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 cabins were cold and the first nigt on board the boat we could hardly sleep due to the chill in the cabin. We could not control the tempreture in the cabin. The cabin had lower standard than we expected. The food served on board was not good.Breakfast was good but lunch and grill could have been better.. I had the feeling during the trip that we were alwayes in a hurry. and the cykling tours not relaxed.Not much time for fotos or to observe the scenery etc. Nevertheless we enjoyed the trip.The staff was friendly and helpful at all times.
- Pall, 26/09/2024 17:53, Travelled with Family
Hi Pall, thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We're pleased to hear that you enjoyed your trip and found our staff friendly and helpful, though we're sorry to learn that some aspects didn't meet your expectations. Regarding the temperature in your cabin, we’d like to mention that the AC units onboard also have a heating function. Our Onboard Rep would have been more than happy to assist with this, had they been made aware of your discomfort. We appreciate your feedback on the meals. While breakfast met expectations, we'll pass your comments on to our team regarding the lunches served. In terms of the cycling pace, our Cycle cruises are designed for the more active traveler who enjoys a faster-paced itinerary. However, for those seeking a more relaxed experience with plenty of time to take in the scenery and capture photos, we offer other options such as our Explorer or Elegance cruises. These might be more suited to a leisurely travel experience in the future. Thank you again for your feedback. We hope to welcome you back onboard soon for another 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
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!
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.
Panniers on the bikes Cleaner rooms More food options
- David , 26/09/2022 05:55, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your comments here David, these will all be taken onboard and we hope you enjoyed all other aspects of your cruise.
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.
1. The Dalmation coast is superb and made the trip worthwhile. The friendly crew and spectacular destinations made up for a lot of daily flaws. 2. Food is 2 out of 5 at best. There were times were we ate mediocre food on the boat while docked at a port with great restaurants. 3. Too many stops for swimming off the boat when there's a beautiful beach in sight, just out of reach. Also, when there was a beach stop, it was usually around 45 minutes - what good is that? 4. When cycled right past many points of spectacular scenery that would have been nice to soak in and maybe take a picture or two. When we did stop, it was usually a baren intersection or a town that wasn't as nice a town we sped thru. 5. The bathrooms below deck smelled of sewage. I know the crew must have know this as there were air fresheners in the bathrooms to mask the smell. 6. The trip really ends a day early, on Friday afternoon when the boat arrives in Split and the crew starts closing up.
- Dignan, 30/08/2022 13:26, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for taking the time to post your review. We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the Dalmatian Coast, friendly crew and the most beautiful destinations along the way. However, we are disappointed to hear you were unhappy with some aspects of the cruise including the food, swim stops and cabin. Our chefs aim to prepare fresh meals using local produce each day out of their small gulleys, we understand that this is not to everyone's taste. Having a look at the feedback rating for the meals served, the average rating is 4 stars. The ships anchor out at secluded bays for each swim stop which means we are unable to moor into beaches as this would require authorisation from port authorities and generally, ships would need to be moored into the approved docks. However, beaches are easily accesible from most islands for you to enjoy once you arrive at your destination. The swim stops are planned out each week, however we hope that you enjoyed some of the islands you passed. Upon request, the Captain may have been able to stop momentarily for pictures. We are sorry to hear you experienced some issues with the smell in your cabin. We have a rigorous process in place for such issues and if raised with the Onboard Representative, this will be resolved immediately. Upon checking our internal records, I cannot see that this was reported to our team onboard. The cruise ends at 8:30am on the Saturday. Thank you again for your review and we do hope that the flaws mentioned did not detract from your overall lovely experience.
The holiday itself was very enjoyable and the crew and guides were very helpful and friendly as usual and we had lots of fun as a group. However the cycle rides were too short in distance which was very disappointing. I am aware that the journey from Split to Dubrovnik and the return journey took some hours of travelling, so more emphasis should have been placed on actual distance covered by bike when not travelling. Due to bad weather forecast around Omis on the Thursday it was agreed after travelling for 6 hours that we should carry on to Split (Thurs) for safety reasons. However, there were no alternative arrangements for cycling on the Friday morning which again was disappointing and we wondered if we could have gone to one of the other islands nearer to Split on the Thurs. I will be travelling with Sail Croatia again next year with the same group of friends and hope that normal service will be resumed as far as the cycling is concerned.
- Anonymous, 23/09/2019 16:10, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your review on our Cycle cruises, this is appreciated. We are really happy to hear that the guides, crew and your representative was helpful and friendly, but also you were onboard with a lovely group of fellow travellers. In regards to the Cycling aspect of the cruise, we aim to provide cycling holidays catering to all fitness levels, from beginners to advanced. On each of our cycle cruises, we advertise the cycle specifications for each day which includes the distance, difficulty, maximum altitude, total ascent/descent and surface levels. This is so that each of our customers can make an informed decision as to which route would be the best match. We understand that due to adverse weather conditions the captain decided for the safety and wellbeing of all guests, to continue to Split with minimal disruption to the end of your cruise. I can see that you are scheduled to join us again next season, and we are sure you will have an overall enjoyable experience! Thanks again.
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.
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!
Staff hangs around community areas and smokes cigarettes. Extremely offensive to passengers. All cruises should be smoke free. This is ridiculous in this day and age. Also, more time should be dedicated to biking and less on “boat time”.
- I, 09/09/2019 01:44, Travelled with Family
Hi there, Thank you for your review. Our cruises are open to all travellers, smokers and non-smokers. On each of our ships there is a designated smoking area generally towards the back of the boat. We appreciate your comments and we hope that you enjoyed the wonderful locations, meals onboard and your informative and friendly representative. Thank you!
Boat is not owned by sail Croatia. Its sub contracted. We asked for our 2 rooms with our daughter s to be next to each Other . The boat never got the request. The grey water tank overflowed into our bathroom. It was really gross The roof leaked from the ice machine above and soaked our mattresses The shower floor leaked and the bathroom floor was entirely flooded. The beds had broken springs and uncomfortable No ventilation in the lower cabins . Dank musty and moldy. No portholes to open. Sealed shut. After 3 days crew finally turned in air conditioning. Captain did this not sail Croatia. The crew were awesome and apologetic. Lead guide /Sail Croatia did not offer to compensate for these issues at all. Gordana the 2nd guide was very nice. Food was excellent. Great views and cycling for the most part very good. We would like to see a partial refund for the accommodations. The 20" wheel ebikes are wrong for the terrain. The newer 26" mobiles we saw for next cruise were correct.
- Mark, 05/07/2019 02:41, Travelled with Family
Hi there and thank you for your review. It's great to hear you enjoyed the inclusion of our knowledgeable guides and found the food excellent. We agree - the views are just stunning so we're really happy to hear you enjoyed the cycling aspect and the amazing scenery. We are family owned and each of the ships we work with are also family-owned and operated. Together we make up Sail Croatia. I have had a look into this for you and can see that the cabins that were allocated to you were directly opposite each other. There are a couple of points in your review that I just need to clarify for other travellers considering booking with us. We have a rigorous process in place for any issues that may arise on our cruises and this process is emailed to guests prior to departure, is available via your Online Account and pre-departure information, and is also reiterated onboard the ship by your Representative. Thank you for following this process and making your Representative aware of the leak in your cabin which had wet the end of the beds, we can see via our reports that this was resolved immediately. Upon checking our records, I cannot see that the flooded floors or the broken spring issues were reported to the Representative. As you booked an Ensuite ship, unfortunately Air-conditioning is not included in the cabin price. However, some ships are have the functionality of turning the air-conditioning on for the entire ship and this is charged at a per person rate. I can see that from the first day the Captain decided to turn this on for all guests to enjoy at no additional cost. The 20" wheels that are advertised on our website for our Cycle cruises have been trialed and tested, in saying this we are currently trialing a larger 26" wheel bicycle and may release these for future seasons. Thank you again for your review and we are glad you enjoyed parts of your cruise, and Croatia as a whole.
Our trip was amazing! Touring by sea & bike was an incredible way to see Croatia. The views were incredible, the rides great, and the taste of towns small & large great! The crew was great and the captain did an amazing job navigating the ports (for smooth loading/unloading of bikes) and optimal porting position,. I do have suggestions for improvement. Our cabin was below deck. While we didn’t pay for air conditioning we did not realize the portholes would be sealed shut and the airflow VERY limited. As the upper deck didn’t experience this it took some time, but we are grateful the crew resolved this after a few days. It was necessary to breathe & sleep. Also, there were several changes to the advertised rides. While we appreciate the difficulty tailoring rides to a mixed group, Discussion with the group about changes would have been much appreciated. Perhaps have an extra e-bike or 2 on board for those who find the rides are too difficult & want to upgrade would allow all to ride
- Stacie, 24/06/2019 13:22, Travelled with Family
Thank you for taking the time to review our cruise. We are glad you enjoyed the trip overall and found it to be amazing, thank you! We agree, our Cycle cruises give the perfect balance of touring by sea and discovering by bike - we're so happy you enjoyed the views, the rides and the taste of all the towns. All our Ensuite cabins exclude air-conditioning, however do include a small fan for added ventilation. We will pass your thanks on the amazing captain and crew! We appreciate all your suggestions and ideas, and will certainly pass these on to the appropriate team - thank you and again, we are pleased you enjoyed your great adventure!
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!
larger cabin without bunkbeds Provide evening meals instead of lunch only
- Colin, 27/05/2019 05:37, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there and thanks for your review. We hope you enjoyed your time on our cycle cruise. I can see that you booked a cabin on our Ensuite ship which is equipped with a mix of bunk and double beds. On some days, dinner may be provided instead of lunch if this fits in better with the day’s itinerary – the guide will always advise during the week. Thanks again!
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.
Ports were very noisy. First night we docked next to a cafe with music until 2 am. Several other nights music or noise didn't stop until midnight. Need to dock in quiet areas. Need to have 2 bike knowledgeable Bike guides. Although we had 2 guides, only one was familiar with bikes and routes.
- Don, 19/09/2017 04:53, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there and thank you for your review. We thank you for your comments on our cruise. All our ships have a midnight curfew, where music must be turned off at midnight to ensure night peace is respected for those wishing to remain onboard. All our cycle cruises have 1 knowledgeable cycle guide and 1 onboard Representative; who is onboard to assist with all cruise related enquiries. Thanks again for 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.