The whole schedule felt very rushed. Once we reached each island we invariably had very little time to enjoy the destination of our cycle ride - which at times was quite arduous especially for those without e-bikes - before returning to the boat for lunch. The food provided was generally poor with limited fruit available at breakfast and no means of keeping the hot food hot for anyone who didn’t arrive at breakfast promptly at the start. The three course meal served at lunchtime with a hot main seemed totally inappropriate when a more relaxed cold buffet would have been preferred by most on board. Sometimes we were given no time to explore particular port as we had to cycle to the other side of the island to meet the boat in time for lunch and there were no impromptu swim stops off the boat as shown in your videos. On the whole I did really enjoy the week - the crew and guides were excellent although a little more flexibility from the captain would have been appreciated.
- Deborah, 30/09/2024 15:33, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you very much for taking the time to provide us with your detailed feedback. We are happy to hear that you really enjoyed the week overall and appreciated the efforts of our crew and guides. This September has been unusually challenging weather-wise, and our team worked hard to adapt routes to ensure we could still deliver a great cycling experience. We are sorry that due to the unusually poor weather conditions, swim stops were not possible and that at times, you felt the schedule was rushed. Regarding food provided onboard, our chefs aim to provide a variety of meals using fresh, local produce, and we have found with the small kitchen space onboard the 3 courses work best and produce less food waste than lunch buffets. We generally receive high ratings for our onboard meals - with a score of 4.64 out of 5 throughout the entire 2024 season on our Premier Ships. We do however appreciate all of your feedback which has been passed on to the relevant teams so we can continue to improve our services. Thank you again, and we hope to welcome you onboard again in the future.
Travelled with a group of 12. Overall a great experience,. Although, we all felt rushed when riding , I can appreciate that when on a boat there are things we don’t know that may cause the riding time to be rushed, like having to deal with weather and docking times. These things should be taken in to consideration when choosing routes and times of riding. More time for sightseeing and swimming would have made my experience a lot better. The crew and guides did an amazing job. Would definitely refer friends to Sail Croatia.
- Debbie, 30/09/2024 07:30, Travelled with Friend/s
The trip exceeded my expectations in some respects - we had the most wonderful crew who went out of their way to navigate around bad weather to ensure we could continue to cycle. They went beyond their call of duty. The aspects I believe could have been better in particular, is the food. The offering is tremendous in quantity but lacks sophistication and creativity. I was looking forward to having a Mediterranean experience but if fell short. Why serve mostly apples and bananas when figs and grapes were in season and readily available. The coffee machine was not working, and no cappuccinos was on offer but rather just brewed coffee. I trust that effort in this area could go a long way to improve the overall experience. All in all, it was an enjoyable trip in a wonderful country with exquisite crew members.
- Anonymous, 25/09/2024 13:02, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about your recent trip with us. We are thrilled to hear that the experience exceeded your expectations in several areas, particularly the outstanding efforts of our crew. They take great pride in providing the best possible service, and it’s wonderful to know they were able to make your trip enjoyable, even in challenging weather conditions. We sincerely appreciate your feedback regarding the food. While we strive to offer a generous selection, we do take your feedback onboard regarding incorporating seasonal fruits such as figs and grapes. Great suggestion! We regret the inconvenience caused by the coffee machine and the absence of cappuccinos during your trip. We do understand how important quality coffee is to many of our guests. Your insights are invaluable to us as we constantly work to enhance the overall experience, and we hope to welcome you back in the future. Thank you again for choosing us, and for your thoughtful feedback.
The so called premier ship was nothing like, much smaller than expected, the cabins were small and several needed attention. However the Captain and crew were very good at their job with boat and passenger safety spot on. They were all very friendly and helpful, with the male crew having to man handle over 30 bikes on and off the boat at every port, well done them. The cycle tours were rather disappointing as there were over 30 cyclist of varying ability, the front runners would be way ahead leaving the slower ones way behind. Not enough stops to enjoy the wonderful scenery and a chance for photos, ☹️ 25.00€, in cash, per person to enter the Mljet National Park, bit steep to cycle around the lakes, no stops to enjoy! Cycle guides would stop and give a little talk about the history of which ever island we were on. The food on the boat was OK but far too much at lunch time, so lots of waste, shame. The weather was not the best but that is not a fault! ⛈️ It was an experience for sure!
- Cymraes, 22/09/2024 13:23, Travelled in a Couple
Dear Cymraes, Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad to hear that you appreciated the professionalism of our captain and crew, as well as their efforts with the bikes. Our Cycle Cruises are designed to accommodate all levels of cyclists, from beginners to advanced. By providing two guides - one at the front and one at the back - we aim to ensure everyone can cycle at their own pace. We're sorry to hear that you felt there weren’t enough opportunities to stop for photos. We will share this with the relevant department for review, and we appreciate your input on this. Mljet National Park is spectacular and definitely worth the visit. We advise on our website that the entrance fee is at an additional cost and payable locally. We’re disappointed to hear about the issues with the meals, as this is not reflective of the experience we aim to provide. We hope to welcome you back, with better weather, to experience another Cycle adventure.
More info ahead of time about boarding place and process. Better communication about the agenda, activities etc. Maybe a "white board" with cycling distances, times, degree of difficulty, planned stops etc. Also, more info ahead for non cyclists and which stops we were having dinner on our own. Announcements were not made ahead of time and were difficult to hear with engines running. More time to explore port towns. Especially Brac....no time after the ride to see the port. Food and crew were fantastic. Trip was fantastic and the rides were great
- merci, 13/09/2024 10:25, Travelled with Friend/s
Booking system, we booked 6 mths in advanced, requested an above cabin but was told none available, several passengers got above cabin and only booked weeks in advance. Also check the actual names on the booking, we were husband and wife, they thought 2 females so got single beds! Food - very basic, military/camp style. Lots of hearty foods for colder weather, minimal salads or fresh foods, it was summer! It doesn't take much to be creative and add some flare to the meals - fresh herbs, chopped fresh fruit not tinned fruit salad!!!!! Cocktails - needs attention to detail - use proper cocktail glasses, get the fruit and decorations, make it an experience we want to repeat. Also very costly, if cheaper with flare more would have been bought. Option for more group activities, especially in the evenings. Offer group dinner on the last night. I'm sure there are plenty of restaurants in Split that would welcome a group of 30+ or you have a business relationship with that could offer this.
- Anonymous, 14/08/2024 03:18, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent Sail Croatia Cycle Cruise. We truly appreciate the time you've taken to provide your thoughts, as it helps us to understand where we can make improvements and enhance the experience for our guests. At the time of your booking, we only had Lower Deck cabins available which is what you booked. Our availability does change quickly based on any cancellations and new bookings that we receive, so we always encourage our travellers to check back with us in case of an opening. It is also possible to upgrade whilst on the cruise when there is availability. You simply needed to liaise with your onboard representative who would have been happy to facilitate this for you. We apologize for the mix-up regarding the genders of your travelling party. We will ensure that our team is more attentive to such details to avoid similar situations. This however had no bearing regarding the bed type in your cabin as any particular bedding needs to be requested to us as a preference. I have checked our correspondence with yourself and I was unable to locate any double bed preference advised to our sales team. We appreciate your feedback on the food selection. Our aim is to provide meals that cater to a wide range of tastes and dietary needs, but we understand that in summer, guests may prefer lighter options. We do appreciate your suggestions for more group activities, particularly in the evenings, and the idea of a group dinner on the final night is fantastic. We have certainly passed all your comments to our relevant teams as these insights and suggestions will help us improve, and we look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back on board in the future.
Overall I was quite satisfied with our boat, including our cabin. The crew members were friendly and helpful as were the leaders of the cycling trips. who did an amazing job, both on land and on sea. Areas where I would like to see improvement include having a Keurg in the dining area where it would be possible to get a cup of coffee earlier than a half hour before breakfast. Provide the cooked breakfast food hot. Lighter entrees with local seasonings would improve lunch entrees. A glass of wine served with the Captain's Dinner would be appropriate. Name tags for all should be provided and worn at least early in the trip. Include the day, Monday, Tuesday, etc., along with the name of the Island and towns where there will be stops. I hope my suggestions are helpful.
- Elaine, 24/06/2024 10:58, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Elaine. Thank you for your 3-star review on our Cycle cruise - we are pleased to hear that you were satisfied with your cabin and the boat overall, and that you found our crew and Cycle guides to be friendly and helpful. We appreciate your suggestions for improvements and will certainly consider them as we strive to enhance our guest experience. Your ideas, such as providing an early coffee option, ensuring hot breakfast foods, offering lighter entrees, serving a glass of wine with the Captain's Dinner, providing name tags, and including the day of the week, are all valuable insights. Thank you once again for your constructive feedback. We hope to welcome you back on board for another memorable cruise in the future.
If we could have been able to book better mountain bikes ..
- Kathleen, 20/05/2024 21:10, Travelled in a Couple
If I were to ever use Sail Croatia again, I would not confirm a booking until they confirm their boat. The boat accommodations, and the food were mediocre at best.
- Michella, 21/10/2023 18:30,
Hello Michella, thank you for taking the time to review your cruise with us this summer. We have a number of Premier ships in our fleet, all offering air-conditioning and private ensuite cabins. We're unable to confirm your ship name on our Cycle cruises until one week prior to departure however, we do appreciate your feedback here. Thank you for joining us!
Rooms could be updated with fresh paint and new beds. Bedding and towels need replacing. The bike tour guide should have more small bike tools that riders could use to adjust to their own bike to suit size rather than waiting for guide to do. I felt lunch was too big as it was dinner style. most people preferred lighter food for lunch.
- Shirley, 27/09/2023 19:30, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Shirley! Thank you for your 3-star review. It's great to see from the feedback you provided, that you enjoyed other aspects of the cruise and would recommend us, that's wonderful, thank you! There is a mid-weekly cleaning service where towels and bedding are changed, and rubbish is removed. If guests are in need of further towels, these can be provided upon request. Prior to your cruise, we request height details and each bicycle is adjusted and tailored to match your height. In regards to the bike tools, our guides will have these available if needed and they can be requested for personal use. As for the meals, we understand that strenuous cycling each day requires proper nourishment, due to this we offer hearty 3-course lunches to fuel you for your cycling adventures. In saying this, we appreciate your comments and suggestions, and these will be shared with the relevant team for continual improvements.
When you travel and are doing rigorous exercise everyday in the heat more than a two towel per week seems necessary. Also the towels were all very old. The bedding needs more frequent changing. The bike ride difficulty needs more specific disclosure. Three hours in the saddle is a long time. Provide beach towels, more fresh vegetables. Also snacks for long hard rides, the riders without e bikes could have used it.
- Jayne, 25/09/2023 01:15, Travelled with Family
Hi Jayne, Thank you for taking the time to review your cruise with us this summer. We are so pleased to hear you found our guides to be wonderful! Thank you for your further feedback which has been passed on to the relevant departments. All information regarding the itinerary and level of difficulty each day can be found on our website and is available before making the selection and booking. Our experienced sales consultants are also available for any questions that may arise during the booking process and assist with making informed decisions. Thank you so much for joining us!
Nina, Josip and crew were great Just offer e bikes to all bikers! There were people who chose regular bikes and found it too challenging! I felt the cleanliness of cabins could be improved. Please purchase proper shower curtains to prevent flooding! Remove carpeting out of cabins! Breakfast was great and instead of lunch offer dinner at a later time so that you weren’t rushed when off the boat to return for lunch. It is hard to ride after a large meal. Try to avoid riding in the late afternoon due to heat! Offer more opportunities to swim off the boat! Not enough variety if fresh fruit in the morning. Would be nice to have snacks offered before dinner like the first day. Charge more and include wine and beer at dinner. We were not expecting to be charged for the national park! That should be advertised. We should not be paying our bar bill between 3-5pm on Friday night! Should be offered later or Saturday morning.
- Cindy, 18/09/2023 17:13,
Hi Cindy, Thank you for your valuable feedback. It's great to hear the onboard crew were a welcomed inclusion - we appreciate your lovely comments. We provide two bicycle types; Hybrid and E-bikes, and guests can select the most suited option. We want to clarify that the National Park entrance fee is a separate charge as outlined on our website, under the itinerary page for Mljet. We appreciate your other suggestions, such as; proper shower curtains and carpet removal. Included is a mid-weekly cabin cleaning service which includes a linen/towel change and rubbish removal. Your feedback about the variety of fresh fruit in the morning is duly noted. Although lunches are included, depending on the daily schedule, at times lunches may be swapped for dinner. The swim stops are fabulous and we wish there were more also, in saying this, weather dependent, you will enjoy at least 1 swim stop per day. The bar tab is generally settled on either Friday or Saturday, depending on our guests individual departure timings. Your input helps us enhance the overall guest experience and we appreciate all your comments.
The food on the cruise was terrible. The boat was ok. The crew was awesome but the horrible food turned this from a perfect experience to one where having to eat on board was the low point of each day.
- Anonymous, 05/10/2022 03:26, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your review. We appreciate your 4 star feedback rating for the boat overall and 5 stars for the crew, thank you. We have high expectations for all our meals served onboard, and our chefs aim to provide guests with lovely meals. We are sorry to hear you did not find the meals enjoyable and we will take your comments onboard for future improvements. We appreciate you taking the time to post your review. Thank you.
The bathrooms were smelly and cabins small , food was ok . Bar staff were great and crew very nice
- Paula, 19/09/2022 07:04, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your review - we are pleased to hear that the bar staff and crew were great. We thank you for your groups 3 and 4 star reviews. However we are sorry to hear of the issues experienced onboard. We would have been able to resolve these issues for you immediately if we were made aware at the time. We thank you for bringing this to our attention and this will be passed on to the Operations Team.
I booked Sail Croatia expecting a full on cycling tour. I had hoped to be cycling a fair distance everyday and for most of the day. I was disappointed as the week went on that the cycling seem to lessen rather than increase and by the last day we did a mere 11k. With the longest day being around 40K. To me this is not a cycle holiday. I was also disappointed with the standard of the boat which was very old and tired. My cabin was in the basement and was very tatty and rather grubby. The water would not drain from the floor area around the toilet and the smells which came from the bathroom were revolting. These were fixed quickly whenever pointed out but there was a definite problem with the plumbing. The general state of the boat was similar, there was insufficient seating outside and only deckchairs for 10 holding a boat of 22 so nowhere to relax. As it stands I would not book with Sail Croatia again as I feel the standard of accomodation and cycling rather poor.
- Ellen, 16/09/2019 06:49, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there and thank you for your review. It was a pleasure having you join our Cycle cruise this season and we hope you enjoyed some aspects of your cruise. However, we are disappointed to read of your disappointment with the cycling and accommodation aspect of your cruise. On our website we display the cycle specifications including the distance, difficulty, max altitude, total ascent/descent and surface levels, this is so that our potential customer's can choose a route that best suits them. Our cycle cruises also offer a balance of relaxation, sightseeing and cycling, and gives our guests the opportunity to see some of the most amazing places. I see that you booked our Ensuite option, I would recommend a Premier cabin in future, as these are much more comfortable offering spacious cabins, ensuite and air-conditioning. We are pleased to hear that the issues were quickly resolved once our representative was made aware, we thank you for following our Resolution Process. We do hope that you join us sometime in the future on a Premier ship and perhaps on one of our more challenging routes, as we are sure you will enjoy yourself! Thanks again.
The cabin rooms could have been a bit more spacious. While we spent very little time in our cabins ( except to sleep), they really were small.
- Patrick, 10/09/2019 04:31, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there. It's great to hear you had a really great trip! Our Standard ship cabins are smaller than the other ship types, this is stated on the website. I'm sorry to hear you were disappointed with the size of your cabin but pleased that you still enjoyed your time in Croatia. Thank you for joining us!
I have done 4other cycling trips. This was my least favorite for 3 reasons:. The very hot uncomfortable bunk room, the short uneventful cycle trips, and the amount of smoking from the crew. This was the smallest room we have ever stayed in. The person on the top bunk did not get any sleep. We have never been given 1 towel,for a week,trip. The smoking was excessive. Because the room was so uncomfortable, you had no choice but to be on deck.. because the cycling time was so short, there was an excessive amount of time on the boat. Smoke came in our front porthole even though smoking was limited to the back. It made my throat burn. I think only 1 other passenger smoked occasionally. On other trips we left after breakfast, packed a lunch and returned some time before dinner. There were places to visit along the bike route. The guides gave tours of the loactions we passed. We had one rain day with no rain, and they cut our last day in 1/2 due other people messed up travel pl
- Pam , 09/09/2019 09:44, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there and thank you for your review. We are truly sorry to hear that our Northern route was your least favourite amongst the other cycle trips completed. We offer a range of accommodation styles to suit everyone's requirements and budgets, our Ensuite cabins exclude air-conditioning however, do have a fan for additional comfort. We recommend a Premier ship as these cabins are spacious, include ensuite and air-conditioning, so are perfect for the warmer months. We provide 1x bath towel, however you are welcome to request an additional towel subject to availability. We understand that you were scheduled to join this ship however, as you had friends on another ship, we managed to accommodate your last minute request and moved you from an Ensuite Lower Deck cabin to an Ensuite Above Deck cabin, where you were much more comfortable. On each of our ships there is a designated smoking area which is generally located towards the back of the ship. In saying this, I have highlighted the smoking issue to the Operations Manager to discuss further with the captain. We hope that you enjoyed the meals served, the tours of each location and the bike routes. We hope that overall the issues didn't detract from your overall enjoyment of Croatia. Thank you again!
The boat crew, Steph, and Dimitri were great. Providing information about the local area and the cycle routes. Itinerary was adapted to meet needs of the group, and weather. Although this meant routes were different to those advertised. Lunch was served on board the boat each day, therefore dinner was bought in the local villages. Bring your tea bags as access to T&C limited.
- Kay , 29/05/2019 21:10, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there and thank you for your review. We are pleased to hear that the boat crew were very informative and helpful. We understand that you had experienced some adverse weather conditions and we are glad that an alternative solution was offered and that the itinerary was amended slightly to cater to this. We don't include all meals, as we encourage you to try the local cuisine whilst you are out cycling during the day/in port for the evening as it's simply delicious. We will pass on your comments regarding T&C - thank you!
I suggest more freecycling, Hand out a map and give a time to be back on the boat. It was nice to have a guide, but really not necessary, the islands are small and not much chance of getting too lost. It would be different if the guide was giving tourist/historical information along the way, but that wasn't the case. Lunches would be better had in the villages or a picnic giving Time to explore the villages & countryside. Dinner would be better on the boat, giving time to get to know other passengers over a beer or 2 and would up the bar takings.! I suggest dedicating one smoking zone away from the meals area. (which we did manage to negotiate) but that should be automatic practice. We had an amazing Captain, Vedran, He could get that boat in and out of anywhere and was Always open to sharing information with us if we visited him. Lara did a great job with her briefings before rides. And Tamara, super pleasant, was faultless in the meals and bar area. All in all a fun week.
- Judy, 27/05/2019 13:58, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there and thank you for your review. We are really please do to hear you found the captain amazing and informative and in regards to Lara and Tamara, we are happy to hear you were well informed prior to your cycle journey each day and well fed and served at the bar - we will pass your comments on to them. Map books are provided and given out at the beginning of the cruise, and we will be following this up for you. You are welcome if there are days where you would prefer to go off on your own and meet the rest of the group at a later stage, you would just need to make your Representative aware. On some days, dinner may be provided instead of lunch if this fits in better with the day’s itinerary – the guide will advise you of this during the week. We have dedicated smoking areas, towards the back of the boat and we are pleased that this was all sorted for you. We thank you for all your comments and are pleased you had a fun week!
Rides need to be more flexible with maybe dinner not lunch each day to include more cycling and island exploring. I’m gluten free and food was very average. Captain, bar staff and guides were awesome and very friendly. Rooms were average and a little uncomfortable. Overall I had a great cruise but would maybe do different next time. Also I’d preferred an upper room and where told no, put whilst on board others book much later with above cabins...
- Anne Maree, 21/05/2019 13:02, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there and thank you for your review. It's great to hear the captain, guides and bar staff were very friendly and that overall, you had a great cruise. However, we are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with some aspects of the cruise. Dinner and lunches are organised to fit in and around the daily cycling schedule which can vary from day to day. Our chef aims to prepare more of the foods that you can eat daily, and you are also welcome to bring any special dietary foods onboard the ship. Availability on our ships can change daily, and it's always best to check with us for live availability so amendments can be made. Again thank you for taking the time to send your review.
Lots of delays while waiting for people to get organised. Believe two small cycling groups would have been better rather than keeping such a big group together. Apart from breakfast, which was great, food was generally of a very poor standard compared to what was being served on other sail and cycle boats. An onboard bbq would have been a nice touch. Tinned soup, stewed meat (not sure what sort most of the time), mashed potatoes and either tinned fruit or very thin slices of cake as dessert not the best end to a very energetic day of cycling. Guides were lovely and our steward was great. The ebikes were an absolute must and made the very steep hills a pleasure to ride on.
- Debra, 20/09/2016 06:37, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there, thank you for your feedback regarding your Cycle Cruise. It is great to hear you found your guides lovely and steward great. With regards to the food quality on the ship, we aim to be consistent in the meals provided and expect this to be of a high standard. Based on customer feedback, we will be looking at introducing new and exciting menu’s on-board for the 2017 Season. This will include more nutritious and healthy meal options, all made with fresh, local produce. There was a high demand on your departure, so we had added another ship to join this cycle cruise – so the sizes of the groups had increased, and so did the number of guides. From a social perspective, we thought this would be fun for guests to have a larger number of travellers, however based on our experiences this season, we will definitely be looking into changing this for next year and not repeat this, so we thank you for your comment here. We sincerely appreciate the time taken to write your review.