The cruise was lovely & scenic. I wish we had more time at the ports, the time spent at the swim stops & lunch seemed a little too long. Staff were nice & very professional. Ship was well maintained & very clean.
- Teresa, 21/10/2025 06:06, Travelled with Friend/s
Loved the facilities of this boat and the relaxing schedule of daily swimming stops
- Barbara, 18/10/2025 17:12, Travelled with Friend/s
The staff were very friendly and accommodating The food was adequate but could have been somewhat better..Enjoyed my time in the Dalmatian islands
- Anonymous, 14/10/2025 14:19, Travelled in a Couple
We enjoyed our travel of the Croatian islands with Sail Croatia. Ioana made the experience great ! She has given reliable information and realistic expectations of the activities every day. We made so many friends which added value to the experience itself! Food is great ! The cabin was spacious and clean. If anything, I would recommend all inclusive sailing, maybe offering 1 or 2 options of activities for the passengers to choose from . Thank you for this experience! Best, Arlyn and Thomas
- Arlyn , 14/10/2025 13:56, Travelled in a Couple
- Douglas, 12/10/2025 03:54, Travelled Solo
Number one, the staff was excellent! From the time we entered onto the ship to the time we got off they were always there when we needed them. If someone also had food issues, they were also accommodating to the persons needs. The director, Ivan, also personalized, and went above and beyond some of the things to help us and make our experience very memorable! The staff also in charge of swimming, cooking, serving, cleaning, bartending were all very friendly. Second, the ship was in great condition and kept clean. Third, the two tours that were included were great with Ivan. Fourth, the Captain’s dinner was great and the band was excellent! And, the people that were on the ship with us ended up to be the best and we all had so much fun together! A feeling of family! Ivan, the director was superb!! Captain Ivan was also superb!
- Stephanie , 12/10/2025 02:42, Travelled with Family
Katerina is owned and crewed by the family. This is a 5 star rating. Ship is spotless and crew are the best. Owner and crew (mostly family and cousins) are so attentive to every detail. Meals: adequate and enjoyable but not outstanding. Captains' dinner was very good. Activities: not memorable. Walking tour in Dubrovnik was boring. Ship provided dinner was not impressive. Should have stayed in port and gone to local restaurant Ioana our tour director was 5 stars' She had to deal with a lot of shifting itinerary and was a truly shing star for the passengers. Overall was a nice experience. Met a lot of good people and that was a big plus; Croatia is very expensive on the street Plan to spend some BIG $$ in local establishments. Overall, a check on our bucket list. Nice but would not do again
- John, 10/10/2025 00:28, Travelled in a Couple
We sailed on the Queen Jelena (Split North itinerary). Beautiful boat, really good crew. The food onboard was just OK, often just warm rather than hot. A 3 course lunch is not what most people have day to day at home and the thoughts from fellow passengers were thst this was a bit rigid and maybe a buffet style lighter lunch would be better as it felt you had breakfast and a couple of hours later a large lunch making you lethargic. Trips were ok, village dinner was good, buggy trip was good but not best value. More time needed in Dubrovnik as it beautiful, I would skip the walking tour (pointless) and enjoy more time exploring yourself. All stops on this itinerary were beautiful. One last point; the daily briefing should be carried out using the TV in the saloon as shown on the website content so you can actually get a visual idea of your day ahead. The WhatsApp group is useful when it's set up. Overall a good experience, 7.5/ 10
- Paul , 07/10/2025 05:49, Travelled in a Couple
We had the best vacation on the Olimp with 10 of our friends. The boat is beautiful, cabins are modern and bathrooms are great. There is plenty of space (in the sun or in the shade) to relax and enjoy the passing scenery. Captain George and the Olimp crew were fantastic, making sure we were safe, happy and well feed & ‘watered’! The islands we visited were lovely and we all enjoyed wondering round and exploring them. Daily swim stops were fun and locations were always very picturesque.
- Nicola, 05/10/2025 08:54, Travelled with Friend/s
We enjoyed the crew and getting to know the passengers. . The food was inconsistent, not always stellar . Much of it dry and cold, the coffee was instant, and we had to pay extra for real coffee. The islands themselves very scenic, the ship was clean, and the crew were amazing. We would do a smaller cruise but upgrade to a fancier ship with better food. Otherwise, great memories were made.
- Susie, 02/10/2025 20:08, Travelled in a Couple
Martina and Mio were great. The Guide from Sail Croatia was a little tightly wound and confrontational. The food was just okay, and that’s probably generous. The worst part was all the noise on the boat. Spend ten bucks and put felt sliders on the chairs in the saloon. Seriously. The chair sliding noise killed all the cabins right below it. The drink prices were stupid for what you get. The food was very forgettable. But the boat and the crew were good!
- Jason, 01/10/2025 19:49, Travelled with Friend/s
First of all the added costs. Quite a few of the added activities were charged. The prices when converted to Australian dollars were quite expensive. Recommended tipping at the end was very high and this was noted by other passengers as well. We were looking at around AU$700 for the service. Considering how much we paid for the cruise wevconsidered it unreasonable to expect extra charges like this on top. Meals. Breakfasts were very nice. However, some of the lunches were variable in quality. Generally, the entree and deserts were fine but some of the main courses were not to liking. Captains dinner was disappointing. The Entertainment was noisy: not allowing any kind of conversation between the passengers. As an older couple, we found the loud music and tactic singing and dancing to be a bit disconcerting. Nikos and Ivanka were both friendly and always helpful. 5 stars to both of them. Also, the cabin was comfortable and clean and about was beautifully presented.
- Rupert , 30/09/2025 17:09, Travelled in a Couple
Hello Rupert, thank you for taking the time to review your cruise with us this season. We are pleased to hear that you found your cabin comfortable and clean, enjoyed the beautiful presentation of the ship, and that both Nikos and Ivanka made such a positive impression during your cruise. We will be sure to pass on your kind words to them. Guest feedback is very important to us, so we do appreciate you sharing your experience with us. You can find a helpful blog on Tipping on the website and further information is also included in the Pre-Departure Information sent to you prior to departure. We do also note on the Elegance page and Excursions page which activities are included, free or charge or at an additional cost. If ever in doubt, we encourage guests to always reach out to their on board Sail Croatia Representative. Thank you for joining us this season and exploring beautiful Croatia.
We traveled with a group of friends. This cruise perfectly loans itself to a friendly and fun experience. The crew was fantastic, in particular Mio and Martina. They made our experience so much more fun and their attention gave a much higher level of service than expected. The slow progression through the islands felt luxurious and calming. I never felt a moment of motion sickness. The islands and coastline are absolutely stunning. The cabins are good sized, the showers had good water pressure and temperature. The bar was well stocked and available when we wanted it. The only weak area of improvement is the meals. The long lunch is lovely but some of the dishes were not delicious. The daily salad bar was good as was the breakfast. We would have preferred a longer breakfast time. It was early and too short.
- Anonymous, 30/09/2025 07:08, Travelled with Friend/s
Everything about our Croatia Elegance cruise on the Katarina was outstanding, with the exception of the meals, which often weren’t to our liking. But would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
- Kathrin, 30/09/2025 00:38, Travelled in a Couple
Great ship and crew.
- Peter, 23/09/2025 19:14, Travelled in a Couple
This cruise was a great experience. The staff was incredibly attentive, the food was delicious and plenty of . It .The destinations were wonderful and the swim spots were calm., clean and secluded. The cabin was a little small and the bed a bit uncomfortable. I recommend it for anyone looking for a fuss free, intimate way to see the islands of Croatia..
- Mary-Louise , 23/09/2025 03:15, Travelled in a Couple
Our tour guide Ioana could not do enough to respond to every request. Very nice cabins and ship well maintained. Particularly enjoyed the swim stops, Hvar and Korcula visits.
- Ann, 16/09/2025 18:54,
The crew
- Kevin, 16/09/2025 17:22, Travelled in a Couple
Comfortable cabin. Tasty food. My food preferences were accommodated. Nice tours were organised. Tour operator was pleasant and accommodating. Standard of wine was good.
- Denise , 16/09/2025 15:39, Travelled Solo
The Katarina is a very beautiful ship with a modern and elegant décoration The commun areas are well laid out The crew is very professional, friendly and helpfull The breakfast was good but it would benefit from being better supplied : for exemple of earl grey tea, a jam in jars where you can see the fruit that make it up, wholemeal bread , …. The salad buffet is a good initiative but it could include a dish of lentils or beans or chickpeas For me, the best moments were the swimming stop at the end of the morning ,in deserted coves near rocks and pines. The tour operator was very professionnal and friendly
- JAMILA, 16/09/2025 11:39,
I would have discounted our room as we were directly over the engine which was ear splitting.y loud, had home made cookies available all day, served better quality salads, had more beach towels for guests, more water toys, I.e., paddle boards nd kayaks and laundry services available. The staff were very friendly and helpful.
- Linda, 16/09/2025 06:03, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Linda, thank you for your feedback. It's great to hear that you found the staff friendly and helpful! We regret to learn that some aspects didn't meet your expectations. While your Above Deck cabin was located near the engine room, as with all small ship cruises, some engine noise can be experienced – many guests find this a minor part of the authentic sailing experience. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions regarding cookies, salads, beach towels, water toys, and laundry services. Our crew are happy to accommodate where possible and assist in extra towels, more salad and providing recommendations on laundromats. Your comments will be passed on to our team as we continually look for ways to enhance the guest experience. We hope to welcome you back on board for another enjoyable cruise soon!
You offer transfers from airport to boat, but not hotel to boat, I cannot see the difference in going to airport or a hotel? We had 2 hot showers at of 7 days - this is unacceptable. Coffee and tea should be available at all times. Other food options should be available at all times Wifi was poor, consider using starlink We had 1 towel to use for the week??
- Ray, 16/09/2025 04:04, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review and for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that certain aspects of your trip didn’t meet your expectations, and we appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns. Regarding transfers, we do offer complimentary Elegance transfers to and from the local airport only, as per our contracted service. We understand the convenience of a hotel-to-port transfer, but this is not included in the Elegance package as advertised - this information can be found under FAQ's. We’re sorry to hear you experienced difficulties with the hot water. According to our internal report, the crew did investigate your concerns and found the issue to be related to the operation of the shower control. The knob needed to be turned fully to the left and given some time to activate the hot water. The Captain also explained that the water is heated while the engine is running, and this was communicated to you. After these clarifications, it was confirmed that hot water was available throughout. With regard to towels, each guest is provided with one beach towel for the week, however plenty of showering towels are provided and if you found yourself needing more towels for showering, you simply needed to speak to the crew and your Onboard Representative for additional towels or other needs — they are always happy to assist. Concerning Wi-Fi, we do provide complimentary access on board; however, as outlined in our materials, connection quality can vary due to signal coverage along the coast and limitations inherent to sailing. Thank you for your further thoughts on food and beverages onboard which have been passed on to operations team together with your entire constructive feedback which is very welcome. Thank you again for traveling with us and we do hope to see you again!
We were on the Esperanza which is an excellent facility. The food and service were outstanding. I think every port stop should include a walking tour. I think it would be good to have the boat docked while we are at lunch so you could walk off immediately after lunch. Our cruise director Mia worked very hard to keep everything organized. Unfortunately she is difficult to understand as her speech is very rapid fire. The guests got to know each and all were friendly. Lovely overall experience!
- Scott, 10/09/2025 06:47, Travelled in a Couple
Lovely boat, comfy bed and cabin. Very relaxing on board and nice stops along the Split North route. SC rep was excellent as was service on board. Food was a bit hit and miss but Croatia not renowned for its cuisine. Warmed plates would help
- Nigel, 09/09/2025 14:06, Travelled in a Couple
Beautiful ship, great crew, fabulous cruise director. We visited beautiful ports and always the swim stops were a highlight. A little more variety in the food would have made it a five star review. Would recommend this trip to anyone wanting to see beautiful Croatia , learn some history and relax.
- Leslie, 09/09/2025 11:27,
The people, our host was exceptional. Staff very friendly. Ship was very comfortable and clean.. the swim stops a definite high light.. so much history to take in. The food was very good although I did hear some say they were looking for more of a variety.
- Catherine, 09/09/2025 10:23, Travelled with Family
Excellent ship (Romantic Star) and crew. Wonderful sights and stops, particularly the swim stops. Island overnights in Korcula, Hvar. Dubrovnic were spectacular. The food was generally very good and accomodations were made for those with dietary requirement. It’s amazing how these meals were created in such a small galley. We would suggest some improvements should be made in the quality control of optional excursions, such as in our case, the Vis Island tour where 8 passengers were required to travel in a 4 seater Jeep with 4 of us in the back cargo area on wooden benches with no seat belts! We would also suggest that Sail Croatia provide the option to sign up for excursions when booking so that can be included in the price of the trip. Otherwise, sailing is a great way to see Croatia which is a very hilly country when travelling by land.
- Howard, 09/09/2025 08:30,
Sailing on the Olimp with Sail Croatia was, overall, a very good experience. The boat itself was fantastic, and the crew were excellent. However, a couple of things did take the shine off the trip. Firstly, in the cabins there’s a constant whirring from the extractor fans throughout the night. The air-conditioning is fine, but these bathroom fans never switch off. We asked for them to be turned off, which they kindly did on the first night, but for the rest of the week we had to put up with the noise—such a shame. Secondly, breakfast was always served in the dining area, which is air-conditioned, but with all the doors kept closed the sound of 30 people chatting becomes deafening. It seems such a missed opportunity not to let guests spread out onto the aft deck, where there’s fresh air and space for the noise to dissipate.
- Andrew, 09/09/2025 08:10, Travelled in a Couple
our guide, very clean boat, social environment, great weather and scenery.
- alfred, 09/09/2025 05:56, Travelled with Friend/s
our guide, Vedran, combined with the absolutely lovely ship Queen Jelena and it's expert captain/owner (Gordan? sorry), combined for a wonderful experience. Exploring the Dalmatian Coast this way was amazing and everything we hoped it would it be, and was so much more. Vedran informed, educated, coddled and tolerated all of us crazy tourists with grace, humor, and bottomless patience. The captain found us the most beautiful swimming spots each day, and navigated through the islands so smoothly, especially during the few rough waters we had. The boat is absolutely beautiful, comfortable, and relatively brand new (2018)! My only quibbles would be with the kitchen. The Captain's dinner was one of the best meals we had in our 2 weeks in Croatia (and probably the most fun!), and all the lunches were lovely (though the chef could have used a lighter touch with the tuna steaks and racks of lamb to better represent his skills). We just wish the breakfast window was longer and less rigid.
- Peter S, 06/09/2025 12:12, Travelled in a Couple
Ivana and the crew made the trip pleasurable, always making the effort to see all our needs were met
- Christine , 02/09/2025 15:39, Travelled with Friend/s
The boat (Queen Jelena), the intinerary from Dubrovnik to Split, the regular swim stops and the food, was all outstanding. However, I also did not feel like I needed a full 3-course sit-down meal in the middle of the day EVERY day. Our tour leader was informative, helpful and lovely. Perhaps the only disappointment was that the boat was half full (in July??) with 12 other passengers : 3 couples and the rest retired single and/or divorced women in their 70s. (I still work and was holidaying solo for a break and some fun). By the 4th night I was feeling trapped in the slow lane and trying to avoid the "horrible ex-husband" stories.. That said, I do recommend Sail Croatia, and I understand you cannot control who books a tour at the same time as you. However I found the Elegance cruise to be better suited to travellers seeking a slower pace.
- Anonymous, 19/08/2025 14:30, Travelled Solo
The beautiful ship. The amazing swim stops. The clean and spacious cabins. The ‘welcome on board’ canapés. The opportunity to experience some beautiful, picturesque islands. The Captains dinner. The itinerary. Mio & the lovely cleaning lady who cleaned our cabins. Only having 14 guests on board. Room for improvement:: The staff could be more friendly (except Mio and the cleaning lady - they couldn’t do enough for you); there should be more fish served as part of our lunches as we are out at sea and in the Adriatic! The lunches were lovely but certainly could be improved; the breakfasts and fresh fruit needed to be replenished as you were scared of having too much and not leaving enough for other passengers. It was not clear that you could have more. The chief female waitress in my opinion didn’t want to be there and that was more than obvious at times. As there was only 14 guests on board, it felt like most of the crew were ‘on a jolly’ and did not make enough effort to satisfy.
- Anonymous, 05/08/2025 08:53, Travelled with Friend/s
We really enjoyed the itinerary and The Esperanza was very well maintained. However some issues need addressing. The staff don’t appear to be very happy in their work place. Deck hands rarely smiled, the waitress in the salon was at times most inappropriate and borderline rude. It’s not every day you hear the F word or gestures using an arms whilst talking to passengers. So totally unprofessional and disrespectful to the Captain.. We appreciate that crew are able to go ashore for free time but please don’t tell the passengers that drinking of alcohol was consumed whilst ashore and then come onto deck to work; Safely for guests and crew surely should be paramount. The salon steward Mio went above and beyond to make every moment a pleasurable experience. The food lacked any wow factor, breakfast tepid, cold ravioli not nice, lettuce leaves as a salad, fruit bowl not replenished until we complained Only 14 guests in total and that shouldn’t mean less effort.. Representive did his job.
- Anonymous, 05/08/2025 08:47, Travelled with Friend/s
The ship was immaculately fitted out, crew were friendly, helpful and courteous. Food was substantial and generally good standard. But not gourmet as photography on brochures suggested. The islands were interesting and great to explore, however, a couple had very little to keep us occupied and exploring( notably Brac). Sail Croatia events coordinator was always helpful and available to help and plan for each stopover.. We felt that more entertainment in evenings even one more early on in cruise would have brought guests and crew together . The evening dinner on one of the islands was extremely disappointing, both for location and the meal itself.
- Peter, 29/07/2025 15:00, Travelled in a Couple
This is a trip to recommend for several reasons, the itinerariy is superb. Ivana our host could not have been better and the crew is fantastic. There is always room to improve on A few things like breakfast, the village dinner, but all in all very good
- Gustavo, 29/07/2025 05:12, Travelled with Family
The weather was very good, the boat was very clean, the Captain & crew were hard-working, friendly, helpful and professional. And our fellow passengers were great. The variety of tours on offer was good. We would have liked one night at anchor in a sheltered bay. And we would have preferred longer breakfast time from, say, 8am to 10am. The bed in our cabin wasn’t very comfortable, too hard a mattress for us. However all-in-all we had a great trip and we would recommend it to others.
- Michele, 22/07/2025 12:47, Travelled in a Couple
More outdoor meals would be great. More and better pillows definitely. Some type of equipment for swimming stops, stand up boards maybe? Captains dinner earlier on in trip so everyone mingles more earlier on. Staff were great, boat comfortable and well maintained/clean.
- Mark, 05/07/2025 12:47, Travelled with Friend/s
Romantic Star Cruise (June 21-29, 2025) Pros: -Ship was new and clean. -Swim stops were perfect. Cons: -Staff, except guide, looked unhappy (no smile). -Cleaning day didn't do a good job cleaning. Towel were not changed in the 7 days' stay. -Food was OK, not interesting. -Coffee and juices were charged if consumed outside the 1 hour for a meal time - outrageously cheap!! -Captain's dinner (lame) and dinner in town were had in Hvar, so we didn't get to eat out in beautiful Hvar. They should have been held in Dubrovnic (where we stayed 2 nights) and Planikovak (which didn't have good restaurants).
- Eunjae, 02/07/2025 16:15, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Eunjae, Thank you for your 4-star review. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed our clean and well-maintained ship, as well as the beautiful swim stops – both are highlights we take great pride in. We also appreciate your comments regarding staff experience, cleaning service, and dining arrangements. These have been reviewed by our team and improvements have already been implemented, as reflected in recent customer feedback. We value your constructive feedback and hope to welcome you again in the future with an even better experience.
Great - Food, Niko, Great layout of boat, Swim stops. Beautiful scenery. Not so good - only 7 passengers so not sociable as expected. Organisation at end of cruise was poor. Crew smoke entered cabin. More equipment needed for swim stops (noodles). Long mirrors needed in cabin.
- Debra, 01/07/2025 16:27,
Hi Debra, thank you for your 4 star review and for taking the time to share your feedback. We are very happy to read how you enjoyed the food, beautiful swim stops and exploring what Croatia has to offer! Your kind words regarding Niko and the crew will certainly be passed on, thank you for this. We are committed to running our cruises as scheduled, so that customers know they can book safely with us. We too are sad about the low numbers on your cruise, however this is out of our control, I'm afraid. Thank you again for sailing with us, and we hope to welcome you back in the future.
Beautiful ship & great Staff
- Christopher , 01/07/2025 05:23,
Pros: Crew was great overall. The bartenders/servers were fantastic. Breakfast was fine to good and met expectations. Croatia is a beautiful country and our tour guide/runner was a local that was very knowledgeable in this aspect. Cons: Lunch was in general, underwhelming for the cost. My wife is a health nut, and I saw her salt food for the first time in my life. When paying this premium on price I would expect the food to be more elevated, or at least more enjoyable. The video implied more access to the boat than we received. Several small requests - like opening windows, screens, etc were denied and the requests themselves often felt as if we were asking the staff to move mountains. Tour guide was not particularly friendly, often had condescending responses to guests, & occasionally left out vital info when visiting particular islands (i.e cash only). Unfortunately, the experience on the cheaper options is probably more reflective of the value you receive on the Elegance line.
- Kyle, 20/06/2025 02:30, Travelled in a Couple
I wish we could visit the ports in the morning instead of being on the boat. The weather was so hot we just didn't want to go out exploring the port until 7PM. Food and crew on the boat were excellent, as well as our Sail Croatia rep really trying to make the afternoon excursions work smoothly.
- Matthew, 17/06/2025 22:08, Travelled in a Couple
The boat was comfortable, the food beautifully prepared the shore stops were very interesting and we had a very organised cruise director. We were lucky to only have a small group of 18 on a boat that caters for 36.. The spoilers were the boat crew did their job efficiently but nothing more. There was never a smile or any other pleasantries. Only Dragon ever engaged with anyone. It often felt awkward. It was the first time we have encountered this on our many cruises. Also, it was pretty savings to only have coffee available from 7.30am and only instant coffee available for free at morning tea. If we wanted an express it cost €5 which is exploitation when on sure we had many coffees for less than half that price.
- Dina , 17/06/2025 08:14, Travelled in a Couple
Great service
- Anonymous, 28/05/2025 10:32, Travelled in a Couple
Our tour director Klara was exceptionally helpful & organized. The Olimp captain & crew were fantastic & very friendly. Thank you for showing off your beautiful country Croatia! Brock & Anna
- Anna, 27/05/2025 07:16, Travelled in a Couple
Lovely and relaxing adventure. I wish all my vacations were this fun! Thomas
- Thomas, 26/05/2025 13:11,
Ioana was absolutely fantastic, her bright personality and fun loving nature made our cruise one to cherish forever, also many thanks to bar staff Harry and Tony. The wonderful chiefs did an amazing job with the meals, top quality food we enjoyed all the meals. Cheers Cathy and John
- Cathy, 21/05/2025 18:55,
We enjoyed having a relatively small group of fellow travellers being 36 in total from Australia, Canada, South Africa, UK and USA. Our cabin was comfortable although the quality in pillows and towels was poor. The chef and catering staff did a magnificent job with meal preparation it’s was always delicious The dining saloon however was very noisy during meal times and made conversation difficult The islands/towns visited all had something different to enjoy and we soon chose our favourites. The staff were all friendly and courteous and the boat comfortable and in good condition .We were disappointed that smoking was allowed in the inside deck area which was enclosed with plastic coverings. and attached to the dining saloon. This was especially unpleasant and meant many of us could not utilise this area. This issue was reported to the staff however we felt the resolution unsatisfactory. Regardless of these issues we did enjoy the experience and had a lot of laughs.
- Anonymous, 20/05/2025 16:42, Travelled in a Couple
Overall, a very good experience. We both enjoyed our week on the Olimp, it is a beautiful ship. Our rep was amazing, he worked hard to ensure we had a good week. The food , especially lunch, was beyond exceptional. Breakfast wasn't bad but I expected some good fresh fruit options instead of canned peaches and unripe pineapple every morning. Included in the cruise price we had two really excellent wine tastings and two that were average. Having said that, we would still recommend cruising with Sail Croatia. The team really went above and beyond
- Shelley, 13/05/2025 17:17, Travelled in a Couple