
Sail: beautiful Islands. Cove swimming 5 of 7 days were spectacular. Last 2 days large open water. Perfect if you prefer that environment Food: breakfasts were substantial and full of choice. Well done. Lunches offered no choice so difficult to please everyone Room: plenty of wing room on above deck room. Clean sheets and towels were offered after 4 days.
- Beverley, 06/08/2024 06:12, Travelled in a Couple
Cabin larger than I expected. Food better than I expected. Really outstanding Staff were always friendly and helpful. Branko the barman is an asset to your company. I would secure him on a contract if I was you.
- Anonymous, 05/08/2024 09:30, Travelled in a Couple
We loved cruising the islands. Met all expectations. Each one with it's own uniqueness. However the highlight for us was the tour manager Marija. So organised, available, informative and went above and beyond to provide for any request. Thank you Marija, you are an asset to Sail Croatia.
- Anonymous, 02/08/2024 08:18, Travelled in a Couple
We had a fantastic time cruising from Dubrovnik to Split. The boat was ideal, meals fantastic, very attentive and helpful staff and best of all were the swimming stops each day. Being a swimmer, I've never swum is such magnificent blue water, that was the highlight for me!
- Lesley, 29/07/2024 05:58, Travelled in a Couple
We had a lovely time on board the Morpheus from 15th of July till 22nd. The holiday started a bit unfortunate due to a delay of our flight and as a consequence our luggage arrived a day later than expected. Our skipper Marco suggested an alternative route which made we could easily collect our luggage the following day from Trogir. We had a lovely trip, enjoyed the islands, Marco suggested a nice itinerary which suited our family needs. He was discrete when we wanted it and available when we needed it. Overall, a wonderful experience, definitely also thanks to Marco's professional attitude. We will definitely do this again. Best regards, Koen, Veerle, Lucas, Ella and Tess
- Anonymous, 28/07/2024 14:50, Travelled with Family
The bedrooms need a major upgrade they’re a sauna and the boat is in need of maintenance as water leaked through the roof in the dining whilst eating lunch
- Anonymous, 23/07/2024 11:22, Travelled in a Couple
Dear Jack, Thank you for leaving us with your review. Our Standard Ships are popular with budget conscious, independent travellers on extended travels throughout Europe. Our Premier and Ensuite ships offer the added benefit of air-condtioned cabins compared to our Standard ships which you chose to travel on. We regret any issues experienced during your cruise. It is common for the more traditional, wooden ships, which are full of charm and history, to face occasional leaks during severe weather conditions, which was unfortunately experienced in the small part of the dining room during your week. Your comments help us in our ongoing efforts to maintain and enhance our vessels. Thank you.
On arrival we were greeted by Ioana who welcomed us in a very professional and courteous manner. The ship Olimp was amazing. Very modern and clean. The crew were equally professional and a special mention must go to our housekeeper. She was the BEST. Our cabin was always cleaned with fresh towels which made our experience even more enjoyable knowing that everything was clean. Ioana who was in charge of cruise went over and above to ensure everything was perfect for all the guests on board. She was a true professional and I cannot thank her enough for making our cruise so very special and memorable. Thank you!
- Anonymous, 23/07/2024 11:01, Travelled in a Couple
The places we visit the people we met and the crew were exceptional.
- Anonymous, 23/07/2024 10:58, Travelled in a Couple
The crew, host, food and stunning locations we visited made our holiday absolutely fantastic! Klara was so accommodating and helpful that she really took all the thinking and organising out of each day for us. Thanks so much!
- Anonymous, 22/07/2024 16:37, Travelled in a Couple
Lola our host & the crew were awesome and made us feel very welcome. Lola was very informative and helpful in a range of situations. The rooms were clean and tidy and the daily breakfast and lunch meals were delicious and kept us filled up for big days. The swim stops were beautiful. We had a great time on board the Mali Ante!
- Claire, 15/07/2024 12:13, Travelled in a Couple
The crew on board couldn’t have been any better they were honestly the nicest hardest workers you will meet always smiling and helping out in any way they could. The food was 5/5 amazing as well at the itinerary of the week with stops and swim spots. Only feedback would be the variety of drinks at the bar were not as advertised on the website and didn’t have the variety to suit some people we were with.
- Anonymous, 12/07/2024 06:35, Travelled in a Couple
Great cruise, great places and islands visited. More customer service focus required with drinks service available on deck (not just order at bar) and free tea and coffee all day. Some water sport equipment ie paddle boards masks & snorkels would have been great.
- Anonymous, 11/07/2024 04:31, Travelled in a Couple
Location location
- Anonymous, 09/07/2024 11:55, Travelled in a Couple
My wife and I had a wonderful experience sailing on Olimp. Beautiful vessel with everything being first class. Couple of minor things they could improve the experience with but overall wonderful. Excellent food, beautiful clean cabins, excellent staff/crew and stopped in fantastic swimming locations.
- Anonymous, 09/07/2024 05:03, Travelled in a Couple
The cycle crew (Miranda and Andro) were friendly and knowledgeable giving us history and insight into all the islands we visited. We started off as strangers and left as friends - each person on board cheering on others in the group To ride through the villages was a real treat. The crew onboard the ship Emanuel were also friendly and accommodating
- Anonymous, 04/07/2024 12:32, Travelled in a Couple
Sail Croatia was good. To make it better I would suggest more effort is put into the socialising of everyone on board e.g group drinking games, getting to know people etc. guided by the host. Also more time at each destination would be good! Not sooo long at swimming spots. Our host Clara did a good job for her first ever Sail!
- Anonymous, 03/07/2024 10:10, Travelled in a Couple
We had a wonderful week on the Katarina from Dubrovnik to Split. The crew were amazing, nothing was too much trouble, the boat was immaculate and Visko our tour manager was very approachable and helpful. Our only negative would be the inability to pay using card for some of the excursions and in particular the bar tab. It would have been nice to know in advance. We would definitely recommend travelling with Sail Croatia, you won’t regret it!!!
- Anonymous, 27/06/2024 19:05, Travelled in a Couple
The stunning coastline and scenery provided the backdrop for a very pleasant and relaxing cruise amongst the islands between Split and Dubrovnik. The crew were excellent and looked after us very well. Food quality was excellent. Fellow passengers became friends and added to the convivial atmosphere. The only negative we experienced was excessive noise at the berths in two of the ports where we were unfortunately berthed beside boats with raucous Americans who stayed up way beyond the general curfew. Some noise is always a risk and indeed, this was flagged. However when it comes from another boat it’s profoundly irritating and detracts from the cruising experience. We would recommend Sail Croatia products, with the advisory about noise.
- Kevin, 27/06/2024 18:31, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us on the Explorer Cruise aboard Tempera. We are thrilled to hear that you loved the coastline and scenery – our destinations are carefully selected to showcase the most beautiful and unique views, and it's wonderful to know they left a lasting impression on you. We are also delighted that our crew made you feel well looked after. Their dedication to providing exceptional service is something we take great pride in, and your kind words will surely motivate them even further. It's fantastic to hear that you enjoyed the quality of our food and made good friends with your fellow passengers. I'm sorry to hear about the noise disturbance from guests on nearby ships. We understand how this could affect your overall experience, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused. Port Authorities manage curfews in each port, and unfortunately we are unable to control the behaviour on-bard other ships. Thank you once again for your valuable feedback. We hope to welcome you back on board the Tempera for another memorable journey soon. Warm regards,
The trip was terrific! The guests on board were great and the crew was fantastic. We had so much fun in all the ports except Vela Luca was a terrible port. The wine tasting was mediocre and expensive and the restaurant options and night life there were terrible. Also, the village meal in Korcula was terrible. The town of Korcula was fun with many great restaurants, including a Michelin star restaurant. I would have MUCH preferred to be on my own that night. Lastly, when pulling into Dubrovnik, it would have been nice if the boat passed by the old city before heading to the port.
- Valerie, 25/06/2024 06:07, Travelled with Family
Love the exploration of islands and cycling off a boat . The crew and tour guides Marija and Mila were wonderful as was Andre, the server. They need a battery microphone so guests can hear as the engine was constantly running and it was so difficult to hear. Suggestion : 3 dinner meals and 3 lunch meals , alternate so we would not always be dependent on getting back for lunch instead eat at swim areas on beach without the rush and very early morning breakfasts . Suggest lighter lunches , salads fruit fish …and fresh bread in the mornings with Greek yogurt . Food was very good but too filling . Less food, higher standard . Soups in the heat ? Big salads more appreciated . Suggest eggs be cooked while people sit instead of cold overcooked eggs Also a better way to connect with guests we need name tags… very awkward trying to remember people’s names .
- Diana, 24/06/2024 10:04, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience on our Cycle Croatia Cruise. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the exploring and cycling, and that our guides made a positive impression on your trip. Your kind words mean a lot to us and our team. We appreciate your thoughtful suggestions regarding the meals and the addition of name tags. Offering a mix of lunch and dinner options, as well as lighter meals, is a welcomed idea and we will certainly consider this for future cruises to better cater to our guests' preferences. Implementing name tags is another excellent suggestion that can enhance the social experience and help guests get to know each other more easily. Thank you again for your valuable feedback. We look forward to welcoming you on another cruise soon!
The people on board, Klara our on board tour director & the Island stops. Croatia is a fantastic destination & the islands are the icing on the cake. Easiest way to see them is an island hoping small boat cruise. Different destination each day with a swim stop in the beautiful Adriatic along the way.
- Leanne, 21/06/2024 00:57, Travelled in a Couple
But the cabin was too close to the engine
- Anonymous, 20/06/2024 16:04, Travelled in a Couple
Pero and Branco were great - helpful, friendly, hard-working. We would love to sail with them again! We booked a twin (for our daughters) and a double room (for myself and my husband), but we were given 2 twin rooms, which was not ideal. We booked our trip well in advance and confirmed at the time of booking that we were reserving a twin and a double. The meals were great - however, I would love to see an option of a lighter lunch - maybe some good salads and a protein option, versus the heavy lunch meals. Anna’s lack of experience showed and it would have been nice to have someone who knew the history a bit better. Additionally, she would only give her daily update at the end of lunch, after dessert. If you skipped dessert, you missed the recap. It would be better for her to give the update at the beginning of lunch, as everyone was sitting down and waiting for the food. This way, people could discuss the excursions during lunch. Also, her directions & information were not great.
- Anonymous, 18/06/2024 04:27, Travelled with Family
Hi Abby, Thank you for your 4 star review. We are pleased to hear you found the Onboard Reps and crew helpful and friendly - your comments will be passed on to them. It's great to see your cruise rating received an overall score of 4.5 out of 5 stars. On some of our ships, the double beds can be two single beds pushed together to make a double bed and this was the case with your double bed cabin. Thank you for your kind comments on the meals served. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed this overall and we appreciate your suggestions for lighter options, thank you. That's a wonderful suggestion regarding the daily updates at the start of lunch. We appreciate your comments regarding your Onboard Rep, although we are a little surprised as this is one of our experienced Reps and our records show that she received ratings of 4.9 out of 5 for your departure. Thank you again for your comments and suggestions and we hope to have you join us again in the future.
The ship is lovely and the meals were great. It would have been better if we could have spent more time in port. We could have done without the stop in Vela Luka since there was nothing there. We thought the tour manager could have provided more timely updates on what to do in each port and spent more time with the group rather than just dropping us off and leaving. We are used to tour manager being more involved that what he was.
- Rick, 14/06/2024 19:04, Travelled in a Couple
- Anonymous, 11/06/2024 21:31, Travelled in a Couple
Good boat, nice crew, good food.
- Anonymous, 11/06/2024 09:23, Travelled in a Couple