Croatian classics

[jo lou]

Some advice please from anyone that has been on the recent Croatian Classics cruise. When visiting Rovinj / Zadar / Split were you able to use Euros? We have been to Dubrovnik several times and have always used Euros. Also any tips on what to do on the above 3 stops would be much appreciated - we don't do Thomson trips just our own thing. Our cruise is on 11 June so any responses would be welcome :):):)

[Scarey Mary]

I would advise you to take some kuna. Some places wouldn't accept Euro.

It's a great itinerary. All three places are easy to do on your own and good to look round. Ship provided a shuttle bus at Zadar which cost £5 each because we docked nowhere near the town.

[Witsend1]

Rovinj is a beautiful place, about 8years since I was there. Lovely to walk around, was a lovely outdoor market with fresh fruit, veg etc. We walked up some of the narrow streets to the church on the top of the hill, lovely art work and small shops to look at on the way up there.

 

Did a half day tour on a boat up the nearby fjord, Lim Fjord IIRC. That was very relaxing. Will be remembered by my children for the nude bathers we saw on the rocks or on small boats that sailed past!

 

Sorry it's so long ago I can't remember about the currency, although we definitely used Kuna in Dubrovnik the same week.

 

Not been to your other ports of call but I'm sure you'll have a great time as Croatia is fabulous, a place we'd love to revisit sometime.

[pezzers10]

Hi Jo Lou,

I'm afraid I have no advice as such, but we are on the same cruise as yourselves going on the 11th. Are you doing a back to back or a 7 night stay at all or just the weeks cruise?

I think we are just going to do our own thing and see what there is when we get there. We were in Rovinj for our first holiday after we got married some 36 years ago and always said we would go back, no doubt it has changed since then. Also I went to Trogir (near Split) even before I was married so would like to go back there as well. I think I am going to get some Kuna when we get there either from an atm or bank as we are doing a 7 night stay after the cruise so we will probably use them. I will also have some euros for Venice and Trieste. I have been 'trolling' the Internet to see if I could find any independent tours, but due to having 'wonky' knees I am not able to walk too far. Hope you get some more replies I will be really interested to read them.

Jackie

[jo lou]

Hi Jackie

See response I have received from another site which I thought you might find of interest and gives a little more info re the above.

 

"...........I also did the same cruise Croation Classics as Wallace with Thomson on the 14th of May, and it's my 5th cruise with Thomson. Always have a great time, great service, great entertainment and always do an excursion at every port with Thomson and have never been disappointed. So organised and you have peace of mind that the ship will wait for you if there are any delays. With this cruise we did one bike tour in Rovinj and the rest walking tours which only last a few hours and you can then either return back to the ship with the guide or stay and do your own thing. I found the walking tours to be a great way to find out about the places we visited and wouldn't really find some hidden gems without the help of a tour guide. We also felt very safe too. With regards to the question , we had difficulty in Rovinj paying with Euros, this was on the bike tour and wasn't in the town centre but at a stop off point on the tour in the countryside, so I can understand that. But most places do take Euros especially in the main centres and are able to calculate the costs in Euros even if you wanted to pay part Euros and part Kuna. However just a few things to bring to your attention, we found the price seemed higher when we paid in Euros and they give you change back in Kuna or round things off. Also, I highly recommend if you wish to exchange your money on the ship, use Sterling to do purchase Kuna NOT Euros. A lot of people complained that they wanted to exchange their Euros for Kuna but the ship calculate Euros back into Sterling then into Kuna, thus losing money on the exchange. We also found the exchange rate higher on the ship then at the ports especially in Split, so if you wanted to exchange your Kuna back to Euros at the end of your cruise, it would be advisable to change your remaining Kuna back to Euros at the port. Ok, what to see in Zadar, you must visit the Sea Organ and The Greeting to the Sun which are located at the bus drop off points. There is a promenade along there where you can stroll and then off to the left, visit the round church of St Donat - which is made from Roman remains and see the forum too. The town itself is small and there is a lovely market. Split, I would recommend visiting Diocletian's palace and walk underneath into the cellars where there is a market and it's also nice and cool to escape the heat. They also had a Roman show there. Great city to visit. Rovinj - having only cycled through it on our way out to the countryside and forest, it was beautiful but also a bit hilly, but well worth strolling around the cobbled streets. The view from the top by the church out to sea was stunning! Croatia didn't disappoint! I hope you have a fantastic time........."

 

We are just doing the week's cruise - not long now!!

Jo lou

Edited June 8, 2015 by jo lou