I have been spending my summer vacation on the Adriatic coast for the last 10 years. I can say that I know well the coast, cities, coastal towns, culture and people. But this year we saw a great opportunity to choose the cruise for our vacation through Adriagate.com. We didn’t think a lot since it was an opportunity that could not be missed.
Just the thought that we will travel by boat along the Adriatic coast and have the opportunity to visit many places and islands was something we were really looking forward to.
Before this journey, we had absolutely no experience with cruises or similar type of holiday. This was something completely unknown for us and we did not know how the journey would look like nor what to expect.
What to bring with you on a vacation?
Except for the standard passenger questions, “What to bring with you on a vacation?”, I was tormented with other questions like: what will the crew be like, if there will be children on board, how we will spend our time when not swimming,… mainly because we were traveling with children of 4 and 6 years old. But, we had positive thoughts and we have prepared our children for the possibility that they will be the only children on boat. Surprisingly, it did not bother them; in fact they have comforted us and said they will bring their toys to play with.
The day before the trip, I have made a list of things we need in order to avoid too much stuff, but also not to forget the most important things. I have packed kids first and basically I brought the change for every day, but also one long track suits, in case it gets chilly in the evening or morning hours. Besides clothing, I packed all medicines, towels, swimsuits, several board games, drawing paper and crayons. The children put their favorite toys in their small backpacks.
Day 1. Boarding in Trogir, traditional Dalmatian music and extraordinary welcome
On the day of our cruise we came in Trogir to check in earlier, around 11 a.m. There was a check in desk in the port where they greeted us kindly and showed us where we could leave our things till boarding time which was planned around 13:30h. We took a walk through the town, but since it was quite hot we sat in the caffe bar to cool off and waited for the boarding.
Finally, we headed towards the ship. The children were very excited and happy. When we came, there were already a few guests on the ship. The captain, the crew and the musicians had greeted us with a smile and song with the mandolin (traditional Dalmatian instrument). We enjoyed the music and waited for the boarding of other guests with a cold drink that the crew has served us.
The music was great, with traditional Dalmatian songs; the whole atmosphere was excellent, as you can see in the short video below. The video was taken by a mobile phone, so it is not the best quality, but it is sufficient enough to show this great atmosphere.
Around 14:00 h, the captain rang the bell and called us to sit in the lounge which was already set by tables. The tables were full of trays with prosciutto, cheese, marinated anchovies and famous Croatian dish called soparnik. In fact, everything was full of the traditional Dalmatian food. The waiter gave us the appetizer and the children got an apple juice. Our snack started with the toast from captain who wished everyone safe and pleasant trip. While we enjoyed our snack, the musicians greeted us and left the ship.
Our journey has soon started. Finally, the ship sailed away and we started our adventure. Goodbye Trogir and see you in 7 days!
Some already had their swimsuits on and were already sunbathing on one of the decks. The children were happy exploring every corner of the ship and the most interesting for them was when they were in the captain’s cabin. The boat ride lasted about 40 minutes and then we dropped the anchor on the other side of Trogir, in one of the bays of peninsula Ciovo. It was our first swim and refreshment on that hot day. The sea was clearly blue and extremely warm. The children were happy and they jumped of the boat and took shower on the back part of the ship.
Our swim break lasted about an hour and then the motor of the ship turned on again and we went to Makarska, where the planned arrival was around 20:30h. On our way to Makarska, around 19h, we were served dinner on the ship.
When we arrived in Makarska, the night had already fallen. At the entrance to the port, we saw lots of lights and anchored boats. First exit from the ship was a real adventure, as we crossed over 4 other ships that were moored all one to another. It was an interesting experience that gives you a chance to take a peek into other ships on your way to the mainland.
PHOTO GALLERY:
We took a walk along the seaside in Makarska, where we saw so many people, souvenir shops and children bought an ice cream. After that, we returned to the ship. We were very tired, from anticipation of this day and form swimming.
