70 independent reviews for Split to Dubrovnik luxury cruise, Croatia

Hello Susan. Thank you for your feedback. My apologies, we did send an updated itinerary to your travel companions but, for some reason I have no explanation for, we didn't send this to you. I am pleased and relieved that you enjoyed your cruise so much despite the change. Yours PE MD

Hello Keith, and thank you for your feedback. We were disappointed that you had to change vessel as well, but i can assure you that the change of vessel did not in any way contribute to the stability of the vessel. I was on a different vessel the same week in Croatia and we were all just very unlucky with some unseasonable weather that effected all of the vessels sailing that week. The Blue Cave is only accessible when the seas are very calm, as the entrance is very small and only small rowing boat size boats can access it and only then when the seas are very calm. No one was able to visit the Blue Cave for a couple of days at least, it was nothing to do with the vessel that you were on. Mljet Island is further out than the other islands you visited and not protected by any outlying islands. My understanding is that no small vessels visited Mljet on the day you were due to go due to the rough seas. Again this as common to all small vessels, not just the one you were on board. Wjile there are quite a few small vessels that ply the Croatian Coast, there are no more than there were 4 years ago. No new vessels are currently being built and the few that have launched in the last few years repleaced some older vessels that have retired. These small vessels do help preserve the character of the many small ports and harbours that they visit by alleviating the pressure to build many more hotels and other accommodation taht is only required for the 4-5 months of the year of high demand. They also play a major part in help sustain the viability of the small communities on the island by providing a good income and demand for local produce. Some islands have suffered over the last 20-30 years from depopulation, and the opportunities provided by tourism, and the demand for local produce on the island and ports that are lucky enough to have ships visiting goes some way to reverse this. I am sorry that you were dissappointed by the vessel, but the poor weather that you experienced had a similar effect on all of the small ships that week (as I can testify) and in no way contributed to your missing the Blue Cave or Mljet.

Hi Nigel, thank you for your feedback and I am glad to see how much you enjoyed your cruise. I was a little surprised and disappointed to hear that you didn't feel there were any positive benefits for the local population. The small vessels we use in Croatia are all owned, operated and staffed by Croatians, mostly from the coast and islands. All the food on board is grown locally, and you will have eaten in restaurants every night, supporting the local economy and again creating a market for a lot of local produce. All the staff on our small ships have a vested interest in maintaining the pristine environment as their livelihoods depend on it - The beaches and coastline you will have visited are always very clean, and the water very clear and blue. The small islands and ports we visit don't allow larger ships to visit, and these small ships help provide a vital income for the small island communities, while negating the need for a lot of hotel building and other developments that would only be used for 6 months of the year.

Hello Mrs Lambert - Thank you for your feedback, and I am sorry that you felt this holiday fell below the high standards we set ourselves. I will take your points as follows: Smoking: The only assigned area on the vessel is in front of the Wheelhouse. Smoking elsewhere on the ship should not be happening and action will be taken to reinforce this policy, particularly regarding the chefs smoking near the kitchen area - this should not happen and will be stopped. Meals: If meals took up to 2.5 hours then this is not usual and there must have been unforeseen difficulties on those occasions, for this we apologise. Meal times will usually be over a period of around 1 hour. VIP cabin: The VIP cabin in which you stayed in is a top level cabin and is located on the Sundeck of the ship. The sundeck is open to all passengers and so it is highly likely that other guests will be using the area for relaxing and admiring the views. No cabin is advertised as have a private outside space other than those cabins with balconies on some ships. You enquired about 2 cruises with us, 1 of which is a child free cruise, the other not so. We offered you a few choices, 1 of which was a child free cruise but you chose a different cruise -You didn't ask us for a child free cruise and the cruise you booked does not state that it is child free. Thank-you again for your feedback it is most welcomed.

Thank you for your feedback.. I am a little surprised to to see that you don't think the cruise will have benefited the local economy. The vessel is owned and crewed by Croatians, and all the food served on board is bought locally. Additionally you will have eaten ashore on most nights providing income for all the small restaurants and cafes that line the ports, and many of which grow their own produce locally, including wine, cheese and olives. The vessels pays mooring fees to the small ports that larger vessels cannot access thus helping maintain the ports facilities.