Hi, everyone! This week, I want to share my amazing Croatia island-hopping experience on Salve Di Mare, a beautiful and elegant small cruise.
As much as I love boarding on cruises and marveling at the sea every day, it feels good to return to Malaysia after a month’s break.
Actually, I just wanted to go to Croatia but there’s no Croatian embassy in Kuala Lumpur. So, I decided to also visit South Italy and apply for a multiple-entry Schengen visa from the Italian embassy.
This trip happened thanks to my favourite piano player, Maksim Mrvica, who inspired me to visit his home country, Croatia. It was one of the best memories I’ve ever had, hvala!
And of course, to my former manager, Ivan Pugin who approved my four weeks annual leave. Spasiba!
I had amazing memories boarding Salve di Mare for seven days – pampered with healthy breakfast and 3-course lunch daily, crystal clear sea, beautiful small towns, and great new friends.
That’s why I’m writing this blog post. Who knows it inspires you to visit Croatia 😉🌊☀️
Why I Chose Salve Di Mare, Croatia Cruise
OK, some of you may think that cruise isn’t attractive, it’s for old people.
Well, Salve Di Mare isn’t a mega-cruise with a shopping mall and thousands of passengers. It isn’t a very small cruise either, considering its 49m in length and spacious sun decks.
For me, the main reason I like cruising is that I love the sea. I love staring at the sea and listening to ocean waves while sleeping.
Other reasons why I chose to explore Croatia with Salve Di Mare were:
- It’s not a party cruise, very comfortable for a 7-day stay
- I like the interior design of the cruise (modern and elegant)
- The size of the cruise is good, maximum 40 people, so it’s not crowded
- Island-hopping in Croatia is better done on a cruise (with daily swim stops!)
- I like to admire the sea while listening to music and absorbing vitamin D on a sun deck
- I feel the price is reasonable. With £1,239 (around RM7,400) I get a lower deck room with a private bathroom and AC, daily buffet breakfast, 3-course lunch daily, and 1x Captain’s Dinner
- I don’t have to pay for a single supplement fee, they will pair me with another solo female traveller
When I did my research, I looked up cruises owned by the locals or advertised by local cruise operators. I felt the prices were better than what some international tour companies offered.
Also, I compared Salve Di Mare with other cruises in Croatia. £1,239 is considered to be a mid-level price.
It’s neither a small party cruise with loud music and shared bathrooms nor a huge luxury cruise full of elderly pensioners.
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Of course, you can get a non-party cruise that offers less fancy food and simple interior design at a cheaper price.
Actually, that’s what I did! Salve Di Mare wasn’t my first choice for Croatia cruise.
But I changed my mind. According to my research, the cruises for Croatia island-hopping usually sail early morning and only arrive at the next island after lunch hour.
So, I thought to myself, if I’m going to spend half of the day on the cruise for 7 days, then the cruise has to be spacious and comfortable.
My group was blessed because there were just 13 passengers onboard, while the cruise capacity was 40 people. Yaaay, it felt like a private cruise! 😁😁😁
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My Lower Deck Room on Salve Di Mare, Croatia Cruise
Lower deck rooms are cheaper than the upper deck rooms because you must carry your luggage downstairs to your cabin. It could be tough if you have knee problems or heavy luggage.
But wait – that’s not all. It could be tougher because you may need to jump between cruises if your cruise isn’t docked next to the road, like this:
However, I still chose a shared lower deck room because it fit my budget.
Luckily, a sailor named Mario (who works for Salve Di Mare) helped me to carry my luggage to my cabin. Of course, I tipped him!
The room size on this small cruise was okay, with two comfortable single beds, two cabinets, and two comfy chairs.
Surprisingly, there were two wash basins in the toilet! This was great, I had my own place to put my toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.
The towels were changed every few days, the toilet was cleaned regularly, and the trash bin was also emptied regularly.
Walking to my lower deck room was always pleasant because the corridor smelled good! There were room fresheners that automatically sprayed a fragrant smell once every few minutes.
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The Food on Salve Di Mare, Croatia Cruise
During my Croatia cruise trip, I was very well-fed on Salve Di Mare thanks to the healthy breakfast and 3-course lunch daily.
Some of you may think, oh food isn’t important to me as long as I can save money. I will go for a cheaper cruise.
Well, guess what? Croatia is an expensive destination! I only knew about it when I was there 🥲
If you could stretch your budget a bit, I feel it’s better to pay more for extra comfort and balanced meals. Remember, you’ll spend half the day on the cruise before exploring the island!
From my experience, if you’re looking to spend €10-15/meal in Croatia, it could only happen in some islands like Trogir, Makarska, and Dubrovnik.
With that price range, you could get something like grilled chicken, hamburger, or pizza. Maybe even fried calamari in Makarska.
But why would you eat hamburgers or grilled chicken when you can eat fresh seafood from the Adriatic Sea? Which costs from around… Є25 and above.
When I was in Croatia, some days I had snacks like pastry or chips and gelato for dinner to save money.
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Even so, I think my body still got some nutrition because I had a healthy breakfast and lunch every day, prepared by the chefs on Salve Di Mare. I’m glad I switched to a better cruise!
Alright foodies, here are some of the food photos:
Breakfast on Salve Di Mare
The warm breakfast consisted of fried eggs, grilled eggplants, grilled cucumbers, mushrooms, sausages, and scrambled eggs.
There were cheese and ham platters too, salads, and mixed-cut fruits. If you prefer a light breakfast, you can have cereals, milk, or yogurt.
Coffee, tea, smoothies, and juices were also available. My favourite was the hot chocolate 😍
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Lunch – Appetizers on Salve Di Mare
Some appetizers may look heavy, but in fact, the chefs balanced them with non-heavy main courses. For example, the crepe appetizer was filling, followed by a small grilled seabass as the main course.
It would be good if there was a menu card during lunch so I could plan what not to finish to make room for dessert, hehe!
Lunch – Main Courses on Salve Di Mare
The main courses on Salve Di Mare tasted as good as the presentation. I really enjoyed the protein-rich meals, accompanied by vegetables and a little bit of carbs #gymgirl
Spending half a day on Salve Di Mare felt so fast because the cruise served yummy breakfast and lunches. Also, the lounge and sun decks were spacious and comfortable.
Good food always makes people happy!
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Lunch – Desserts on Salve Di Mare
When you’re cruising, there’s always room for dessert! In my case, when I felt I couldn’t finish the appetizer or main course, I always shared them with others.
This way, I never felt too full and managed to finish the dessert… and had more desserts once the cruise docked in town! 😊💖👏
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Captain’s Dinner on Salve Di Mare, Croatia Cruise
When you board a cruise, usually there’s a special dinner included in the package: The Captain’s Dinner! It’s special because the cruise captain will join the guests for dinner.
Our captain, Frane, is a Croatian and surprise, surprise – went to the same school as our tour leader, Klara!
He was her senior at school, and now they often meet if Klara is assigned to be the tour leader on Salve Di Mare.
I’m so happy I brought some nice dresses and high heels during my Croatia holiday. Klara told us to dress up for the night, so I did 😊
Alright, everyone! That’s my review of Salve Di Mare, a small Croatia cruise.
Writing this blog post is such a joy, it brings back wonderful memories… This blog also serves as my digital travel diary.
Hvala everyone who boarded Salve Di Mare: Klara my tour leader, Captain Frane and the crew, and all my new friends for the unforgettable moments in Croatia.
Until we meet again 😊 🌊 ⚓
💖 15% OFF ALL TOURS! Click below and enter my discount code: 💖
CLARA15
Click “Add Promo Code / Voucher” and enter CLARA15 when you checkout at onelifeadventures.com
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