The crew
- Kevin, 16/09/2025 17:22, Travelled in a Couple
Lola was excellent as our tail end guide with good history comments along the way. For constructive criticism I would recommend that the up front lead guide (Srdan) go a bit slower so that we did not spread out into seperate pelotons with the later groups missing turns that Srdan made without stopping to allow the later groups to catch up.
- Anonymous, 16/09/2025 15:28, Travelled with Friend/s
First of all, let me say that the people involved (crew, etc.) were excellent. I have no problem with any of them. Our cruise director was especially friendly and personable. Plus, I found Croatia to be a most beautiful country. That said, it was not one of my favorite trips. I found most places we stopped to be glorified "tourist traps." Most things were far too expensive, and we were constantly confronted with cost after cost for anything we might want to do. I think that should I ever return to Croatia, I'd probably pick one or two places and spend more time exploring more than just tourist trap stuff. I guess that could be said, however, for many such cruises, etc. Have traveled to several countries, however, this will not be considered one of my favorites.
- Kenneth, 15/09/2025 10:23, Travelled in a Couple
- Anonymous, 15/09/2025 07:45, Travelled in a Couple
Good host, good food and great itinerary.
- Nigel, 15/09/2025 07:38, Travelled in a Couple
On our recently completed trip from Dabrovnic to Split for 7 days, Although the "Tempera" ship requires some strong maintenance repairs and surface repairs, the experience beyond that was incredible for a first time cruise guest on that size and style of a ship. Our Cruise Manager Sasha was the most friendly, knowledgeable management team member that leads the way in customer relations and makes all guests feel like a family member. The Captain and crew provide a constant team effort of providing services of any nature while at sea or when at dock daily. We were fortunate to have a dining room / bar drink service leader in "Max", his efforts exemplify professionalism customer service. The most valuable aspect of this specific cruise trip was the personal relationships built in a very short order of time (from day 1) of the other guests. This size of a ship and the areas of common use created an experience like no other, for the friendships that were created, we thank you.
- Daryl, 15/09/2025 02:02, Travelled with Friend/s
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
Nicola (captain) and Ivana were great crew to guide us along the Croatian coast. They were attentive and flexible with our group of 9 and Ivana did a great job preparing meals after shopping for us daily. The island stops were beautiful places to visit!
- Dan, 10/09/2025 00:39, Travelled with Friend/s
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
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
The itinerary was well plannned with excellent leaders. I especially enjoyed the bike routes and swim spots! The food was good but the coffee was not acceptable! I would use Sail Croatia again!
- Henry, 08/09/2025 06:04, Travelled in a Couple
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
Best way to explore Croatia! The staff made me feel very welcomed and safe.
- Michael, 01/09/2025 16:32, Travelled Solo
We had a really lovely time. We were lucky enough to only have 16 people on our boat which meant we had lots of space and there was no issues getting deckchairs etc. I would imagine that with 40 people on board the boat would feel a little cramped, and getting a deckchair might be something of a challenge. The boat itself is beautiful and well looked after. The staff were really lovely and very accommodating. Unfortunately, the food was not good and certainly didn't math the price point. This was an opinion was shared by many of the other guests. Besides this, everything else on the boat was great. The Itinerary (Split - Dubrovnik) was great. The stops were beautiful and the excursions offered were on the whole really great. Overall it was a great experience and we had a lovely time.
- Sam, 28/08/2025 00:27, Travelled in a Couple
Lovre was great made the trip really good we all thought he’d been doing this for years, very put together and organised and everything ran smoothly
- Haydn, 27/08/2025 02:52,
Very knowledgeable cruise manager/guide and great, hardworking staff
- Paul, 25/08/2025 14:06, Travelled with Family
Your staff is awesome and very helpful. More details need to go to the ship and rooms.
- Glenn, 20/08/2025 21:09,
We love the islands and met new friends. The cycling was fun and the meals were good.
- Chris , 18/08/2025 05:37, Travelled in a Couple
Forgive my spelling of names but Jospina and Skipper Ante where the best. Every meal was perfect and they were attentive to all our needs, especially some of our party that were less sure footed getting on and off board. Bottom line only complaint was who sends a charter out with only 1 towel per guest for a week( this was not the crews fault) . Had a great time overall and our Crew were very knowledgeable of all the ports which made getting to and from any adventures/tours we went on super easy and added to our fun!!!!
- Philip, 13/08/2025 02:08, Travelled with Family
This was our second Sail Croatia experience, and it was just as fantastic as the first. The crew was exemplary, and special thanks must go to our wonderful Cruise Director, Ana. Her attention to detail and genuine enthusiasm ensured every aspect of our trip was a memorable adventure. I would have no hesitation in recommending Sail Croatia to anyone seeking a unique and unforgettable holiday. The only minor issue we encountered was with the cabin allocation. While this didn't detract significantly from our overall enjoyment, a more thoughtful approach to cabin assignments could have elevated the experience from a four-star cruise to a truly exceptional one.
- Nigel, 07/08/2025 04:16, Travelled with Friend/s
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
We really enjoyed our time on the Salve Di Mare. The locations we visited were beautiful! Absolutely stunning. Our cruise director Dino was friendly and informative. The staff were also very friendly and helpful. I wouldn't say anyone went above and beyond though. The rooms were nice and always cleaned well. The cruise is expensive and we really do not believe that is was worth the price we paid. The food was average at best. Well cooked, but boring. Breakfast was front 8 -9.30 with zero flexibility. No food or options for food is offered between breakfast and lunch. So if you miss breakfast, bad luck. Lunch was a 3 course meal and although I eat everything, my partner doesn't eat fish and instead received a piece of 'stuffed' half zucchini instead. During swim stops, which were again, stunning! While on the top deck reading a book, no one ever came up to ask if you'd like a drink! I found that the most puzzling. Wouldn't you want to make money?! Hard to give 3 stars, we loved it!
- Luke Carvell, 04/08/2025 08:10, Travelled in a Couple
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
Marin made the week as great as possible. Disappointing about Hvar situation but he improvised well. Super easy going & knowledgeable host makes your time as stress free & enjoyable as possible. Food was slightly disappointing after seeing/hearing about the other boats.
- Kane, 25/07/2025 09:56, Travelled with Friend/s
Make travel from boat to club/port/city centre etc included in the overall fair, or inform customer of these costs, pre-departure. Give a selection of restaurants for the customers to vote on to eat together. The restaurants chosen for use were very expensive were there were cheaper options available. Have the BBQ dinner included in the price paid for the week, not as an additional expense.
- Ethan, 23/07/2025 15:25, Travelled with Friend/s
Dear Ethan, Thank you for taking the time to review your cruise with us this summer - we are so pleased to have you on board! Yes, your onboard Representative will certainly make recommendations on where to eat your evening meals. Guests are given the freedom to dine at the suggested locations or choose somewhere else if they prefer. Additional costs are detailed in the Pre-Departure Information sent to guests one week prior to departure. It is important to us that we set the right expectations for travellers, ensuring they can budget appropriately. Please rest assured that guest feedback is very important to us, and the suggestion on the BBQ will be passed on to the relevant teams so that we can make improvements where necessary. Thank you for a fantastic week in Croaita!
My second Sail Croatia holiday and just as good as the first. I chose the Split Northern Cycle Tour to explore some new places and more of some of the places I'd visited previously, It was a great trip with an excellent multi national bunch of people on board. We were well looked after and the rides were excellent, scenic, varied, interesting and challenging but do go for the e-bike option unless you are a serious bike rider!
- Peter, 22/07/2025 12:45, Travelled Solo
Our trip was good overall. The boat was fantastic, and the crew did a great job. The swim stops were good fun for the first few days, but it got a bit repetitive after a while, especially when it goes for multiple hours. This however also means we get limited time at each destination. Just enough to have dinner before the sun sets, walk around a little, and then the boat is off by 7 or 8am the next morning. Also, we booked the explorer cruise thinking it wasnt the young party cruise, nor the golden oldies cruise. We were hoping for a mid age crowd with like minded people - this wasn't really the case. I will say though however, the people we did share the boat with were all a pleasure. It delivered what was advertised. But if I knew then what I know now, I'd probably just have booked my own trip through croatia, giving us more time in locations where we want to be and not wasting days at locations with little to offer or waiting to dock.
- Frank, 21/07/2025 15:18, Travelled in a Couple
It was an amazing experience, great staff, amazing places, and great people that you will 100% make friendships from. My only down side is when we are all hungover we don’t really wanna eat fish or weird dishes
- Joren , 21/07/2025 09:28,
Great way to see the country! Experience different towns and landscapes with others from around the world. Your guide helps in bringing you to unique spots that you would otherwise not know to check out. One of the best trips my partner and I have ever been on!
- Andrew, 15/07/2025 16:16, Travelled in a Couple
Our time on board the ship and during the cycling cruise was fantastic. The ship's crew was friendly and professional. Our cycling guides, Tonka and Sanja, were excellent, fun, and took us to many wonderful places. They also made numerous recommendations that were very helpful and enjoyable. My only criticism was for communication with the Sail Croatia personnel. It was difficult to find out which boat you were assigned to because that information was buried in a specific email link. I also asked about storage on the bicycles since they had racks and was told there was none. There were panniers provided and I did not need the backpack I had bought based on the misinformation.
- William, 08/07/2025 18:56, Travelled with Friend/s
The trip was well organised and the staff aboard, excellent. Our tour guide/organiser kept us well informed.
- Phil , 07/07/2025 11:02, Travelled in a Couple
Beautiful ship & great Staff
- Christopher , 01/07/2025 05:23,
Being able to cycle and see the places we visited with local knowledge guides. E Bikes makes it much easier and open to a wide variety of abilities. Stopping at every port and trying out local restaurants was also nice.
- Mark , 27/06/2025 04:46, Travelled with Friend/s
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
The tour guides Ivan and Lucija made the trips wonderful and unforgettable. Thank you.. It would have been a 5-stars tour if the breakfast varies daily, the ship is stocked with shampoo and the bed mattress is thicker. The staff on board were wonderful. The tour was well organized and the bikes were fantastic. Beach towels were not provided either.. It would have been very nice if these are provided as well.
- Roger, 18/06/2025 15:37, Travelled with Friend/s
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
1) Omit overnight on day 7 of trip. End the trip after lunch on day 6. This eliminates unreasonably early check out on day 7 and also makes it easier for a guest to check in to their hotel in DBV without having to wait until 12:00 or 13:00 check in time. 2) Onshore excursion options need clear explanation in pretrip communication. Example: I was not told that a scenic bus tour and a walking tour of DBV was available, so I booked them in advance with Viator. If I had known I would have gone on the onshore excursion instead. 3) Include the use of one pannier on the bike. 4) Include written instructions for charging the bike battery and operating the ebike. 5) There were three outlets in the cabin. That is insufficient to charge two bike batteries plus two phones plus hearing aids, etc. A simple multi-plug adapter can fix this issue. 6) Guide must not make promises he doesn't keep. Example: A military tour was promised on one island (Vis?) but was never delivered.
- Tom, 11/06/2025 07:21, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Tom, thank you for your 3-star review. We also appreciate your detailed positive feedback and we’re so pleased you enjoyed the cruise and would recommend us. Guests are always welcome to disembark once the boat docks at the final destination, should they prefer to end their trip earlier. Your comments about the pannier, charging instructions, and multi-plug adapters are appreciated and have been passed to our Operations Team for review. While our guides provide information at the daily briefing based on the cycle schedule, some activities, such as onshore excursions or optional tours, may be subject to change or availability. We regret that the expectations around the military tour and Dubrovnik excursion options were not met - we appreciate your comments. Thank you again for your review.
The staff made it a really great trip especially Max. Ivana’s knowledge of the area and her help was exceptional.
- Anonymous, 10/06/2025 13:17, Travelled in a Couple
While this was somewhat of a good experience, there was too much down time, internet reception was extremely poor and whilst the crew were friendly enough they did not seem to want to go above and beyond, then at the end of the cruise, we were nearly shamed in to giving a tip, it was most uncomfortable.
- Anonymous, 10/06/2025 00:24, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there, thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent experience with us. I’m glad to hear that you found some aspects of the cruise enjoyable - this is wonderful to hear. Our Explorer cruises are designed to blend socialising, sightseeing and relaxation on board. You will find in your Pre-Departure Information, more details on Tipping In Croatia. Tipping is not compulsory in Croatia, however, it is customary, and if you are happy with the service onboard, tips are very much appreciated. Your comments will be passed onto our team in Croatia and we appreciate your insights as they help us improve our services. We want to thank you for joining us this season in Croatia!
- Steven, 09/06/2025 14:09, Travelled in a Couple
Everyone on the Afrodita works so hard, the ship was very well maintained and the food was great. The hike guides very good and well informed. The trails were not maintained by any standards basically goat paths. I slipped and fell on first hike injured my leg, cuts and bruised on the loose sharp rock. The guides Martin and ILona were great. Martin applied bandages to my leg to stop the bleeding then helped me finish the last kilometer back to the boat. I had to skip the hike the next day and only did 5 of the 7 hikes opting to do the easiest. Looking back I wish I knew the trail conditions, the length and elevations were all that I remember and the hikes were moderate. Next time we will do the elegant cruse. I wish I could give 5 stars.
- Brandon Weder, 08/06/2025 14:35, Travelled in a Couple
The locations and crew were outstanding. Our guides Mario and Marin were full of knowledge and stressed safe riding. The crew on the boat were also very good. The booking process was less than stellar. My son and I were assigned a room with one double bed, not two singles. Since are large people, it did not work. He slept under the bed. Booking knew the assignment but would not/could not change it. Serious screw up by the office staff.
- Larry, 30/05/2025 15:08, Travelled with Family
Hi Larry, thank you for your review and for your kind words about our guides and crew – we’re delighted you enjoyed the overall experience. We regret to read about your booking experience. As outlined in our FAQs, cabin types vary by ship and are based on 2 people sharing – with configurations including twin beds, bunk beds, or one double bed. Whilst preferences can be requested at booking, we cannot guarantee specific layouts due to each ship’s unique cabin setup and limited availability. Final cabin allocations are confirmed a week before departure. We appreciate your understanding and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again.
The boat was immaculate. A credit to the skipper and crew. The guides Mika and Lola were fantastic.
- Warwick , 28/05/2025 10:50, Travelled with Family
Great service
- Anonymous, 28/05/2025 10:32, Travelled in a Couple
Numerous swimming stops and excursions and daily briefs on Croatia history and culture. Nightly stops at interesting ports with historical and cultural heritage relevance. Captain and crew members professional service ensured a worry free rememberable experience.
- Scott, 27/05/2025 14:24, Travelled in a Couple
1) Smaller group! With that many riders (32) the faster riders, some of whom would have ridden even faster if allowed, spent way too much time waiting for the slower riders. This was the case on the uphills, the downhills, and the level rides. People ride at different speeds, regardless of terrain or type of bike. 2) Longer, full-day rides. One day was only 10 km, which is ridiculous.
- Anonymous, 27/05/2025 05:58, Travelled with Friend/s
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your review and share your feedback following your recent Cycle Cruise with us. We're always grateful to hear from our guests, as it helps us continuously improve the experience we offer. We're sorry to hear that the group size and varying riding speeds impacted your enjoyment. Our Cycle Cruises are designed as guided group experiences, and as such, we aim to accommodate a wide range of cycling abilities. To manage this, each ride is led by two experienced guides—one at the front and one at the back—ensuring no one is left behind and that the group remains safe and supported throughout the journey. We appreciate your comments regarding the distance of some rides. Please note that all daily itineraries, including ride durations and distances, are made available in advance of booking. This allows guests to choose the trip that best matches their expectations and ability. Some days do feature shorter rides for safety, logistical, or scenic reasons, and all routes are carefully risk assessed to suit the group setting. While we understand that some guests may prefer longer or more individually tailored rides, our Cycle Cruises are intentionally designed as shared adventures—focused on group camaraderie, support, and exploration at a pace suitable for a diverse range of participants. That said, we do value your input and will take your feedback into consideration as we continue to refine our itineraries and offerings. We thank you again and we hope to welcome you again in the future on another journey!