Dalmatian Coast cruising without a dog in sight

[RooFlyer]

Family might get worried!

 

[love_the_life]

I’ve posted a story of Bazza on the OT thread.

We have an older couple on board. We were chatting to the lady when she was worried about her 82 year old husband who was on the excursion that was a bit strenuous and went for hours longer than it should so she was a bit worried about him so we kept her company and chatted for a couple of hours. Her husband was a Specialist at a Melb hospital and her children seem very talented. She has some fabulous stories to tell. Anyway this trip she bought herself a bikini. Her first ever. Jumped straight into the rather cool water. Great smile on her face. Next thing she wanted her photo taken with one of the rather young Croat crew members onboard who gone swimming and she wanted to send it to her family. Inspirational.

That's so sweet for her. Regarding spending time with your fellow passenger we (well MrLtL really) helped a couple of elderly fellow passengers when we were in Iceland, They were part of a Captain's Choice tour but the tour guide/leader was useless and MrLtL ended up with an elderly lady on each arm helping them walk along in the wind. Always good to feel you can help.
Would you recommend this cruise line and the type of cruise?

 

[Pushka]

That's so sweet for her. Regarding spending time with your fellow passenger we (well MrLtL really) helped a couple of elderly fellow passengers when we were in Iceland, They were part of a Captain's Choice tour but the tour guide/leader was useless and MrLtL ended up with an elderly lady on each arm helping them walk along in the wind. Always good to feel you can help.
Would you recommend this cruise line and the type of cruise?

It’s wonderful. No buffet! Just gentle cruising for a couple of hours a day. Then swim stop. Moor to jetty in early arvo. Maybe a tour then off to the place for local meal in a restaurant. Nights we are moored as well.

 

[Pushka]

Vela Luka still on the island of Korcula is picture perfect. We went on a winery tour yesterday but photos on the camera so will post those later. In the meantime, last night’s stroll.

While I’m waiting for photos to load. Each night several boats will tie up together and you have to walk through until you get to your boat. Our cabin is right next to the gangway and that means everyone on each the boats has to pass us by when our boat is first in. That was a bit worrying but thankfully these aren’t party towns. Split overnight might be different but it’s our last night.

Mmm. Still waiting. We have free wifi but it’s a tad slow.

 

[Pushka]

More






Full moon last night.

 

[love_the_life]

How are you finding the crowds seeing you are on a much smaller boat?

 

[Pushka]

How are you finding the crowds seeing you are on a much smaller boat?

All the boats hold around 35 passengers so the ports here just aren’t crowded. All up maybe 200 extra people? Some of the boats have dinner service. Ours doesn’t except for tomorrow night. It’s just very peaceful.

 

[love_the_life]

All the boats hold around 35 passengers so the ports here just aren’t crowded. All up maybe 200 extra people? Some of the boats have dinner service. Ours doesn’t except for tomorrow night. It’s just very peaceful.

So these are ports the bigger ships are not able to visit?

 

[Pushka]

So these are ports the bigger ships are not able to visit?

Sure is. There is nowhere for them to go. They could tender but they tend to go to Dubrovnik and Kotor in Montenegro. We have friends currently on a Princess Adriatic and they have been to Kotor twice. There is one port where we will see the Celebrity Connie again.

The crew catch fish off the back of the boat. We swim directly off the back. I dived off this morning and set very low expectations by telling people on deck I belly flop and will splash their IThings. But they scored me a 9 when I surfaced. I seem to have executed it ok.

Dining room set up for lunch in 10 minutes. Four courses. Appetizer. Soup. Main. Dessert. I skipped yesterday’s Main as it was salty cod fish.

 

[Pushka]

I’m a day behind. Internet got scrambled.

In Vela Luka we went on a winery and olive processing excursion and a visit to a home museum.

The olive excursion was interesting and I know now which one to buy. Extra virgin. Colour is irrelevant. They consume 26 liters of olive oil per person a year. They still use the traditional mills plus modern techniques. The oil sampling made several people cough. They said it was because they tasted too much spice. I didn’t taste spice at all. I didn’t cough.







Then off to a home museum where we were given a tour then samples of fortified wines made from anything that grows. 38% proof.



I sampled the one on the left. Middle one was carob.




The candied orange peel is wonderful.

 

[Pushka]

Last was the winery tour as we really needed more alcohol Surprisingly all white wines offered and a grappa.








A few purchases were made not by us, but we aren’t able to keep them onboard.

 

[Lynda2475]

Thanks for sharing Pushka. I will be doing a cruise from Split to Dubrovnik in July on a similar ship - probably one of the other other ones you walked across.

 

[Pushka]

Yesterday a few of us hived off the tour to go to the Blue Cave. Always touch and go as it’s extremely dependent on tides if we get in. This is why. We have to get under this gap.



On the way we were called to a Maritime Emergency. As the closest boat we have to respond. Arrived up to the luxury yacht. It was a bunch of drunken people having fun. Our boat crew not amused. Hope they were reported to police.

The ride was 35 minutes and we had to transfer to a smaller boat. We were given 10 minutes to buy tickets and get to the cave entrance or it would be too late. We all ran to do that. In peak periods 3000 people a day do this trip. At 70 kunas a pop (say $10AUD) it’s a good earner. But if the sun isn’t shining it doesn’t happen.

We approached the hole above. We all had to get to the bottom of the boat and duck down. Heads, legs, bodies all askew. We made it. But I couldn’t see the blue. Then we turned a corner and it was wonderful.

 

[Pushka]

I lied. Lookie what I found last night.

 

[Pushka]

Just arrived in Hvar. Rich mans land. Perfect.

 

[Pushka]

Rugby league and fishing people.

The guy in the shadow is ET and his partner.


They are on the boat next to us. The guy in the blue T shirt is the one who asks each guide if Marco Polo was born there. An Aussie kind of joke. He’s very clever with dry sense of humour.

 

[love_the_life]

.....The guy in the blue T shirt is the one who asks each guide if Marco Polo was born there. An Aussie kind of joke. He’s very clever with dry sense of humour.

That would annoy the heck out of me and I'm sure the guides are sick to the back teeth with silly questions even if a joke (and that would make it worse)

 

[Pushka]

That would annoy the heck out of me and I'm sure the guides are sick to the back teeth with silly questions even if a joke (and that would make it worse)

Ah. It’s all good.

Hvar is stunning. Temp about 27. Water crystal clear. We are only here for 2 hours. We declined the tour and strolled around. Purchased some lovely lavender trinkets.

Super fast free internet so updating live.

 

[Pushka]

Some rather gorgeous girls here.



They are filming here.



This guy in black with the baguette.

 

[Pushka]

Time for one of these





Sitting here right now waiting for boat. Then off for a swim.