A very enjoyable cruise. Crew was very friendly and helpful at all times. Food was excellant.
- Anonymous, 08/09/2026 21:23, Travelled with Family
A great way to explore the southern islands of Croatia
- Anonymous, 07/09/2026 03:24, Travelled in a Couple
We recently boarded the Tempera Cruise from Split to Dubrovnik, and we had such a fantastic experience! Our sail team was incredibly helpful and made us feel so well looked after throughout the trip. Our host, Andro, was honestly the best. He was incredibly knowledgeable about all the islands we visited, and we really appreciated his honesty and recommendations about which excursions were actually worth doing. The only thing we wish had been included on our trip was the rafting experience! The crew did a fantastic job of making sure we had plenty of time at the best swimming spots, and they even adjusted our ports to minimise travel time on days when they felt we needed more time to explore the islands. We also loved the people we met along the way. Our cruise had a great mix of younger and older couples, and everyone got along so well, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Thank you to the entire Tempera Cruise team for an amazing trip and so many great memories!
- Anonymous, 17/08/2026 09:40, Travelled in a Couple
An amazing week spent on Princess Diana yacht. Visited many beautiful islands and met some great people on board. Fantastic crew and guide, lovely food, cleanliness extremely good, nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff. Would like to mention Sonya who was over and above expectations, especially when I was a little unwell when we first boarded. Definitely a holiday that will stay with me forever. Great big thank you to all staff on board. wonderful experience. will recommend this to family and friends.
- Ann Wistance, 04/08/2026 18:47, Travelled with Family
We absolutely loved this trip on the Almissa. Perfect mix of cruising, swim stops and visits to beautiful islands. Staff were great, food was delicious and we had a great group of people onboard with us. Fun side trip options if you want them. Plenty of sunloungers upstairs for everyone. Only give it 4 stars as cabins are fairly basic but you don’t spend much time in there anyway - they were perfectly fine with plenty of room to store things. So good being able to unpack for a week and enjoy the cruise.
- Cheryl, 20/07/2026 09:02, Travelled in a Couple
We had a really good time on board the Salve di Mare, Split to Dubrovnik. The food was very tasty, every staff member was friendly and professional, and the ship was spotless and well appointed. The swim stops were mostly incredible (the last one near Dubrovnik was less special and secluded than the others). We didn't get to do the Blue Cave tour as scheduled; still not sure why not. My only real criticism is that the ship didn't have karaoke!! 😜
- Michael, 20/07/2026 08:59, Travelled in a Couple
Positives- The food and dining service were excellent throughout the trip. The information shared about the islands, local attractions, and recommended activities was very helpful and enhanced our experience. Hanna was exceptionally attentive, friendly, and always willing to help with restaurant reservations and excursion bookings. Her assistance was greatly appreciated. Overall, we were very satisfied with our cruise experience and had a wonderful time. Areas for Improvement- We noticed that some staff members were smoking in or near common guest areas. Relocating smoking to designated staff-only areas would help create a more comfortable environment for guests, especially those who are sensitive to cigarette smoke. One bartender, Cesar, came across as less welcoming than the rest of the crew during our interactions. A more friendly and approachable demeanor would further enhance the overall guest experience.
- Anonymous, 13/07/2026 17:48, Travelled with Family
Good
- Mark, 10/07/2026 06:01, Travelled in a Couple
Oh Croatia - what a BEAUTIFUL country you are!! We sailed on the Almissa from Dubrovnik to Split abd then took a bus back down to Dubrovnik for our return flight home. You really couldn’t have asked for more! Food was amazing, service was outstanding and the scenery was fairytale like!!!
- Kathy, 06/07/2026 21:14, Travelled in a Couple
Croatia is beautiful, I loved all the islands, Stari Grad and Mljet National Park were highlights. Tempera is due for a refurb next year, it's fine, but it does need some attention. The crew were great. As a pescatarian I was catered for, but hot breakfast items were all in the same serving dish - eggs tasted of sausages - I can cope with that, but many wouldn't. Overall, thoroughly enjoyable.
- Amanda, 06/07/2026 15:24, Travelled with Family
This was are second Sail Croatia cruise. The first was fantastic. Out second was on the Contessa, and it is a new boat. As with some new things, such as homes, boats, there is a pick up list of things that need improvement. In our case there were three issues. The AC was not working well and basically managed the room to 30 degrees Celsius, the boats internet was very limited, only working in the dining area, and that was food quality and taste was average. One of the driving forces besides the beauty of Croatia of our return was exceptional food quality, preparation and value in our first cruise. The chefs were amazing, tantalizing us with great appetizers, main courses and deserts. Although an effort was made it was not near the level of our first cruise. I imagine Sail Croatia will rectify these start up issues but want to present the facts as they were for us to future customers.
- Brad, 26/06/2026 10:00, Travelled with Family
Lovely boat and crew. Chef amazing. However did not enjoy being constantly exposed to cigarette smoke on only lower deck, especially when deck was enclosed.
- Dawn, 19/06/2026 00:49, Travelled with Family
This was a fabulous holiday! There are just three reasons I couldn't give it a perfect 5. 1. "Water toys"-having only 4 "floaties" when you have 36 people on board is not enough. On vacation, no one wants to jump is the sea and tread water for the duration of the swim stop. 2. The new Contessa is lovely. However, on the top deck there was not nearly enough loungers or chairs. People were having to share or go below deck. There was plenty of space for more. 3. It is a bummer that you advertise excursions to Explorer travelers but they actually do not happen or are not reccomended. We were excited on day 1 to go river rafting but once on board heard that that actually wasn't an excursion. Same with canoeing-said you "could" go, but that it was a very bad experience. Better tour operators or excursions need to be sourced. Lola was super and responsive. Martin and Neno amazing employees! Chef Bane and Marko fab. Charlie and Tino fun on deck, and maids were wonderful.
- Anonymous, 18/06/2026 17:02, Travelled with Family
Cabin:: + adequate space. -- cigarette smoke frequently entered our cabin (15) via the a/c system. As nonsmokers w tobacco allergies, It was very problematic as it started early in the morning and last into the late evening affecting our sleep. Ship: + nice facilities and layout. — the not hot, hot tub was not filled until 1/2 way thru the cruise. And then not really utilized. Recommend repurposing that space for 6 more lounges so most passengers can have a lounge. Food: + passionate chef and assistant. Hot food available w breakfast and lunches. Really good quality. Service was great (Mario). Bar: + staff friendly and helpful. — unfortunately wines by the glass were restricted to one brand and were of poor quality and overpriced. You pay € for all beverages, tea, coffee, sodas, juices and again more than what u pay in ports. Coffee,tea,and juices only provided at breakfast. For lunch, only water served. Easy to have added inexpensive iced tea. Active:: + pleasant staff - disorganiz
- Joseph, 15/06/2026 09:22, Travelled in a Couple
The Croatian itinerary was fantastic, and the crew were friendly and hardworking throughout the trip. Unfortunately, the condition of the Mali Ante did not meet our expectations. The ship felt older and less well-maintained than many others we saw in port. The jacuzzi was out of service for most of the trip, our shower leaked, & our lower-deck cabin was extremely noisy whenever the engines started. The cabin was also very damp, leaving clothing and towels moist and causing some clothes to develop a musty odor. We also found what appeared to be mold or mildew staining on our bedding. Breakfast was limited to one hour each morning, no snacks were provided between meals, and guests could not bring their own snacks or drinks onboard. Drinks were expensive, and the bar tab had to be paid in cash. Considering the ship’s condition and limited amenities, the suggested gratuities felt excessive. While Croatia was beautiful, the overall experience did not provide the value we expected.
- Tiffany, 15/06/2026 07:26, Travelled with Family
Hi Tiffany, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed review. We're pleased to hear that you enjoyed the itinerary and found the crew aboard your ship to be friendly and hardworking. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to them. Mali Ante is a highly rated ship within our fleet, so we are sorry to hear that certain aspects of your onboard experience did not meet your expectations on this occasion. We offer a variety of vessels within our Explorer Cruise range to cater to different travel styles and budgets, allowing guests to select the ship that best suits their preferences. We have a thorough process in place for communicating and resolving issues during the cruise. Having reviewed our internal records, I can see that the concerns outlined in your review were not raised with the onboard representative during your trip. Had we been made aware of these issues at the time, our team would have done their best to investigate and address them while you were onboard to ensure you were satisfied with the outcome. As outlined in our pre-departure documentation and guest App, tipping is entirely optional. The crew onboard our ships are paid fairly for their work; however, gratuities are a widely recognised way for guests to acknowledge exceptional service. Many guests choose to leave a tip as a gesture of appreciation, however this is always at each individual's discretion. We appreciate you bringing these matters to our attention and thank you again for sharing your experience with us.
We were disappointed in several aspects of this cruise. I will send an email to Sail Croatia outlining my concerns.
- Robert, 08/06/2026 15:23, Travelled in a Couple
Try to get pics of room prior to booking-I think we had the worst room on the boat. Room 2 on Tempera has a large intrusion in the room from the next door curved staircase requiring you to hunch over on far side of bed when getting in or out. That closet opens up ONTO the bed and is almost unuseable. The tiny curved table in the room slants down so things slide off of it. The bed was comfortable and the room size decent. The breakfast was good- sausage, eggs, fruit, pastries…. but I (and many other judging by appearances) found the lunches inedible. greasy rice stuffed pepper served with cold mashed potatoes, a bowl of buttered noidles served with a small thin slice of overcooked meat served with more noodles, Very carb heavy and mostly served warm not hot. Soups and desserts were good.
- Trish, 02/06/2026 05:10, Travelled in a Couple
It was good, but they have things to improve, like the air conditioning not working, the cancellation of multiple activities due to the weather, the captain's absence due to "illness" (though he seemed perfectly fine the other days), and having a bartender drunk almost 50% of the time. But the accommodations were very good, the food was very good, and the main day was excellent.
- Anonymous, 26/05/2026 20:39, Travelled with Family
Era la primera vez que íbamos de crucero en un barco de estas características. . La experiencia fue genial. A pesar de ser Lis únicos españoles, todo el mundo, tanto trabajadores como pasajeros hicieron todo lo posible para que estuviéramos agusto.
- Anonymous, 26/05/2026 13:29, Travelled in a Couple
I had a fantastic time on my Sail Croatia cruise—the route, crew, and food were all great. That said, I was surprised by the 40€ tourist tax per person, which wasn’t clearly explained upfront and for which I received no receipt. I also wasn’t comfortable with how our passports were left in an unlocked plastic box in the dining salon at night, with no visible security. Tipping felt a bit awkward too, especially when envelopes were later collected over WhatsApp after limited communication. Overall, I’d still recommend Sail Croatia, but these small improvements would make the experience even better.
- Anonymous, 25/05/2026 05:42, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your feedback and for joining us - we’re really glad to hear you had a fantastic time onboard and enjoyed the route, crew, and food. The €40 local payment per person is payable onboard all Sail Croatia cruises. This fee covers port charges and tourist taxes throughout the week. We do communicate this in advance via our FAQs, your Online Account, all payment receipts that are emailed to you, and pre-departure information, but we appreciate your feedback. Thank you also for your comments regarding tipping and passport storage - we value this insight and will pass it on to our operations team for review.
Calum was approachable, welcoming, entertaining, flexible and very patient with his tour group. Many thanks Mate, look forward to the tattoo! 👌🏻
- Anonymous, 20/05/2026 13:34, Travelled in a Couple
The crew was amazing. They were quick to change activities due to weather condition's. I would highly recommend this tour group. Very fun and informative.
- Anonymous, 17/05/2026 11:26, Travelled with Family
Dino, our tour manager was lovely and very responsive to our questions and requests. He often responded within a minute and was already taking action on our request. He was very knowledgeable about each location and gave us a daily briefing. The ship was beautiful and the staff friendly. Due to rough seas the itinerary had to be changed and we did not visit Vis, but instead went to Omiš, which was a lovely town with stunning landscapes and some exciting excursion options! They handled the itinerary changes gracefully and seamlessly. I've deducted one star as there were a few quirks along the way that could have made the stay more pleasant: The ship has AC, but only when the AC is turned on as a whole, so for the first couple nights and the last night our room was a nearly unbearable 77-80°F at night, there were a couple days where housekeeping came into the room, but the room was only partially done, like 1 out of 3 beds done. All in all it was an enjoyable experience though!
- Lori, 14/10/2025 13:03, Travelled with Family
Traveling with Sail Croatia was an experience that was more than " just a cruise" where you are one of hundreds or thousands on a massive ship. It wasn't perfect, but I look back on the friendships we made, the cozy feel of the ship and I'm left with special memories of our time on the Adriatic. When we arrived in Split and were faced with two massive cruise ships at port, I was so thankful for the choice we made. Dino, our cruise director, was a very relatable, friendly guy who responded quickly with our questions. The crew were all very nice! I rated it 4/5 mainly because of a few issues such as ventilation in the cabin that made it uncomfortable for a few days. Otherwise, it would be 5/5!
- Suzanne , 14/10/2025 12:34, Travelled with Family
Swim stops. Port visits. Particularly Korcula and Omiš. Barman ‘Milan’ was a genuine, nice guy. I still believe our room ‘0’ was bigger than others. I asked and was told the rooms were the same size, however when I peeked into a twin room ours was definitely larger! Not so great - Breakfast was monotonous, same every day. Really need a FOC push button coffee machine for use throughout day. The American drip coffee was rubbish and yes paid for the nespresso style coffee from the bar but e3.50 for something not that good. Our window leading outside next to the door required a curtain as well as the twisted Venetian blind there. I had to put up a makeshift curtain to block out the exterior downlights rays coming in. We spoke to a couple who were on a Sail Croatia boat with the same timings as ours and they raved about the food, as prepared by ‘two mamas’ who obviously cooked from the heart. Unlike our chefs!!
- Gary, 02/10/2025 14:44, Travelled in a Couple
Improve breakfast offerings, variety and presentation. Offer better quality coffee and tea options. Communication with passengers and kitchen waiting staff. Improve lunch offerings, more vegetables, and meat quality and variety. Serve tables with waiters offering drinks. Have coffee and tea making available during day with biscuits etc The discussion of itinerary to be held prior to lunch service. No smoking on ship for passengers and crew. Provide equal number of deck chairs to passengers. We had 10 deck chairs for 36 passengers and I witnessed a passenger confrontation Set outdoor furniture up for passenger comfort prior to breakfast service
- Alison Simpson , 29/09/2025 12:42, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Alison - Thank you for your feedback, and we hope you enjoyed the beauty of Croatia and discovering its lovely islands. Our chefs always aim to provide a variety of meals using fresh, local produce, even within the limitations of a small ship’s galley. Your comments regarding meals, table service, tea and coffee availability, communication with kitchen staff, and deck chairs have been passed on to our Operations Team for review - we appreciate your input. Please note there are designated smoking areas on board, usually located towards the back of the boat. Looking through our internal records, we understand there was some confusion over breakfast timings, which was quickly addressed with your Rep. We value your comments as they help us continue to review and refine our service as we strive to maintain the high standards.
This was our first visit to Croatia. We’re so glad we chose Sail Croatia! We like small ship cruising and it was a perfect way to see so many places while unpacking once, enjoying beautiful swim stops every day and eating delicious food.
- Laura, 22/09/2025 18:47, Travelled in a Couple
We did the Explorer cruise which was a lot of fun! Dino & crew were great. providing the group with recommendations for things to do, eat & drink each day. There is the chance for relaxation, swimming, paddle boarding etc & you could book to do excursions or go explore for yourself. The food was delicious, but they do forget about dietary requirements. I spoke to the company before arrival about dairy intolerance, again on check in & during service but gave up in the end. Fortunately it isn’t an allergy I suffer with. Excursions were hit & miss. Some were overpriced and discouraged to do which seems odd to advertise them. The evening dinner & local tour was fab but rushed, a little longer was needed during the meal & drinks to relax. We missed out on the bike tour in Mljet National Park due to winds eventhough other Sail Croatia tours were going there, it seemed there was a rush to get to Dubrovnik?? So be aware the itinerary can change but beautiful swim stops as an alternative.
- Kerry, 22/09/2025 14:12, Travelled in a Couple
We had a wonderful week. The staff was amazing, helpful and friendly. The ports and swim stops were unreal. My only negative feedback would be the food. I did not enjoy the food at all. Another negative was how dark the bathrooms are.
- Anonymous, 22/09/2025 09:00, Travelled in a Couple
Great destinations. Great crew. Good breakfasts, lunches not so great. The wine tasting tour was a waste of time and money,. Dino was a terrific tour leader 5 stars. The captains dinner was good but like I said the lunches need improving.. thoroughly enjoyed the swimming stops and also all the port stops. Croatia is a beautiful country. Would recommend this cruise if the lunches improved .
- Jurgen, 22/09/2025 07:34, Travelled in a Couple
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
We had an amazing time. The staff, excursions, service and food was 5 stars but I gave the survey 4 stars because of the condition of the boat. This boat needs maintenance and upgrades.
- Anonymous, 15/09/2025 06:54, Travelled in a Couple
The highlight of a Sail Croatia cruise are the incredible islands you visit and the fun activities available on all. I could nit-pick over little things we did not like which is why we give it a 4-star not 5. More than happy to share the constructive comments if you like in a separate communication. Always best to have objective and fair feedback to help you constantly improve. Overall a great experience.
- Daniel, 08/09/2025 09:17, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Daniel, thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the incredible islands and activities on your cruise. We truly appreciate your constructive feedback and would be happy to receive any additional comments you’d like to share directly – it’s invaluable in helping us continually improve. We’re glad you had a great overall experience and hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon!
The trip destinations and food was great. The attitude of some staff including the cruise director was pretty poor. The captain of the boat and chef were excellent but other staff were openly stating they were over the season and complaining or arguing with the customers. The cruise director twice had harsh words with us through no fault of our own which is unacceptable.
- Peter, 08/09/2025 06:33, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Peter, Thank you for your review. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the destinations and food, and we appreciate your kind words about the captain and chef. However, we regret to hear about your experience with some of our staff and the tour representative. This is not the level of service we strive to provide. For this week, guest ratings were generally high, with most scoring 4 and 5 stars for the crew, so I’m sorry to hear your experience was not the same. We expect all our customers to have the same experience throughout the season and your comments have been passed on to our management team, and we’ll address this with the crew to ensure improvements are made. Thank you.
We really enjoyed our week on the Almissa, all of the crew were very friendly and professional at all times. The breakfast selections were excellent and most lunches delicious and big servings. The boat was kept very clean at all times. Only negative for us was that we would have like clean towels supplied more frequently as they were only changed once. Also a bath mat supplied for the slippery floor in the bathroom. We would recommend the Almissa & Sail Croatia & would love to book again in the future... Kind Regards to the team!
- Anonymous, 07/09/2025 06:12, Travelled in a Couple
The week was amazing cruising through the islands, stopping to swim each day and exploring the cute towns. The crew was really friendly/fun (our host was Dino) and the rooms were far more spacious than we expected. One thing to note was that the excursions weren’t included in the booking cost so we ended up spending quite a lot more on doing the activities (30-60 euro pp on each activity). They provided heeeaaaps of food for breakfast and lunch and catered to my dietary requirements (gluten free as I am coeliac) but unfortunately the desserts were pretty sad compared to everyone else’s - usually packet custard/mousse with fruit or just fruit alone :(
- Zara, 01/09/2025 08:30, Travelled in a Couple
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
Very knowledgeable cruise manager/guide and great, hardworking staff
- Paul, 25/08/2025 14:06, Travelled with Family
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
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
Daily meals were fantastic, swim stops beautiful, scenery was amazing. Tours were good, but costly so decide what is most important to you. Crew and guides went beyond to ensure we had a fantastic time.
- H, 21/07/2025 08:19, Travelled in a Couple
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
We had a great trip in June 2025. We sailed from Split to Dubrovnik on the boat Tempera (an older vessel, built in 2014). Our cabin was on the lower deck. We did have a few issues with our cabin. When we checked in, one of the beds was not made up. This was not a major issue, as we made it up ourselves. Additionally, the toilet in our cabin was running, so we alerted the crew, who advised us to flush the toilet in a specific manner. This helped, but it did not solve the problem, as the toilet still ran intermittently. The TV in our room did not work. Upon speaking to other guests, this was a common issue. The main issue was that the cabin smelled like sewage one evening. We spoke to the crew, who mentioned that a tank needed to be emptied. They emptied the tank, but again, if they could have emptied the tank in advance to prevent this from occurring, it would have improved our experience. The crew was friendly, fun, and helpful. The itinerary was great, and we loved the swim stops.
- Elizabeth, 24/06/2025 22:36, Travelled with Family
Great service, wonderful swimming spots and good food all blended to make the trip fantastic!!
- Georgina , 17/06/2025 19:11, Travelled in a Couple
This cruise was so fun. The group of people on board were incredible and many became friends by the end of the trip. Dino, who was the guide was incredible, very funny, helpful, and gave some great recommendations/suggestions for things. I loved how it was set out - breakfast, then swim stop in the morning, lunch and then exploring the town in the afternoon. The only downside to that is that in the summer months it’s quite hot exploring town in the afternoon and since the boat leaves early next morning you may feel rushed. The reason I didn’t give 5 stars was because while they were as accomodating to dietary needs as possible, the food was below average for me being a vegetarian. Meals were undercooked and not well balanced. The non vegetarians said their food was great. Overall, I would recommend this boat if you want relaxation, exploration and a great time.
- Vee, 16/06/2025 06:23, Travelled in a Couple
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!
Whilst I enjoyed the Sail Croatia cruise, it was disappointing in a lot of ways and I definitely wouldn't do it again. The crew and boat/activities manager were fantastic. They were super friendly and helpful. Shout out to Ivana who was amazing! The food served on board was average for I would have expected for what we paid. The boat lacked atmosphere in the sense that they dont play music, which in Croatia I read that music is a big part of their culture so I expected to have the ambience of soft Croatian music playing whilst on the boat, towards the end they started to play some after getting the hint. I am disappointed that Hvar is listed on the website that it has an "incredible nightlife". The island has since changed but should not continue to be faulsely advertised by SailCroatia. I also find it offensive to be expected to give tips after dropping $6,000 aud on a cruise, Sail Croatia you should pay your excellent staff a proper wage and not expect tourist's to do it for you.
- Mikaela , 09/06/2025 14:42, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Miki, Thank you for your review. We're pleased to hear you enjoyed your Sail Croatia cruise overall, especially your fantastic Tour Manager, crew, and the facilities onboard, which exceeded your expectations. We have a thorough process in place for handling complaints onboard, which includes raising any concerns with your Tour Manager and, if needed, escalating them to our customer service team so we can address them promptly. This process is outlined in your pre-departure documents and on the Sail Croatia app. We’ve reviewed our internal records and found no report of your concerns during the trip, and it appears the complaints process was not followed. Unfortunately, we’re unable to resolve issues that aren’t brought to our attention at the time. We’re sorry to hear the food wasn’t to your liking. We’ve reviewed feedback from your specific cruise and found the average food rating was 4.3/5 from fellow guests, though we understand experiences can vary and appreciate your input. Your comments regarding the music onboard have been shared with our operations team for review. Hvar is well known for its nightlife, beaches and waterfront restaurants, and offers well-known spots like Hula Hula Bar and Nautica Bar (famous for their flaming Jäger trains), along with a range of other vibrant nightlife options just a short walk from the port. Information on tipping - including guidelines on etiquette and suggested amounts - is available on our website, in pre-departure documents, and on the Sail Croatia App. Given the information provided in advance of your cruise, we were surprised to hear that the tipping process was unexpected. Tipping, while not customary in countries like Australia and New Zealand, is widely practised and appreciated in Croatia and across Europe. Many locals rely on the summer tourism season to earn the majority of their annual income, and while we pay all our staff a fair and competitive wage, tipping is a customary and appreciated way to acknowledge good service. It’s always optional but very much valued. Thanks again for taking the time to share your feedback.
Best way to see and experience Croatia with The Sail Croatia team.From the informative online booking till the actual trip. Tempera was our boat chose with amazing helpfull staff on board. The rooms are very well planned and the bathrooms excellent taking into account the size of the actual boat. The itinerary was fantastic ! Saw so much of the smaller and bigger islands . Our tour guide Ivana Mateja was an absolute gem. She presented everyday a full powerpoint presentation of the daily schedule as well as being very informative about every stop we had. Nothing was too much trouble for her . The food on board exceeded our expectations everyday . Only negative would be the price of drinks . I would recommend this trip and team to anybody considering visiting Croatia
- Anonymous, 09/06/2025 12:58, Travelled in a Couple
More comfortable seating and a shaded area on the top deck More time in port - the water is cold in early May so swimming isn’t a good activity. If the ship can’t dock earlier, the option of getting a water taxi or tender to port should be an option. Excursions were over-priced
- Anonymous, 06/06/2025 03:42, Travelled with Family
A big shout out to Captain Franco for his sailing expertise. All the staff and crew were great especially Max who looked after the dining and bar area. The chefs were extraordinary and all the meals were terrific and my weigh scale at home tells me so! If I had one complaint…..maybe some replacement of the duvets and bed pillows.
- Renee R., 27/05/2025 17:41, 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
The knowledge of the crew was amazing and was a lot fun to be around.
- Yash, 19/05/2025 05:49, Travelled in a Couple
The 10 day cruise was good . Cons: I did find it quite repetitive. For me personally, I have learned a 3-5 day (maximum) sail would suit me it was the same pattern every day & I found some days we got into port too late to explore more. It seemed the emphasis was on the swim stops., another Con was the food . Breakfast was fine . There were no options for lunch . It was a 3 course meal served at 1 pm which made for very late suppers on shore . I wish they would have had 2 options ie chicken or pasta . I don’t eat pasta so was starving 2 of the days . Pros: the staff are fantastic . Considering they work 7 days a week & then repeat with the next tour they were very helpful , upbeat & enjoyable . The tour coordinator Klara was terrific , positive , informed & very helpful . The boat was in excellent condition and clean . I felt very safe on it . The life jackets & muster areas were reviewed however I was never sure if there was an AED on board , which would be Important .
- Caroline, 12/05/2025 17:15, Travelled in a Couple
Great experience meeting a number of people from around the world. Crew did a fantastic job ensuring we were kept safe and answered all of our needs. Well done. Klara our cruise director did an outstanding job keeping us informed and did everything she could to ensure we were taken care of regardless of the time. Highly recommended
- James, 12/05/2025 17:08, Travelled with Family
The trip was great for my restricted mobility. The railings on all walkways and stairwells made walking around the ship possible. The crew were always available to offer a helping hand or arm. One of the sailors - Mario - was exceptionally thoughtful. He carried my mobility scooter on and off the boat, storing and charging it overnight. He was sensitive to my fears, crossing from boat to boat, offering encouragement and praise, as well as physical help. Wonderful intuitive personal skills!
- Alison, 21/10/2024 05:43, Travelled with Family
Ioana and the crew
- Georgette, 14/10/2024 19:24, Travelled with Family
Loved the week on the ship. Met some great people. Mostly from Australia, UK and USA. Particularly enjoyed the swim stops. Great food too. Be aware though that the ship docks late afternoon in each location so some of the advertised shore excursions will not happen. We found this disappointing and would recommend Sail Croatia only promote those excursions that have a realistic chance of going ahead.
- Rhys, 09/10/2024 09:12, Travelled in a Couple
Swim stops were cancelled due to weather without consulting passengers. Some activities were cancelled either because of equipment malfunction. A better hostess would be good.
- Malcolm , 07/10/2024 06:54, Travelled with Family
Hi Malcolm - thank you for your review. We're glad to hear you found us to be a good company to travel with. For everyone's safety, we were sorry to see that a swim stop wasn't possible due to the unusually poor weather conditions, and we understand this affected your experience. We’re pleased to see that the hostess received all 5-star reviews for your departure. Once again thank you for your feedback.
This was a spectacular sailing experience. Our captain sailed the boat to wonderful swim spots and our cruise director Klara was charming, fun, and very energetic with interesting information of each Croatian Island we visited. The bar and food servers did a prompt, friendly, and outstanding job! And the cooks(Chefs)presented beautiful and delicious dishes! This experience was amazing. The only thing I would recommend is that we get an earlier email on what to bring and that it was a CASH only for your drinks and tips at the end of trip. A lot of people travel ahead of the sailing trip and don’t check on their emails. That info would have been better to know if it had been received at least 4 weeks before actual cruise date.
- Nancy, 02/10/2024 03:18, Travelled in a Couple
What a beautiful country to explore. The boat and the crew was excellent. Massive thank you to our wonderful tour guide Klara, her knowledge and laughter all week was amazing…..she needs a pay raise 😂👍.
- Adrian, 30/09/2024 08:36, Travelled in a Couple
The mix of people (staff and passengers) was great.
- Alan, 16/09/2024 17:50, Travelled in a Couple
Cheap! Great value and really like close to shore docking. Excellent staff, very friendly, helpful with suggestions, and knowledgeable. Rough edges: Broken stuff, no food choice at lunch.
- RL, 16/09/2024 05:56, Travelled in a Couple
Though awesome, a few notes…. -the ac in our room never cooled properly -noting or discussing that though breakfast & lunch are included it’s not forced to participate when we had docked at port early. we loved the lunches, but felt like if we didn’t attend, we would miss out on information -the crew and ivanna were very kind hosts
- Heather, 26/08/2024 15:12, Travelled in a Couple
Some more thought into the details would be recommended. I.e having food that suits the cultures on board/having an option for those that don’t eat fish/seafood for example. Some rooms Air Con didn’t work Some of the decisions and recommendations for activities dinner etc seemed strange and almost like there were “kick backs” or back scratching for certain places vs others. (Some of the organised dinner recommendations weren’t good) Lots/most of the activities that we saw online were not available. The boat owner needs to be much more friendly, less grumpy and controlling. Some of the logistics around swimming stops were obviously just to suit the boat and to be the most fuel/time efficient, which meant we were sometimes docked too early or swimming with boats passing by, not the crystal clear water advertised. Some of the staff were doing the bare minimum. The rep has potential but was barely engaging with the guests above giving a talk each day after lunchtime.
- Levi Smith , 13/08/2024 05:33, Travelled in a Couple
Dear Levi, Thank you for your review about your recent Explorer Cruise, Levi. We're sorry to hear that your experience didn't fully meet your expectations, and we truly value the time you took to share your thoughts. I can see we have received high feedback scores from your fellow travellers onboard, so we're sad to see that your experience fell short. The excursions are subject to minimum numbers and are organised by local supplierse in Croatia - we're sorry to hear that you were unable to take part in some of these. With regards to the logisitcs and the itinerary, it is not possible to reserve timeslots in port in Croatia, so our Captains try their best to arrive ahead of other ships to get the best placement for our guests, and also to ensure there is the perfect balance of time spent both on and off of the ship. Thank you for your feedback regarding the swim stops. We certainly do take food preferences and dietary requests onboard - we do ask our customers to let us know in advance if you have preferences and these are passed onto the Chef onboard. After looking into our communication with you, unfortunately we did not receive any preferences with regards to seafood or special requests. Lastly, your comments about the staff have been noted, and we’ll use your feedback to ensure better service across the board. We hope to welcome you in the future. Kind Regards
Cabin larger than I expected. Food better than I expected. Really outstanding Staff were always friendly and helpful. Branko the barman is an asset to your company. I would secure him on a contract if I was you.
- Tim, 05/08/2024 09:30, Travelled in a Couple
We loved cruising the islands. Met all expectations. Each one with it's own uniqueness. However the highlight for us was the tour manager Marija. So organised, available, informative and went above and beyond to provide for any request. Thank you Marija, you are an asset to Sail Croatia.
- Maria & Tony, 02/08/2024 08:18, Travelled in a Couple
We had a fantastic time cruising from Dubrovnik to Split. The boat was ideal, meals fantastic, very attentive and helpful staff and best of all were the swimming stops each day. Being a swimmer, I've never swum is such magnificent blue water, that was the highlight for me!
- Anonymous, 29/07/2024 05:58, Travelled in a Couple
The crew, host, food and stunning locations we visited made our holiday absolutely fantastic! Klara was so accommodating and helpful that she really took all the thinking and organising out of each day for us. Thanks so much!
- Glenn, 22/07/2024 16:37, Travelled in a Couple
We had a wonderful week on the Katarina from Dubrovnik to Split. The crew were amazing, nothing was too much trouble, the boat was immaculate and Visko our tour manager was very approachable and helpful. Our only negative would be the inability to pay using card for some of the excursions and in particular the bar tab. It would have been nice to know in advance. We would definitely recommend travelling with Sail Croatia, you won’t regret it!!!
- Julie, 27/06/2024 19:05, Travelled in a Couple
The stunning coastline and scenery provided the backdrop for a very pleasant and relaxing cruise amongst the islands between Split and Dubrovnik. The crew were excellent and looked after us very well. Food quality was excellent. Fellow passengers became friends and added to the convivial atmosphere. The only negative we experienced was excessive noise at the berths in two of the ports where we were unfortunately berthed beside boats with raucous Americans who stayed up way beyond the general curfew. Some noise is always a risk and indeed, this was flagged. However when it comes from another boat it’s profoundly irritating and detracts from the cruising experience. We would recommend Sail Croatia products, with the advisory about noise.
- Anonymous, 27/06/2024 18:31, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us on the Explorer Cruise aboard Tempera. We are thrilled to hear that you loved the coastline and scenery – our destinations are carefully selected to showcase the most beautiful and unique views, and it's wonderful to know they left a lasting impression on you. We are also delighted that our crew made you feel well looked after. Their dedication to providing exceptional service is something we take great pride in, and your kind words will surely motivate them even further. It's fantastic to hear that you enjoyed the quality of our food and made good friends with your fellow passengers. I'm sorry to hear about the noise disturbance from guests on nearby ships. We understand how this could affect your overall experience, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused. Port Authorities manage curfews in each port, and unfortunately we are unable to control the behaviour on-bard other ships. Thank you once again for your valuable feedback. We hope to welcome you back on board the Tempera for another memorable journey soon. Warm regards,
The people on board, Klara our on board tour director & the Island stops. Croatia is a fantastic destination & the islands are the icing on the cake. Easiest way to see them is an island hoping small boat cruise. Different destination each day with a swim stop in the beautiful Adriatic along the way.
- Anonymous, 21/06/2024 00:57, Travelled in a Couple
Pero and Branco were great - helpful, friendly, hard-working. We would love to sail with them again! We booked a twin (for our daughters) and a double room (for myself and my husband), but we were given 2 twin rooms, which was not ideal. We booked our trip well in advance and confirmed at the time of booking that we were reserving a twin and a double. The meals were great - however, I would love to see an option of a lighter lunch - maybe some good salads and a protein option, versus the heavy lunch meals. Anna’s lack of experience showed and it would have been nice to have someone who knew the history a bit better. Additionally, she would only give her daily update at the end of lunch, after dessert. If you skipped dessert, you missed the recap. It would be better for her to give the update at the beginning of lunch, as everyone was sitting down and waiting for the food. This way, people could discuss the excursions during lunch. Also, her directions & information were not great.
- Abby, 18/06/2024 04:27, Travelled with Family
Hi Abby, Thank you for your 4 star review. We are pleased to hear you found the Onboard Reps and crew helpful and friendly - your comments will be passed on to them. It's great to see your cruise rating received an overall score of 4.5 out of 5 stars. On some of our ships, the double beds can be two single beds pushed together to make a double bed and this was the case with your double bed cabin. Thank you for your kind comments on the meals served. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed this overall and we appreciate your suggestions for lighter options, thank you. That's a wonderful suggestion regarding the daily updates at the start of lunch. We appreciate your comments regarding your Onboard Rep, although we are a little surprised as this is one of our experienced Reps and our records show that she received ratings of 4.9 out of 5 for your departure. Thank you again for your comments and suggestions and we hope to have you join us again in the future.
I had a good time but there were minor improvements I think that could be made to make it a great time. 1. When ocean is not great to swim in (Due to heat) offer to get the zodiac boat out and take few ppl to the little islands where we anchor. 2. Variety in breakfast 3. Everyone feels like lunch is v heavy and a lot (could scale back as u feel compelled to eat it 4. Bedroom designs: A) more hooks around the room given the limited space B) additional coat hangers C) ability to order some late night snacks or have them to purchase Lastly i was disappointed that when we got to split the crew had kinda given up it felt. They were disengaged and seemed like they were winding down Thursday night when we still have 2 days.
- Ryan, 21/05/2024 09:27, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Ryan, thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We are pleased to hear you had a good time. We also appreciate your suggestions which we have already passed onto our Operations team for their review. We are a little disappointed to read your comment regarding the crew as from the feedback we can see that they received an impressive score of 4.94/5. Thank you again for your feedback and we hope to welcome you again in the future.
The ship was clean, spacious and well laid out. Good facilities and very comfortable way to travel. The staff were a mixed bag, some you would rate as a 5 for hospitality and some a 1, inconsistent. Host (Vicko) was good, he engaged with all the groups based on each style that suited (i.e. more or less engaged). The chef was good (as was the bfast) but nothing else worked for me, I don't think serving a 3 course meal for lunch with the ingredients we ate worked. Our first meal was a Turkey breast - probably the last thing I wanted to eat when visiting Croatia. From meatloaf to chicken it felt a bit silly being served that food for 3 course meals. Whilst the captain's dinner was ok, our entire table had a second meal (coincidentally the best food we ate of the trip) in the one location they scheduled the captain's dinner. My recommendation: examine each ships reviews and ratings (food, staff etc) and then decide based on that. A bit too inconsistent across the Sail Croatia fleet.
- Anonymous, 16/10/2023 08:19, Travelled in a Couple
We, as well as other guests, did NOT likethe food at all. Breakfast was good but the lunches were horrible. No fresh vegetables, all vegetables were frozen and mushy. Purées of I’m not sure what we’re always cold. Lasagna was good. A woman who only eats fish got what looked like frozen fish fingers. Basically the food was awful at lunch. The captains dinner was interrupted by Kara allowing the TV in for the rugby game Which followed by yelling and screaming. My husband had words with Klara. We left the dining room. It was ridiculous……chairs turned around toward the tv and we weren’t finished the main course. The partying that followed went on with very loud music and singing until after 1am. I think there were some complaints from other boats. The crew were always smoking at the window of the bar. The swim stops were amazing as were the islands and klara was a very good organizer. Would not recommend at this time.
- Anonymous, 09/10/2023 03:51, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there, thank you for taking the time to review our services and provide us with your further feedback. We are very pleased to hear you have enjoyed the swim stops, destinations that you have visited and that your representative was a very good organiser. We thank you for these kind comments. We also appreciate your comments regarding the food and atmosphere onboard during the rugby game. We are disappointed to hear that you found the food provided was not of the expected high standard. We will be sure to pass these comments to our operations team so improvements can be made. Any big sporting event be it football or rugby brings some excitement all around - we are sorry to hear this was not managed to your liking. Smoking is only permitted at outdoor, designated areas and if one notices anything different, we welcome reporting this to the Onboard Representative. Thank you for joining us and for your feedback.
Unfortunately night one we were stuck in the port due to bad weather. Everyone was left to fend for themselves with little information other than the boat should depart the following morning. Upon returning from dinner several people were still sitting on the boat with no room allocation. There was little to no communication as to when we could take our bags to our allocated rooms. The Sail Croatia representitive disappeared for several hours and it did not start off well. The entire crew energy felt tired and like they just wanted to be somewhere else. Positives from the trip - The food was excellent up until the last day. Things that can be improved to make everyones time better utilised - Each day our Sail Croatia Representitive would give a detailed speach about the port/town we were arriving into and the local things on offer. This was also provided in a WhatsApp message. Google Map links would be beneficial along with pre-booking activies like bikes/scooters. Most tours close 3pm
- Anonymous, 05/10/2023 23:21, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there! Thank you for your 3-star review. We appreciate all your comments and are really pleased to hear you enjoyed the meals served and the detailed daily speeches, thank you. The safety and wellbeing of all our guests is paramount, and due to bad weather the boat spent the first night in Dubrovnik. This was also communicated by your Onboard Rep. We understand during your week there were extreme weather conditions which is very unfortunate. Upon checking our internal reports, we can confirm that all rooms were allocated before lunch and guests were advised that rooms will be ready by 12:30pm. This was communicated by the Onboard Rep. Please note that the cruise starts at 1pm and the Onboard Rep was onboard to assist. On our Sail Croatia App, which is highlighted in your pre-departure information, it provides map links and location details, which comes in handy during your cruise. This is a great tool to use whilst in Croatia and has many resources. We appreciate your suggestions and welcome all your comments, thank you. We hope you enjoyed your time in Croatia and we thank you for choosing to travel with us this season.
Me and my wife really liked the trip but definitely there are things that could be way better! The cabin, the breakfast were by far the best! The deck could be cleaner, the lunch was just ok, the crew except Vicko and Catarina could be nicer especially the captain and most the lack of flexibility on the schedule! Also the captain always choose the worst spot for the swimming time!
- luis , 02/10/2023 19:45, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Luis, we appreciate the 4-star review, thank you. It brings us immense joy to learn that you had a delightful experience with us and that you particularly cherished the cabin and breakfasts during your cruise. 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. It's great to see from the feedback provided for your departure that the lunches were rated 4.6 out of 5 stars. We are saddened to hear of your disappointment with some of the crew and the captain. The swim stops for many are a highlight, and we are disheartened to hear of your experience. We will share all your feedback with our Operations Team and we thank you for all your input.
I would recommend Sail Croatia. We had a lovely trip. The boat had all the needed facilities. Staff were friendly and helpful. Swim stops were the highlight!
- Mikayla, 02/10/2023 11:49, Travelled in a Couple
Did the explorer trip from Split to Dubrovnik on Salve Di Mare. Beautiful ship and fabulous crew. Booked a below deck cabin which was very spacious and comfortable and air con worked well, but cabin could do with some hooks or rails to hang wet/damp items plus a hob to stop shower water going over bathroom floor. Breakfast and lunch served daily and coffee/tea available all day. Bath/shower towels provided plus swim towels (not enough for all). Swim stops beautiful. Very much a broad age group on board - we all mixed well and had a fabulous time. Small ship cruising is definitely the way to go around Croatia!
- Judy, 20/09/2023 20:40, Travelled in a Couple
Felt like a tired routine, not quite the experience I was hoping for. I think it’s too pricey for what we were offered. Ship feels dated compared to the others we saw in dock.
- John, 11/09/2023 06:06, Travelled in a Couple
Hi John, thank you for taking the time to write your review, we appreciate it. We are saddened to hear that this was not the experience you had envisioned. Our Explorer fleet's selection and booking process is customer-driven, allowing you to prioritise your first-choice ship, provided it's available. In the event that your preferred option is unavailable, we'll promptly offer a diverse range of ships that cater to every budget and luxury preference. You can find images and details of these ships on our website for your reference. We are pleased to see from the feedback you provided that you enjoyed other aspects of the cruise, and the issues you mentioned didn't detract from your overall enjoyment. Thank you again for your review and for joining us this season.
Friendly staff, comfortable cabins and great food. All of the overnight stops were at beautiful islands with plenty of things to do. Only down sides were that our boat Almissa had no shade in the top deck and the only covered area downstairs was full of smokers. OK if you smoke but not if you don’t. They also need to be aware of where they empty sewer. On two occasions toilet paper and excrement was pumped out while we were swimming. Overall though, nice cruise.
- Anonymous, 11/09/2023 05:20, Travelled in a Couple
Food great except the 3d printed fish. The fish was always terrible. Everything else exceed expectations. Swim spots were the best part of the entire experience. One night on anchor for captins dinner should be apart of the cruise as having a great night for it to be cut short at 11 sucks. If people want to do things on the island have an agreed pick up time and pick up with the boat on the sundeck. Rooms all good. Crew amazing. Clara was good but she doesn't deviate from script when it came for things to do. Excursions were ok. The dinner was awesome. The buggies were the biggest ripoff ever. They were falling to pieces. Slow and break downs. 60€ pp for two people so €120 total for two hours.. I've hired brand new quads for 80€ and had for 24hrs and free exploration. Overall was great though Chepers
- Shaun, 10/09/2023 09:33, Travelled in a Couple
Our Tour Manager Ivana was so knowledgeable and friendly, she showed us great places to visit and joined the group for dancing and singing on the boat too.... Ivana took us on some great tours. Our waiter Eril on the Princes Diana cruise was very attentive, friendly and smiled even if was up early and to bed late...he couldn't do enough for you. The size of our room was surprisingly larger than I expected and could take the large suitcases under our bed...We had a room on main deck area which all the other boats had to pass to get from one ship to another when docked, but we never heard anyone pass our door late at night so that was a bonus... a wee tip, I felt our room was a bit damp with the air conditioning and door closed, however my brother kept his door open when we were sailing as money locked in safe and trusted our crew and travellers on board and the breeze would flow through which was refreshing.
- Bridie, 01/09/2023 15:57, Travelled with Family
We had a fantastic holiday visiting so many beautiful islands, the cruise is very well organised, the breakfast and lunch was very nice. Plenty of lovely food. The drinks could’ve been a little cheaper as you can’t bring anything on board. A coffee machine and water should be available 24 hours. This was missing from our cruise.Boris gave lots of information talks on each island that we visited he was very good and also funny , The swim stops were lovely, such beautiful places to swim the boat could’ve had more canoes and floats , The personal touches having drinks and dinner with the other guest was fantastic lots of memories made !! The trips are very well organised and great fun we went on the zip line that was incredible!! I would recommend sail Croatia we had a fantastic holiday with so many memories !
- Anonymous, 21/08/2023 06:24, Travelled in a Couple
Great atmosphere on boat with good interaction amongst travellers from varying demographic and nationality. Ability to do other activities at stops would have been appreciated. Was a bit same same with dock in location and walk around town. Swimming stops were much appreciated but could have included a few more accessories like stand up board etc other than just flotation noodles. Tour guide did a good job but was reluctant to make recommendations. Internet access was just adequate. Meals were plentiful but lunch with a sit down meal was a bit heavy and a smorgasbord like breakfast would have sufficed. Ability to pay drinks bill at end by card would be preferred rather than cash with itemised account expected. Overall though thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend.
- Tim, 14/08/2023 05:42, Travelled in a Couple
Spacious cabin (more so than expected as we had an extra bed). The crew and fellow passengers were great, and the scenery of the country is simply awesome. Just a few very minor tweaks would have made all the difference; better pillows (flat and uncomfortable) and bedding; a catch to hold the bathroom door and stop it swinging when in motion. Setting off early (sometimes 6am) meant being awoken and a lack of sleep and wasn't always necessary, it seems. But overall a fantastic experience, a great holiday and a lovely trip. Highly recommended.
- Alan, 27/06/2023 22:52, Travelled in a Couple
Our trip on Tempera was memorable for the lovely port schedule & tasty, well prepared meals. But since I have been asked to answer "what would I have changed to improve the product", here goes: Pre-departure information regarding the trip was patchy & very generic, including changing our boat (which we readily agreed to, without realising the trip would be accomodating such a young client profile) Some sailing times were very early in the morning, which meant no chance of getting a lie-in. There was quite a lot of hovering outside ports, so whilst not sailing, not able to sight-see either. Breakfast time could have been extended, especially on the days when we weren't in port until mid-afternoon, to enable a more leisurely start to the day. It was quite damp in our cabin, & noisy at night, with lots of smoking. Despite all of the above, we really did enjoy ourselves. Ioana, our guide, was enthusiastic & communicated very well. All staff worked tirelessly, especially catering: thanks.
- Janet, 27/06/2023 07:14, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Janet, Thank you for your review and for taking the time to provide us with your further feedback. We are pleased to read you thought your cruise itinerary was brilliant and you enjoyed the islands that you visited. Your suggestions for improvements to our pre-departure documents are very much welcome and have been passed on to our Marketing team. Thank you for your comments on sailing times, breakfast time and your accommodation onboard. It is great that these didn't detract from your experience onboard and you have truly enjoyed yourselves. Wonderful to hear your representative Ioana took good care of you and that the meals prepared by the outstanding chef were to your liking. Thank you again and do come back soon!
I felt that the prices for alcohol onboard were very expensive . The organizational skills of our host were non existent . We had to constantly ask for information and many times ( especially when on excursions) we were left trying to organise ourselves and sort out transportation issues !
- Arlene, 27/06/2023 04:54, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there, thank you for taking the time to write your review Arlene. After reviewing customer feedback, it's great to see you enjoyed some aspects of your cruise; Captain's Dinner, cabin, boat in general and the onboard crew, to name a few. We are pleased to inform you that our internal reporting shows that the majority of guests on your ship provided five-star feedback for the cruise and the service provided by our onboard Rep. However, we are disappointed to learn that your experience did not align with the rest of the group's positive feedback and this will be passed on. We hope to welcome you back to show the improvements made.
Itinerary, boat and staff were all good, but some of us had a smell problem in the cabins at certain times. Not sure if this was an isolated problem on our trip or an ongoing problem? The design details in the cabins could have been better (need sliding door or lip at shower floor to prevent floor flooding, need shelves in bathroom to put stuff). The deck furniture was of low quality (cheap and thin foam cushions not very comfortable). Food was good but not excellent.
- David, 19/06/2023 12:19, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback and your lovely 4-star review. 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 regarding cabin decor have been noted and it was pleasing to read that the food provided was of good quality - we do appreciate there is always room for improvement so please rest assured your comments have been passed on to the relevant departments. We do hope to see you again soon!
A great bunch of people to travel with A great tour guide (Mila) was exceptional The crew were good especially Maryan Good food thanks to the chef One complaint is the fact that there was a spare room and a very shy young lady asked if she could have her own room instead of boarding with a complete stranger. I was discussed to hear that your company charged her an extra $600 euro in cash on top of what she had already paid that was cruel Steve Whitmore
- Stephen , 14/06/2023 11:41, Travelled with Family
Thank you so much for your 4 star review and all your comments. We are so glad you had a great time and that you found your representative Mila to be exceptional. Thank you for your kind comments regarding Marijan and the chef onboard. We will be sure to pass your comments to our team as they will appreciate very much hearing this. Our cabins are based on two person sharing a cabin and if there is a traveller travelling solo, then they are offered the option of booking a cabin with added Single Supplement cost which is 50% on top of per person pricing. This is offered at the time of booking and is advertised on our website under FAQ's. It isn't possible to waive this fee whilst on the cruise as it would be unfair to solo travellers onboard who booked and paid for a single occupancy cabin. Thank you for your feedback and we do hope we will welcome you again onboard sometime soon!
A small group of 30 people made our experience intimate and extremely enjoyable. We had an amazing experience with the other travellers and loved the knowledge and company of our tour guide Mila. Our bartender Maryan was also a stand out, so friendly and great service. The only recommendations I would have to further enhance the trip would be more regular changing of towels and sheets and more engagement from the other ship members (captain and sailors).
- Emma, 14/06/2023 11:34, Travelled with Family
Let me first start with value of the trip, for what we paid for I expected more. 1. The food. Breakfast was very simple and it felt that the continental breakfast of scramble eggs, mixed vegetables, cheeses, some fruits, and cereal for 7 days was very mundane. Lunch a 3 course meal with puréed vegetables made me think I was eating baby food. The cruise team was very nice and pleasant, however the person in charge of keeping us informed of the days event, needed to have the ability to keep the passengers interacting with each others. Like a cruise director would. Many times I felt, we needed to mingle with the other passengers to get to know each others, verses having interactive things directed by the cruise organizer. I feel this would cause a good bond between the passengers and allowed a more interactive trip. The only two times this happened was when we all went to a club together and the BBQ. On the captains dinner it would have been nice if the captain visit each table.
- Doug, 07/06/2023 06:15, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Doug, Thank you for your review and for taking the time to provide us with your feedback on your Explorer cruise with us this season. We are so happy to read you found the team on board nice and very pleasant, this is wonderful to read. Please be assured your feedback is well received and very important to us at Sail Croatia as it is only with such feedback we can improve our experience for guests, where possible. Your comments and suggestions have been passed onto each of the relevant departments and we are very grateful for this. Space on board and in our kitchen is very limited, so we do try our best to provide a selection of meals to suit everyone and catering to dietary requirements, however this can be difficult with such a small amount of space. We wish to thank you for joining us this season!
Excellent customer service from the UK
- Anonymous, 28/05/2023 20:06, Travelled in a Couple
Great overall experience. The internet was unreliable in rooms while at sea.
- Anonymous, 22/05/2023 08:28, Travelled in a Couple
The boat, the food and the crew are excellent. The route could be shorter. We spend many days doing nothing in the mornings, we could do more than one island per day.
- Kharina, 15/05/2023 11:02, Travelled with Family
Hi Kharina, thank you for your review and feedback. I will be sure to pass your suggestions onto the relevant teams. Thank you!
Everything was great! Just one downer was the lack of greens and cheese for vegetarians. The menu definitely need some creative attention
- Adriaan , 09/05/2023 08:43, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Adriaan, thank you so much for your review of your cruise with us this season - glad to hear everything was great. Feedback is very important to us, so I will be sure to pass your comments onto the relevant team. Thank you for joining us.
Fantastic cruise with great people who made the experience even better. Dino worked hard to make sure the cruise itinerary was best for the weather which ensured we had the best opportunities to see and do as much as possible.
- Grant, 07/05/2023 21:25, Travelled with Family
Thank you for your review of your cruise with us on board Salve di Mare Grant!
Went on the first tour of the year so most of the places we visited were quiet and many bars and restaurants not yet open. We still managed to have a good time though. The Tour Guide Dino was really friendly and helpful as well as knew a lot about places to go and what to see. Was good to see different places and added to the variety as well as being able to chill and relax between stops. There was a great group of people on board of mixed ages. We were looked after in the bar by Sime who made sure we had a good time there too. I was a bit disappointed that the Captain didn't interact with anyone even on the Captains Dinner! Didn't stop us having a good time though. There's plenty of food on board although not much variety, so expect meat and seafood. Overall was a great holiday and would definitely recommend although probably just once.
- Anonymous, 02/05/2023 18:15, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your 4-star review. We are really pleased to know you enjoyed your time with us and it sounds like you had a fabulous group of fellow travellers onboard the boat also! We appreciate your kind comments regarding Dino and Sime, and this will be passed on to them to enjoy! We welcome any suggestions for improvement, and we thank you for your comments on the Captain's Dinner and food, these comments have been passed on to the Operations Manager to address accordingly. It is great to hear you would recommend us to other travellers, and we do hope to have you join us again in the future.
A great little cruise totally let down by sales staff, allocations staff and after sales customer service. Information on booking was inaccurate and misleading. After sales customer service lame, defensive and frankly frustrating. Were unable to grasp the gravity of the situation. My separate complaint refers. On a positive Dino the Tour Guide did everything he could on board to offset the frustration and disappointment. Other than that great Tour Guide and Crew - thank you especially Dino and Sime! ❤️. Food service staff friendly but service sometimes slow and haphazard- half serving tables before moving to the next. Room cleanliness good. Food good but ran out of breakfast items - bananas and muesli. Captain didn't engage throughout even on Captains Night. Enjoyable and relevant excursions. Tour schedule altered one day due to inclement weather - saved the day! Perfect!
- Stephanie, 01/05/2023 08:37, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review Stephanie. We are pleased to hear Dino was helpful and available at all times and we will be sure to share your comments with him and Sime. We encourage guests to request more supplies if they run out, and our crew will be more than happy to replenish this. The onboard crew work tirelessly to provide outstanding customer service and we are disappointed to hear that there was some slow meal service at times, thank you for letting us know. We hope you managed to book some of the amazing excursions on offer during your week with us! In regards to the customer service levels provided, we are very disappointed to read this as we pride ourselves on providing an unbeatable customer service experience. Our records show that you did indeed have a request for a front cabin which was correctly noted by our Sales staff. We are aware that unfortunately this request was not met immediately at check-in however our Operations team reacted swiftly and were indeed able to accommodate your request of a front cabin soon after check-in on the first day. You initially decided to stay in your allocated cabin but we were pleased to learn that you decided to relocate during the cruise. Again, we thank you for all your comments.
Sail Croatia has some fine tuning to work on. Food was mediocre and cold at times. Repetitive breakfast and no options for customers. Rooms were amazing. Sime and Dino were amazing. Overall, I will not be a repeat customer which is unfortunate as I was hoping to be.
- Daniela, 01/05/2023 00:51, Travelled with Family
Hi Daniela, thank you for your review. We appreciate your comments regarding Dino and Sime and we will be sure to pass your lovely comments on to them. It's great to know you enjoyed your room onboard the boat, we agree, they are spacious and light. In regards to the food, we have passed your comments on to the Chef via our Operations Manager and we appreciate you highlighting this to us so we can look to improve this aspect of our cruise. Thank you.
Very nice boat with good cabins. For the most part, the organization was good however in the last 2 days they sent us back to our final port because they were worried about the weather however they got the weather completely wrong (which id fine), but they made u stay at port for 2 extra days and instead of going out for a swim stop or out of the port they just left us for 2 days in the same port. We were all not happy about that, pity as the rest of it was incredible!
- Anonymous, 04/10/2022 06:33, Travelled with Family
Great cruise, fantastic host in Stjepan, a bit disappointed that we had to spend 2 days in Dubrovnik. A little irritated that you would not accept Credit cards on board. In Croatia ALL ATMs are a rip off and as you accpet payment for the cruise on a credit card, why not onboard? No doubt you dont want the charges to your account but the inconvenience and extra cost we had to bear spoiled a little what was otherwise a great trip
- DAVID, 03/10/2022 08:08, Travelled with Family
We travelled on the Salve De Mare Ship which is a stunning ship, is kept extremely clean and in great condition. The crew all did their job well and the chef was exceptional. All meals were delicious. The only thing I would recommend is when booking a Sail Croatia tour ask the age group of the other guests on that trip. There was a 30+ year age gap between my husband and I and the other guests meaning we were much younger. It would have been nice to meet and holiday with people around a similar age to us too. We went in late September and half of our days were rainy, I would probably recommend doing this trip closer to the summer season also. Croatia is beautiful and well worth seeing and why not on a stunning ship?
- Keen travellers!, 03/10/2022 05:42, Travelled in a Couple
1)think that the boats should have paddle boards and canoes like others we saw for swim stops 2) the ability to get to shore when just moored, use the boats that are already on board 3) Food could have more choice and communicating a menu in advance so people can say they don't want would save a lot of waste and in some instances, alternative could be arranged.
- Ian, 22/09/2022 11:41, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Ian - Thank you for your review. We hope you enjoyed your time in Croatia. We appreciate all your comments. We don't include paddleboards or canoes I'm afraid, however at times past guests may leave their water toys onboard for others to enjoy, or these can be purchased at local markets to enjoy at swim stops. Mooring in to each harbour is reliant on port authorities and when given the go ahead, at times there may be a delay. Our chef aims to provide fresh meals using local produce each day from their small gulleys, and we can of course cater to any dietary requirements you may have. Thank you again.
The boat crew and the rep were excellent, nothing was to much trouble for them. Boat (Almissa) was fantastic and the itinerary was enjoyable. The only thing I didn't like was the fish (not Tuna steak) it don't know if it was fresh or frozen but didn't seem like the best representation of adriatic seafood considering we stopped at multiple ports. Thank you.
- Craig, 20/09/2022 06:46, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Craig, thank you for your review of your cruise with us on board Almissa. It's great to read you were happy with the ship and the crew - Almissa has been in our fleet for a long time now and we're truly proud of the vessel on the crew! I'll certainly pass your comments regarding the fish served, thank you for letting us know. We do hope you will join us again in the future.
The staff were wonderful and Stephanie took great care of keeping us informed and organized for port calls. The food was great with the minor exception of too much olive oil use for me on some dishes. The tuna steak was perfect! I would suggest shorter swim times to allow earlier port stops. Some excursions were not enough time to do them well. Some activities for poor weather days would be nice also.
- Dean, 19/09/2022 10:41, Travelled with Family
The Princeza Diana is a lovely ship with spacious cabins, great dining saloon, plenty of relaxation stations (tan deck, patio and lounge areas) and some special/unique features on board. The boat crew was amazing and we ate like kings. Our Sail Croatia tour guide was also wonderful and provided a lot of insights and recommendations for our islands visited. All in all a fun adventure had
- Anonymous, 18/08/2022 10:52, Travelled in a Couple
Nice, clean and functional ship. Food decent and satisfactory. Setting aside weather, scenery, swim stops etc, the crew were very nice and mannerly. In particularly Ionana the rep. She clearly was very passionate about her work and ensuring the passengers were at ease. Excellent people skills, very open and approachable, and went beyond expectation with queries, help and advice.
- Peter, 09/08/2022 07:52, Travelled in a Couple
Explorer cruise on the Almissa in June. We had beautiful weather every day & enjoyed the daily swim stops. The other guests were GREAT & made the week enjoyable for us. Ivan, our guide, was informative & shared his love for his country & its history. The boat was quiet & smooth sailing. The Captain was skilled bringing the boat in to dock. The crew was mostly good with Mario, Ivan & the junior deck hand being hard working & friendly. The food was average. Starters were excellent but the mains were hit or miss. Fish was prepared well but other proteins were dry & bland. Lasagna was the best meal. Fruit was old by end of week. Be aware: there is only 1 choice for lunch so if you don't want to eat octopus or squid ink pasta, be specific on your eating preferences as extra portions/options aren't available unless specified ahead of time. Food is only available at meal times & no snacks available to buy. Asst chef wasn't friendly & made some feel uncomfortable. Good Trip overall.
- JT, 20/07/2022 18:09, Travelled with Family
Ivana and the crew were lovely, the highlight for us was meeting up so many fantastic people. We loved the swim stops and all the places we visited. Croatia is a truly amazing place and we will always keep fond memories of our time at Almissa.
- Paul , 18/07/2022 10:19, Travelled in a Couple
Ship and rooms should be more in working order . Items shouldn’t be broken or makeshift . Had to ask for new towels after being told they would be changed. Our bedsheets weren’t even changed out. Never bothered to follow up after having to request. Some of the crew’s excellent service made up for others sub par performance . As a parent, Incident on ship was alarming and could’ve ruined the cruise, had to try hard to trust things would be alright . Swimming spots was occasionally sub par. Consistency in swim locations would have made things excellent.
- Rey, 05/07/2022 10:42, Travelled with Family
Hi Rey - thank you for your review. We appreciate you taking the time to review your cruise. Upon checking our reports, I can see that a mid-week cabin service was complete, including bedding and towel change on your boat - I could not see any issues being raised by yourself to your Onboard Representative. If this was missed for any reason, we would hope that guests would highlight this to their Onboard Representative. We understand that there was an incident onboard and our Rep, Captain and crew were on-hand to assist where possible. All swim stops are monitored and a member of staff is always on watch to ensure the safety of guests. Our Captain will chose the best secluded bays, these are in a variety of exclusive locations for your enjoyment. Thank you again for your review.
We had two cabins above deck. One was very nice and quiet, 14 but the twin cabin 19 for our adult children was horrible. It sat right over the engine and was so loud, it was unbearable. It also didn’t have a safe. Overall the week was
- Magi, 04/07/2022 22:10, Travelled with Family
Hi Magi - thank you for taking the time to review our cruise. We are pleased that you enjoyed your quieter cabin and hope that you enjoyed your time overall. However we are disappointed to read that your children's cabin experienced noise issues. We have a rigorous process in place for any issues that arise, and the first step is to discuss with your Onboard Representative, if no action is taken then you are welcome to escalate to the Operations Manager and/or Managing Director. Having checked our internal reports, I cannot see that the noise issues were raised with our Onboard Representative. If they were raised, we would have found an immediate solution to ensure that everyone is happy onboard. We are disappointed we were not given the opportunity to rectify this issue whilst you were onboard. Thank you again for your review and we hope to have you join us in the future.
My wife and I just came back from a week on the Salve De Mare. Croatia is such an awesome country and has so much to See and do our hostess Kalmia, planned our excursions and reservations with ease Our wait staff, Daniel and Ivana were so amazing I can honestly say daniel is a special guy he is so professional, attentive caring, witty and made our my/our stay so much better.. he quickly remembered all the guests names drinks and treated us like family… He was Such a gem and I can see that young man will be successful in life and wish him the best.. As for Our chef Palve he is so passionate and you can see he truly loves being a Chef my only thing is I wish there was some sort of way we could have the option of having a couple options for lunches such as wraps salads burgers etc I found I was having meals that would be fit for dinner for lunch and often felt too full and needed a nap lol All in all a great experience and would definitely recommend sail Croatia!
- Anonymous, 04/07/2022 20:56, Travelled in a Couple
Two Internet bloggers on board the ship with cameras, and drones constantly filming the activities. No attempt to ask for permission. Constantly had to hide between doors to avoid being on camera. A rather stressful holiday at times.
- Annette, 27/06/2022 13:30, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Annette, thank you for your review. Thank you for also reaching out to us via email. We’re glad that you raised your concerns with the bloggers onboard your ship and requested not to be a part of any content they created. We expect all customers to respect one another onboard our cruises and take into consideration any requests by fellow travellers not to be filmed or photographed when documenting their holiday experience. We hope that action was taken by the guests in question to ensure that no footage of yourself or John was published on social media. Our Onboard Representatives are available on each ship to support guests throughout the week, and mitigate any situations that may arise. If you weren’t satisfied with the action taken by your fellow traveller, we would have hoped you would communicate this with the Onboard Representative so that we could have resolved this issue. I’ve spoken with our Marketing Manager, and all internal photographers and videographers who board our ships to capture content do so in a GDPR compliant manner. Unfortunately Sail Croatia cannot be held responsible for content that is created by guests onboard in a public setting. The issues you have raised with us have been actioned by being reviewed internally as well as with the ICO and ABTA. The learning is that there was no GDPR breach and our feedback system indicates no issues were raised onboard. I am sorry this was not brought to our attention when you were onboard, so we were unable to resolve the issue immediately. We hope that you enjoyed your time regardless and we thank you for your review.
I think to start it would of been nice to of been greeted with a drink once we all got on board. I also think the bedding and towels needed to changed more than once. We had to ask every day for butter with the bread and we’re never given side plates. It would of been nice to have a jug of water on the table with lunch. The stars of breakfast was very poor. Some days the fruit was brown. Ioana who was the sail Croatia Rep was fantastic though and always went above and beyond with her organisational skills, she was an excellent representation for your company.
- Joanne Goodwin, 15/06/2022 05:49, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Joanne, Thank you for your review - this is much appreciated. We're glad to hear that Ioana went above and beyond to provide you with all the information needed onboard the cruise, we will certainly pass your comments on to her. Prior to our guests arrival we complete a thorough cleanse of each cabin and we organise a mid-week bedding/linen change and thorough cabin clean, daily cabin cleaning service and have added the inclusion of beach and bath towels onboard. We appreciate your suggestions of side plates at dinner, and water on the tables, which will be passed on to the Captain. I have had a look through the feedback provided by all guests, mainly regarding the breakfasts and can see that most of the ratings received were 4-5 stars. We understand that meals may not be to everyone's tastes, however encourage requesting alternative options from the chef. We can also provide the option of a cooked breakfast daily which is priced at 40EUR for the week. Thank you again for all your comments and suggestions. We hope that you enjoyed your time with us overall and that the issues mentioned didn't detract from your overall enjoyment in Croatia.
The trip overall has been amazing. The staff (Sail Croatia and crew) has been very helpful. Also big shout-out to the chef, that spoiled us with an delicious three-course meal every day! Some small improvements can be made (e.g. transparency on check-in process), however we would definitely book this trip again!
- Franz, 11/08/2021 16:06, Travelled in a Couple
The size of the small boat and that is was able to get into small ports of call. Size of the cabins and bathrooms
- Nancy, 19/10/2019 14:44, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Nancy, Thank you for your comments - we're glad you had an enjoyable experience.
Credit card payment should be accepted for the bar tab. When I placed my towels on the floor to be replaced - after day 2- the cleaner hung it back up No toilet paper on the second last day - I had to go ask for it Overall great experience
- Connie, 02/10/2019 06:47, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Connie, Thank you for your review - our ships are not equipped with credit card facilities yet. However, there are cashpoint machines at almost every destination if you want to avoid carrying cash. We are sorry to hear that your towels were not replaced, upon request and subject to availability, you will be provided a replacement towel. This will be highlighted to our Operations Manager, thank you for making us aware. Overall, we are pleased to know you had a great experience, thank you!
Sail Croatia manager, Boris, was very helpful, informative, friendly, and cordial all week. The Cristal Crew, however, were not. The first thing we were told by them was "We've been working for 19 weeks straight. Don't expect us to serve you before 730am." I understood completely but the delivery left much to be desired. No smiles. Rude tones. One bartender would routinely move you out of her way with her hand instead of saying excuse me. This happened to myself and my wife as well as many others during the tour. This all changed during the last 2 days of the tour as it was approaching tip time and I guess they thought we would forget about the rest of the week? On another note, the hot tub doesn't heat up past 29.5 degrees C. We tried to use it multiple times and were just shrugged off when we asked about the heater. Food on the boat was good. Overall, we had a great time. Excursions were very fun and the islands just gorgeous.
- Mike, 17/09/2019 09:59, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review! We are really pleased to hear you enjoyed your time overall onboard Cristal with good food, lovely fellow passengers and some fun excursions. We agree with you there, the islands are simply stunning! Boris is a superstar! He is a prime example of a Sail Croatia Representative Extraordinaire! Providing guests with as much information as possible, so that they enjoy a fun, relaxing and friendly environment - we're really happy to hear he was a welcomed inclusion onboard. We are really disappointed to read of the unprofessional experience with some of the crew and also the hot tub heating issues, these have been highlighted to the Operations Manager to investigate further and we thank you for raising these concerns with us. Thank you again and we hope to have you join us again sometime soon!
Cristal was a beautiful ship, well equipped and presented. Lara did a great job as host and bonding the group and kept us well informed. She was passionate about Croatia and wanted us all to have the best time. Nothing was too much trouble for her. The other staff members didn't feature quite so prominently but were obviously working very hard in the background as everywhere was kept spotless, the food was good and the service was great. I do think the schedule could be improved slightly. It was to rushed at the start and docked too early (so ended) to soon in Split, which was a shame. Great bunch of fellow passengers who made the trip so enjoyable.
- Nicci, 10/09/2019 20:05, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there, thank you for your review of your Explorer cruise on board Cristal. She really is a beautifully built ship and we're also pleased to read what a great job Lara did as your Representative, I will be sure to pass your kind words onto her. I will be sure to pass your feedback onto our Operations Manager, Thanks so much for joining us!
We had a great time and enjoyed ourselves but there were a few things that need to be improved. Charging $10 for a glass of wine from a bottle that costs $10 is a bit much especially since you can't bring our own alcohol on board. Staff could be happier in the beginning and not sigh when you need to be served a drink because they are watching a show on their phones. They should be roaming the deck and cleaning glasses and taking drinks orders rather than us taking our own glasses back to the bar. They tried to change our last 2 days but didn't give us all the info which would have meant 2 days simply docked in Dubrovnik. They made it sound like it was special but didn't tell us the boat wouldn't leave the port during the day again which means a wasted day.
- Nick, 10/09/2019 11:44, Travelled in a Couple
Hi, thank you for taking the time to review your Explorer cruise with us this season on board Cristal. It is great to hear you had a great time and did enjoy yourself on board! I will be sure to pass all of your comments onto our Operations Manager, thank you for this. Thanks so much for joining us!
The boat Cristal was a new Sail Croatia boat and was very comfortable with lots of space to unwind. A sun lounger for every guest and a hot tub which was cold but we needed that !! Our group of travellers were great fun and we thoroughly enjoyed our week.
- Sarah, 04/09/2019 07:37, Travelled with Family
Amazing that you had such a wonderful week on board Cristal - we are so pleased to hear this. Thanks for joining us!
No changes
- Shane, 28/08/2019 15:50, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review and a great week on board.
We traveled on Crystal for our honeymoon on 7/27.Our host Mia was very hospitable and attentive through out our stay.During our stay on Crystal we enjoyed the swim spots and the spacious layout of the boat.It was a great way to travel about the country.The cruise was advertised as being for "young professionals" however we found ourselves on a boat with the majority of the guests being in their 60's and a family with teenagers, not what we expected nor what we wanted.Bar tending was the most disappointing part of the experience.Both of our servers could pour beer/wine, but that was it.The bar menu listed cocktails, but the 2 employees could only make 4 different drinks (all of which tasted awful).Tatiana would only make an Aperol Spritz, and had a less than welcoming disposition. They both sat on the couch on their phones and made us feel like we were inconveniencing them when we ordered a drink.The trip was lovely but for a honeymoon& price we expected the crew to be more hospitable.
- Rebekah, 15/08/2019 01:58, Travelled with Family
Thank you so much for your review. Thank you for choosing to spend part of your honeymoon with us. We are pleased to hear that your host Mia was very hospitable and attentive during the cruise. It's also nice to know that you enjoyed your accommodation onboard Crystal and found the cabins nice and spacious. The amazing swim stops are just lovely aren't they! We are sorry to read of your disappointment with some aspects which I wish to expand on; our Explorer cruises generally appeal to travellers who feel they fit within our 'young professionals and young at heart' description, however are open to all ages over 15 years as mentioned under our FAQ page. We appreciate you sharing your experience with us and we will be looking into further training for the bar staff and will pass your comments on to the Operations Manager to investigate further, thank you. We hope that these issues didn't detract from gorgeous Croatia as a whole. Thank you.
Ana was wonderful and created a fantastic experience. The other staff members could have been a little friendlier but they were also great. We would have loved at least one full length mirror on the boat. The food was fantastic but breakfast was too early. Perhaps if breakfast was served from 9-10 that would have been more convenient. The rooms were wonderful and the rest of the boat was also great. The captain also created a lovely atmosphere and everyone loved him!
- Megan, 07/08/2019 10:23, Travelled with Family
Hi there. Thank you for your review of your Explorer cruise with us this season. I will be sure to pass your kind words onto Ana, she will enjoy the read! I will also be passing your comments and suggestions onto our Operations Manager so that improvements can be made in the future, we do appreciate your feedback here. Thanks so much for joining us, we're so pleased to hear you had a great time.
We had a great time on Emanuel, saw some amazing islands and met some awesome people. The food and crew were fantastic! The only issue we had was that our room had no ventilation of any kind and got a bit damp and smelly by the end of the week. Would highly recommend for anyone to book this trip though, it was a blast!
- Ben, 05/08/2019 06:35, Travelled in a Couple
Thanks for your review of your Explorer cruise with us this season on board Emanuel. We are pleased to hear you had a great time on board with awesome people and exploring beautiful Croatia! Amazing that you were pleased with the delicious meals served and the service provided by your on board crew. I'll be sure to pass your comments regarding the cabin onto our Operations manager so we can make improvements for the future. Thank you for your recommendation!
PLUS side: We met fun people and had a great time. The excursions were well organised and catered to the crowd. MINUS side: Bar service could have been friendlier and the staff/team really looked exhausted and kept remiding us that they need to get up early... we found out they work without any days off...
- Fredrik, 05/08/2019 04:39, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there and thank you for your review. It's great to know you had a lovely time on the cruise and found the excursions offered to be well organised. We have highlighted the bar service to our Operations Manager and we thank you for bringing this to our attention. We hope that this did not deter from your overall experience. The staff generally work through the summer, any leave requests would be at the discretion and approval of the captain. We thank you again for taking the time to send us your review. Thank you.
We really enjoyed sailing around the Dalmation Islands and waking up somewhere new each day. Our Rep was incredibly helpful and lovely... and I thought the whole trip was well thought out and planned. For us it has been a great introduction to Croatia and I have found more than a few places I would love to revisit and spend more time, plus one or two I now know I would not return to. The crew worked really hard, the food was delicious and the cabins cooler and nicer than I expected. It would have been better if there had been tea and coffee making facilities, and I would have liked longer on some of the Islands... that said overall the balance between swim stops, lunch and time in port was pretty good. Overall a very enjoyable experience.
- Stephanie, 29/07/2019 15:27, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there, thank you for your detailed review. We're so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your time sailing along the Adriatic coastline! Thank you for your kind words about your Representative and the crew, I will be sure to pass this on as I know they will enjoy the read. With regards to your comments on the tea and coffee, I will be sure to pass this on so that we can improve for the future. We really do appreciate your feedback here. Thank you for joining us!
This trip was great because: excellent swim tops, excursions, chef & Croatia. I would do it again. NOT GREAT: Terrible scheduling: schedule was set but not conveyed. Ex: We had a swim stop & the tender boat brought me to shore. I knew I had to be back on at 1 pm but the guy who dropped me never said what time to meet the tender. At 12:30 my family and I head back to where the boat dropped us figuring 1/2 hour is plenty of time. We met Ivana the cruise director on the way and she flipped out “ WHERE have you been!? You knew to meet the tender at noon! You are sooo late.!!” We said we didn’t know - no one told us, there’s no written schedule given to passengers & the hand-written schedule Ivana put up didn’t say it either. She nagged the whole way back! “ How did the others know and not you?!!” Dunno - you told them and not us? Instead of saying “Apologies. We will do better to say the schedule. Glad I found you and all’s is well.” Instead she kept nagging. It was awful. No apology.
- Catherine, 29/07/2019 06:33, Travelled with Family
Hi there. I want to thank you for your feedback, we do really appreciate this as this enables us to improve for the future. It's wonderful to hear you had a great trip and that you would do it all again! We would love to have you again 😊 With regards to your comments on the scheduling and your Representative Ivana, I'm sorry to hear this. I have made our Operations Manager aware of this so that we can improve on this for the future. Thank you for brining these points to our attention. We do appreciate you as a valued customer of ours and are glad the issues raised did not deter you from having a great time on board. Thank you!
Cristal is one of the newer and largest offered by Sail Croatia. The cabins and baths are very spacious and there are many well designed areas to relax and be with or away from the other guests. The ship is kept very clean by the crew and housekeeping staff. The captain is very welcoming. Our trip had a wonderful group of fellow travelers of all ages from around the world. The food quality could be substantially improved. Many of the port stops are too short and much time is spent at very long swim stops waiting for free public docks to become available at the end of the day. The boat must leave these public docks very early with engines starting at 7 or 8am. The cruse director was enthusiastic, excursion quality highly variable and local port information limited.so do your own homework.
- Steve, 15/07/2019 10:58, Travelled with Family
Hi there, thank you for taking the time to leave us an honest review of your cruise on board Cristal with us this season. I'm so pleased to hear you liked the ship and were happy also with service provided by the crew on board by keeping it clean and tidy. Your fellow travellers really can make the trip sometimes, so it's great that you all got on well! We appreciate your feedback and these comments will be passed onto the relevant teams so that we can make improvements for the future. Thank you so much for joining us!
The boat was new and had first class facilities. It’s a good way to see a different place each day and not to have to bother moving luggage or driving. Having everything organised for you is great but there is also flexibility to do your own thing if you wish. The boat was big enough to socialise as well as have your own space if needed. The Croatian islands are beautiful and all the people were friendly and happy. Each island is different and had its own special charms.
- Michelle, 01/07/2019 21:32, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you so much for your review - it was a real pleasure having you join us this season. We completely agree with you - having the freedom and flexibility to tour each island with the convenience of leaving your luggage onboard your ship, makes the trip much more seamless. We're so happy that you enjoyed all aspects of the cruise and hope to see you again soon.
The cruise itself was very nice and entertaining, The boat was immaculate and the captain and Ivan were amazing. To be honest, the crew was a big part that let the experience down, Very, very poor service. My wife felt ashamed and embarrassed asking them to do anything (while they were sitting on their phones doing nothing in the saloon). We got groans and eye rolls when we asked for a drink or anything. The main issue for us was communication, In the first hour on the boat, the sail Croatia representative said everyone got ONE free drink during meals. It was not specified what kind of drink, I got a beer or coke and my wife got the one cocktail they new how to make every day with lunch. We did buy a few other drinks at nights etc that we knew we had to pay for. On the last day we got our bill and got laughed at by the crew due to our reaction to seeing EVERY drink had been charged for. No explanation or reasoning just that we had to pay or we do not get our passports back...
- Scott, 01/07/2019 21:26, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there and thank you for your review. It was a pleasure having you onboard the cruise and it really is nice to hear that you enjoyed your time on the cruise, found the boat immaculate and the captain amazing. There are a few points in your review I wish to clarify for any guests thinking of joining one of our cruises, 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. We are sorry to hear that you felt that service was very poor - this is something that will be highlighted to the captain via our Operations Manager, thank you. We hope that this did not deter from your overall experience! Thank you
Great week on the Cristal - a really nice boat with great amenities. 3 course lunch every day, beautiful swimming spots, and stunning towns. Lots of flexibility to do what you want throughout the day and night. Good mix of ages and a great bunch of people - We were lucky given that you don’t know who will be on your boat until the first day. Only cons were that the crew were a little bit rude at times, and there’s lots of noise when the engine starts up early each morning, regardless of whether you’re above or below deck.
- Anonymous, 01/07/2019 07:21, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there and thank you for your 5-star review. We're delighted to hear you had a great week onboard Cristal and enjoyed your accommodation entirely with a good mix of fellow travellers. As our cruises are on small ships (averaging 38-42 people onboard), engine noise at times can be expected upon engine start-up, although generally causing minimal disruption to your stay. Thank you again and we hope to have you back onboard Cristal with us!
We really enjoyed the Cristal and its Crew. Our room was spacious, the Cristal is a beautiful ship. Pristine and new.
- Tracey, 01/07/2019 05:17, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you - it was a pleasure having you onboard Cristal!
We booked an explorer cruise, specifically different to the other cruises for either those wanting to party or those wanting to relax on a retiree/relaxed cruise. What we got was not what was listed on the website. We began noticing a few days prior to our cruise on Instagram that the age on the cruise appeared to be retirees. We contacted sail Croatia two days before our cruise to confirm we had booked the right cruise and we were told that the average was 39 on our cruise with the oldest person being 65 and a few that had not listed their age. We asked how many young couples were on board and were told there was another couple our age and a couple in their 30’s. We then asked the representative if we could change boats to a younger vibe on the premier plus navigator. We were told that was fully booked and not possible and that we would love the boat we were on. We asked again if there was any other option; However if we waited 4 more days we could change to another premier plus boat.
- Byron, 29/06/2019 21:41, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there and thank you for your review. We are sorry to hear of your disappointment with the cruise type you booked. There are a couple of points in your review that I just need to clarify for other travellers considering booking with us. Our Explorer cruise offers a balance between sightseeing, relaxation and socialising. This cruise is for those that feel they fit within the category of 'young professionals and young at heart travellers', however, is open to all ages over 15 years. As specified on our website, typically Explorer cruises will have an age range from mid 20s to mid 60s (as a guide). I do recall the phone call and advising that the average ages onboard were from mid 40's to mid 50's, and confirmed that the travellers onboard were between the ages of 27 - 64 years old. Unfortunately we were fully booked across all of our Navigator Cruises on your departure date and couldn't move your booking. So that you had all available options on surrounding dates, I offered the Navigator Return (South) cruise which would've departed on the Wednesday as this was the closest available departure, however didn't hear back from you. We do hope you got to enjoy some aspects of your cruise and hope to experience Croatia with you once again in the future.
We very much enjoyed the sampling of islands on this trip. The crew was great, the water crystal clear and relatively warm - swimming off the boat was awesome.
- Helen Wellons, 27/06/2019 19:27, Travelled with Family
Hi there, thank you for your review. It's great to hear you enjoyed your time on board with us in Croatia visiting all of the different locations - we agree, our cruises are a great way to see Croatia. Awesome that you enjoyed the swim stops too! :) Thank you.
My partner and I decided to go with Sail Croatia as we had heard amazing reviews about the company. For the most part the trip was absolutely to die for, our host Evon was awesome, making the trip fun and informative the entire time. The only downfall on the trip was the waitstaff. I completely understand they are on the boat working back to back for 7 months, however it does affect your holiday when you are greeted with scowls and misery daily. It was clear from the first day that going to the bar and asking for a drink that we paid additionally for was a burden to the bartender as it drew her away from her phone. The lack of communication regarding our free drink included with our lunch even when enquired further resulted in us all not having it included. The remaining staff were an absolute dream to deal with and would greet you happily whenever you passed them on the boat.
- Anonymous, 24/06/2019 14:06, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your honest review - it was a pleasure having you join us this season. Evon is just brilliant, full of knowledge, fun and friendly and we will let him know you agree! We are sorry to hear of the only downfall to this trip and your comments have been passed on to the Operations Manager to investigate further - thank you for making us aware. We are really pleased that overall, you enjoyed your week with us and hope to have you join us again in the future!
So firstly, I would like to say that my experience on board the Cristal was overall satisfactory but I do think that there could be improvements. We were lucky that we had a good mix of people, however I think aiming the cruise at “young professional couples and young at heart travelers” leaves you with an odd mix of people. I think that maybe having a more upmarket option for younger couples and young professionals where they don’t feel like they have to be on basic party boats with the 20 year olds would be better. One of the more disappointing aspects of the tour was that the bar wasn’t open late and that spa wasn’t always available to use, including in the middle of the day and two full days it remained off.Maybe for other groups that don’t want as much of a party, this might have worked but for us it was disappointing and we felt a little ripped off that we couldn’t use all the available facilities. However our tour manager Boris was great and very professional.
- Anonymous, 04/06/2019 14:50, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there and thank you for your review. We are really pleased to hear you enjoyed your time on our cruise and that you were satisfied with your overall experience. We are glad you had a good mix of people onboard our Explorer cruise. This cruise type is aimed at people who feel as though they fit into the 'young professionals' or 'young at heart' category. We will pass on your feedback to our Operations Team, and we thank you for letting us know about the bar times and onboard spa. Once our onboard representative is made aware of any such concerns, they will be able to rectify this for you immediately. We are pleased to hear that your Tour Manager Boris was very professional. Thank you again and we are pleased that overall, you had a great week onboard with great people!
The weather was not great for our week out but Boris and the great staff of Cristal made sure we were well looked after!! We feel this week was definitely a highlight for us due to the extra effort of all the staff members. Thank you for the great hospitality!!
- Karen, 30/05/2019 22:53, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review - we are really happy to know you enjoyed your cruise despite adverse weather conditions. We are really pleased to hear you were well looked after during your cruise and your comments regarding the staff will be passed on to them. Thank you!
We were lucky enough to have a mixed bag of great people on the cruise and we all got on really well. The boat crew were wonderful and accomodating and made our trip very enjoyable. Lara, was our guide and made sure we were organised for day trips, restaurant recommendations and nightclub visits. She did a fantastic job! Our cabins were a good size and the food was nice. Even though we were the last cruise of the season, we were lucky enough to have nice weather for the whole week except for the first two days. It was a really great experience for us and we would highly recommend it.
- Ross, 15/10/2018 14:33, Travelled in a Couple
Lara the cruise director was very capable and helpful and cheerful at all times. All the crew were great and the itinerary very interesting.
- Chris, 15/10/2018 14:12, Travelled in a Couple
People.steve who was our guide was so helpful & informative he loved his history &l feel we received a lot of information which helped us understand this beautiful country even more..our chef was fantastic.variety of food & well presented.captain was thoughtful about our comfort.deck hands & bar man/waiter were also friendly & helpful.it was a relaxing cruise.loved our boat Magellan as well.great size.l didn’t want the cruise to end.thankyou to all.
- Florence , 15/10/2018 07:28, Travelled with Family
The staff the people. The beautiful country. Was a lot of fun and also relaxing. Great holiday to choose to do a lot or a little. Absolutely loved it. Thank you x
- Donna, 12/10/2018 11:47, Travelled in a Couple
We had cool people on-board (both crew and guests) and hat a lot of fun with everyone. Everyday we could swim and visit a new city, plus some extra activities. Very satisfied about the whole thing. Thanks
- Anonymous, 01/10/2018 12:41, Travelled with Family
We were on the maiden voyage of Kralijica Jelena! We met so many amazing people from around the world and became fast friends! Beautiful, brand new spotless ship the crew was amazing and took great care of us. The chef was also incredible. Great food! Croatia is a beautiful country and I highly recommend this trip.
- Sheree, 18/09/2018 03:33, Travelled in a Couple
This has to be the best way to experience the Croatian islands! There were only about 40 of us on a beautiful ship meaning you never felt crowded and could have your own space but also get to know others and enjoy company if you wished to. We loved the relaxed swims at each spot in crystal clear warm water, Exploring each island was great and Andy did a great job of informing us of the areas we were to visit. Breakfast and lunch meals were great and the staff worked so hard to make a memorable experience. All in all a great holiday.
- Nicky, 24/08/2018 07:15, Travelled in a Couple
Great cruise companions and great staff on the boat made this trip so easy to enjoy. Australians are people I would travel with anytime anywhere. The cruise stops were all very interesting and our host Antonio was very capable of filling us in on all the history and local information to make our trip so fulfilling.
- John, 05/08/2018 15:07, Travelled with Family
V our host was amazing, informative, passionate about his country, helpful and fun.
- Val, 03/08/2018 02:16, Travelled in a Couple
Our boat, Almissa, was beautiful. I let the staff know about my dietary preferences ahead of time and they went out of their way to accommodate me. Meal were basic, but good. The trip was a nice mix of swim stops and time to explore the islands independently. The rafting and kayaking excursions were so-so. The Vis tour, wine tasting and meal at an authentic family restaurant in Korcula were well worth the time / money.
- Susan, 30/07/2018 01:18, Travelled with Family
The people, the places, Ivana and crew, the swim spots, the food! It was an amazing trip we will never forget. There was an issue with our cabin but the crew worked their tails off to fix and accommodate us. They are very hard workers and so nice!
- Briana , 23/07/2018 02:45, Travelled in a Couple
Comfortable ship with good sized cabins. Meals were good. Plenty of swim stops. Ample opportunity to explore the islands. Good sailing companions.
- Kim, 16/07/2018 05:35, Travelled in a Couple
The crew were fantastic and the boat was better than expected. Good mix of young and middle aged passengers. Everyone got on well and mixed, making it very enjoyable.
- Maida, 25/06/2018 07:27, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review. We are really pleased to hear you have enjoyed yourself onboard Aurora and that everyone got on well. Thank you again and do visit with us again!
Have just finished two weeks on Aroura Split - Dubrovnik - Split. With two different groups of passengers but same crew and Vedron as the tour guide. Prior to departure I had not been well & remain in recovery, my wife and I were the most senior passengers on both weeks. The trip was fantastic we’re were looked after amazingly, the destinations stunningly beautiful, and life on the Aurora couldn’t have run more smoothly. Many thanks to V and the crew and to our fellow shipmates for making our Croatia experience something to remember.
- Ray, 21/05/2018 03:18, Travelled in a Couple
Recommendation from others
- John, 02/10/2017 20:40, Travelled with Family
- Leanne, 28/09/2017 17:21, Travelled in a Couple
The crew were so helpful, friendly & fun but at the same time very professional. The Almissa was a beautiful boat & our cabin was large & clean with a great shower. The lovely towns/islands we went to were beautiful & we enjoyed every evening wandering the old towns having dinner & people watching. Our fellow passengers were a great mix of ages,all well travelled & a lot of fun to be be with. with. We enjoyed all our conversations at lunch & breakfast & were happy to be seated with anyone. We often found ourselves all together late at night enjoying the local bars, having many drinks & dancing til all hours. This was the best cruise ever, & a really enjoyable way to see the gorgeous country of Croatia. Totally recommend & would do it again.
- Janelle, 14/09/2017 09:21, Travelled in a Couple
Fellow passengers, ports, vessels crew and Sail Croatia representative. We enjoyed the tours and swimming, and liked the fact we always had evening meals ashore. Something for everyone.
- Philip, 11/09/2017 15:54, Travelled in a Couple
Good organized, good food and met lots of cool People.
- Susanna, 11/09/2017 04:23, Travelled with Family
The rooms were lovely including an amazing ensuite. The meals on board were excellent and made us feel very spoilt. The sundeck was spacious with plenty of room for everyone and we stopped at some pretty swim stops to bathe in crystal clear water. The crew on board were brilliant and very friendly. We met some lovely people but the modern 2016 drum and base music for the first few days drove me mad - this was the choice of many of the younger group of passengers on the boat and made me feel I had joined the wrong cruise. There was a lot of information given every day by the rep but this often felt like cramming for an exam and would have been better given as a short summary with more detailed handouts for those who wanted it.
- Sam, 02/09/2017 14:44, Travelled in a Couple
My partner and I had a great time would do it again for sure:)
- Amy, 28/08/2017 12:29, Travelled in a Couple
Was such a chilled and beautiful tour, they have everything organised and set up perfectly. Would definately recommend
- Dean, 28/08/2017 12:27, Travelled in a Couple
I really enjoyed my time with Sail Croatia - the ports of Croatia were amazing and loved all the impromptu swim stops! The one issue I had was the wifi connectivity and some of the smells on the Stella Maris . Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed !
- Leanne, 28/08/2017 07:21, Travelled in a Couple
Your excellent, most helpful and polite and friendly crew! Plus swimming off the boat at least twice a day was wonderful. Cabin was quite spacious too. Being tall, beds were rather short and narrow, otherwise cabin was rather pleasant. You might want to consider changing mattresses a bit more often, ours were quite worn out! Breakfast and lunch were ok.
- Anonymous, 23/08/2017 14:05, Travelled in a Couple
My husband and I did the sail as part of our honeymoon and really enjoyed it. The Split- Dubrovnik Explorer on the premier plus boat (Liberty) was such fun. We had a good mix of age groups on our boat and the group went out for drinks and to clubs on a few nights throughout the week. We are a couple in our mid 20's and wanted to have a good time, but didn't want to party every night. If you are the same- I recommend the explorer cruise! Rooms on the premier plus boat were not as nice as we were expecting and were constantly damp inside. The bathrooms are very small and a bit outdated but they were fine for a week. The food was pretty good. Of the optional activities throughout the week the only one I would really recommend is the wine tasting in Stari Grad. The buggies in Korcula were not good value for money at all, and a bit boring. It cost AUD 120 per couple for not even an hour of driving (about 20 minutes each) at a fairly slow speed. Overall, great experience!
- Jonti, 23/08/2017 09:27, Travelled in a Couple
Sam the activities director was very informative & helpful and professional. And the crew Keats available to help.
- RJ Gomez, 22/08/2017 08:45, Travelled in a Couple
The cruise was amazing. The ship Provedenca was beautiful & the cabins & all areas very comfortable. The. Best part of the Cruise was Anna & her team their level of service was phenomenal and needs to be rewarded. The food was amazing too. The only thing I would maybe recommend is too have some snorkeling masks & fins available, we took ours with and had most of the guests lend ours as they also wanted to snorkel. Apart from that it was amazing and I would recommend sail Croatia to everyone!!!
- Bronwyn, 18/08/2017 06:59, Travelled in a Couple
We sailed Dubrovnik-Split with a lovely group & fantastic rep, Stanko. Stan was very informative and looked after our needs very well. The opportunity to see the islands & swim in lovely clear water from the boat was superb. We combined this with. Game of Thoines tour in both Dubrovnik and Split which made the area even more interesting.
- Simon, 15/08/2017 06:52, Travelled with Family
Thank you for your review - we are so happy to hear you enjoyed your time on our cruise and in Croatia as a whole. Thank you for your feedback on your rep Stan - we will be sure to pass this on. We hope you enjoyed the Game of Thrones tour. Thanks again.
Our cruise got off to a bumpy start. They didn't register our boat in time in Dubrovnik, so they had us stay a night in a hotel there, then take a bus ride the next day to Split to embark on our trip. This made us miss out on 1 1/2 days on the cruise. They only notified us of the problem a few days ahead of our cruise, they made some amends, but I feel they could have done more for the guests. This is the only reason I have not left 5 stars. Once on board, we had an excellent time! Because they were unable to register the sailcroatia boat, they had us on the Barbara, (barbara-cruising.com), which had a fantastic crew that was fun and friendly. Our tour guide Stan who works for Sail Croatia was the absolute best! If you can suggest him for your cruise, do so. He was a walking encyclopedia on any topic - Croatian history, current events, and celebrity gossip. He made the trip for my family because of his fun spirit and positive attitude. We adored Stan and loved the beauty of Croatia
- Kelly, 14/08/2017 21:05, Travelled with Family
Thank you for your review. The original scheduled ship had technical difficulties at registration and therefore, we had to find an alternative option within a very short time-frame. The alternative option was a change of route and we had provided you with 5* accommodation for the first night plus a refund for the first day and additional compensation for the inconvenience caused. We then organised a transfer the following day from Dubrovnik to Split which takes approximately 4.5 hours. Again, we are sorry for the inconvenience here. We are really pleased to hear you had a great time onboard Barbara and enjoyed the company of your rep Stan. We agree, he is a walking encyclopedia, full of knowledge and love for his country and culture. We really are pleased you enjoyed the cruise overall and hope to have you join us again in the future.
Primarily our tour leader/director and the crew. I wish to specifically single out Stan our tour organiser. He covered all bases - informative, entertaining, caring and overal played "mother hen" to great effect. I could not find any fault with any of the crew. We followed the recommendation of friends who travelled with you in 2016 and we were not disappointed. Many thanks. Peter
- Peter, 14/08/2017 14:23, Travelled in a Couple
There was a problem with our Premium Plus Explorer boat, so we were told on arrival to Split port that instead of going on our original tour (Split to Dubr'), that we would have to be transferred by bus (4h) to Dubr' to do a Dubr' round trip tour on another boat. We were issued a new itinerary with the Sail Croatia logo. The new itinerary looked a little more tame than our original tour (e.g. no cave rave). However, we weren't complaining as we were given a full refund, which was great. We appreciated that Sail Croatia did what they could to re-accommodate us all in a limited amount of time. Unfortunately when we arrived at Dubrovnik, we were greeted by a tour guide from another company. We had been under the illusion that we were being transferred to another Sail Croatia boat. The new tour was catered to an older generation, and the experience was not Premium Plus. Overall: we are happy that the best solution was reached but this was not the experience we were expecting.
- Anonymous, 14/08/2017 07:55, Travelled in a Couple
Hi and thank you for your review! We appreciate your understanding on a very difficult and rare situation. We had to make a decision at such short notice and decided on providing a full refund to those effected, thus allowing them to enjoy a complimentary cruise. We are sorry if the details regarding the cruise were not communicated clearly to you. We are really pleased to hear you appreciated our efforts and we do hope that you enjoyed Croatia as a whole. Thank you.
The staff were friendly, the food was great (we definitely never went hungry), the drinks on the boat weren't overly expensive (that was a nice surprise) and our time on the boat/exploring the islands was very enjoyable! The only negative I have to say is that we thought we would be on a brand new boat considering we paid for a premium plus cruise- instead we had a wooden boat where the accomodation was ok but it definitely wasn't what we were expecting considering how much we paid. That was a little bit disappointing.
- Emily, 13/08/2017 06:27, Travelled in a Couple
Good espresso coffee would make a wonderful start to the day and should be on offer when passengers are on board. Refrigerated water or a means of cooling water in hot summer weather would add to customer comfort. A change of cabin linen half way through would be great. Meals were good apart from overcooked vegetables. Stan Law was the best part of our trip - Stan put 119% effort.into his passengers comfort. He was knowledgeable (though sometimes too talkative) and willing to assist in whatever way he could. We were not expecting him to give us a tour of the towns we overnighted in - very helpful as a quick orientation; so please keep it up. All staff were courteous and willing, but I do wonder whether they risk burn out having to work 24/7 for 6 months. Perhaps some time off may between 7 day cruises may circumvent this in the longer term - something management should consider. Valuing your staff goes a long way!
- Anonymous, 07/08/2017 07:28, Travelled with Family
The explorer cruise was everything we imagined and more. The boat was exceptional, the staff incredibly helpful & the sights of Croatia were unforgettable. In particular our tour guide Ana made the experience everything it was- she was not only knowledgable and passionate about Croatia but she went above and beyond to take care of us all and ensure we were always safe. We cannot thank her enough.
- Charlotte, 04/08/2017 08:14, Travelled in a Couple
Absolutely loved our time on the boat and saw so much of beautiful Croatia. The boat facilities were amazing and our children loved it. Only change I would have made would be to have more child friendly meals given it was a family cruise.
- Anonymous, 12/07/2017 12:08, Travelled with Family
The boat crew were awesome and really made the trip enjoyable and comfortable. The friends we made whilst on the boat also made the trip a once in a lifetime experience. The food was great, the bar was excellent, the Captain was first class, the sailors were always there to ensure we enjoyed every moment. And our guide was very knowledgeable and just a top bloke. If I was to do a Sail Croatia trip again I would definitely want to be on the Paradis again.
- Dave, 03/07/2017 15:53, Travelled in a Couple
We were on Melina (Explorer Split return). It was a good mix of great food, history, culture scenery and international company (we had Americans, Australians, British, Canadians, Chileans, New Zealands, and South Africans. We were well looked after by the crew and Rep. The sailing was very peaceful with beautiful vistas and the stopovers were a mix of gentle harbours and cosmopolitan (and therefore noisy) resorts.
- Anonymous, 03/07/2017 06:23, Travelled in a Couple
We went as a small group and found most of the other passengers of the same mindset as us. The staff were nothing short of amazing, from the captain Ivan to Pave the deckie. Be prepared for single beds with very few doubles available - a few couples weren't too happy about this. The food was OK. Adequate.
- Carlah, 26/06/2017 04:43, Travelled in a Couple
Good crew and fellow guests and beautiful coastline and towns .
- John, 19/06/2017 17:11, Travelled in a Couple
Our guide, Roko, was very knowledgeable giving us a short but succinct and interesting history of each destination. In particular, we appreciated his guidance highlighting the pros and cons of tourist attractions and excursions.
- Chris, 12/06/2017 18:01, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review on our Explorer cruise. We are really pleased to hear your guide Roko was informative and knowledgeable and provided you with guidance when deciding on local tourist attractions. We hope you enjoyed your cruise with us and thank you again.
Our trip was simply amazing. Our group leader, Petar, was a riot! Heaps of fun and very informative. He made the trip truly relaxing and enjoyable. The boat was always in pristine condition, and the crew were always attentive and looking after us. Food was amazing...hard to beat the 3-course lunch every day!
- Brendan, 12/06/2017 16:05, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review on our Explorer cruise - thank you for your comments around your group leader Petar. We will ensure your comments are passed on to him - thank you. The crew work really hard to ensure the boats are clean at all times and we appreciate your comments here. It's also great to know you enjoyed the amazing meals. Thank you again for your review.
A well organized cruise on a comfortable small ship with clean air-conditioned ensuite cabin facilities. The Captain and the staff were very friendly and reassuringly kept their eyes on safety and security at all times. All meals, provided according to schedule, were sumptuous and of reasonable quality. The bar is well stocked. Sufficient time was provided for relaxation, for swimming in some remote coves and for visits to the villages or places of interest on the various islands. When I was ill, the staff kindly arranged to visit a doctor and also provided special meals. These arrangements were well appreciated. We participated in some tours and activities arranged by the Company and generally enjoyed them. Though travelers had come from many countries, they were generally friendly and sociable and added to the overall enjoyment of the cruise. Would whole heartedly recommend the cruise.
- Kandasamy, 09/06/2017 22:35, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review on our Explorer cruise. We are really pleased to hear you enjoyed your cruise with us. Your safety and security is very important to us so it's great to hear the staff provided you with that reassurance. We are glad you enjoyed the food, variation of relaxing, swimming and mix of amazing destinations. It's good to know you were very well looked after when you fell ill - thank you for your comments here. We are happy that you enjoyed your cruise overall and thank you for recommending us to others!
Flexibility to spend evenings ashore to explore places in own time. Good friendly helpful guide - Ivana.
- Lesley, 05/06/2017 11:58, Travelled in a Couple
We enjoyed our cruise hugely. The guide, Stanko, was wonderful! He was available 24/7 and helped arrange a huge range of activities and services. His lectures were always informative and beautifully delivered. Actually, all the staff were great. The structure of the days was perfect for us, with lots of time for individual exploration of the beautiful islands of Croatia. Meals were OK. We generally don't eat meat, and vegetables were scarce on the menu. The chef used lots of salt. But his desserts were wonderful! The wines available on board were not terrific. We booked late, so only lower cabins were available. Though our cabin was large, I would NOT recommend it to anyone. Portholes could not be opened, and the ventilation was limited. As a result, the cabin tended to smell of engine exhaust and mold. We were out of the cabin most of the time, but at night it wasn't great.
- Anonymous, 22/05/2017 17:03, Travelled in a Couple
The food was amazing, so much better than we were expecting. The crew were very friendly and accommodating. Ivana was very knowledgeable about the area, worked hard and made sure we were all having a lovely time. we felt that some of the timings could have been altered as we seemed to have longer days in places where there wasn't too much to do and not so long in Dubrovnik, for example, where there is a lot to see. It also would be good to be told about the timings and iternary a day in advance rather than on the day (with swim stops for example) so you can feel more prepared with timings and plans. Other than a couple of tweaks that would have pushed this to a 5* experience we were overall extremely happy and felt very welcome and comfortable. We had.an awesome time!
- Carly-Jo, 22/05/2017 09:04, Travelled in a Couple
We did a late season trip, and although the weather wasn\'t great, the trip and experience was amazing. Will definitely recommend, although I will advocate to shop around, as there are many companies doing the same thing (which we only realised once on the trip). If you are prone to motion sickness, make sure you get an above deck room.
- Pieter, 10/10/2016 09:39, Travelled in a Couple
I have heard a lot of great things about Sail Croatia before but my experience was not spectacular. Firstly, travelling as a couple, we were placed in a double room with two bunk beds, while two single girls were accommodated in a double room. The room that we got was at the bottom deck and it was quite mouldy smelling, which made it quite unpleasant to even sleep in. Overall, the food on the cruise and the service was good, there was enough information, but due to the cruise being third last cruise of the season, the activities were minimal - we did not have a pirate party, zipline adventure or buggies as previous boats, and there were not many options for activities in stormy/windy weather, like board games etc.
- Anonymous, 04/10/2016 04:29, Travelled in a Couple
I think the best thing about the cruise was the staff on board and especially Helena. She was professional in all aspects,she helped my partner retrieve her phone she lost in a cab in Dubrovnik,she rang a resteraunt to book a beautiful dinner for a special occasion. She was very interactive with all the passengers,she was simply brilliant. The only thing that could improve is the variety of food served for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast was basically the same stuff every day except for one which was a cooked breakfast but we were not informed and that particular morning we decidedly to sleep in and miss breakfast because it wasn\'t fantastic,as for lunch,everyday was a surprise as to what we were being served,there is no choice and the portions are small,if it wasn\'t for eating a mountain of bread I was hungry. The other thing is there are snacks supplied or for sale when on a full day of sailing,I think for the money we paid it should be an option. The actual cruise was great.
- John, 15/09/2016 20:40, Travelled in a Couple
My partner and I both loved sail Croatia and would be keen to do it again. The boat romantic star was amazing and gave a very luxury feel. The staff on board were amazing also and the food was surprisingly good! We would have liked the optional activities at the islands to be included in the overall cost however this was the only downfall. Oh and also the cruise was targeted for young professionals being an explorer boat however there were a number of people over the age of 40/50 who I wouldn\'t consider young professionals. Never the less we had a great time xx
- Adrianna, 06/09/2016 17:30, Travelled in a Couple
The atmosphere, and company
- Alfonso, 29/08/2016 19:13, Travelled in a Couple
Great way to see the Croatian coast and many beautiful islands. Almost everybody on the Explorer cruise was around 25-35 or at least acted this age, which was great because it was nice to relax and make friends during the day and have a choice of going out at night or taking it easy. Food was okay (some good meals, and some not so good meals), but you can also do whatever you want for dinner. Crew was amazing, very friendly and helpful. One complaint would be the noise at night, especially in Split as the boat was moored right next to an outdoor nightclub.
- Marc, 21/08/2016 17:43, Travelled in a Couple
My boyfriend and I (both in our early 30s) spent one amazing week sailing from Split to Dubrovnik on an Explorer Cruise. The boat was incredible, spacious, big rooms and bathrooms. The crew were awesome - incredibly helpful and fun to have around. The food was absolutely delicious, hats off to the chef! We love the easy days, enjoying a glorious swim off the boat each day and everything each of the islands offered. So much fun.
- Jessica , 17/08/2016 04:07, Travelled in a Couple
My partner and I had a wonderful experience holidaying through Croatia - the crew was professional, friendly and helpful throughout. They were also very knowledgeable and attentive to the needs of the group. One of the most pleasant and unexpected of surprises was that we managed to meet so many wonderful people on board the cruise - people who we now genuinely consider friends! The only complaint I would have is in regards to the situation with portholes in rooms below deck. The policy is that these cannot be opened even though when booking, it was made clear it would be allowed when the ship was moored. This meant that the room was stuffy, damp and none of our clothes or towels dried making the experience unpleasant to say the least. I think Sail Croatia must revisit this policy - it is not acceptable to pay so much money and then be not allowed to air out a room. This was the one thing that made our experience uncomfortable.
- Yashan, 16/08/2016 16:23, Travelled in a Couple
Ana was a fantastic host and the food was absolutely amazing! The places we docked were beautiful, the highlight was hiring scooters and doing a scenic ride around the island. The 5th star was dropped because we would have liked longer swim stops, there werent enough deck chairs and we felt the overall age of the group was well above what we were expecting and so it was hard to interact due to the age difference. Also the estimated spend per day is completely wrong, one of the activities for example was nearly double the estimated spend excluding drinks and dinner so we completely blew our budget. Overall though, it was a great experience :-)
- Curren, 15/08/2016 13:34, Travelled in a Couple
Crew was generally great visited some amazing places, although bathroom was mouldy and wet, required better cleaning. WIFI didn't work the whole trip which made it hard to plan activities on the islands. Itinerary was vague at best there was no clear departure times given to us which also made planning your time on the islands difficult.
- James , 08/08/2016 11:32, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for providing feedback on your Explorer Dubrovnik to Split cruise. It's great to know that the crew were great and that you enjoyed the places visited. I'm sorry to hear about your bathroom. We have strict procedures in place for any issues that arise whilst on our cruise and upon checking our reports from last season, I could not find any notification from you to a member of staff regarding this. Had a member of staff been made aware, we would have rectified this immediately. The Wi-Fi onboard is subject to data limits and network coverage whilst at sea, however I have passed your comments onto our Operations Team so they can check if additional upgrades are available. As standard procedure, our crew and/or representative should provide you with arrival and departure times at each destination daily so that you can plan your day - we will investigate what had happened here. Thank you again for your feedback.
Friendly crew, great food, fantastic mix of people on tour, timely arrivals and departures, a lot of own downtime to explore. Apart from a couple of minor desirable improvements (as you could expect from any tour) - everything was mostly fine and I would recommend to anyone looking for a great holiday adventure. Do your research and bear in mind that is is a fun explorer cruise, not a hotel. What you pay is what you get. I give it a 4 to 5 stars
- Selma, 08/08/2016 10:27, Travelled in a Couple
The choice of islands and ports were good. The staff were overall good but Maja stood out as a good customer service candidate. I thought your drink prices were higher than in Split and other places and need to be reviewed. Besides it was bar service only compared to waiters being employed in the Riva Bars. Comparing other cruises this stands up to be fair value for money spent. We liked the spacious room and bathroom. It was more than expected.
- Neil, 07/08/2016 14:04, Travelled in a Couple
There should have been m i 're food choices.
- Darren, 06/08/2016 14:16, Travelled in a Couple
The swim breaks and island hopping was the most fun. It would have been more fun if they could have done something group activities while sailing.
- sharon, 06/08/2016 14:14, Travelled in a Couple
Food, fellow travellers, ports of call and the friendly staff and crew.
- Barrie, 01/08/2016 13:49, Travelled in a Couple
