I recently visited Croatia for the first time and have a hot tip to share. The best way to immerse in this wonderful country is on a luxury small ship cruise.
My wife and I were lucky enough to experience a famil aboard the beautiful 18-cabin My Wish with Unforgettable Croatia and it was the best possible introduction to the country.
Unlike larger cruise ships, a small ship cruise can access more off-the-beaten track spots that bigger vessels are unable to.
On our seven-day journey along the Dalmatian Coast from Sibenik to Dubrovnik we visited a mix of popular ports, like Dubrovnik and Split, and smaller seaside towns including Brac, Hvar and Trogir, as well as the stunning Krka National Park.
The cruise delivered a remarkable snapshot of Croatia’s diversity in a short period of time.
Each day we cruised into a new port and spent the afternoon exploring a new region. We never felt rushed or overly organised to the extent of being ‘on the go’ the whole time.
The gentle itinerary included daily swim stops in secluded bays, lunches onboard and dinners ashore, included excursions to national parks and walking tours in port.
When chatting with fellow guests, the relaxed pace and flexibility was definitely a highlight.
We also noticed that most destinations weren’t over-crowded in May, so it is a good time of year to visit if you want to avoid the peak-season crowds that descend later in the European summer.
It never felt crowded onboard either. There was always a sun lounger to relax on or someone up for a chat on one of the decks.
The intimate size of the vessel creates a relaxed, sociable environment that larger ships simply can’t replicate. By the end of the week we are all friends and the crew feels like family.
It has to be said that the Unforgettable Croatia team go above and beyond every step of the way.
When they saw we had an early hotel check-out they organised earlier transfers from Split to Sibenek, allowing us to leave our bags on the ship and explore Sibenek at our leisure.
Boarding is a seamless experience and it’s got to be the smoothest check-in you can have on a ship. It’s crowd-free, stress-free and we were made to feel at home very quickly.
With only 18 cabins, or a maximum of 36 guests, there is no rushing around for embarkation and in no time, we were meeting our fellow passengers in the bar for a ‘get to know you’ welcome drink.
Having previously participated in many group tours, I can usually tell how good or bad a trip is going to be based on the attitude of the guest facing staff.
When the Cruise Director introduced the whole crew to us at the welcome drink and explained their roles, giving us an insight into their duties for the week, it created immediate rapport and allowed for friendlier interactions.
As with most cruises, the Cruise Director is crucial to a smooth sailing. As the saying goes ‘there are Cruise Directors and then there are Cruise Directors’. We were lucky enough to have the latter with Berny.
She had an ability to impart her love and knowledge of Croatia in a way that made us all fall in love with the country.
After seven days with Berny, she had become part of the family and was representative of all the warm and welcoming Unforgettable Croatia crew.
The chef also deserves a shout out. From a small kitchen, he delivered an exceptional menu of beautifully prepared dishes with fresh local ingredients and catered for every known dietary requirement.
I fell in love with a special Croatian dish, buzara, which is mussels cooked with olive oil, white wine, garlic and breadcrumbs.
Looking back, I think the biggest attribute of small ship cruising is how immersive the experience feels.
Rather than simply visiting Croatia as a tourist, travelling on a small vessel and leisurely hopping along the coast creates opportunities to connect with the country’s culture, landscapes and people in a way that feels authentic and unhurried.
