6 independent reviews for Kotor Bay and Montenegro gulet cruise

Hello Mr Milton. Thank you for your feedback and I am sorry to hear that you were disappointed by your recent cruise, though I am a little confused as you stated on your questionnaire on the ship that you would recommend the company and that you would sail with them again. I have looked at your points and been in contact with the captain of the vessel to clarify the itinerary that you followed. You state that the food was acceptable, and some dishes were ‘extraordinarily tasteful’, the crew was marvellous and the gulet was as expected. You were obviously disappointed with the itinerary but given the above it seems disproportionate to rate the vacation as 1*. The itinerary that was followed during your cruise was pretty much as advertised, with 2-3 small alterations, 1 caused by some adverse weather, 1 as a result of a request from the clients and 1 due to a decision made by the captain in order to make life a little easier for some of the more senior passengers on board. This is the same itinerary that we sent you in May when you made your first inquiry. To go through the points you raised. • You felt that the vessel spent a disproportionate amount of time at the evening meals in the cities. This is also as per the itinerary. For many of our passengers spending their evenings ashore is a highlight. A disproportionate time was spent at anchor for so called swimming. Some lasting several hours, the maximum time spent swimming was generally a few minutes. In particular the final day from Perast to Tivat the majority of the day was spent at anchor at three different locations. I am sorry you didn’t enjoy the swim stops. These are a part of the advertised itinerary and are enjoyed by many of our clients. Our itinerary for day 7 states “On our final day of the cruise, we sail through Boka Bay and stop for a delightful lunch onboard in Morinj Bay. We sail past the forested island of St Marco and drop anchor near Tivat for a celebratory three-course captain’s dinner onboard.” According to the captain, the route followed that day was as follows: “Sunday: visit of the island Our Lady of the Rocks and departure from Perast around 10:00. Then sailed to Sveti Marko (south) and had lunch there (north side). Clients asked to change location and be more near to Tivat and so they anchored in front of Tivat where after they had dinner on board and overnight at anchor in same position.” • In the information details, the itinerary and the map are inconsistent. The description has the cruse going as far south as Budva, the map south along the Montenegran coast to Bar. The description proved to be the correct one. The oldest olive tree in the world, and the old town of Stari Bar are of considerable interest, and it was a shame not to see them. The information on our website, the itinerary sent to you when you made your inquiry in May 2023 and the confirmation itinerary make no mention of a visit to Bar. It is possible that you saw an old map somewhere but the map on our website was correct. And we have never mentioned the world’s oldest Olive tree. • The tour of Kotor was very superficial and with no time to visit any of the many interesting buildings. The itinerary as advertised is “After a hearty breakfast, take in a guided tour of the Old Town of Kotor before we sail south out of the bay. Next up: a refreshing swim in Dobra Luka Bay, followed by a delicious lunch onboard. We stop at the popular sunbathing spot of Jaz Beach, one of the longest beaches in Montenegro. Our next destination is Budva, one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast, founded more than 2,500 years ago, and home to the most breathtaking churches in this part of Europe. It is known as much for its medieval walled city as for its sparkling sandy beaches and vibrant nightlife. Have a lovely dinner out, and then spend the night at anchor in Budva.” The programme followed was “3. Wednesday: Guided tour of Old town Kotor at 09:00 and departure from the port around 11:00, stop for lunch in Dobra Luka Bay around 13:30. Some of clients asked to over jump Jaz Bay as second stop for swimming and come earlier in Budva and we arrived in Budva at 16:45. Overnight at anchor and dinner on board.” • At both Herzeg Novi and Parest, arrival was delayed by remaining at anchor until early evening, with departure the following morning, allowing no time to explore these interesting towns. Perast There is a rule in Perast, generally is not permitted for yachts to dock but we have a special permission and we can dock after 18:00 and we have to leave the dock after breakfast day after. This is the best way to visit this small town as in front of Perast is forbidden to anchor. Overnight at dock. Because cruise ships are banned, we are privileged to be able to enjoy Perast in the evenings when it is very quiet. Perast has a population of around 250 people and is a very small town. Generally for our clients and evening and a little time in the morning is plenty of time to visit Perast. Herzeg Novi DAY 5 - - DISCOVER THE ENDURING CHARM OF HERCEG NOVI The itinerary states “Start your day with delicious breakfast onboard before we sail out into the open water again. Lunch is served in the quiet cove of Mirist Bay before we go swimming in Njvice. Shortly, we arrive at the coastal town of Herceg Novi, nestled at the foot of Mount Orjen. Stroll through floral-scented streets lined with classic architecture, centuries-old churches and fortresses, and countless tropical flowers that bloom under the near-constant sunshine, before returning to the boat for dinner onboard.” The programme followed was “ Friday: we started at 10:00 from Bigova and made a stop to visit Blue Cave, by client request, stop in Mirista Bay for lunch and departed to Herceg Novi around 16:30 to arrive and dock in marina at 17:15. Overnight at dock.” The only change to the advertised itinerary was a stop at the Blue Cave as requested by some clients which would have delayed your arrival into Herceg Novi a little. • The gulet was as expected, though the cabins seemed smaller than on a previous one I had sailed on. The food was acceptable, some of the dishes extraordinarily tasteful. I am glad the gulet met your expectations. I think your comment about your cabin being smaller than a previous one illustrates the disappointment that you experienced with this cruise. I think your expectations were based on previous trips and gulets and were not aligned with the advertised programme. • The crew were marvellous, always attentive, always there and always ready to help at any time.That is very good to hear. • In summary poor value for money, If one wanted to spend most of one time inactive and sunbathing, one would do far better staying at a beach hotel and taking local excursion which visit all of the places on this cruise, plus many more. I am truly sorry that you didn’t enjoy your vacation. I think your rating of 1* is unfair on the crew and captain of the vessel. Having reviewed the itinerary and the cruise that was undertaken, I am happy that the itinerary was very closely followed, and that the minor alterations were made for the right reasons, often at the request of the clients on board. Yours PE - MD

Hello Caroline. Thank you for your feedback on your recent gulet cruise. It seems there was some unusual weather in The Adriatic this autumn. I am sorry you felt that your vacation didn't benefit the local community at all, and a little surprised. On that cruise you were scheduled to eat ashore on most evenings - providing some financial support to local businesses and employees. additionally all the food you ate on board was locally sourced. Additionally the vessels managers support the local red cross - specifically in their efforts to support elderly people who get no state support. I hope you enjoyed your vacation and once again thank you for your feedback.