Croatia South Coast
Cruise Story
by Ranko and Maja Zunic
50 years ago we had just got married and travelled overnight from Dubrovnik to Split on a local passenger liner. We spent the wedding night, dressed up, on deck chairs. Now we are in jeans, having luxury accommodation and service on a 7-day cruise from Split that also stops in Dubrovnik.
We sailed along the northern coast two years earlier, this summer we went south, and asked our good friends Rita and Massimo Brandinali, from Bologna, Italy, to be our guests.
Nearly 2,000 years ago the Riva, one of Europe's finest seafront promenades, won the heart of Roman Emperor Diocletian who hoofed it to Split after he abdicated. A guided tour take you in his footsteps, visiting his palace, a lavish colossus with vaulted basements and a graceful colonnaded courtyard, Peristil, is the town's most remarkable man-made attraction. Walking out through the Old City, you squeeze down the narrow "Pusti me da Prodjem" (Let me Pass) streets.
On the visits to Split, Korcula and Peljesac (Trstenik) we met with our old friends, while in Dubrovnik, where we stayed a day and two nights, time was short to greet all the friends and Maja's family.
Captain Damir Naranca did us a favor and passed by the Zunic family home in Sumartin on the Island of Brac. No stopping, just sending our greetings by waiving and blowing the ship's horn.
Maja with Rita and Massimo, talking about Dubrovnik's old walls
The highlight of the cruise was the visit to Palmizana Island; an exciting taxi boat ride on Mistral waves from the town of Hvar, and dining on fresh local seafood and wine. Captain's dinner followed on the last night of the cruise, while the vessel was resting alongside at Bol, island of Brac. At the table, Captain Naranca is the first on the right, then Massimo and Rita, tour manager Tanja, myself and Maja, and Spanish guests, Ana and Tomas.
One of the topics at the table was our common satisfaction with the cruise: a variety of destinations, from the Mljet National Park, the vineyards and wineries of Grgic and Milicic on the Peljesac Peninsula to historic and cultural centers like Split and Dubrovnik.
According to Massimo and Rita "... the Futura is an elegant yacht; everything was spotless and shiny, a welcoming and courteous crew, spacious cabin with two picture windows made it very bright, good food Mediterranean style, generous buffet breakfasts ...". Since 2003, Massimo and Rita have booked with us at Maris five long roundtrip voyages on freighters, including an around-the-world cruise:
The photos above show Mr. and Mrs. Brandinali on the CMA CGM Utrillo sailing around-the world. On the left, Neptune is blessing passengers and cadets who are crossing the Equator for the first time, and a dining scene with fellow passengers and officers.
What attracts Brandinalis to freighters is a relaxed, friendly atmosphere among passengers, officers and crew, similar to what they found here on the Futura in a small group of 27 guests, coming from Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain and the USA. On larger cruise ships, by contrast, this quality is lost, as is the intimacy with the sea and nature.
When we disembarked we spent a couple of days in Sumartin with relatives, and a night at the Hotel Osejava in Makarska, where we also lodged 50 years ago, after the wedding night on deck chairs.
Mobility is required to negotiate the stairs on board, as well as some energy for walks ashore.
