Call Us 800.528.9300
Dubrovnik, Split & Jewels of the Dalmatian Coast
MV Corona
Tour Description:
Imagine yourself reclining under a deep azure sky, as the polished teak deck moves almost imperceptibly with the rhythm of the Mediterranean and a refreshing evening breeze ruffles the air. In the small, picturesque ports on the Dalmatian coast, surrounded by low cliffs, where the cruise liners boasting ever-larger passenger numbers are conspicuous by their absence, you are cruising the Mediterranean aboard your very own yacht-cruiser. Normally the preserve of the wealthy, you can now experience a magnificent vessel carrying fewer than 40 guests.
Smaller numbers mean a more personal service on board, whilst the dimensions of our vessels allow easy access to stunningly attractive out-of-the-way ports like Split, Makarska and Hvar, which offer a much more intimate onshore experience. Our ships often sail between the islands and the shore, affording spectacular views that will stay with you for a lifetime.
With so few fellow travelers, an exclusive atmosphere soon prevails as you gather in the convivial surroundings of the bar or up on the sun deck for a nightcap. The friendly, attentive yet unobtrusive staff attend to your every need as if you owned the vessel – that’s how relaxed it is on this unique type of cruise.
Enjoy spectacular coastal views whilst reclining on a sun lounger or hammock on the ample sun deck. Below you will find the Salon Deck with the elegant restaurant and bar, beautifully furnished and fully air-conditioned for your comfort. Each day begins with an excellent breakfast on board with a selection of hot and cold options. Depending on which itinerary you choose, on certain days lunch or dinner is prepared on board, specialising in mouth-watering local menus, hot meat or fish dishes through to freshly prepared salads, all delivered with a beaming smile. No cruise is complete without the Captain’s Dinner, of course, and you will enjoy a delicious selection of the best of Croatian and Mediterranean cuisine. There’s no seating plan; you choose your own table and dining companions. On certain days you will be free to enjoy lunch or dinner at leisure, giving you the opportunity to sample some of the delightful local restaurants ashore.
Every evening, the ships remain moored so you can take an after-dinner stroll off the vessel, exploring these typically unspoilt ports. After just a few days of this extraordinary experience, you will be on first-name terms with the ship’s company and most of your fellow guests. There is little formality – shorts and t-shirts are the order of the day. This is exactly how vacations should be.
Cabins 19 & 20 can also be configured as a twin. Please note that they feature a double bed and a single sofa bed.
Click for larger view.
Dates & Pricing
| Thursday 16 May 24 — Thursday 23 May 24 | Starting at $2,399 |  SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 23 May 24 — Thursday 30 May 24 | Starting at $2,549 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 30 May 24 — Thursday 06 Jun 24 | Starting at $2,779 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 06 Jun 24 — Thursday 13 Jun 24 | Starting at $2,859 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 13 Jun 24 — Thursday 20 Jun 24 | Starting at $2,859 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 20 Jun 24 — Thursday 27 Jun 24 | Starting at $2,859 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 04 Jul 24 — Thursday 11 Jul 24 | Starting at $2,709 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 11 Jul 24 — Thursday 18 Jul 24 | Starting at $2,549 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 18 Jul 24 — Thursday 25 Jul 24 | Starting at $2,549 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 25 Jul 24 — Thursday 01 Aug 24 | Starting at $2,549 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 01 Aug 24 — Thursday 08 Aug 24 | Starting at $2,549 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 08 Aug 24 — Thursday 15 Aug 24 | Starting at $2,549 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 15 Aug 24 — Thursday 22 Aug 24 | Starting at $2,549 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 22 Aug 24 — Thursday 29 Aug 24 | Starting at $2,549 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 29 Aug 24 — Thursday 05 Sep 24 | Starting at $2,549 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 26 Sep 24 — Thursday 03 Oct 24 | Starting at $2,709 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Thursday 03 Oct 24 — Thursday 10 Oct 24 | Starting at $2,239 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
Destination & Sightseeing
Destination & SightseeingTour of Dubrovnik, Pearl of the Adriatic
Tour of Split and Emperor Diocletian’s monumental palace, one of the greatest structures of the Roman Empire
Explore the stunningly beautiful islands of Hvar and Mljet
Guided tour of delightfully green Hvar
Guided tour of Korcula, one of the Adriatic’s most perfectly preserved medieval ports, where Marco Polo was born
Services of our experienced Tour Manager
7 nights on board the four-star MV Corona, cruising the southern Dalmatian coast
Daily breakfast, 5 lunches, 1 dinner plus the Captain’s Dinner
Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
Tour of Split and Emperor Diocletian’s monumental palace, one of the greatest structures of the Roman Empire
Explore the stunningly beautiful islands of Hvar and Mljet
Guided tour of delightfully green Hvar
Guided tour of Korcula, one of the Adriatic’s most perfectly preserved medieval ports, where Marco Polo was born
Services of our experienced Tour Manager
7 nights on board the four-star MV Corona, cruising the southern Dalmatian coast
Daily breakfast, 5 lunches, 1 dinner plus the Captain’s Dinner
Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
ITINERARY
ITINERARYDAY 1 - EMBARK IN DUBROVNIK
Embark on the MV Corona. The captain and crew will welcome you aboard and help you settle into your comfortable, well-equipped cabin. For the rest of the day it’s time to relax and get to know your fellow passengers – there are just thirty-eight of you in total! Perhaps you’ll catch some ‘rays’ on the Sun deck or take a stroll ashore. It’ll soon be time for dinner and the ship’s restaurant awaits. After dinner, why not take a stroll around Dubrovnik, or enjoy a digestif in a local bar?
DAY 2 - DUBROVNIK, THE ELAPHITE ISLANDS & MLJET
As you rise refreshed in the morning and enjoy a leisurely breakfast, you’ll be so glad you chose this holiday. The MV Corona, our home for the next week and every inch the private yacht, slips out of the harbour and out to sea. Dubrovnik soon fades into the distance – but we will be back for a more in-depth visit later. It is impossible for large cruise liners to visit the charming and almost deserted hamlets accessible to the MV Corona.
We arrive at Mljet, one of the most seductive of such islands, where the hillsides are clad in a green carpet of lush pine forests bringing that instantly recognisable Mediterranean aroma to the air. Nestling in picturesque coves are medieval fishing villages, refreshingly free from tasteless development, where the alleyways are simply pebbles set into the earth and overhead shutters sway precariously in the warm, gentle breezes. Life here continues much as it has for centuries. We go ashore to the tiny islet of St Mary’s and visit the 12th century former Benedictine monastery. With its colourful walls and altar carved from local stone you will already feel a long way from home. Gaze around you during dinner at one of the hospitable local restaurants and absorb the ambience. It’s easy to see why legend has it that the Greek hero Ulysses came here to contemplate!
DAY 3 - MLJET, MAKARSKA & PUČIŠĆA
After breakfast, take to the deck to see the spectacular coast of Korčula island sliding by as we cruise northwards through this enchanting archipelago. On reaching the mainland we drop anchor in the port of Makarska from where you can marvel at the rocky splendour of Mount Biokovo, nearly 1,828 metres above sea level, which shelters the coast from less temperate climates further inland. During the 10th century this region was bedevilled by fearsome pirates preying on passing ships. A slightly raffish atmosphere still prevails but piracy has long since been replaced by more peaceful activities such as fishing, and the production of olive oil and wine. St Mark’s Baroque church and some palatial 18th-century Venetian style houses stand guard over Makarska’s main square. Enjoy lunch at your leisure wherever you wish.
This afternoon we sail to the glorious island of Brac, mooring in idyllic Pučišća. This jewel of a place, perhaps the most spectacular of Croatia’s villages, boasts dwellings of gleaming white stone reflecting the sun onto the crystal clear water. Stroll ashore to explore this charming spot or relax on board before the superb Captain’s Dinner is served – a delicious selection of Croatian and Mediterranean specialities.
DAY 4 - PUČIŠĆA, OMIS & SPLIT
Rise refreshed and take to the deck once more to watch the stunning coastal views slipping by. We drop anchor at Omis, formerly a stronghold of the formidable Corsairs of Almissa, where the spectacular emerald-green River Cetina runs into the Adriatic on this glorious stretch of the Dalmatian coast. Lunch is served on board after which we moor in Split, Dalmatia’s capital. Split is principally famous for a single building, the Emperor Diocletian’s huge palace, one of the greatest structures of the Roman Empire. No expense was spared in its construction – the best Italian marble, with columns and sphinxes from Egypt. But what makes this palace so astonishing is that during medieval times it was fully integrated into the town’s fabric with a jumble of buildings grafted onto and inside it. This means for example, the Temple of Jupiter became a baptistry. It’s all the more fascinating that today 3,000 people still live here. You will find surprises at every turn: there are tall medieval buildings lining the streets, buttressed by unmistakably Roman columns. We have a guided walking tour of this fascinating complex which has recently been used as the setting of the TV spectacular Game of Thrones. Take dinner at your leisure whilst the ship remains moored in Split. Back on board enjoy a digestif on the sun deck, drinking in the balmy evening air under a beautiful night sky.
DAY 5 - SPLIT, STARI GRAD & HVAR
This morning we’ll stop once more for an invigorating swim before we cruise to another stunning island in this breathtaking archipelago, Hvar. We moor in Stari Grad on the northern side of the island and then take the short drive by coach to the bewitching old town for a guided tour. Remarkably, it’s so compact and cosy the streets don’t even have names. With its freshwater springs, the island is unusually green, its hillsides boasting spectacular pine forests. Elsewhere you’ll find olive groves, orchards and vineyards, the aromatic pleasures of the island exemplified by the delicate fragrance of abundant lavender fields. Hvar has been inhabited since Neolithic times; later, the Ancient Greeks founded a colony here, and during the 14th-century, as the Venetian Empire extended its influence, it became a major naval base. Also on the island’s northern shores are some distinctive fortified 16th-century buildings, built to repel pirates and assaults by the Ottoman Empire. After exploring Hvar’s agricultural, historical and cultural splendours, we transfer back to Stari Grad where you can dine at leisure wherever you wish. The ship remains moored in Stari Grad overnight.
DAY 6 - STARI GRAD & KORČULA
Morning breaks and we find ourselves breakfasting over more stunning views of this most spectacular coastline. After a leisurely morning and another tasty lunch on board we soon arrive into the historic town of Korcula. Ruled by the Venetians for 800 years, it is rather reminiscent of a much smaller Dubrovnik, with its host of tangled lanes so typical of medieval Mediterranean ports. The town is a charming small fortress, celebrated for supplying timber for the wooden walls of Venice and its harbour was a major shelter for the Venetian fleet. You’ll find architectural gems at every turn in its narrow cobbled streets. Famous for its artistic and musical traditions, Korcula has its own unique sword dance, the ‘moreska’, and a form of a-capella singing, but is much more famous as the birthplace of the explorer Marco Polo. His house can still be visited, as can the All Saints museum with its glorious collection of Byzantine icons.
After our guided walking tour, you are free to explore this beautiful town further. After dinner at your leisure, why not take an after-dinner drink in one of the innumerable harbour side cafés whilst admiring the sleek lines of the MV Corona.
DAY 7 - KORČULA & DUBROVNIK
As our elegant yacht drifts on past the rocky shores of the beautiful Elaphite Islands, if the weather allows, it’s your last chance to take a swim off the back of the ship as if it were your very own! After lunch on board, we arrive in Dubrovnik once more and take a guided tour of the old town. An independent city state for much of its history, it has evolved differently to the rest of Croatia. The city threw off its Venetian shackles during medieval times founding a commercial empire trading with the eastern Mediterranean, France, Spain and later the Ottoman Empire. As so often happened, the city began to reflect its resultant wealth and today this wonderfully Baroque city proudly nestles behind its huge imposing ramparts in a location of outstanding natural beauty. The main avenue, lined by intimate cafés, is completely paved with marble, which dazzles in the sunlight and gives credence to the city’s description as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’. Throughout the city you will find a wonderful array of monasteries, beautifully decorated churches and civic buildings dating from the 14th-century. The guided walking tour encompasses all this and more, after which you are free to explore as you wish.
This evening enjoy a final dinner at your leisure in this most beguiling of cities; and as you relax, your thoughts inevitably turn to the wonderful places you have experienced and the interesting people you have met on this most fascinating of maritime adventures.
DAY 8 - DISEMBARK IN DUBROVNIK
After breakfast, the crew bid you farewell as you disembark in Dubrovnik.
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
