Croatia cruising vacations
travel advice
Itinerary advice
Powell Ettinger, director of our specialist The Small Cruise Ship Collection, shares his top tips for small ship cruising vacations in Croatia: “My favourite spots in Croatia include Bol on the island of Brac – the tiny picturesque fishing port that just a few small ships visit where you can sit out on the quay at night and enjoy fresh fish and some local wine. And Split, where the center is built into the remains of Emperor Diocletian's Palace and is a mixture of ancient monument and thriving, bustling city. The Blue Cave on Bisevo Island where the sea inside the cave is illuminated by an opening in the rock, and also Mali Losinj, built by the Venetians, is a beautiful port surrounded by classical architecture and providing some fantastic ice cream.”
Our Croatia cruising Vacations
Southern Croatia cruise in comfort
Cruise Croatia's beautiful islands on a small cruise ship
From
£669 to £979
8 days
ex flights
Sailing in Croatia
A multi-activity adventure sailing cruise in Croatia
From
€580 to €790
4 days
ex flights
Split to Dubrovnik Luxury cruise, Croatia
Cruise Split to Dubrovnik in luxury via Croatia's islands
From
£1335 to £1899
8 days
ex flights
Dubrovnik to Venice luxury cruise
Cruise the Croatian Islands before a bus journey to Venice
From
£2150 to £2825
11 days
ex flights
Luxury small ship cruise in Croatia
Luxury small ship cruise through Croatia's Islands
From
£1335 to £2299
8 days
ex flights
Split to Dubrovnik Premium cruise
A classic cruise from Split to Dubrovnik on a premium vessel
From
£1150
8 days
ex flights
What to pack
“You don’t need to bring too much. The cruises are informal and the weather means that lightweight clothing is all that is required. There are plenty of shops and even supermarkets en-route, so you can pick up anything you forget or need as you go, often for much less than in the UK.”Advice for families
“For families, small ship cruises are great because you only unpack once, and yet you still get to explore different places. But of course, these boats aren’t adapted to have things like kids’ clubs and that kind of thing. The kids’ clubs are getting off the boat, exploring and seeing what’s out there… There are age restrictions with some boats, however, so we always check that.
“Also, Croatia is the ideal destination for first time cruisers. Easy to get to, very well organised, great weather, calm seas (usually), great food and plenty of local interest.”
Cultural tips
“Even though it is a cruise and most people speak English on board, do learn a bit of the local language for when you land and go in to visit local communities. Just a few words are really important.”Our top Croatia cruising Vacation
Southern Croatia cruise in comfort
Cruise Croatia's beautiful islands on a small cruise ship
From
£669 to £979
8 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2023: 10 Jun, 17 Jun, 24 Jun, 1 Jul, 8 Jul, 15 Jul, 22 Jul, 29 Jul, 5 Aug, 12 Aug, 19 Aug, 26 Aug, 2 Sep, 9 Sep, 16 Sep, 23 Sep, 30 Sep, 7 Oct, 14 Oct
2023: 10 Jun, 17 Jun, 24 Jun, 1 Jul, 8 Jul, 15 Jul, 22 Jul, 29 Jul, 5 Aug, 12 Aug, 19 Aug, 26 Aug, 2 Sep, 9 Sep, 16 Sep, 23 Sep, 30 Sep, 7 Oct, 14 Oct
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Croatia cruising or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Croatia cruising vacations
travel advice
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Croatia cruising vacations travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation.
We have selected some of the most useful Croatia cruising vacations travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation.
Learn a bit about the historical sites first.![]()
– Delwyn Enright
“We stayed overnight in Split on the way out, which worked well and allowed us to get to our departure point without having to rush. The walking tour in Dubrovnik was excellent.” – Lesley Mason
“On boarding our ship... we met a fantastic group of guests, all of whom were around our age, late 40s… Check the age of the group when you book. It is not always possible to find out but if you want a relaxing cruise with like-minded folk, check that you are not on a 'party boat'. We were advised that the boats are very casual and there is no need to take smart clothes. The evenings ashore merited casual wear too… We all agreed that the environmental impact of sailing in a small ship was far more reduced than that of the huge cruise liners. Silence on board was from midnight so there was no noise impact on the local homes near the docks we moored at.” – Paul Fellows
“Learn some Croatian words and how to pronounce them. This is much appreciated.” – Eileen Maitland
“Be flexible with changes as the weather can alter what activities you do for the day and where you end up sailing to.” – Nicola Falconer
“Pack light, go with the flow – things will change but always for the better. Bring decent water shoes, the beaches are not sand so the rocks and pebbles can be sharp underfoot.” – Debbie Maitland
“On boarding our ship... we met a fantastic group of guests, all of whom were around our age, late 40s… Check the age of the group when you book. It is not always possible to find out but if you want a relaxing cruise with like-minded folk, check that you are not on a 'party boat'. We were advised that the boats are very casual and there is no need to take smart clothes. The evenings ashore merited casual wear too… We all agreed that the environmental impact of sailing in a small ship was far more reduced than that of the huge cruise liners. Silence on board was from midnight so there was no noise impact on the local homes near the docks we moored at.” – Paul Fellows
“Learn some Croatian words and how to pronounce them. This is much appreciated.” – Eileen Maitland
“Be flexible with changes as the weather can alter what activities you do for the day and where you end up sailing to.” – Nicola Falconer
“Pack light, go with the flow – things will change but always for the better. Bring decent water shoes, the beaches are not sand so the rocks and pebbles can be sharp underfoot.” – Debbie Maitland
Don't think about it any more, just book it! I would go again. Pack light, swimmers and a hat and oh – mosquito repellent for the evenings.![]()
– Ingrid Sloan
More about Croatia cruising
Our guide to small ship cruising vacations in Croatia reveals what the trips entail and why you should choose small vessels over their supersized siblings
There is a quick and easy answer if you are trying to work out when to go on a small ship cruising vacation in Croatia. Find out by reading our tips on timings.
Discover where to go on a Croatia small ship cruise. We suss out which of the 1,000-plus islands, peninsulas, national parks and isthmus idylls to explore.
Apart from relaxing, sunbathing and swimming, there are many things to do on a small ship cruise in Croatia. Read more about island hiking, culture and food.
It really is one of life’s lovely dilemmas, working out how to choose a small ship cruise in Croatia. Here are things to keep in mind when making this choice.
The biggest responsible tourism tip when it comes to cruising in Croatia is: think small, think slow and think sustainable. Read on for our thoughts.
