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Dalmatia to the Balkans 2019

Dalmatia to the Balkans 2019

From GBP £2,995

Description

Come with us to explore the beautiful Dalmatian Coast and its hundreds of islands aboard the charming Queen Eleganza. The region offers breathtaking natural beauty, an intense blue sea, amazingly picturesque islands, stunning architecture and an intriguing history, and even the most jaded of travellers cannot fail to be won over by its beauty. Added to this we have the benefit of three days before or after our cruise to explore Croatia’s lesser-visited neighbour Bosnia Herzegovina, a fascinating country at the crossroads of east and west with a history forged over centuries. Often overshadowed by its tumultuous past, it has emerged from its recent civil war reincarnated and offers the visitor a wealth of historical and cultural treasures, highlights of which will be the cities of Mostar and Sarajevo.

With our vessel that accommodates just 36 guests, we are able to visit some marvellous places which do not cater for the big ships and each night we remain moored in the picturesque harbours affording the opportunity to take an after-dinner stroll and dine ashore on certain evenings. Whether it be the heady mix of Croatia’s islands and ports or the craggy beauty of Bosnia Herzegovina with its mountains that sweep down to lakes covered in vegetation and wealth of historic buildings, this unique area has so much to offer the genuine traveller and our itinerary will be appreciated by those who enjoy an informal style of cruising and an eclectic mix of places.

Price includes:

Economy class scheduled air travel from amd to UK • Seven nights aboard the Queen Eleganza • Breakfast and lunch daily • Three dinners on board • House wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch and dinner on board • Cruise Director • Two nights hotel accommodation in Sarajevo & overnight accommodation in Mostar on full board basis • Tour Manager in Bosnia Herzegovina • Shore excursions • Gratuities • Transfers • Port taxes • Airport taxes.

Trip Name
Dalmatia to the Balkans 2019
Days
11
Overview
Vessel Type: Small Ship Length: 49m Passenger Capacity: 36 Built/Refurbished: 2018 For our cruises along the Adriatic coast, we are delighted to have the newly built Queen Eleganza. This beautifully crafted vessel is one of the finest Croatian flagged vessels of her kind and we believe she is the perfect vessel from which to explore the Croatian coast. Carrying a maximum of just 36 guests, there is the added benefit of a relaxed and intimate atmosphere on board. The Sun Deck, with its comfortable sun loungers, is the perfect place to watch the passing scenery and the team of friendly Croatian crew will provide you with excellent service and hospitality throughout the ship. To enhance your voyage further there is also a Cruise Director on board. Dining on board is a casual affair and the menus feature locally sourced fresh food including fish. When dining ashore independently, your knowledgeable Cruise Director will recommend popular local restaurants. AIR-CONDITIONING All cabins and public rooms have air-conditioning. BAR/BEVERAGES Wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner are included in your holiday price. For other drinks consumed throughout your journey you will receive a final bill to settle at the end of your journey. Complimentary bottles of mineral water will be placed in your cabin daily and near reception before an excursion. CABINS The 18 cabins are equipped with air conditioning/heating, a wardrobe, drawers, radio, a flat screen television, a hairdryer and safety deposit box. Most cabins also feature a dressing table and chair. The cabins on the Lower Deck all have two portholes whereas on the Main Deck, the category 3 cabins have three portholes and the category 5 cabin has four portholes. The category 2 and 4 cabins on the Main Deck benefit from a large picture window offering wonderful views. Cabins measure between 12 and 18 square metres, with Category 5 measuring 26 square metres. The cabins have fixed twin or double beds and the configuration cannot be changed. Each cabin also has an en-suite bathroom with shampoo /shower gel dispenser. Please note that the movement of the ship can cause small amounts of water to collect on your bathroom floor. Please note that bathrobes and slippers are not provided. DINING, DRINKING & DIETARY REQUIREMENTS Meals on board are either buffet style or served and there is one sitting with an open seating arrangement. When the weather permits, lunch and dinner may be served in the covered outside area of the Sun Deck. Please be advised that, as there is not always a choice at meal times it is imperative that you advise any special dietary requests, such as vegetarian, gluten free, low salt etc. to Noble Caledonia (in writing) in advance. Please also advise if you do not, or cannot, eat fish and shellfish as these feature regularly on the lunch and dinner menus. We regret that the ship is unable to guarantee special requests and is not equipped to prepare or serve kosher or halal cuisine. Complimentary self-service tea and coffee, with fruit and biscuits, are available in the restaurant 24 hours a day. On nights when you are free to dine independently ashore, if instead you wish to stay on board for dinner, this is possible at a rate of €25 per person each time, which will be added to your onboard account. 24 hours advance notice is required. DISABLED FACILITIES The ship does not have facilities for disabled or wheelchair dependent passengers. The stairs between decks are steep and there is no lift or chair lift on board. DOCTOR There is no doctor on board. Should you be in need of medical assistance, please contact a member of the crew who are first aid trained, or the Cruise Director.  ELECTRICITY The cabins feature 220 volt current, with sockets accepting 2 round-pin (European style) sockets. There are no sockets in the bathrooms. We recommend taking a universal adaptor. INTERNET The ship offers a free Wi-Fi connection in the public areas, but not in the cabins. Depending on the ship’s location, there may be times when the connection is very slow or is disrupted and the same level of connectivity that you enjoy at home cannot be expected on board. LANGUAGE All members of the crew speak English. LAUNDRY SERVICE Due to the size of the ship there is no laundry service on board. PUBLIC AREAS Main Deck: Reception is located on the Main Deck. Upper Deck: On the Upper Deck you will find the bar, restaurant, lounge, and public restrooms. The lounge has a small library of books, games and DVDs. The tea/coffee station is located in the restaurant here. Sun Deck: The Sun Deck has sun loungers and seating for outdoor dining (weather permitting). SMOKING Smoking is restricted to the designated open areas only. Smoking is prohibited in all other areas including cabins and the restaurant.

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 - London Gatwick to Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Fly by scheduled indirect flight. On arrival transfer to the Queen Eleganza and enjoy dinner on board as we moor overnight.
Day 2 - Day 2 - Dubrovnik & Mljet.
Spend the morning in Dubrovnik – the “Pearl of the Adriatic” with a guided walk through this breathtaking city. Its many historic and cultural treasures have earned it the designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the major attractions such as the Rector’s Palace, the Romanesque - Gothic Dominican and Franciscan Monasteries, and the Sponza Palace. Return to the ship for lunch as we sail to Mljet. This is one of the few Dalmatian islands that was never ruled by Venice and this is apparent in the architecture and the absence of any sizeable historic town. What it lacks in great architecture it more than makes up for in natural beauty and there will be a tour to the National Park including its beautiful lakes. Take the opportunity to dine ashore this evening in one of the local restaurants as we moor overnight.
Day 3 - Day 3 - Korcula & Vis.
Spend the morning cruising to Korcula arriving in the late morning. Said to be the birthplace of Marco Polo, Korcula boasts crooked Medieval streets, and elegant squares which are flanked with palaces of the old nobility. Enjoy free time to explore before returning to the ship for lunch. In the early evening we arrive at the island of Vis, this beautiful island sits far out in the Adriatic, well away from the conventional cruise routes where we have the chance to dine ashore in one of the harbour front restaurants.
Day 4 - Day 4 - Vis & Hvar.
This morning we depart for an island tour of Vis. The island spent much of its recent history serving as a Yugoslav military base, cut off from foreign visitors from the 1950s right up until 1989. This isolation preserved it from development, and today it offers an authentic tranquility and unique beauty. We return to the ship for lunch and sail to Hvar this afternoon where we enjoy dinner aboard as we moor overnight.
Day 5 - Day 5 - Hvar & Split.
From our berth in Stari Grad we take a short coach ride across the island to the attractive Old Town of Hvar for a guided walk. We begin in the main square which is the largest piazza in Dalmatia, see the cathedral, the Franciscan Monastery and the Benedictine Nunnery, where we hear about the aloe lace still produced today by the nuns. After some free time, return to the ship and enjoy lunch on board as we sail arriving in Split in the early afternoon. Here a guided walk takes us to the Palace of Diocletian, built by the emperor in 295-305 AD as his retirement villa. Much of this large building is well preserved and the palace contains Split’s old town within its walls, making it the only Roman palace that has been continuously inhabited since Roman times. It is a wonderful spot to wander the maze of streets. This evening enjoy dinner in one of the many restaurants in Split.
Day 6 - Day 6 - Pucisca & Makarska.
Over breakfast we sail the short distance to the island of Brac and the attractive port of Pucisca located at the end of a long bay. Brac is world renowned for the quality of its stone which was used for the Diocletian’s Palace in Split as well as the White House in Washington and other parliament buildings in Europe. Spend the morning in the charming small town, voted one of the prettiest in Europe, where the building white roofs create an ambient atmosphere. Over lunch we sail to Makarska port located in a stunning location on the coast backed by the Biokovo mountains. A popular summer destination due to its nearby beaches it also has a historical centre including the Franciscan monastery, Church of St Peter and the city museum. This evening is free to find a restaurant in the town for dinner.
Day 7 - Day 7 - Opuzen.
We will sail this morning and this afternoon we arrive in Opuzen, located 12 kilometres from the coast on the Neretva River. Situated in the Neretva valley, the region is known as the centre of mandarin production in Croatia. Here we will board local boats and take a sail through the canals and backwaters of the Neretva Wetlands ending with a tasting of the local brandy at the local villa. Return to the ship for our Farewell Dinner on board as we moor overnight.
Day 8 - Day 8 - Pocitelj & Blagaj Tekke, Bosnia Herzogovina.
After breakfast we will disembark the Queen Eleganza in Opuzen and begin our journey to Bosnia. Our first call will be at Pocitelj, situated on the Neretva River, which is a splendid Ottoman city dating back to the Middle Ages. Here, King Tvrtko I of Bosnia built a fortress in 1383, later conquered by the Turks in 1471. Today this is truly a magical open-air museum with many Ottoman monuments, such as the Hadzi Alija Mosque and the Clock Tower. Lunch will be in a local restaurant, and we then continue Mljet Split on to Blagaj Tekke, also known as the Dervish Monastery. The tekija was built to host gatherings of the Sufi Brotherhood, and the stunning half-timbered tekija rests beside the fast-flowing blue-green Buna River. Arrive in Mostar in the early evening and check in to our hotel for an overnight stay. Dinner tonight will be at a local restaurant.
Day 9 - Day 9 - Mostar & Sarajevo.
In the 15th century, Mostar became a thriving centre on the banks of the emerald Neretva River under the Ottoman Turks. Damaged by the military conflict in the 1990’s, the town has been carefully restored by UNESCO and declared a World Heritage Site. Admire the ethereally graceful Stari Most (“The Old Bridge”), originally built in 1566, the nearby Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque and an old Turkish house, among other sites. You may also wish to explore the old bazaar independently, a haven for the city’s artists and craftsmen. After lunch we will continue our journey to Sarajevo and check in to our hotel this afternoon. Meet later for dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 10 - Day 10 - Sarajevo.
After breakfast in the hotel we will take a walking tour of Sarajevo including Sarajevo City Hall, one of the most beautiful buildings from the Austro-Hungarian period. It is the National Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it faces the Miljacka River and the Emperors’ Mosque, the city’s oldest mosque. We will then continue on to see the Latin Bridge, where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914. We will also take a walk through Bascarsija, the old part of the town built in the Ottoman period, where we can learn about the local food, crafts, and traditions. We will take lunch in a local restaurant and this afternoon we continue for a visit of the nearby mini spa town of Ilidza, where Franz Ferdinand and his wife stayed in June 1914. On arrival we will make our way to the public park of Vrelo Bosne, an oasis of greenery and gushing streams of water, one of the country’s prime natural attractions. Our day ends with a visit of the Tunnel Museum, the centrepiece of which is a 25 metre section of the 1 metre wide, 1.6 metre high hand-dug tunnel under the airport runway that acted as the city’s lifeline to the outside world during the 1992–95 siege. Walking through a short, restored section is the moving culmination to a visit that includes an archive video, a minefield garden and an engrossing museum within the shell-pounded house that hid the tunnel entrance. Return to the hotel and this evening enjoy our final dinner.
Day 11 - Day 11 - Sarajevo to London Heathrow.
After breakfast in the hotel transfer to the airport for our scheduled indirect flight to London.
Day 12 - Please Note:
Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
19-09-201929-09-2019GBP £2,995Category 6 Sole
19-09-201929-09-2019GBP £3,195Category 1
19-09-201929-09-2019GBP £3,195Category 2
19-09-201929-09-2019GBP £3,495Category 3
19-09-201929-09-2019GBP £3,695Category 4
19-09-201929-09-2019GBP £3,895Category 5
23-09-201903-10-2019GBP £3,695Category 4
23-09-201903-10-2019GBP £3,895Category 5
23-09-201903-10-2019GBP £2,995Category 6 Sole
23-09-201903-10-2019GBP £3,195Category 1
23-09-201903-10-2019GBP £3,195Category 2
23-09-201903-10-2019GBP £3,495Category 3

Inclusions

    • Explore Dubrovnik – the “Pearl of the Adriatic”
    • Discover Korcula. Said to be the birthplace of Marco Polo, it boasts crooked Medieval streets, and elegant squares which are flanked with palaces of the old nobility
    • Arrive in Opuzen, located 12 kilometres from the coast on the Neretva River. Situated in the Neretva valley, the region is known as the centre of mandarin production in Croatia
    • Take a walking tour of Sarajevo including Sarajevo City Hall, one of the most beautiful buildings from the Austro-Hungarian period

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