This was published 6 years ago
Cruising Croatia: The hottest country in the world to cruise
Cruising off Croatia.
Cruise hot spot: Croatia
Croatia's beautiful Adriatic coastline and its hundreds of islands are attracting more travellers every year. Next year, the medieval walled port city of Dubrovnik is expecting 490 calls from major cruise lines between March and December, and there has been a corresponding boom in boutique and small-ship cruising in the region.
Earlier this year, one of Australia's longest established tour companies, Beyond Travel, launched Cruise Croatia to cater for the increasing demand for cruises on its collection of motor yachts that are no bigger than 49 metres long and accommodate a maximum of 40 passengers.
Captain Johnny Faevelen of Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas.
Beyond Travel's Peter Smith says: "Croatia has come of age as a cruising destination and the best way to see it is on a small ship allowing you VIP access to the harbours, islands and inlets as well as mooring right where you want to be in the historic towns of Dubrovnik and Split."
The attractions are many and diverse – Roman ruins in Pula, Split and Zadar; Mljet's pristine National Park; Venetian architecture in Rovinj and Korcula; Hvar's popular party scene and quieter, UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of Stari Grad; vineyards, hidden beaches, snorkelling, swimming, rooftop bars and village tavernas, distinctive cuisine – and lots more.
Cruise Croatia offers more than 75 different itineraries on 30 motor yachts (including 10 that were built for the 2017 season) that are mostly owned and crewed by the captain and family members. The ships are divided into five categories – deluxe, first class, A, A plus and B, with cruise prices varying accordingly. At the deluxe end of the range you can expect sleek vessels built between 2013 and 2017 featuring en suite cabins (some with balconies) and all mod cons; B-category ships are older-style wooden vessels that have shared facilities and are best suited for budget travellers.
Mostf itineraries are eight days, with a few one-way three-day cruises and 11 to 14-day land-cruise tours. Full charters that you can customise with your captain and crew are also available, and there are several special-interest itineraries. These can be focused on cycling, hiking, food and wine, yoga, nature, cruises for the gay community and cruises exclusively for 18 to 35-year-olds. Seecruise-croatia.com.au
If you're looking for a slightly larger style of ship to cruise Croatia, check out 2018's itineraries offered by Ponant's Le Lyrial (up to 264 passengers); SeaDream Yacht Club's SeaDream I and II (112 passengers); Star Clippers' tall ship Royal Clipper (227 passengers); and Windstar's motor-sail yacht Windsurf (312 passengers).
MEET THE CREW
NAME Johnny Faevelen, from Norway
POSITION Captain, Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas
MY JOB Overall, I'm responsible for 6400 international guests and 2200 crew from 85 different countries on the biggest ship in the world – Harmony of the Seas.
A TYPICAL DAY I am very lucky – I have the best job in the world, where no day is ever the same. The fun part of my job involves making sure the guests enjoy themselves and have the best holiday ever – which is easy when I'm working alongside such a dedicated group of crew and officers. The more serious part of my job is ensuring the safety of guests and crew, so everyone can make the most of their time on this big, beautiful lady!
FAVOURITE CRUISE MOMENT The "wow" expression on the guests' faces when boarding Harmony for the first time. Guests are stunned when they arrive at the Royal Promenade, and realise just how enormous – and spacious – Harmony of the Seas really is.
FAVOURITE CRUISE PORT Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private paradise in the Caribbean. The island is a hidden jewel on the north coast of Haiti, where guests can spend the day lounging on the beach, snorkelling, zip-lining, parasailing or jet-skiing.
INSIDER TIP Take a shore excursion organised by the cruise ship when in port. We guarantee your safety, and that you'll make it back onboard before the ship sails.
TIP
Keep a virtual eye on your luggage with Luggage Leash, a tracking device that works with your smartphone to locate your bag if it's lost or stolen. $44.95 from bagworld.com.au.
NEWS
Museum ahoy
By 2019, the recently christened MSC Meraviglia will be joined by the first of two big sisters in the line's even bigger Meraviglia-Plus class. MSC Cruises is extending the huge, two-deck Galleria promenade by 15 metres to accommodate a museum that will showcase classic and contemporary art works. The Galleria, which is the ship's shopping, bar-hopping and restaurant hub, features constantly changing images on its 96-metre LED-screen ceiling; when the museum is incorporated on the Meraviglia-Plus ships it will add a "first at sea" cultural experience for MSC guests. The company is talking to major international art museums and galleries about displaying their works onboard and developing the space to create the same gallery conditions as on land. See msccruises.com.au
Explore the Mergui Archipelago
Pandaw's classic 1960s motor yacht Andaman Explorer returned last month from its exploratory trip around the Mergui Archipelago and is now set to take passengers there. Many of the 800 islands off the far south coast of Myanmar have been unexplored since colonial times and are home to the seafaring Mokkien people, who have their own language and culture and make a living from fishing and fish curing. The 10-suite Andaman Explorer will visit Lampi Marine National Park, known for its exotic birds, marine life and coral reefs; also on the itinerary is kayaking the limestone caves and secret lagoon of Cocks Comb Island. Pandaw is offering seven-night round-trip cruises to the archipelago from Kawthaung from October 15, plus combination Irrawaddy River and Mergui Archipelago itineraries. See pandaw.com
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