Our cruise was very relaxing with the right balance of activities and interaction with other guests. We really loved the swim stops each day and the meals were of premium quality and presentation. There was plenty of space on the boat, Esperanza, to feel like you could have some privacy and then interact when we wanted to. We would recommend the cruise and we had a great time., the crew was very helpful and friendly.
- Fiona, 26/10/2024 02:01, Travelled in a Couple
Wonderful ship and crew were very accommodating.
- Anonymous, 22/10/2024 08:27, Travelled with Friend/s
The crew was fantastic. Very friendly and accommodating. We were kept informed on a daily meeting about changes and weather situations concerning our travels. V our guide was great, suggesting restaurants and other things about the Croatia people. I would choose to do this trip again. It was a vacation of a lifetime! Most people were not happy that coffee couldn't be have after 9:00 am.
- Rick, 10/10/2024 17:24, Travelled with Friend/s
Staff was great. Especially Klara and Pamela. We enjoyed the swim stops and island stops. The meals were so so too much fish for my liking. They’ve in our room didn’t work for 1/2 the week. The tours were great, Capains dinner/dance and wine tours as well I would include gratuity in the price and/or arrange for credit card payments for on board liquor purchases for some people I spoke to were surprised they needed so much euros at the end of the trip which may have an effect on gratuity’s We would highly recommend Sail Croatia to anyone that asks us
- Rick, 08/10/2024 13:54, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Rick, thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed the swim stops, island visits, excursions and Captain's Dinner, and we appreciate your compliments about Klara and Pamela. Our chefs always aim to provide a variety of exciting dishes, however we understand that tastes can differ. Your comments will be passed on to our culinary team. Regarding gratuities, we want to clarify that tipping is entirely optional and at our guests' discretion. While we provide guidance for those who inquire, there’s no pressure, and any amount is appreciated by our crew. Thank you for your recommendations, and we hope to welcome you aboard again soon!
Great crew all round. Extremely professional and courteous. Very high standards of comfort and cleanliness. Very professional Tour guide , perfect touch and interaction with all passengers. Only complaint is breakfast is too early to close at 9.00am, also it was a direct shut down at that time. Even at 9.o5 am the coffee and tea was closed, leaving the only option was to purchase. Tea and coffee. That station should be available all day subject to cruising condition.
- Graham, 08/10/2024 09:07, Travelled in a Couple
Everything about the cruise was great except the food. I don’t eat fish and the substitute for fish was chicken nuggets from a frozen packet and a mince paddy from a frozen packet. I believe you should have had choices of meals. Less hot food and more salads or even bbq’s. our cruise director Karolina was absolutely fantastic. She knew everything as was a pure delight to deal with. Our skipper took us to places that were beautiful. We were well looked after by the crew, who cleaned our rooms served us at the bar and served us with food. We had wonderful guests on board too. Thanks. Regards Louise and William Woodburn
- Louise, 06/10/2024 11:45,
Beautiful scenery and history of Croatia!
- Cathy, 04/10/2024 15:35, Travelled with Friend/s
We enjoyed each town we visited. The ship was beautiful and clean and the staff was friendly and accommodating.
- Denise, 01/10/2024 10:39, Travelled with Friend/s
The lovely people we met on our boat. Wonderful staff looked after us. The ports were great.
- Susan, 27/09/2024 00:59, Travelled in a Couple
We had a great group of passengers that made it a really inclusive, friendly and fun first cruise.
- Paddy, 26/09/2024 14:17, Travelled in a Couple
I think the whole experience was very smoothly and efficiently run by Mia who was superb. She was informative and had a lovely sense of humour! The rest of the crew were working hard in the background and never intrusive. The Queen J is a lovely ship but I felt that there could have been a little more ‘health and safety walking from ship to ship especially for those that are not quite so stable on their legs! We were very lucky to have a great bunch of ship mates!
- Anonymous, 25/09/2024 11:19,
Mia our boat coordinator made sure we had the best experience. Very relaxing way to cruise around the islands.
- Rachel , 24/09/2024 06:56, Travelled in a Couple
We enjoyed seeing so many of the islands in one trip. The captain was exceptional at docking in quaint swim spots. We really appreciated the daily information provided by Vedran, our host on the ship. He gave a great overview of each island with a great sense of humour and very useful tips.
- Lynn, 24/09/2024 06:23,
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.
- John Philip Collins , 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.
- Judith, 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.
- Anonymous, 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
- John, 17/09/2024 05:00, Travelled with Family
This was a dream of mine to sail around the islands off Dubrovnik. It certainly lived up to my expectations. Sailing through those beautiful azure waters, daily swims (sometimes near shore other times deep waters) was absolute bliss. Every shore stop offered something a little different, a fisherman’s festival with great food, historical village trips, village dinners and so much more. History everywhere. The food on the boat was absolutely amazing, what you would expect from a fine restaurant- coming out of a tiny kitchen daily! We had great company also on our intimate cruise of 34 people. The only downsides were our cabin which seemed to back onto the engine room was so noisy that we couldn’t hear each other speak, so it was up on deck early for us every day! Also when rafted up at port, at times the boats were at different heights which made it difficult for some to traverse - a gangplank would certainly have helped. I also would have appreciated a daily bar bill reckoning.
- Rhonda, 08/09/2024 18:27,
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.
- Rosalie, 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.
Vedran Ovčar was fantastic. Our crew and itinerary. The ship and our weather were lovely. Can't say enough. We all had such a memorable, great time!
- Anonymous, 03/09/2024 14:55, Travelled with Friend/s
Well it wasn’t Great, the crew were bored
- Brian, 03/09/2024 06:56, Travelled in a Couple
Lovely boat and trip BUT cabin air conditioner worked poorly so room was never cool. Staff provided a pedestal fan which did not provide relief.
- Kathryn, 03/09/2024 05:04,
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 !
- Cristina, 20/08/2024 17:31, Travelled with Family
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.
- Anonymous, 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
- Jeremy , 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!
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.
- Jean, 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.
- Steve, 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.
- Anonymous, 06/08/2024 06:12, Travelled in a Couple
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!
- Nigel Fawkes , 23/07/2024 11:01, Travelled in a Couple
The places we visit the people we met and the crew were exceptional.
- Sandra, 23/07/2024 10:58, 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.
- Veronica , 11/07/2024 04:31, Travelled in a Couple
Location location
- Joanne, 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.
- Geoff, 09/07/2024 05:03, Travelled in a Couple
Friendly crew, great food and lovely venue
- Fabian Cohnen , 25/06/2024 12:06,
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.
- Anonymous, 25/06/2024 06:07, Travelled with Family
We really enjoyed the entire week. The swim stops and ports are perfection. Our host for the week was so lovely. The only negative was the food. It was mediocre quality and taste.
- Melissa, 22/06/2024 10:28, Travelled with Friend/s
But the cabin was too close to the engine
- Maria, 20/06/2024 16:04, Travelled in a Couple
Overall the trip was excellent. However if you look into the fine details then you can find major issues. For example tipping policy is terrible ad should be scrapped. Company say one figure staff say a different figure and service you receive is not worth either amount. Some staff’s appearance could improve especially first thing in the morning at breakfast. Sail Croatia and crew of Jelena, have forgotten who the customer is, in respect of, a customer works hard to save money to go on holiday and we are all suffering with cost of living being expensive no different to the crew. Excellent on the face but poor in detail
- Pau, 18/06/2024 04:59, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Paul, thank you for taking the time to provide your 4-star review. We are pleased to hear that you found the trip overall to be excellent, which is also reflected in the overall cruise rating of 4.8/5 stars. Our tipping policy is clearly outlined on our website and in pre-departure documents, and we apologise for any miscommunication that occurred during your cruise. Please be assured that we have addressed this issue to prevent any future confusion. Additionally, we appreciate your comments regarding staff appearance and service quality, especially during breakfast. Your feedback is invaluable, and we will use it to improve our services and ensure our team meets the high standards we strive for. Thank you for choosing to travel with Sail Croatia.
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.
- Anonymous, 14/06/2024 19:04, Travelled in a Couple
- Barry , 11/06/2024 21:31, Travelled in a Couple
Good boat, nice crew, good food.
- C, 11/06/2024 09:23, Travelled in a Couple
The service from the arrival to leaving everything was smooth and personalized It was a first time cruise for my self . Really enjoyed the experience of sailing on smaller vessel.
- rumela, 11/06/2024 04:49, Travelled with Friend/s
What we liked about Sail Croatia: The boat was beautiful and the staff was courteous and helpful. We enjoyed the overnight stays, and the optional UNESCO dinner. What we did not like about Sail Croatia:: The hot tub was not hot, lukewarm at best. Meals choices were limited if you did not like the day’s meals you were out of luck as there were no other choice. No activities or music on board other than a swim stop (weather permitting). The included traditional dinner venue was nice but the food was too bland for our taste. The bar staff charged our account for a bottle of wine and several drinks that we did not order. They need a better accounting system for the onboard liquor. This cruise is better suited for people who want it quiet and with minimum people. For people who enjoy lounging in the sun reading books as there is little else to do when you are onboard. This type of cruise is not for us.
- Anonymous, 09/06/2024 18:27, Travelled with Friend/s
We're glad to hear that you enjoyed your beautiful ship, that you found the staff helpful onboard, and that the overnight stays were a memorable experience! We're sorry to hear that some elements of the cruise weren't as you expected. A daily buffet breakfast and 3-course lunch are included daily on all cruises. Set menus allow the onboard chef to prepare meals to a high standard using fresh, local ingredients. Unfortunately due to the size of the galley onboard our luxury small ships, an a la carte menu is not possible, however we are more than happy to accommodate dietary requirements. Unlike large cruise liners, Sail Croatia cruises are all about experiencing an authentic side of Croatia onboard luxury small ships, being shown the secrets of this incredible country by local, welcoming staff and experiencing culture, food and historical sights with like-minded travellers. Our cruises dock overnight in each destination, bringing guests into the midst of each town/harbour by mid-afternoon. After enjoying breakfast and lunch onboard, relaxing at a swim stop and cruising towards your next destination, ships are docked along the waterfront, ensuring guests are able to explore each destination at their leisure, participate in optional activities or indulge in local cuisine in one of the local restaurants.
1. The staff and crew (The captain, Loana, Thomas, Phillip and all others) were so friendly and accommodating. Thumbs up to all of them. 2. The personalities of all quests and their traveling tales were so interesting to hear. 3. The organization that Loana showed us throughout the cruise was top notch. You could tell she spent many an hour with the preparation of the trip's details. 4. The timing updates from Loan of each day's activities created a stress-free atmosphere. 5. The cabin's interior was very relaxing and spacious, and the room's comforting decor for the size of the ship was a Level 5. 6. The added activities (village farmhouse wine tasting and authentic Croatia dinner and serenading musicians) were wonderful. They made the cruise so special. 7. The navigational skills that the captain exhibited were very reassuring. The negatives that the cruise company could approve upon: 1. The air quality in the cabin's created some health issues with a few quests.
- JP & Jodi, 04/06/2024 15:06, Travelled with Friend/s
I love having such a small ship. Crew was wonderful. Mostly meals were delicious. Our Mia was wonderful and full of valuable information. She was very approachable and responsive. She is a lovely lady. The bar prices were high and the pours were small. There seemed to be difficulty having the hot tub hot at night for coming home before bed. I also wish we had access to coffee earlier in the morning. 8 am is a bit late for early risers. Towels never dried . So second day we had to use wet towels.
- Anonymous, 28/05/2024 08:51, Travelled with Friend/s
Beautiful boat, amazing staff, delightful tour guide Mia Would highly recommended- but maybe a bit later than April- where the weather is changeable and a lot of restaurants on the islands were not open yet- none the less a trip to remember.
- Jackie, 30/04/2024 15:14, Travelled in a Couple
Meeting such fantastic crew and fantastic people on board who truly made our holiday so special . Our tourist organiser Mia was absolutely fantastic so helpful, friendly and very informative. The boat was always immaculate and the capitan was lovely and friendly too.
- Tanya , 30/04/2024 07:07, Travelled in a Couple
We loved Croatia! Sail Croatia made it easy to travel and explore each Stop. We sailed the Queen Jelena in October with beautiful weather all week. Our lower deck cabin was roomy and comfortable. Breakfast each morning were routinely average but lunches were each a unique dining experience. Our fun loving Cruise mates made our trip unforgettable ! We can’t wait to book again!
- Ginnie, 03/12/2023 21:12, Travelled in a Couple
We got to see so many of the islands with little effort. My only criticism is that we were told we would disembark 10.00, and, at the last minute it was changed to 8.00, which made it very difficult for many of us who had ongoing plans booked for later, and had two hours to kill in between, having to store luggage and try to alter plans. Also, it would have been good to have more time in Dubrovnik. By the time we did the History tour it was a scramble to manage the walls before they closed.
- Judith, 27/10/2023 15:40, Travelled with Friend/s
The swimming stops for me was the Best part also the food was very good The staff was also really nice Thank you It would be nice to have afternoon coffee and tea included in the package Yours truly Antonio Bossio
- Antonio , 24/10/2023 13:06, Travelled in a Couple