Overall it was wonderful. The full group of passengers were amazing and Croatia is stunning. Our hikes were beautiful. Our cabin was quite small and very damp. Our clothes and towels never felt dry. We were thankful that it was cool and quieter during the night when parked next to party boats, though it was a bit noisy when the engines started in the morning. We thought the food was quite good. In sum, great experience and would choose a bit nicer ship next time.
- Anonymous, 17/06/2026 09:59, Travelled in a Couple
The ship Emanuel is a well renovated 1955 small passenger ship with maximizing passenger carrying at expense of cabin space. The ship is rated standard when the brochure said Premier grade for the hiking cruise. Food was unimaginative but acceptable and drinks overpriced. Tea and coffee should be freely available during the day. The cabin was clean with a hard and lumpy bed, noise from outside was a problem at times as we were on the corridor connecting other ships alongside and music was often loud but finished at 11pm. Crew and guides were friendly and helpful but more info on the history and other information about the places visited would be good. The cruise itself visited some wonderful places and i wouldn't have missed it but things could have been done better.
- Graham, 15/06/2026 16:24, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Graham, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're pleased to hear you enjoyed the itinerary and the wonderful destinations visited, as well as the service provided by our crew and guides. Emanuel is classified within our Premier Ship category, offering amenities such as private ensuite bathrooms and air-conditioned cabins. As a traditionally built vessel, cabin sizes and layouts differ from ship to ship. For guests seeking a higher level of onboard comfort and space, we also offer our Premier Plus ship category vessels. Regarding the noise, the ports we visit operate under their own local regulations and curfews, and activity from neighbouring vessels can occasionally be beyond our control. We appreciate your comments regarding the food, onboard amenities, and guided commentary, and will take these into consideration as we continue to improve our guest experience.
We loved seeing the Dalmation Islands, the beautiful walks and we enjoyed the public areas of the boat, Emanuel. However in the small cabin the bed was hard and lumpy. The addition of decent mattress toppers would be an easy fix and a big improvement. While I appreciate limited galley space, the food could be easily improved with forethought. For example for vegetarians a homemade lentil and spinach soup would be a simple and massive improvement on powdered mushroom soup. The salads were very basic; lettuce in a bowl and likewise could be upgraded with a few extras and with the addition of, for example, cooked potatoes chick peas with decent bread would have been a nicer main course than fried vege fritters from a packet. One day we had lunch of potato crocquettes with potato and vege fritters and chips, all from a packet, all fried! Breakfasts were good with nice vege choice. Bar a bit pricey. Tea and coffee all day should be included for the price of the holiday.
- Anonymous, 15/06/2026 16:02, Travelled in a Couple
We really enjoyed our week on Aphradita. Sasha and Natasha were great hosts and guides. The hiking was perfect - the week was a perfect balance of activity and down time. Would recommend.
- Sandra, 05/06/2026 20:39, Travelled in a Couple
The staff were amazing. Mario, the Sail Croatia rep on the boat, was friendly, very knowledgeable and spoke several languages fluently. Matte the walk guide was clearly experienced but also patient and able to adjust to the needs of the group. The crew of the Mali Ante were delightful and went out of their way to make sure we had a great holiday. The cabins were small but had plenty of storage and the shower was great. The food was homely, crowd pleasing and generous. We got to know everyone on the trip and enjoyed the multinational vibe..
- Angela, 06/10/2025 04:50, Travelled in a Couple
Fantastic cruise - ship staff and tour leaders were amazing and knowledgeable. Very accommodating to all abilities. Food excellent well above expectations. Our only slight criticism was our cabin which was on the lower deck and felt quite small. In retrospect we would have chosen an upper deck cabin. That said it was a fantastic, memorable holiday made all the more special by the brilliant staff - heads up to Lola and Natasha
- Sue, 29/09/2025 16:16, Travelled in a Couple
Captain, tour guides and front line staff were great. Room was not great with a bed that you could feel the metal springs, lumpy pillows, lights that didn’t work, safe that wasn’t opened, Generator noise was intrusive into the room during the night. In port the boats were often racked together so that you had to pass through multiple boats to get onto shore. This also trapped diesel exhaust fumes on still nights, making staying outside at the back of the boat uncomfortable.
- Anonymous, 29/09/2025 08:36, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review and for your kind words about our captain, crew, and staff – we’re pleased you felt well looked after during your cruise. We regret to hear about the issues you experienced with your cabin. If we had known at the time, we would have done our best to resolve them and make your stay more comfortable. Regarding port mooring, it is standard practice for small ship cruising that boats are tied alongside one another in port. While this can occasionally limit open-air space, please rest assured that our boats remain idle with engines switched off to keep noise and fumes to a minimum. Your comments are very valuable to us, and we will certainly take them into account as we continue to improve.
Everyone on the Afrodita works so hard, the ship was very well maintained and the food was great. The hike guides very good and well informed. The trails were not maintained by any standards basically goat paths. I slipped and fell on first hike injured my leg, cuts and bruised on the loose sharp rock. The guides Martin and ILona were great. Martin applied bandages to my leg to stop the bleeding then helped me finish the last kilometer back to the boat. I had to skip the hike the next day and only did 5 of the 7 hikes opting to do the easiest. Looking back I wish I knew the trail conditions, the length and elevations were all that I remember and the hikes were moderate. Next time we will do the elegant cruse. I wish I could give 5 stars.
- Brandon Weder, 08/06/2025 14:35, Travelled in a Couple
Salve di mare is a beautiful ship with an amazing and professional crew. They looked after us with attention and care. The food on board was delicious, a big thank you for the chef and his team! Our hiking guide Matte was very knowledgeable and provided full description not only about the hikes but also about the villages visited. Ioana, leading the guests was very approachable and friendly.. Despite the extra charge for the upper cabin booked, we found out that it was on top of the engine making it very noisy and other cabins at a cheaper rate, were way more spacious than ours. Tea and coffee was free of charge only until 1pm, which we did not understand the reason, as it was an average coffee maker, not a barista style at all for the extra charge. We definitely recommend our hiking tour and we will be happy to come back and choose Sail Croatia again!
- Anonymous, 26/05/2025 11:24, Travelled in a Couple
First impression on boarding our allocated ship Eos, a three masted motor sailer, was we had drawn the short straw. It wasn’t as modern or sleek as most of the cruisers around us in Split harbour and our below deck cabin was tiny and cramped. However what followed was a week of brilliant fun and adventure that made the shortcomings of the accommodation seem a minor point. A new picture postcard location every day, beautiful ports, swim stops in secluded bays and a great group of fellow travellers from around the globe who we got to know on our daily hikes and evenings in the local bars cafes and restaurants. Our guides Mate and Lola were knowledgeable, responsible but also fun. The crew were great and the food on board was varied and tasty. The hikes were challenging but rewarding too, though I personally would have preferred more climbs with a bar at the top! We made some great friends and have fabulous memories of our week around the Islands of Croatia. Thanks to all.
- Tony, 26/09/2023 06:21, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Tony! Thank you for your 4-star review! We loved reading about your adventures on our Hike cruise and we are really happy to hear you had a wonderful time onboard. We appreciate all your comments regarding the destinations, delicious meals served, daily hikes and swimming out at sea in lovely secluded bays, thank you. Your kind comments will be passed on to the crew to enjoy also. I see you booked a Premier ship, which are more traditional in style. We have a wide range of ships in our fleet and the ships you refer to in the harbour, were likely to be a higher category ship such as Premier Plus ships, as these are more modern in style. We are thrilled to know you enjoyed your cruise overall, and you had a week full of fun and adventure and also made some new friends on your cruise - we're sure memories to last a lifetime! We hope to welcome you back for another Active Adventure soon!
Beautiful coves where anchor was dropped to allow us to swim off the swimming deck in crystal clear sea. Towns and villages were fantastic, each had a unique charm and some had summer music concerts to entertain. Hikes were enjoyable if challenging in the humidity. Whilst short in distance they all involved walking up steep and rugged terrain, do pack hiking poles! Mate was our experienced and very knowledgeable guide, we had complete trust in him. Decks were kept clean and tidy, there was always space to sunbathe. Meals onboard were tasty and well presented, a captain’s dinner was provided free one evening. Not rated 5 stars as our ship EOS (21 cabins) was tired and a little “crusty” in places, we were expecting a higher standard and more spacious accommodation. A good mix of English speaking passengers onboard, all respectful to each other and we made new friends for life.
- Carol, 25/09/2023 06:02, Travelled in a Couple
Hi Carol, thank you for your 4-star review! We are really happy to hear you had a wonderful time onboard our Hike cruise, and appreciate all your comments regarding the boat cleanliness, delicious meals onboard, daily hikes, destinations and swimming out at sea in lovely secluded bays, thank you. It sounds like you were able to fully immerse yourself in the country and culture, which we love hearing about! Your kind comments will be passed on to Mate and the rest of the crew. All Premier ships include ensuite bathrooms and air-conditioning, and each of our ships are unique in style. We aim to provide transparency for all ship types offered, and you will find the ship options outlined on our website under the Hike page. We are thrilled to know you have made life-long friends Carol, and we hope to welcome you back for another Active Adventure soon!
Loved the friendliness and openness of the crew and guides - showed us the best of Croatian people. There were a few "buts" - there were tv-s in cabins, but they didn't work, the lock of our cabin broke, took a while to get it sorted. The drinks on board cost twice that on shore - I only had 2 classes of wine during the trip and loads on shore - maybe the price policy needs to be worked on... I did also have a question about the wages of the crew and guides - maybe Sail Croatia should pay them more, add it to the overall cost and not do the whole "usually our guests leave tip that much". If people want to add extra tip, they could but this passive agressive - leaving the envelope and instructions how much people need to tip, is leaving a bit of unpleasant shadow to the trip.
- Anonymous, 22/05/2023 05:17, Travelled in a Couple
Hi there, thank you so much for your 4 star review and for joining us this season. We are so pleased to read how happy you were with the crew and guides on your cruise and I will be sure to pass your kind words on! Please be assured that your feedback is very important to us and has been well received. It is only with such feedback we can improve our services and experience for guests, where possible. The points you have raised will be passed onto the correct teams, so thank you for bringing these to our attention. We do have a blog on tipping available on the website as this is not compulsory in Croatia, so is entirely up to the individual if they wish to leave a tip. We wish to thank you for a pleasant week on board.
Food - consistently good - thanks to Rosa and Marco ehi did a great job Hikes & Information - excellent - (Matè and Kristijan are brilliant and worked well together) Boat - could have been better. Bathrooms need upgrading and/or more frequent cleaning.. Also better deck chairs and sun beds/cushions for sun bathing on the boat. The dining area was lovely and well maintained. The crew were helpful and friendIy.
- Russell, 30/09/2019 12:40, Travelled in a Couple
Hey Russell, Thank you for your review! We're pleased to hear you enjoyed your time on our cruise and found the food to be good quality - what our chefs do within a small space is just amazing! We are pleased that the crew made you feel welcomed and were helpful and friendly. Your comments on the boat itself will be taken onboard for future improvements, we appreciate this. Thank you again and we hope to see you back on another cruise soon!
We were well taken care of by the staff of Sail Croatia. Food was great. Scenery was lovely. Suggestions for island restaurants were great. One suggestion: Make sure each level of hikers has an accompanying guide. In several situations the advanced group had two guides and the moderate group had none.
- Jana, 23/09/2019 16:48, Travelled in a Couple
Many thanks for your review of your Hike cruise with us this season on board Milena. We are so pleased to read that the staff really took care of you on board, that you enjoyed the delicious meals served and also that you enjoyed exploring beautiful Croatia with us! I will be sure to pass your further feedback onto our Operations Manager. Thank you for joining us.
Visiting different places each day with good mix of group and self-guided activities with excellent staff support
- Lindon, 24/06/2019 19:22, Travelled in a Couple
Thanks for the 5-star review :-)
Good food, company and exercise. Well trained staff, beautiful weather.
- Rodney, 18/09/2018 13:24, Travelled in a Couple
The country the sea the guides people on the boat Would have preferred a better boat
- Paul , 11/09/2017 11:25, Travelled in a Couple
The breakfasts and lunches were very good. The passengers all mixed well. Some of the walks were different from those in the itinerary. Disappointed that we did not stop in Korcula Town as advertised. Most nights were quite noisy so don't expect to get much sleep.
- Anonymous, 27/06/2017 11:33, Travelled in a Couple
Hiking was great, we liked our guides very much. Some problems were with noise in ports specially when our boat was parked my party boats for overnight stay. We could not sleep till 3am. Life hack for next sailors, bring ear plugs with you))). Do not take wine on board it is spoiled by the high temperature on board. Food on board was good. Next tour will be for us bikes)
- Artem, 26/06/2017 21:21, Travelled in a Couple
ANA our Cruise Manager was both professional and efficient. In particular l appreciated she was approachable at any time in a people friendly manner, felt we knew her which was refreshing. The crew were delightful, cook great but more fish would be appreciated. Passengers were a great friendly mix of all ages and a pleasure to be in their company. I would recommend Sail Croatia and wish you well.m
- Anonymous, 19/06/2017 07:51, Travelled in a Couple
Thank you for your review. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed our popular Hike cruise. Thank you for your comments regarding your Cruise Mananger Ana - these will be passed on to her. It's so nice to know you had a good mix of people on your cruise, sounds like you had some great company. Thank you for recommending us to others!
