For the price that you pay which is quite exorbitant I don’t think this experience lives up to the cost or the hype. While the crew and the staff on board as well as the guide are absolutely lovely and the service was great the boat is old, creaky and smelly.. The air-conditioning barely worked and people complained non-stop about the Aircon not working. There were no fans even on deck which are desperately needed to combat the unbearable European summer heat. Unfortunately it did not live up to the expectations and certainly not to the reviews I’ve seen on site. The boats need full renovations and need to be fully updated in order for them to be able to get a higher rating.
- Anonymous, 25/08/2024 14:46, Travelled Solo
Thank you for your review - we’re pleased to hear that you found our crew, staff, and service to be excellent. However, we regret to learn that the boat did not meet your expectations. We maintain a high rating of 4.7/5 stars for this departure, and our internal reports did not indicate any air-conditioning issues raised by yourself or any other guest. We encourage guests to raise any concerns with our Onboard Rep so we can address them swiftly. For transparency, we provide detailed imagery and information about each of our Explorer ships on our website to help guests make an informed decision about their accommodation. We appreciate your input and comments as we continue to enhance our services.
A number of the excursions were cancelled and there was no replacements or suggestions to do. This was very disappointing as we specifically booked the trip for the excursions. The limited excursions that were offered were very disappointing.
- Kate, 17/06/2024 11:26, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Kate, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us and for providing 5-star ratings for the crew and boat in general, it is appreciated. The excursions offered are through 3rd party providers and changes can occur at any time. We understand that excursions are a significant part of the experience, and we regret any inconvenience caused by their cancellation. It's great to see from your feedback you were able to enjoy other aspects of the cruise.
Booked based on Explorer being best suited for couples, young professionals and 'young at heart' travellers. Didn’t expect at 44, to be the second youngest guest, with the majority being 70s. The boat was fine, the bedroom smelled a bit damp and there were broken fixtures in the bathroom. The crew were great, and very friendly. Disappointed the sundeck bar / bbq area wasn’t used. Also, the ‘€25 bbq’ which was cooked in the oven was a poor offering, and unsurprisingly didn’t go ahead. All in all, I had a great time, but had I have been much younger, would’ve been disappointed with so many older guests.
- Jonathon , 18/09/2023 09:23, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Jonathon, Thank you for your feedback. It's great to know that the crew were friendly and welcoming, however we are disappointed to hear the ages onboard were misaligned with your expectations. Our Explorer cruises are designed to offer a diverse and inclusive experience for travelers of all ages over 15 years. Whilst we do attract a wide range of guests, including young professionals and the 'young at heart' travellers, age demographics can vary from one cruise to another. We aim to create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone, and we're glad to hear you had a great time onboard. We'll take note of your comments regarding room conditions and food offerings to further enhance our services, and we appreciate your feedback provided for the onboard meals, rating us 4-5 out of 5 stars, thank you. We hope you'll consider cruising with us again in the future.
The food at lunch should be lighter and healthier.; not pasta and risotto. Sandwiches, salads, roasted vegetables, wraps, would be better. We don’t need dessert. Coffee needs to be out during the morning for longer that one hour. Keep coffee out until 11:00 AM. Happy Hour from 6-7. Drinks at bar poor quality. Quality of cabin was not great. I wasn’t expecting much, but the handle was off my drawer in the bathroom & bed and pillow VERY uncomfortable. I DID enjoy my trip as there was more to enjoy than these things and had a great time. Thank you.
- Sarah, 11/09/2023 03:17, Travelled Solo
Hi Sarah, thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are really pleased to hear you enjoyed your time on the cruise and Croatia as a whole. We are disheartened to hear of the issues raised. All cruises include 3-course lunches which is usually a starter, main and dessert - I'm sorry to hear you were unhappy with the lunches served, our chefs aim to provide a variety of meals using fresh, local produce. Upon viewing the feedback you provided, we are happy to know you enjoyed the Captain's Dinner and other aspects of your cruise. We are disappointed to read about the drawer handle and pillow - we have a rigorous process in place for any issues that arise onboard, which is outlined in your pre-departure information and following this process ensures that no incident is left unreported. Had we been made aware, we would have resolved this immediately for you. We understand that coffee is important to some, so we provide filtered coffee which is available during breakfast hours and complimentary instant coffee is also available during the day. You also have the option of capsual coffee payable via your bar tab. We appreciate your comments and are thrilled to know that the issues raised didn't deter from your overall enjoyment onboard.
Loves the boat and the crew and our host, Ivanna, was amazing, however food overall, cabin service change over, and upfrontness about our cabin, specifically, could be much improved. Pleasantly surprised at breakfast as more options than we were expecting, however, lunch service was very hit or miss. More vegetables at each meal, ability to know what the meal was ahead of time, in order to decide if we wanted to partake, as well as more snack options available through swim stops. Advised to not bring food on board but ledt hungry with no options until port. Enjoyed captains dinner but wished it had been during a different port that had limited dining. Stari Grad had great options we wanted to enjoy but due to planned dinner, missed, while other ports, such as Pomena, had very limited options. As for cabin, size, privacy, ensuite bathroom, and bed were great, but dealt with such heavy fumes with no way to air out and then had terrible pipe issue that could be proactively managed.
- Britney, 14/08/2023 10:01, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Britney, thank you for your review. We greatly appreciate your positive feedback about the boat, cabin, crew, and Ivanna, our wonderful host. We're glad to hear you enjoyed your daily breakfasts, and upon checking our internal records, I can see that the fumes issue was resolved promptly after following our resolution process - thank you for following this process. We are also pleased to acknowledge your valuable feedback on our food service, Captain's Dinner and cabin experience. Your suggestions about meal options, and snack availability are noted, and we'll consider these for future improvements. The location of the Captain's dinner can vary as there are a number of factors that contribute to the location however, you will always be updated by your Onboard Representative once the location is confirmed. Your insights are important to us, and we're committed to enhancing your overall experience. We hope to welcome you back aboard in the future, providing you with an even more enjoyable journey.
Better coffee Quiet air conditioning More towels Post the menu so we know what we are eating Have excursions into villages in the mornings- swim stops after lunch.
- Cynthia, 10/07/2023 18:15, Travelled with Friend/s
Much of the trip was fantastic but there are some changes that could improve the experience The food could be better and diners should be told what they are having beforehand. The captain never came to the captains dinner, and although he maneuvered the boat with great skill, he did not interact with passengers at all, even when there were difficulties. Many people had rooms and bathrooms that reeked of sewage. The bar prices were fair, but one of the bartender was completely unskilled and clearly unhappy with his job. The pours were so small we often had to go back or complain. Vishko was very friendly and interacted with the passengers well. The excursions were fun and well timed. The greatest fun was meeting and socializing with others from around the globe. They made the trip fantastic.
- Catherine , 20/06/2023 21:35, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Catherine, thank you for your review and for taking the time to provide us with further feedback on your cruise. We are so pleased that your cruise was fantastic, we were happy to have you join us for the week in Croatia. I will be sure to pass your kind words and comments onto Vishko, thank you for this. Your feedback is very important to us and the points raised will be passed over to the relevant departments where improvements will be made where possible. Thanks again for joining us this season!
We travelled as 4 singles and all had our own room. One of the room had a disgusting sewerage smell the entire trip. They do not have a maintenance person on the boat. The BBQ meal at €25 was disappointing. The dining room has plastic tables and chairs and is set up like a school event rather than a cruise. Unlike other boats that we could see, you are not allowed to eat outside.
- Therese, 29/05/2023 02:55, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Therese, Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. At times if there is bad weather, smell can occur in the bathroom emitting from the shower drains. This is due to the movement of the ships on the water whereby this movement opens up airflow at the back of the pipe and into the bathroom. This is addressed in the Welcome Speech by the Sail Croatia Representative on board. Your points raised regarding BBQ and decor have been noted and this will be communicated with the relevant teams so we can make improvements where possible. Your feedback is very important to us, so we appreciate this and wish to thank you.
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.
A good basic offering from Sail Croatia. We got to see some beautiful islands. Our host, Iona, was fabulous at pulling everything together. For our group, the food and its presentation was an issue. Breakfasts were of poor quality - we gave feedback and for a couple of days it improved slightly. If you have any food intolerances, I believe this would be an issue for them (I am a vegetarian). Simple things like better quality wine on board, water on the table at meal times, side plates for the bread would all help.
- Anonymous, 13/06/2022 07:33, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi there, thank you for your review - we appreciate it. Thank you for your kind comments regarding your host Iona and the beautiful islands - we agree, they are simply stunning! Thank you for your feedback on the meals provided and this will be passed on to the chef. I have also checked the feedback regarding the meals for all other guests onboard the boat, on your departure date, and the ratings provided were all 4-5 stars for breakfast and lunch. We understand that the meals served are not always to each individual taste. We really do appreciate your comments regarding the wine onboard, water on the table at meal times and side plates which will be passed on to our team, thank you.
Explorer/Excursions: was disappointed by the lack of excursions and exploring on the explorer cruise. On board we did a lot of relaxing and cruising so I anticipated action packed land adventures. This trip fell flat. The 1 to 2 excursion I did I really enjoyed. Hora wine tasting (great local place with the sweetest donkeys) and biking in Mljet Meals: I am a pescatarian (no meat, only seafood). I was served seabream-4-5 lunches in a row. I mentioned to the guide I'd like more variety, the next lunch I again received seabream. After that I mentioned to the head crew member I'd like to eat something other than seabream. Then I finally I had a change to tuna. The next meal seabass. The guide also had dietary restrictions and made a huge fuss in front of our entire table when given something she didn't eat. My final meal aboard was back to seabream with a side of peppers; meanwhile the guide had a overwhelming portion of gnocchi and peppers.
- Melissa, 04/10/2021 17:02, Travelled Solo
Hi Melissa, Thank you for your review. It's great to hear you enjoyed the Korcula Village Dinner, Wine Tasting and cycling around Mljet National Park. We agree, these are fantastic excursions and we love the Hora wine (and donkey's) also. It's nice to see from your feedback provided, you enjoyed your breakfasts onboard, rating this 4 stars, although not our usual 5 star service, we are glad you enjoyed the meals served each morning and we appreciate the fact that you would recommend us to others, thank you. Our onboard chef's aim to prepare delicious meals, using fresh, local produce, catering to all tastes, however at times, we understand that this is not always possible. Sea bream is a highly valued species of Adriatic white fish which would have been skill-fully prepared for you, especially as you had advised us of your dietary requirements. In saying this, we are sorry to hear that this became quite repetitive throughout the week. We have mentioned this to the onboard chef so that they are aware. We hope that this aspect didn't deter from your overall experience and we thank you for joining us this summer!
Our guide Anna was enthusiastic; warm and helpful. The the other guests were great fun and the islands were nothing short of wonderful Sail Croatia (Cristal) staff did a good job with the food and cleanliness but were not at all friendly or willing to go the extra mile to make our stay enjoyable. This was very disappointing. They did not know our names, smile or ever say hello, and scowled when we asked for something which may have run out or if the coffee was turned off. And the captain only attended the captain’s dinner for ten minutes and did not even say hello. We loved the cruise but for this reason we would be reluctant to recommend this company for fellow travellers. Our only change for the other details was that we would prefer cold lunches such as salads, ham and bread. And we felt it should have finished when we reached Debrovnik as Anna had finished and gone; and it was not nice staying in the port beyond the bridge.
- Jenn, 30/09/2019 14:17, Travelled with Friend/s
Hi Jen, Thank you for your review. We appreciate all your comments and suggestions. We are pleased to hear that your guide Anna was professional, welcoming and friendly and that the other guests onboard were a wonderful group of people. We are also really pleased to hear that the meals served and cleanliness of the ship were all to a high standard, and we appreciate your suggestion of having cold lunches on some days. However, we are disappointed to read your comments regarding the crew. We are family owned and each of the ships we work with are also family-owned and operated. Together we make up Sail Croatia. Although our Reps are employed and trained by Sail Croatia, our ships and their captains are in charge of employing their own crew, ensuring their staff maintain a high level of service throughout the cruise and we are sorry to hear this was not the case. Having a look at the feedback for your week onboard, the crew have been rated 4-5 stars which includes the captain, chef, waiter and sailor. I have passed your comments on to our Operations Manager to highlight with the captain. Thank you again for making us aware and we hope to have you onboard one of our cruises again, to provide you with a 5-star experience!
bags brought to room on arrival to begin trip better linen service , no bed sheet change for the entire trip and only 1 replacement towel service paper cups for morning breakfast instead of regular china cups.' Food was ok Captains dinner disappointed he never spoke to the group to welcome them aboard. Boris the rep was good as well as Ivan ( bar and food server guy) would not recommend Sail Croatia to friends.
- dorothy, 26/06/2019 12:50, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your review. We hope that you did enjoy some aspects of the cruise, and Croatia as a whole. We are really pleased to hear that Boris and Ivan provided you with great service. Baggage service is not an inclusion on our cruises however, is a great suggestion which we appreciate and will pass on to the relevant team. Linen service occurs mid-week and upon request, additional towels can be given providing there are extra supplies. There is just one point in your review that I just need to clarify for other travellers considering booking with us. We have a process in place outlined in our Pre-departure information, our Welcome Speech and via our Sail Croatia App, which provides guests with information on how to raise any concerns whilst on the cruise. Having a look through our reports, I cannot see anything being reported to our Rep, crew or Operations Manager. Given the opportunity, we will always try to rectify the situation immediately so you remain happy on our cruise. Thanks again.
The boat and crew were fantastic, but unfortunately I was quite disappointed with the age group of travellers on board. There were a large number of older travellers when I was hoping to mix and mingle with travellers around the same age in the 20-40 age group. The trip is marked for couples, young professionals, young at heart. Unfortunately there were too many 'young at heart' and couples on board for my liking. I would recommend doing a Navigator cruise instead with a Premier boat. On the plus side our guide Ivana was amazing and we had a Sail Croatia photographer with us for the week (still waiting for the pictures though which are overdue),
- Anonymous, 18/09/2018 02:02, Travelled Solo
Thank you for your review. We’re so glad to hear that overall you had a wonderful time onboard your Explorer Cruise, and that you were well looked after by the crew and your Tour Manager. We’re sorry to hear that the age range onboard didn’t meet your expectations. Our Explorer Cruises are perfect for travellers that wish to explore, socialise and experience Croatia at its finest, and we often find a mix of couples, young professionals and young at heart travellers onboard. Please keep an eye on the Sail Croatia Facebook page, where all images from the 2018 season will be published.
Firstly I\'ve done your cruise 3 times now on various boats and trips and routes. I think you do a great job and everyone has a really good time. There are a few things I\'d like to mention. One is your website, it\'s a little confusing and I say this as I understand your concept and how it works now but it took me a few trips to work it out, and I can tell the passengers didn\'t understand the levels of boats really and there were some younger ones on the young professional cruise who didn\'t know you could go on the premier plus but do the 18-35\'s and I think it\'s a shame as it would have been better for them. They loved it all the same but I know what they are missing. The young professionals has a lot of couples and for me was almost like going on my own as didn\'t want to intrude and couples like to be with other couples so at times I was alone on the young professionals. I also think rather than book all on line till the website is clearer people should call and it should be explained.
- Nicola , 05/09/2016 07:41, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your feedback - it was great to have you join us for the 3rd time! We are always looking at ways to improve our website and make it as clear as possible so that our guests can find the right cruise for them. To make it easier for guests using our website, under our Navigator cruise for example, we have prices for all our available Navigator boats as well as images of our Navigator boat types which show our boat range, from Standard to Premier Plus. We also have an online cruise assessment which is available to assist our guests in finding the right cruise for them. If a guest is unsure about which cruise to book, we are of course here to assist. We are pleased to hear some of the younger travellers had a good time overall and glad you also had a great time with us. Thank you again for your feedback.
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.
1. Friendlier staff - asking for drinks / coffee was not received well by the bar staff 2. Accommodating our needs - we asked for certain alcohol to be brought onto the boat to be sold to us which was completely ignored and declined by the staff which I cannot understand why at all when we would be paying for it? 3. Selling food - we weren't allowed to bring food onto the boat but if you missed breakfast you could then not buy anything and had to wait until lunch?! Not my idea of a holiday 4. No flexibililty - there was no flexibility in terms of if we wanted to spend longer at a swim stop or port. Overall its really hard to ruin a holiday in Croatia but I would not recommend using Sail Croatia to my friends for their future travels sadly.
- Nicholas, 27/07/2016 17:49, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry that you didn't find the staff friendly, your comments have been passed onto our Operations Team to discuss with the Captain of the ship. The bar is operated by the Captain and it is at his discretion what is sold, I'm sorry they were unable to accommodate you with your drink preferences. With regards to food on-board, Breakfast and a 3-Course Lunch is served every day. I'm afraid food from outside the boat, isn't allowed to be bought on by guests, however I have passed your comments on about having the option to purchase snacks on-board so this can be looked into. With regards to your comments about flexibility, the Captains are on a fixed itinerary, so whilst they try and ensure guests have enough time to swim as well as having enough time in the ports, swim stops may have to be missed or cut short so the ship can reach each destination on time and have space to dock in the ports. Thank you again for your feedback.