Whilst Croatia is absolutely beautiful, prepare yourself for the low quality of the boat and the extremely tiny confines of your room. Our shower, if you could call it that, didn’t even have a holder on the wall, you had to hold it yourself like a tap and shower on top of the toilet. The smell in the bathroom was horrific and with three people crammed in a room hardly fit for one person, it was certainly an experience. The tour leader and crew however were absolutely lovely and made the experience more bareable. If you’re not into budget travelling, sail Croatia is not for you.
- Keiran, 14/08/2023 13:10, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your review. We appreciate your kind words about the tour leader and crew, and we're glad they were able to enhance your journey. We are disheartened to hear of your disappointment with the accommodation. It's important to us that our guests have a comfortable stay. We would like to mention that our Ensuite cabins are of a similar size to the Standard cabins, and our website provides images that depict the layout of the bathrooms, including the shower over the sink. We regret that you didn't have an optimal experience, but we encourage guests to notify us of any issues during their cruise, as our team is always ready to address concerns promptly. Our resolution process aims to ensure guest satisfaction, and had we been informed during your cruise, we would have taken immediate steps to find a suitable solution. Thank you for all your comments and thank you for travelling with us this season.
Firstly we were one guy one girl FRIENDS only travelling and we booked two single beds. A week before going on the cruise we were told that there were to many solo travellers on the boat so we had to share a double bed. If we knew this could happen before booking then we wouldn't of chosen this cruise. When we got onthe boat we found out that there was only one solo traveller out of the 36 of us..A group of 8 girls all had separate beds and said if they were asked to share then they would of been more than happy too. It made the trip not so pleasant sleeping next to someone of the opposite sex that you are not in a relationship with. Secondly our host/guide or whatever you call him was useless. He was unapproachable, unfriendly, not helpful, grumpy alot of the time and wouldn't cater to everyone. Would say comments like "I'm the guide, you do it my way" All and all I didn't enjoy this and wouldnt recommend it
- Jess, 01/08/2023 07:29, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Jess, thank you for taking the time to review your cruise with us this season. We are sad to read this as we receive such high rated feedback from other travellers for your cruise and ship throughout the season, so this is a shame. It is not possible to pre-book twin or double bedding on the Navigator cruise type Jess, so I can confirm you did not book for two single beds, I'm afraid. Our ships can be twin, bunk, or double bed cabins as stated in the FAQS, and also on the Premier Ship page. Feedback is very important to us and I will be sure to pass your comments on to the relevant teams. Thank you for joining us this season in Croatia.
The toilet was broken on lower deck which meant we had to constantly walk upstairs. This was inconvenient and not what we were promised for what we paid. We also paid for air conditioning which often turned off, meaning we woke up extremely hot. We wouldn’t have bought it if we had known it would randomly stop working. We didn’t have access to any tissues/toilet paper downstairs which was also frustrating as we had nothing to wipe things up with. When we arrived home from clubs we had been taken to the water was always empty which meant we had to ask other boats for water. When I called our representative he said all the deck crew were asleep and to buy it. This was completely unacceptable as we were meant to be supplied water. On our last night we didn’t get a family dinner or barbecue or cocktail which was on our itinerary. Often weren’t told about happy hour on the boat. It was not worth the amount money we paid.
- Ruby, 24/07/2023 14:39, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Ruby, thank you for taking the time to write your review and provide us with your feedback. It is a shame to read you were unhappy with certain aspects of your cruise, especially as I can see we received a lot of positive feedback from guests during your cruise and for this ship and throughout the season in general. We do understand it is very hot in Croatia during the summer, especially when you joined up which can make it difficult to sleep. We have our 'ship types' displayed via our website so guests can view images and details about each ship category. This gives in-depth information of the amenities to ensure that our advertising accurately represents the accommodations provided. We highly recommend checking this prior to booking your cabin to avoid disappointment. You booked and were accommodated on one of our Standard ships where cabins are with shared facilities and don't have air conditioning as advertised. I would recommend booking next time accommodation onboard a Premier ship where cabins have private ensuite facilities and air conditioning as advertised. As feedback is very important to us, I will be sure to pass your comments onto the relevant teams. Thank you for joining us.
Same bedding and towels for the entire week. Horrible smell in bathrooms. Tasks appeared to be too difficult for crew members, e.g my friend reached out to staff after collision with a sea urchin and they bluntly suggested to pee on it. They should’ve looked at it, tried to assist, help make a doctors appointment, discuss possible options. Rafting excursion was cancelled, no one was advised. Staff expected a tip despite average service and when being tipped there was no appreciation demonstrated, no ‘thank you’, but a careful eye was watching the amount tipped. Our boat leader didn’t make an effort to hype everyone up, it resulted in a mellow experience unlike what was advertised and expected when travelling with the navigator cruise. The itinerary suggests that there should be a group dinner followed by cocktails on our final night, but after money was collected earlier in the day, all staff were unreachable. No one organised a group dinner and our group felt disassembled.
- Anonymous, 24/07/2023 09:11, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for taking the time to write your review and provide us with your feedback. It is a shame to read you were unhappy with certain aspects of your cruise, especially as I can see we received a lot of positive feedback from guests during your cruise and for your ship throughout the season in general. We have a rigorous process in place for handling any issues that may arise whilst you are on the sail, which is included in the Pre-departure information emailed to you before the tour. It can be found under ‘Resolving Problems Onboard’. As you have provided your review anonymously I am unable to check if you have raised any of the issues mentioned in your review with your representative onboard. I have however checked with our Operations Manager and no issue has been raised with him on your departure which is an action required if you are unhappy with the actions of your representative and their service. We do thank you for your feedback and thank you for joining us.
The website, advertising and itinerary were super different to the experience I had. There was no pirate party or Rave cave. We were unable to go onto the other sail croatia boats at swim stops or at pres. Very dissatisfied and disappointed with the false advertising of events, we wernt notified that they didn’t exist or wernt even happing until day of! The only good thing on the boat was the food.
- Anonymous, 19/06/2023 14:44, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there! Thank you for taking the time to write your review and share your experience with us. Your positive comments regarding the food is lovely to read and we are so pleased you enjoyed the meals served by our team on board. Your feedback is important to us, so the points you have mentioned will be communicated with the relevant departments. Due to health and safety reasons, it is not permitted for guests to freely socialise between boats at swim stops. Once docked in harbours, or off the ships, guests of course can socialise with lots of different travellers from other boats. The Pirate Party is no longer part of our itineraries and as per our website, this has been replaced with our Blue & White Party in Makarska.
The best part of the trip was the company of others who attended the same week, but everything else about the trip that was handled by Sail Croatia was pitiful. Horrible food, poor planning, disgusting cabins, and more than evident cost-cutting. The wifi was nonexistent and no soap, shampoo, or conditioner was provided. The bath towels provided were dirty and disgusting. I signed for a triple occupancy cabin and it ended up being a mattress on the floor. That is unacceptable. The other participants bonded on the boat over Sail Croatia's failings as a cruise liner. If I knew the lack of amenities provided and the poor organizing, I would not attend.
- Kalee, 01/10/2022 18:52, Travelled with Family
Thank you for your review Kalee. We are sorry to hear you were unhappy with your cabin arrangements and boat in general. I have gone through all the feedback ratings and we were given 4 stars for the 'boat overall'. Our chefs prepare all meals in their small gulleys located onboard the boat, aiming to provide a variety of meals however we understand that this is not always to everyone's taste. Soap, shampoo and conditioning is not included and we advise guests to bring their own onboard to avoid disappointment. Triple cabin consists of a small double bed and single bunk, as advised prior to booking this room type. As they are the same size as a twin share (2 people per cabin) we provide a 10% discount. I understand that you were moved to another cabin free of charge. We hope this was more than suitable. After reviewing the organisation of the cruise by the Onboard Representative, they were rated all 5 stars which includes; destination, organisation and friendliness. We thank you for your review.
Breakfast - always a limited time of an hour and if you wanted a sleepin you then missed breakfast, if you weren't going on an excursion you still had to get up extra early to get breakfast. Had to ask for butter and jam every day as there was none laid on table. Breakfast and lunch were very poor on the first few day until many people complained - Breakfast was greatly improved but not so much the lunch. Lunch could be simplified with mixed salads and cold meats, Lighter meals not so much three course.The food took a long time to be served in between courses. Swim stops were not fantastic as we have had before. It just felt like the crew were in automatic mode without great thought to what they were doing. This was a trip I have enjoyed immensely in the past and have raved about to many people who have also then taken the trip. We paid a lot more this year but seem to have gotten less. So disappointed.
- Nicky, 11/07/2022 08:26, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there and thank you for your review. We hope you were able to enjoy Croatia whilst you were there and immerse yourself in the beautiful country and culture. We are sorry to hear of your disappointment with some aspects of your cruise. Breakfasts are offered to all guests and the opening times are advised by the Onboard Representative. The chef will always provide more breakfast options upon request. The chef aims to provide fresh meals using local produce, they operate out of a small kitchen and we understand that not all meals are to everyone's taste. We appreciate your comments here and these will be passed on. Lookng at the meal feedback for your week onboard, the average rating was 4 stars. We are sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the swim stops like you had in the past, our captain aims to provide a good balance between land vs sea, mooring up into secluded bays for all guests to enjoy. We do hope that the issues experience didn't detract from your overall enjoyment, as this is certainly not a reflection of the high standards we expect week after week. We hope that you join us again in the future and we thank you again for your review.
PROS: The biking and scenery was wonderful. The cook did a nice job specifically with the lunches we had on board. NEUTRAL: As advertised the berths were very small. CONS: There was no WIFI in the lower berths.The crew smoked everywhere on the boat, so you were subjected to secondhand smoke. We had two bike accidents and there was limited access to medical attention. The lack of medical attention is not the fault of Sail Croatia, but it would be good to have this known. The crew should be asked to wear Sail Croatia shirts. On one day a crew member was wearing an offensive T-shirt.Unless you were the first in line for breakfast there was never enough breakfast cereal, coffee or yogurt. And, the crew member responsible for setting out breakfast food did not see it as his job to replenish any of the items.Last, Sail Croatia does their employees a disservice by not giving travelers some idea on the customary range for tipping.
- Karla, 09/10/2019 08:04, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Karla, Thanks for taking the time to submit your review. We are really pleased to hear you enjoyed the cycling aspect of the cruise, the beautiful locations and the meals served. I just wanted to clarify a few points raised in your review; WIFI is subject to download limits and coverage. On all our ships there are designated smoking areas, we thank you for making us aware of your experience here and we will be looking into this further. All our ships are equipped with medical supplies and means to get to the nearest hospital if required. We thank you for your suggestion regarding the uniform - this has been passed on to the Operations Manager. Breakfast times are displayed on the board and advised by your representative, upon request, the crew can of course provide you with additional servings. We are sorry to hear the service was not up to standard and we will certainly be highlighting this to the captain for future improvements. Tipping is optional on all our ships and completely at your discretion. We do hope that you enjoyed your time in Croatia and hope that these issues didn't detract from your overall experience.
- boat cabins were very damp/musty and particularly the bathrooms smelled very moldy. It made it very unpleasant to be in there, and contributed to a number of us getting sick - the hikes and timelines felt very disorganized with locations changing and guides seeming to not know the route at multiple locations. There was often confusion with timelines where it would be stated different to what was posted or it would change last minute resulting in the need to scramble on or off the boat. - there was no contingency plan or second hike in the case that we were stuck somewhere multiple days or if there was an interest in a different level of hike intensity.
- Anonymous, 16/09/2019 11:36, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there and thank you for your review. Upon checking the onboard feedback submitted, we are pleased to see you rated the crew 5 stars, the onboard meals 4 stars and the boat in general 4 stars, thank you. We are sorry to hear of your cabin issues. I have checked our internal records and cannot see that these issues were reported to our onboard rep. Had these issues been raised, we would have resolved them with urgency. We understand that due to strong winds the ship was unable to depart Vis, so for the safety and wellbeing of all guests, the captain decided to remain in Vis where you rep organised a museum visit and wine tasting excursion. We hope that the issues onboard didn't detract from your overall experience onboard and in Croatia as a whole. Thank you again for all your comments.
There are areas that need to be improved before I can recommend sailing with Sail Croatia. The cabins weren't very clean. When we checked in, there was hair on the bathroom floor. I also dropped my book under the bed and upon retrieving it found an old condom wrapper on the floor. The lack of proper ventilation in the cabins has led to mold starting to grow. By the end of the week, our entire group was sick from sleeping in the cabins. The entire week was poorly organized. Each day it seemed like the crew was making up the schedule as they went. We understood that weather can be a factor, however there were no contingency plans if the weather was poor. The hikes were also poorly organized. The guide had no idea how to manage the varying abilities of passengers. A couple of times he got lost because he had only done the hike one time before. He kept saying well now I'll know for next time.
- Anonymous, 16/09/2019 08:06, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there and thank you for your review. We really appreciate all your comments and suggestions for improvements. All our ships are thoroughly cleaned prior to the arrival of new guests, so we are sorry to read of your disappointment with the cleanliness. I have checked our internal records, and cannot see any reports of this to our crew. This would have been rectified immediately upon notifying our onboard rep. However, I have highlighted this to the Operations Manager, thank you. We understand that there was a schedule change due to strong winds, and the alternative option was to go back to Vis where museum visit and wine tasting was organised for you. We appreciate your comments on the guide, he has received 4-5 star ratings for this departure so we are disappointed to read your comments and these will be passed on to our Operations Manager for training and quality purposes. Upon checking the onboard feedback you submitted, we are happy to know you enjoyed the lunches and found the crew to be a welcomed inclusion. Thank you again for all your comments, this is appreciated.
I find it deceiving that you call it "sail" croatia and they aren't sail boats. We were directed to only the main tourist spots, where nothing was original and everything was overpriced. Each night was clubbing or nothing, and there was never a recommended cool laid back wine night or beer spot or cafe. The crew was great and our guide was awesome... but I think this tour company needs to market themselves more accurately and honestly. Ultimately, it was a disappointment for me and travel time could have been better spent.
- Andrea, 09/09/2019 02:08, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there, thank you for your review and for joining us this season in Croatia. I am sorry to hear you were disappointed with some points of the tour. Our company name is Sail Croatia and we do offer multiple different options to our clients along the Adriatic coast line. We have our Under 39 Yacht Tours on sailing boats, cruises on small motor cruises and also Private Yacht Tours, also on sailing boats. Our website does clearly show the vessels used for each option and on our Navigator cruise page also gives you more information on our Standard ships which is what you booked with us. Thank you for your feedback here and I do hope this did not deter you from having a great time in Croatia. Thank you for joining us.
Overall the boat was good on the marija magdalena. There was no ac so it was impossible to sleep and could be purchased but only if 12 out of the 18 people on the boat agreed to pay. The downside was there was also no freedom during our stops in the towns. Our rep planned 5 of our 7 dinners with many of the food being disapointing. When we requested to do our own thing and meet at the boat for "happy hour" we were made to feel guilty about not going along with what he had planned. I understamd that he eats for free or makes comission by taking us as a large group to these meals which we shouldnt be forced to do as they are not included in the price of the sail. Our rep also spent most nights drinking and on the morning of our departure was too hungover to get up and awnser questions we had that morning which almost resulted in me missing my flight. The only good things were the food on the boat prepared by the cook, which were included in the price and the swim spots.
- Em, 02/09/2019 21:23, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with this feedback. I am pleased to read overall you did like your ship Marija Magdelena - one of our Ensuite ships. As per our website our Ensuite ships do not have air-conditioning in the cabins included, however our Premier ships do. If you would like air-conditioning we advise booking a Premier ship. Your Representative will provide you with recommendations in each location, however it is entirely up to you how you spend your time in Croatia. You're welcome to eat where you'd like in the evenings. I will however pass this feedback onto our Operations Manager, thank you. I hope this did not deter you from having a great time in Croatia. Thank you for joining us.
This product is advertised as a party cruise however our cruise manager was barely seen, we had noise curfews of 10pm in place every night, activities were restricted and also too many people on activities if you do decide to go on them. Barely any communication from cruise manager and boat staff e.g. change of docking location ending in 20km journey to town and not to mention docking at a terrible dock for 2 nights. Very disappointed in Sail Croatia, the only thing that made this Sail good was that we were with 20 of our friends on the cruise. I felt sorry for the people on the cruise who were solo or couple travellers because of the lack of organisation. Definitely wouldn't recommend.
- Milly, 23/07/2019 07:22, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your review. Just a few points I wish to highlight for anyone thinking of joining our cruises, our cruise manager's are available 24/7 and are available to provide you with all the information and assistance you require. We do have strict noise curfews in place which varies from port to port and is outlined in our Ship Rules via your pre-departure information. For the safety of all guests, the captain decided that it was best to dock in Stari Grad (on Hvar Island) for the 2 nights due to severe storm announcements. I understand your cruise manager had organised transfers to and from Hvar. We are really pleased that you enjoyed the company of your fellow travellers and upon checking our feedback for your departure, we are also happy to see that some of the other travellers in your group enjoyed their cruise experience. Thank you again for your review.
The boat needs to be a higher standard the accommodation and food were disappointing. The staff need to recognize that they cyclist were of differing ability, working to the lowest was very frustrating for experienced cyclists. Communication is key and often we were confused about itineraries and routes.
- Sue, 07/06/2019 08:41, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for providing us with a review. I can see that you had booked a cabin on our Ensuite ship as we had no availability on our higher category ship - Premier. We have a guide and a representative travelling with our cycle guests daily, one at the front and one at the back. We feel that this allows for flexibility and to ensure that all fitness levels are catered for. Those of a higher fitness level are more than welcome to stick with our guide at the front. Daily scheduling is outlined by the representative each day, as this will provide you with all the information required before taking off on your cycle journey. We hope that you were able to enjoy other aspects of the cruise and we thank you again.
A lot of things weren't yet open as we went at the start of summer but there were no alternative plans and we weren't notified until the actual day - the cave bar was a big loss! There was nothing planned for the bad weather, it basically rained for the full week so swim stops, kayaking etc was not possible but we weren't given any alternative activities. 18-35 is too wide of an age gap. A 25-35 boat option would work well. The food was far too salty and the vegetarian options at times were poor- we seemed to just get grilled vegetables in replace for all of the meat at every meal! There were no snacks available on board which if you didn't enjoy lunch, aren't able to bring food on board and are somewhere in the middle of the sea can be quite frustrating!
- Susan, 03/06/2019 09:39, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your review. We understand that there were adverse weather conditions at the time of your cruise which is unavoidable and very unfortunate. Alternative solutions were offered however, as the weather effected the most part of the week, our Rep did everything possible to ensure everyone was enjoying themselves as much as possible. Snacks is something that we may look into for future seasons, we thank you for your comments here. We are sorry to hear about the meal options provided, our chefs try to cater to a wide range of tastes but at times, this is not possible - your comments will be passed on to the appropriate team. Thanks again!
Cycling was great : quality of the accommodation and food was very poor: company and staff were great fun
- Lesley, 28/05/2019 06:44, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your review. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed the cycling aspect of the cruise and found the company and staff were great fun! We appreciate your comments on the accommodation and food, and this will be passed on to the appropriate departments. Thank you again!
Free tea and coffee available on the boat outside meal times. More hanging space for wet clothing and more pegs.
- susan, 13/10/2017 15:37, Travelled with Family
Thank you for your review. Tea & Coffee availability is something we are currently looking into for future seasons. Thank you for your suggestion of more hanging space and pegs, this will be passed on to the Operations Team for potential future improvements. Thank you.
The communication to passengers of last minute changes to the itinerary. Changes were for the worst and not for the better. Some examples of our experience were; docking boat at the same port on consecutive nights & not being able to dock in Hvar. Hvar being a highlight. Not having the opportunity to visit the Blue Caves (aparently due to bad weather & poor choice in schedule change as we had 2 days in the area). It just so happens the same occurred to friends of ours on a previous Sail Croatia cruise. We had a tour leader who was un-enthusiastic most of the time and provided misguided advice at ports, The activities were over priced and not value for money.
- Lisa , 04/09/2016 11:50, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. I am sorry to hear that you felt the communication to passengers regarding itinerary changes wasn't clear. On some occasions the Captain may change the itinerary due to weather and does this for the safety of passengers. Whilst at the time of docking the weather may seem perfect, this can in fact change drastically within a few hours and the captain will be aware of this hours in advance. In ports such as Hvar where it is quite open and susceptible to rocky seas if a storm strikes the captain may decide to dock at Stari Grad where the port is fully protected. As the boats will be docked for around 12 hours, for the safety of our guests he will decide to dock at the safest port possible that offers the most protection from stormy weather. Customer service is very important to us here at Sail Croatia, and we want to ensure passengers have a positive experience whilst on their cruise, your comments about your Sail Croatia Representative have been passed on to our Operations Manager for further training in this area. We pride ourselves on supporting local businesses and work with local suppliers to provide excursions for our guests that cater to all budgets, we also have the excursion prices listed on our website to help with budgeting prior to the cruise. Thank you again for your review.
While all of the places we ported on the trip were gorgeous, the Sail-Croatia experience was disappointing. The itinerary that we were presented with described beautiful towns and exertions, but failed to mention that that main focus of every single day was which club the boat would be attending that night. I am no stranger to a good party, but this trip was truly a glorified booze cruise and was not what we expected. It is also important to note that the sail-Croatia groups do not have a good reputation in the different ports and so when we were with the big group we often got poor service. sail-Croatia clearly has deals with certain restaurants that they urge you to go to and they were often sub-par. The worst part of the whole trip was that we paid extra for an air-conditioned room due to the forcasted heat at the time of year we were traveling. There was a tiny fan in the room that provided no relief from the heat. It was nearly impossible to sleep. Overall a disappointment.
- Kathleen, 03/08/2016 14:50, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there, thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. It is great to read that you found the ports gorgeous. In regards to the itinerary,our Navgiator cruises are aimed at 18 to 35 year old travellers looking to socialise, party and experience the Croatian night life. We find that passengers joining this cruise wish to experience the bars and clubs at each port, so the Sail Croatia Representative will organise this for them. We have Explorer cruises which are suitable for those wishing not to partake in a Navigator experience, and we would always recommend this for customers who would like to avoid partying. There are a number of organised cruises in Croatia which have quite large groups dining at different restaurants daily, we are one of the longest, well established cruise companies in Croatia. We have partners who we work with at each destination where guest can recieve discounts, free drinks and/or free entry. Customers are under no obligation to visit these bars, and are welcome to explore themselves or we can provide recommendations of other places to dine. You had booked on an Ensuite ship and air-conditioning isn't available on our Ensuite ships however the cabins do include fans. Air-conditioning is available on our Premier and Premier Plus ships. Thank you for your feedback.