Diary From Croatian and Adriatic Coastal Cruise

Departure Date: 9 July 2006
Ship: MS Arion
Booked through: Cruising Holidays

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Rijeka
Day 2 - Pula
Day 3 - Zadar
Day 4 am - Split
Day 4 pm - Korcula
Day 5 - Dubrovnik
Day 6 - Kotor
Day 7 - Ploce
Day 8 - Rijeka

Travel and Transfers:

OUTBOUND:
Air France flight from Birmingham to Paris.
Joined Blue Line flight from Paris to Rijeka depart 14.30pm.
Transferred from Rijeka airport to the ship by coach.

RETURN:
Transfer from Ship to Rijeka Airport.
Blue Line charter back from Rijeka to Paris Depart 16.30.
British Airways flight from Paris to Manchester Depart 21.10

Points of interest:
- Croatia has pebble beaches so if you’re planning on swimming, pack swim shoes.
- If you would like to use electric goods, pack an adapter plug for European 2 pronged plugs.
- Although most customers are French, there was always an English translation of the ships announcements and a person to translate on the excursions. I found English TV channels on my cabin’s TV and the films shown in the lounge were subtitled in English.
- Ensure your watch is set correctly to local time so that you get to the plane, boat, excursion buses on time.
- On the first evening you can speak to the Maitre D to arrange where you will sit for the week for the evening meal. Breakfasts and Lunches can be taken in the Restaurant seated at any table or from a Buffet in the Lido bar where you can also sit at tables outside.
- The temperatures were mostly between 25C and 32C with blue skies and sunshine.
Do take an umbrella with you on excursions as it rained briefly twice on inland excursions and it is as well to be prepared.
- There is a high level of cleanliness on board. The swimming pool is emptied and cleaned out every day and the cabins are cleaned and tidied morning and evening.
- There is a lift on MS Arion and it offers a good cruise for disabled passengers with their helper. The morning excursions to the places where we had docked were mostly suitable for disabled and the Cruise Director will advise on the suitability of the other excursions.
- The food is good with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits and choices of fish, dark and light meat and vegetarian option. Look out for their amazing carved vegetable and fruit displays.
- Every day there was some light entertainment in the lounge from an easy music band to Luca, an Italian singer, a troupe of dancing girls and an opportunity for holiday makers to get up on the dance floor themselves. There were also interesting historical and political lectures on the Balkans in both French and English as well as screening of films in the afternoons.
- The optional excursions are described on the first evening followed by the opportunity to sign up for the various excursions. The organisers prefer that choose your excursions that first evening so that they can organise the appropriate transfers. Prices ranged from 15 Euros to around 70 Euros depending on the excursion.
- Croatia’s currency is the Kuna: 1 UK pound = 10.5 Kuna approx.
Montenegro’s currency is the Euro. Currency used to pay for the excursions and your final bill on board ship is Euro. I suggest only changing small amounts of money at a time into Kuna so that you aren’t left with Kuna at the end of the trip.
- The suggested tip for your cabin steward is around 5 Euros per day, but of course that is up to you.