M/V Monet

[hybrn8]

Anyone familiar with this small ship? Comments re cruise experience most helpful. Signed up for 2 weeks ex Venice in fall. Ta.

[kittykatkarol]

My husband and I cruised the Dalmation Coast on the M/V Monet in May of this year. If you haven't already gone on your trip, I'll fill you in. We enjoyed it very much.

[dogma]

Kitty - Thanks for offer to share experience on Monet. Had to change user name - but it's me, hybrn8. My cruise isn't til Nov. 2 so please let me know what your trip/the ship was like. Many thanks!

[kittykatkarol]

I had to check your itinerary before I responded as your ports of call will be different than ours. Please forgive me if I jump around a bit, but I'm writing as things pop in my head. My husband and I are in our early 50's. We were among the youngest on the ship. Most of the passengers were Americans; a few Canadians and a few British. I was told by Elegant Cruise Line (ECL) that the passengers are usually Americans. The entire crew is Croatian and all speak English. If you are lucky enough to have the same crew as we did last May, Ante the hotel mgr. is very animated and a delight. He was always in the dining room assisting the three waiters. I also enjoyed the young chef, Robbie, who has his skillet set up in the dining room at breakfast. The entire crew (including the Capt.) mingle with the guests unlike the big cruise ships we are used to. One evening I had a cocktail with the capt. at the bar. By the way, Davor is the bartender. His picture is in the ECL brochure. Dinner time varied between 7:30 to 8 pm. There is a great emphasis on seafood because it was a coastal cruise and the Croatians are skilled fishermen. (If you get a chance, do not miss going to a local fish market when you are in a coastal port.) ECL may have stretched the "elegant" a bit, but we still enjoyed the ship. It showed a little wear and tear, but was always spotless. I will warn you that the bathrooms are a bit funky. Your small bathroom is also your shower. You pull a curtain around the sink and door to take your shower. We got used to it. If you have booked an A category, you can't go wrong with Cabin 206. Our booking agent at ECL told us about it. We had two picture windows and it made all the difference in the world. I believe it is the only cabin with two windows. Fellow passengers in the master cabins above us commented that our room was nicer than theirs and they paid more.

Dubrovnik - You can hop on a bus right in front of the ship and it will take you to old town. Taxis also stop in front of the ship. I researched the restaurants. Proto and Nautika are sister restaurants; Nautika has the view, but Proto is supposed to have better food. When we sat down for lunch at Proto, it seemed like everyone around us was eating a red risotto. I ordered it too, and it truly was the best I've ever had. Do not miss climbing up the steep stairs and walking the entire wall around old Dubrovnik. You look down at the roofs of the building and the ocean. It's about a 1-1/2 mile hike around the entire old town, but worth every step. There is a fee to walk the wall. The best picture taking spot of old Dubrovnik is from the deck of the Excelsior Hotel which is a short walk. We stumbled upon a folkloric show and I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful native costumes and singing and dancing. The ship brought four singers onto the ship one evening, but there was no dancing. Split - The palace grounds are a 10 minute walk from the ship. Many narrow streets with shops. Most of the cafes are outside of the walled palace grounds along the waterfront. Korcula is small and picturesque. The ship docks steps away. We arrived in the afternoon and the shops were closed. Everything opens up in the late afternoon/early evening and the town comes alive with the locals coming out of the woodwork. Currency - With the exception of Dubrovnik, none of the ports we visited would take U.S. or Euro. You need Kunas. I had a difficult time exchanging U.S. travelers cheques at the banks, even with my passport as identification. I did use my ATM card, but you must put in the amount you want in Kunas. Since $300 a day is the maximum, I had to calculate that figure in Kunas. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. If I think of anything else, I'll write you. Overall, I would definitely sail the Monet again. Even though it was more expensive than the other cruises we have taken (Princess, Celebrity, Holland A), it was worth it.

[kittykatkarol]

I forgot Sibenik - Hike to the top of the old fortress for the best views. A little huffing and puffing, but not bad. Ask in a local shop which alley way leads to the fortress. Do not miss the excursion to Kyrka Falls. I believe it was about a 20 minute bus ride. It's a short walk to the main areas to take pictures of the spectacular water falls. You can then go down another set of steps (about 100). No one else in our group walked to the lower level because they didn't know about it. Venice - if you have never been, I can fill you in.

[dogma]

Except for the "news" about the bath, it all sounds just grand....thanks so much for the insightful and useful info especially the heads up on the money situation. Your shore-side hints are much appreciated, especially the restaurants because after awhile I like to eat ashore.

We are in cabin 119, I think. It's normally a B grade but priced as a C grade for this trip - go figure. My friend and I (she's 70ish, I'm mid-50s) are really excited about the trip especially the unique itinerary and the small ship. Two other friends tried to book about a month after we did and it was already sold out. We fly into Venice and use the ship for a hotel for a few days - haven't been there since I was a college student in Munich a million years ago.

I'll probably come back to you with some more questions...Many thanks!!

[dogma]

Forgot to say we used travltips (the freighter folks) to book the trip - the fare was $400 less than going straight to ECL! Another go figure.....

Glad you liked the small ships - I haven't been on one with more than 200 passengers in 20 years. Some folks would never go small, I will never go big. I don't need/want lots of "stuff" preferring sea days and open seating dining. Try another small line.....Windstar, Cruise West, Star Clipper, Sea Dream, etc.