Assessment: Unforgettable Croatia coastal cruise – Half 1

My 7-night Croatia coastal cruise from Dubrovnik to Cut up begins with a driver greeting me at Dubrovnik airport. The non-public air-conditioned switch takes me previous emerald islands dotted by way of the glowing Adriatic, earlier than the regular descent by way of millennia-weathered limestone mountains to Dubrovnik’s port.

My Want, a modern and gleaming 18 cabin, 36 berth yacht, is prepared for per week exploring Croatia’s coast and a few Adriatic island-hopping. 

Launched in 2020, there’s an unique and intimate non-public yacht really feel to a small vessel in a position to moor up on the islands and drop anchor in secluded coves. Because the Unforgettable Croatia credo asks, “Why do atypical?”

The welcome

With boarding from 2pm, we collect for a glowing fizz and canapés reception. There’s a buzz of excited chatter amongst company from Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. We had studied the ship and the itinerary on the Unforgettable Croatia app. Now, as we’re welcomed in impeccable English by Lana, our Cruise Director, it turns into a actuality.

Beneficiant welcome presents embody a bottle of Croatian purple wine, a water bottle, a tote bag, a restaurant information and a Privilege Card giving 10% low cost at chosen eating places.

The cabin

Lana guides me to a light-weight gray coolly air-conditioned cabin with balcony. The mattress could be configured both as two singles or a double. Wall-mounted TV, dressing robe and slippers tick the luxurious packing containers. In the meantime my passport can snooze within the protected for per week. 

Spacious by cruise ship requirements, the well-lit toilet contains a rainfall bathe. A door leads out onto a balcony with two chairs and a desk.

Day 1: Dubrovnik

Late afternoon, a 15-minute coach journey takes us to the grandiose Pile entrance of Dubrovnik’s Outdated City. Throughout the 1.2 miles of the town partitions, Lana guides us by way of a millennium of dramatic historical past in a metropolis that has not too long ago starred as a backdrop for Sport of Thrones. Again within the Center Ages, using appreciable nerve and diplomatic tact, buying and selling between the mighty Venetian and Ottoman empires, Dubrovnik grew to become a wealthy metropolis state.

However after the earthquake and tsunami of 1667, and later hearth, little stays of that period’s Gothic splendour. Our tour takes us to St Saviour’s Church and the ornate gothic-cloistered Rector’s Palace, two of the few buildings to outlive. 

Lana introduces us to the surprisingly liberal psyche of the Dubrovnik individuals. She factors out a Lazy Susan association whereby moms, unable to mum or dad, might, with out disgrace, give their little one to an orphanage. Remarkably it dated from 1408. 

Within the sixteenth century the town abolished slavery and, forward of its time, girls have been in a position to personal companies and property. Conscious of the dangers of corruption, Rectors have been solely allowed to rule the town for a month …

Again on board, there’s a welcome cocktail earlier than a 3 course set menu dinner. 

Day 2: Dubrovnik to Slano

For a devoted few, the day begins with a exercise on the outside mini-gym on the sun-deck. However most company start their day with an intensive buffet breakfast, an enormous choice of contemporary fruit and eggs cooked to order: Eggs Benedict, omlette, scrambled eggs.

Then we sail to take a more in-depth have a look at imposing harbour partitions, typically 85 ft tall and 16 ft thick. They did their job for hundreds of years. Till the town fell to Napoleon. 

A small group, excited by studying extra of Croatian historical past, collect on the higher deck to listen to Lana inform of Croatia’s previous and the way the older generations nonetheless reminisce concerning the snug lifetime of full-employment below Marshall Tito’s communist regime. Despite the fact that Tito’s spies have been typically listening in to conversations.

Conscious of the damaging affect of the Yugo winds on psychological wellbeing, previous governments warned judges to not sentence too harshly when the oppressive southerly winds blew. In distinction, the cool northerly wind, the Bura, was welcomed for clearing the thoughts. 

Dropping anchor near the craggy, pine-clad shore, it’s time for the primary of many swims in clear waters, rated the cleanest in Europe. After a light-weight three-course lunch on-board, there’s time for one more swim. Because the temperature rises the cicada refrain turns into louder. 

Come night the small fishing village of Slano is the departure level for a coach journey to oyster tasting. We go a five-mile lengthy medieval wall constructed to defend the salt plains from invading Ottomans. Within the Center Ages salt was prized as richly as gold.

A small boat takes us to the ropes of an oyster farm that produces between three to 4 million Mali Ston oysters yearly. Such is the native demand for these oysters, thriving in a clear present of contemporary and salt water, that none are exported. Odds for a person oyster egg making it by way of three years to harvesting are one in half-a-million.

Oysters and a cool, crisp white wine is the appetiser for a three-course dinner again on land on the terrace of a Ston restaurant: black cuttlefish-ink risotto, swordfish and eventually flan. 

Day 3: Mljet and Korčula

Mooring at Mljet we hike for 25 minutes to the lakes of a Nationwide Park overlaying a lot of the north west nook of the island. 30 species of orchids are dotted amongst the Aleppo Pines and Holm Oaks. 

Included in our entrance ticket is a journey on a solar-powered boat by way of the bigger of two lakes to the tiny island of St Mary. It’s house to a small Benedictine Monastery and a restaurant terrace for one of many world’s most idyllic coffee-breaks. If you happen to’re strolling across the lake there’s a red-flag to wave to name for a ferry to take you to the island. As summer time lake temperatures can hit 30 centigrade, swimming is irresistible. Although hiring a motorbike and kayak are additionally choices. 

Early afternoon we sail on to Korčula, one in all Croatia’s most populous islands the place winged Venetian lions give an Italian really feel to the Outdated City. For hundreds of years stone masons have been saved busy carving the limestone, together with the Tree of Life surrounding the doorway door to St Michael’s Church. The fitting-hand column exhibits time rushing up while the left covers the decline to the symbolic cranium of loss of life. Three commerce brotherhoods nonetheless thrive and all year long they organise 55 processions. At Easter one man carries an 80 kg candle. Simply thrice is he permitted to announce “Ave Maria” and put the candle down for a relaxation.

Andrea, our oracle of a information, shouldn’t be completely satisfied by the city’s declare to be the birthplace of explorer Marco Polo again in 1324 – regardless of the momentous seven century celebrations. She is extra impressed by the heroic story of the British Baron, Sir Fitzroy Maclean, maybe a dashing MI6 prototype for James Bond. Covertly parachuted into Yugoslavia in 1943, Maclean could have persuaded excessive command to not bomb Korčula. Unforgettable Croatia’s knowledgable guides transcend the standard tales. 

The city’s medieval designers have been forward of their instances, designing a fish-bone avenue structure, utilizing sea breezes to offer pure air-conditioning however curving the right-side alleys to cut back the affect of the winds. In addition they offset doorways and home windows for privateness.

Eating places, operating alongside the ramparts’ promenade, present the primary alternative to make use of the Privilege low cost card. Because the solar dips, Filippi’s al fresco tables, shaded by a mature pine, give a commanding view throughout the bay and the Korčula islands archipelago. Michelin advisable, Filippi makes use of conventional herbs and native artisan pasta as a part of their modern tackle Dalmatian delicacies.

The odyssey continues

Solely three days into our Croatian voyage of discovery and one visitor is declaring, “I’m unsure that I’ll be capable of return to actual life after this.”

However there are nonetheless many extra leagues to sail and the sights of The Blue Cave, Vis, Hvar and Cut up to take pleasure in. 

The info

Unforgettable Croatia affords seven-night cruises from £1,795 or $2295 per individual, together with breakfast, lunch, non-public transfers, all excursions and Wi-Fi. Flights should not included. For additional info on Could to October 2025 departure dates, go to Unforgettable Croatia or name +44 20 8004 2345

Disclosure: Our keep was sponsored by Unforgettable Croatia.

Michael Edwards

Michael Edwards is a journey author from Oxfordshire, UK. Though Michael had his first journey items revealed practically 4 many years in the past, he’s nonetheless discovering new luxurious locations to go to and write on.