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4.9 from 345 reviews
????

No snacks and coffee service only a few hours a day? Also couldn’t get a beverage while band was playing? Boat lost revenue during entertainment because couldn’t access the bar

- John, 17/09/2024 05:00, Travelled with Family

Most enjoyable cruise

Thoroughly enjoyed cruising the Croatian islands on our Dubrovnik to Split and return to Dubrovnik tour. Each port we stopped at represented a lesson in history. Thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour in Split and Dubrovnik with the local guides as well as the fabulous dinner with wine in Stari Grad at a local farm restaurant. Our morning swimming stops were a pleasure and the food served on the boat was divine. But there were negatives: 1. Our lower level cabins were adjacent to the engine room therefore when the boat left port early in the morning, no further sleep or talking could be had. These cabins were priced the same as the forward lower level cabins which seems unfair. 2. No itemised bar bills were provided so you had to assume that what you were billed for, you actually drank. 3. The boats internet was rubbish. 4. When rafted up at port with other boats, crossing over was difficult at times due to the height of each boat I.e. need individual ramps and not step up or down.

- Rosalie, 05/09/2024 14:17, Travelled with Family

Dizare, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2024-09-19:

Dear Rosalie, Thank you for your detailed review and for sharing both the highlights and suggestions on both of your tours. We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the historical walking tours, the fabulous dinner in Stari Grad, and the divine food onboard, as well as the beautiful morning swim stops in lovely secluded bays. We regret to hear that there were some aspects that had an impact on your overall cruise experience. Regarding the noise from the engines, as our ships are small motor cruisers, the engines do make some unavoidable noise when in operation, similar to a running car. We understand this may affect travelers differently, but it is part of the small ship experience. We are pleased to advise that we received a total customer score rating of 4.4/5 for your week onboard. Regarding the bar bill, guests are welcome to request an itemised bill each day to track their consumption. The Wi-Fi can be temperamental as it is subject to download limits and can experience reduced coverage while out at sea. The ramps between boats are designed for ease of movement, but due to the unique designs of each vessel, some variations in height are expected - we appreciate your suggestion of individual ramps. We thank you again for all your feedback and hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip.

Great Experience

I would have given this experience a 5* as almost everything was perfect with the exception of a few things. Beach towel for one person for the entire week is not acceptable. Changing of the bath towels every few days is also not acceptable. Breakfast time should be longer. Everything else was great !

- Cristina, 20/08/2024 17:31, Travelled with Family

Great but not perfect

The trip was terrific! The guests on board were great and the crew was fantastic. We had so much fun in all the ports except Vela Luca was a terrible port. The wine tasting was mediocre and expensive and the restaurant options and night life there were terrible. Also, the village meal in Korcula was terrible. The town of Korcula was fun with many great restaurants, including a Michelin star restaurant. I would have MUCH preferred to be on my own that night. Lastly, when pulling into Dubrovnik, it would have been nice if the boat passed by the old city before heading to the port.

- Anonymous, 25/06/2024 06:07, Travelled with Family

Esperanza Sail Croatia

Great Crew and hostess Mia were outstanding. Minor problems: AC went out last few days though. Need a stronger band width for Wifi. Very spotty reception. All in all a good cruise was had by my wife and I and the couple we came with.

- Dale, 17/10/2023 06:03, Travelled with Family

Cayley, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2023-10-23:

Hi Dale, thank you for your 4-star review. We appreciate your kind comments on the crew and hostess Mia, and we will surely pass this on. We understand that there were minor issues with the air-conditioning which was swiftly resolved upon arrival in to Dubrovnik. WIFI is subject to download limits and coverage, so can be spotty at times. We are pleased that that you all had a wonderful time overall, and we hope to welcome you back onboard soon.

Solo in Croatia

overall great cruise format. goods: excellent food - almost too much food. most meals I couldn't finish the main course. very attentive to my food allergies. crew excellent. great service team. accommodations - excellent. room was nice size with plenty of storage. shower/toilet combo was good size and always cleaned. all the stops were fantastic - whether swim stop or port stop. Our guide manager Boris was FANTASTIC. Adapted to our group vibe and adjusted tours and stop recommendations accordingly. I went from D to S --- fantastic option to maximize travel to islands. others: The only land based tour I was a little disappointed with was in Vis. The Vis military tour. We didn't do the subpens, as described. The rest of the tour was fine, but there was too much time spent herding folks to get the full tour. NOT a Sail Croatia tour, but maybe they can pick another provider.

- Dee, 26/09/2023 09:33, Travelled Solo

Nice cruise

Nice boat ! Shared a cabin with a stranger and it worked out great Food on boat was hit or miss. Coffee should’ve been served with dessert Chef accommodated my gluten free status very nicely. Beautiful swim stops every day. Turquoise water !! It would have been nice if boat had paddle boards or. Kayaks but it was fun anyway My only real criticism was of 2 of the stops Mjlet only had a park to go to and nothing else Milna was a very quiet island with a very small town and just restaurants Hvar was amazing and we didn’t arrive until 4:30 pm which stunk Local village dinner very good Staff was accommodating Tour guide very friendly and informative Oh and the pillows stink too! Needed two of them!!! Overall a good deal for the price

- Alyce, 11/09/2023 21:37, Travelled Solo

Family of 5

Wonderful way of exploring the Croatian islands. The boat was clean and comfortable, the AC was a must during our vacation time as it was in a mist of a heat wave. The entire equipage from the captain to the chef was great, and especially our tour director Ivana. Ivana you made everything better, you lift any worries that appeared , and you made everyone’s day, Thank you. The only suggestion I have to improve this beautiful sailing experience is to have a better coffee, the coffee on any place we stopped on the islands was real good coffee but the one on the boat. Bravo to Sail Croatia, we had an amazing Vacation!

- Melania, 29/08/2023 10:20, Travelled with Family

Excellent Food and Staff

I appreciated the staff and culinary efforts for my Elegance Cruise. My accommodations were as expected. I would have appreciated more information or recommendations for off-boat experiences throughout the cruise. It would have also been appreciated if the bar stayed open past 11pm on the Captain's Dinner evening (when we were told it would be).

- Michelle M., 10/08/2023 17:54, Travelled Solo

Queen Jelena

- Tihomir, 09/08/2023 00:45, Travelled Solo

So much fun!

The passenger coordinator, Ioana, was amazing - great communication regarding what was ahead and very responsive to any passenger needs. There was food aplenty; we joked about getting three dinners every day. Best of all were the stops - every island is rich in history and allowed for easy access to the key sites. I wish we had more time at each stop so maybe next time I'll book a longer cruise.

- Anonymous, 11/05/2023 16:04, Travelled with Family

Cayley, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2023-05-12:

Hi there, thank you so much for your review of your cruise with us on board Esperanza. I will be sure to pass your comments and kind words onto Ioana, thank you so much for this and for an amazing week in Croatia.

Croatia Cruise with family

We enjoyed great group of people and nice weather condition. Room service was great, our room was made during our breakfast, very efficient. Swim stops were private and well chosen. Good food, the chef was creative. The National Park tour in Mljet was great. We enjoyed cycling around the Lake. The view was fantastic.

- Sima, 27/09/2022 08:20, Travelled with Family

Fabulous Solo Holiday

From start to finish my holiday was super - Ivana our guide and all our crew were fantastic. Travelling on the Alfa Mario was a dream holiday and made more special by the friends I made on my 7 days - a holiday to remember.

- Samantha, 05/10/2021 10:18, Travelled Solo

Ceira, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2021-10-20:

Hi Samantha, Thanks for your review - we're glad to hear you enjoyed your time on our cruise. We hope to have you join us sometime in the future.

Solo travler from Ontario Canada

Right from the beginning enquiring about the trip, Sail Croatia office staff (Cayley and Aly) were great, followed up and I have to say, it was the follow up email made me move forward and book. I was encouraged to take the trip because of the option of a 'solo' traveller and get matched up with like kind traveller. Unfortunately there was no other solo travller booked but Matio, (our guide) immediately seeing my disappointment at check in, said to me that he has never seen anyone left out and assured me it will be fine. Matio was correct, and I had a great time, lots of laughter and cold beverages too. Although there was lots of land time at each of the stops, I think it would have ben fun to have other option to have entertainment on board. I would rate the trip 3.5 out of 5.

- Susan, 09/10/2019 18:58, Travelled Solo

Ceira, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2019-10-10:

Hi Susan, Thank you so much for your review. We are pleased to know that from your initial enquiry with Cayley and Aly, right up to stepping on our cruise, the service was seamless and professional, and that our follow up email encouraged you to book! Being a solo traveller, we understand that joining a cruise full of new people can be somewhat daunting, but this was all laid to rest with our rep Extraordinaire Mateo! We're so happy to hear you had a great time and we appreciate your comments of more entertainment onboard, we take this onboard, thank you!

Suggestions

1. The transfer car from the airport at Split dropped us off by the harbour, a long way from our hotel (which we had to locate ourselves). We could have been driven closer or shown where we could hire a 'golf car' to take us to our hotel. 2. On the boat the air conditioning unit drew air from the rear deck where the crew smoked. This made the atmosphere in our cabin very unpleasant. 3. Please supply black-tea (eg. English or Irish Breakfast Tea) on board. It would be much appreciated by British / Australian / New Zealand guests. Other than this we enjoyed the cruise.

- Anonymous, 07/10/2019 11:18, Travelled with Family

Ceira, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2019-10-08:

Thank you for your review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise experience overall. However, we are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with some aspects, which I wish to clarify for you. Our airport transfers will collect you from the airport and drop you as close as possible to the hotel. As your hotel was based in central Split, this is a highly pedestrianised area and does not allow vehicle access I'm afraid. We are sorry that this was not made clear prior to your arrival. We have designated smoking areas, generally towards the back of the boat however, we do appreciate your comments on this and we will pass this on to the Operations Team. Thanks for your suggestion of a variety of tea bags, we will pass this on to the relevant team. We appreciate all your suggestions here, thank you!

Olimp August 11-18 2019

Ana and the crew were so friendly and welcoming. As a solo traveller I was a bit nervous about how I would fit in but there was no need to worry. Ana and the crew couldn’t have been more inclusive. My fellow passengers were fantastic and we all gelled together quickly, enjoying all the islands had to offer in one another’s company. I have had a brilliant time, laughed a lot and eaten fabulous meals on board all against a backdrop of stunningly beautiful scenery. I can’t recommend Sail Croatia enough for a fabulous holiday.

- Sally Rafferty , 21/08/2019 17:57, Travelled Solo

Cayley, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2019-09-06:

Hi there, thank you so much for your 5 star review of your cruise with us this season on board Olimp. We are so pleased to hear that the crew and your on board Representative Ana were friendly and welcoming, especially as you were to start with a nervous solo traveller. It is also wonderful that your fellow travellers were fantastic too. Thank you so much for joining us and for your recommendation.

60th @ sea

Had a wonderful time aboard the Esperanza sailing Dub to Split. All crew members were friendly and helpful . The fact that o Kt small ships could access these Bays and Ports was a super experience and we all had a superb time . Thanks Boris, Tomo , Carlos and the rest of the crew .

- Willie, 13/08/2019 11:19, Travelled with Family

Ceira, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2019-08-15:

Thank you for the review - it was a real pleasure having you both join our lovely ship Esperanza. Thank you!

Great fun from start to finish. Highly recommended!

Ana the onboard rep took the worry out of every decision (places to go, dining, problems, transfers etc), and was absolutely outstanding. Her dedication was exemplary. Amongst the guests, a community spirit developed & we all had a ball, whatever the event. Boat was kept spotlessly clean throughout. Lunches were nicely presented and although a little simple, they were always imaginative and enjoyable. While relaxing, felt you were on your own boat! Breakfasts were lacking and as they were buffet style, if you were not first in you often missed out! Cabin had all amenities but the wardrobe was very small & problematic. Hooks on walls needed. Bed & linens comfy but needed extra pillows. The swim stops would have benefited by having some “toys” and canoes would have been welcome. Main disappointment was I specifically asked not to be allocated the noisy cabin (upper deck!) next to the engine as it was wife's special birthday — and that’s where we were put! All in all - a fantastic time!

- Bull, 13/08/2019 10:10, Travelled with Family

Ceira, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2019-08-15:

Hi there and thank you for your review. We pride ourselves on having the most knowledgeable, friendly, fun and dedicated representatives in Croatia - we are so happy to know you agree! I just wanted to highlight a few points in your review for guests thinking of joining us in the future, the breakfasts are generally buffet style and if more food is required, our chef is happy to prepare additional servings. We appreciate all your comments regarding the wardrobe, hooks, bed linen and water toys - we will pass these comments on to the relevant team. We will be investigating further, as we always try to cater to specific cabin requests, thank you for making us aware. We're glad you enjoyed your overall cruise experience and we thank you for choosing us!

Special vacation but lack of food

Undoubtly, the better way to visit islands and seaside of Croatia. BRAC - The stop at Milna is pointless.... better should we dock in Bol, just like other boats.

- Anonymous, 09/08/2019 20:44, Travelled with Family

Ceira, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2019-08-12:

Thank you for your review. We completely agree - there is something unique about visiting the islands by sea. Upon request, our chef is more than happy to provide you with additional portions. We try to get a good balance of islands on our cruises and we find the mix of the more popular, tourist attraction spots amongst the moor quant and quieter islands is a great combination for our guests to enjoy. We thank you for your suggestion here and will pass this on to the relevant team! Thank you.

Very relaxing

Good service - lovely new ship.. comfortable cabins and nice meals.

- Anonymous, 31/07/2018 08:06, Travelled with Family

GREAT VACATION

NICE AND RELAXING TIME AT THE CRUISE. SPECIAL SERVICE

- SILVIA, 04/07/2018 01:55, Travelled with Family

NICE VACATION

VERY RELAXING VACATION. WE ENJOYED THE CROATIAN ISLANDS VERY MUCH

- Anonymous, 27/06/2018 16:28, Travelled with Family

Diamond is a Girl's Best Friend!!

First, the family and friends that travelled with me! Second, the amazing beauty of Croatia, Dalmatian Coast and Adriatic Sea. Third, our boat tour guide, Stan! He was personal, professional and FUN! We grew to love Stan!

- Vicki, 10/10/2017 00:38, Travelled with Family

Good Cruise!

We enjoyed the cruise very much... friendly crew, good weather, great views! We particularly liked the size of the ship. The food was very good... but it would have been nice to have greater choice. Very disappointed not having tea or coffee available all day. As water in cabins undrinkable, water bottles should have been available in the rooms. Spending so little time in Hvar and Dubrovnik was disappointing and only 3 stops for swimming was also surprising. Family night and the Captain's Dinner was a lot of fun! Overall, we enjoyed ourselves but thought the company could have made it better at little additional cost.

- Don, 03/10/2017 03:40, Travelled with Family

Great cruise aboard Romantic Star

The 10 crew were terrific! All of the company aboard we made good friends with. Could've used a little more swimming. Breakfast and coffee could be improved. (particularly the coffee issue). The wine on board was not very good.

- Mary Sue , 03/10/2017 02:09, Travelled with Family

Enjoyed

The cruise was every thing we hoped it would be. Stan ourruise director was great making sure everyone felt included. The food was good only critism was lack of coffee on tap.i would have been happy to pay a little more for this facility.We are thinking of taking another cruise with your company

- Michael, 19/09/2017 07:35, Travelled with Family

Our Cruise

Our Elegance cruise was just that, very spacious and modern boat being the Olimp. The crew were very caring and Mia kept us well informed every day of activities. You could be as busy or relaxed as you wanted to be, Our daily lunch was huge and varied. We never felt crowded as there was plenty of room around the boat. Disappointments was being allocated twin beds upon upgrading to a upper deck room. The bar tab at the end is something to watch. There is no price list for the bar and we had to trust a pencil ledger at the end with no dates or prices. We only used the bar on two nights one being half price wine night, (7 wines, 1 beer) and the captains dinner 2 bottles red $65AUD each, 3 wines, 1 beer. 2 beers during the day. This came to over $400AUD total for the 4 of us travelling. Should have reviewed before paying as something was clearly wrong. My suggestion would be drinks to be signed off as ordered and prices given. Others had warned us prior re Sail Croatia bar tabs.

- Susan, 17/09/2017 03:37, Travelled with Family

A relaxing week swimming in the Adriatic

The highlight of the cruise was swimming in the Adriatic Sea, and relaxing on the Olimp. We enjoyed daily visits to the islands, and would have preferred to have more time in Hvar and been able to moar at Bol rather than the other side of the island.

- Sandra, 15/08/2017 08:21, Travelled with Family

Fun and Laughter

The boat was excellent, staff very pleasant and helpful with the majority of destinations beautiful.

- Lynnette, 13/08/2017 02:35, Travelled with Family

Great time

The weather and the beautiful waters

- Paul, 01/08/2017 18:54, Travelled with Family

Elegance cruise

Hello, i just return from elegance cruise Dubrovnik-Split and the trip was great. The boat Esperanza new, clean, comfortable. The places we visit perfect.. i have two things i would like to share in order to improve: 1. the food, even that it wasnt bad, the portions were little and reduced. 2. The breakfast hour, too few time and too early from 8 to 9. In my vacations i also want to sleep and rest a little more and without so strict time. Positive point was Tomo, always with a smile and very kind. Thanks

- Milena , 18/07/2017 01:11, Travelled with Family

Amazing

The beautifull Croatia landscapes!!! Very comfortable boat made the trip very interesting. Navigating every morning for such beautiful scenery and docking at lunch time to visit the places of destination made the itinerary very interesting. Highly recommend!

- Maria, 23/05/2017 16:43, Travelled with Family

Wonderful time overall thank you to the crew- we really enjoyed the elegance cruise on esperanza

The company, crew

- Suzanne, 13/09/2016 13:12, Travelled Solo

Wonderful

The ship was absolutely amazing and the destinations were awesome!!!

- Beverly, 08/09/2016 05:02, Travelled Solo

Significant Issues

1. When booking, we were never told that we would have to pay all on-board charges with cash - not our credit card at the end of our cruise. 2. Staffing Issues - although the staff on board was extremely friendly, for an 'Elegance Cruise' there should be more staff (i.e. guest should not have to walk to the bar to order, staff should circulate the boat to take orders during opening hours). 3. Meals - Breakfast is only available for 1 hour (8am-9am) each day. Passengers are on holiday, they should be offered meal options whenever they wish. Also, rather than a daily 3 course lunch menu - average at best - an al-a-cart menu should be offered. Many people would prefer to experience local restaurants on the islands rather than being restricted to a 2+ hour on-board lunch every day! 4. Lack of time on islands. On many days, arrival to the next island was AFTER a 2+hour on-board lunch. Arriving earlier would be much better.

- KENNETH, 23/08/2016 16:40, Travelled with Family

Ceira, Sales Rep at Sail Croatia replied 2017-03-22:

Thank you for your feedback regarding your Elegance cruise. I'm happy to read that you found the staff extremely friendly. I am sorry that it wasn't clearly communicated with you that cash is to be used on-board. We will be implementing a new bar tab system next season, and we are also currently looking at offering alternative payment methods in the near future. We have found that in the past passengers prefer having lunch on-board instead of evening meals as they like to experience the local cuisine in the evenings. Arrival time into port depends on port traffic, scheduling and weather - I am sorry that you found this to be too late. We have found that our guests prefer a swim stop before lunch, then after lunch we would make our way to the next destination. Swim stops can sometimes delay the arrival time at the next destination. In regards to your suggestion of having staff circulate the boat to take drinks orders, this is a great suggestion and I have passed this on to the Operations Team for improvements - thank you. We are always looking at ways to improve our services. Thank you again for taking the time to provide feedback and we hope that the issues onboard didn't detract from experiencing the beauty Croatia has to offer.

50th birthday

The boat was very good and the tours well thought out. I love Croatia and the islands. A very relaxing holiday it was above my expectations. The down side was that water, tea and coffee should be included all day every day. Unfortunately I felt like the staff and boat were on rations, I would reather pay a bit more and have these things available. In all I loved the trip and would do it again.

- Grant, 31/05/2016 05:55, Travelled with Family