MS Arion ship review/Dalmation Coast

[BrLos5]

Difficult to find info from people who have done the Dalmation Coast cruise from Koper, Slovenia on MS Arion....HELP,HELP....Food, service, cabins, shore tours, formal dining nights ? good news, bad news

[dcglobal]

I can't help you at the moment but will be on a cruise about the Arion that departs Koper,Slovenia on 4/26 (and returns there May 3) for ports on the Dalmatian coast. I am looking for people that also may be going on the cruise. I will also be happy to relay my own impressions about the vessel and the cruise on my return.

 

There are diagrams of the vessel and also a downloadable brochure (english) about the cruise at the following site: www.cruises-croatia.com

 

dcglobal

[BrLos5]

Thank you for Croatia Cruise website. Finally found info and prices on shore excursions and that two nights are jackey and tie, thankfully no tuxedo apparently.

Will be anxious to hear your opinion of the shore excursions. Am a solo traveler with I believe a cabin that probably used to be the ship's brig cabin #305...if you can get a peek at it, I would appreciate your Opinion.

I look forward to your report after May 3rd.

BrLos5@aol.com Rhode Island

[Traveler1978]

Since dcglobal mentioned the web site www.cruises-croatia.com, I have to say that we booked the cruise through that agency, and were really content. My husband and I were Along the Adriatic Coast on May 17th, with MS "Arion".

We had a really lovely time, people on a board are very kind and professional, and the whole ship has a really familiar atmosphere.

We also did a shore excursions, lots of nice places to see in Croatia, all together, our impressions are more than great, really relaxing holidays...:)

[kruzseeka]

We weren't travelling on Arion (although we saw her in port) but when we were in Koper recently we did a ship's excursion to Ljubjana which was lovely. It was Sunday so big shops were shut but there is a great cafe culture about the place and interesting craft markets and a flea market and lots of pavement cafes along the river side to enjoy a drink.

[Evil Levi]

My wife and I just recently came back from our one week cruise on the MS Arion. It was absolutely fantastic. What I found so surprising was the efficiency / easy of going from port to port. And...everything was so affordable! I was expecting to hit for drinks, food, etc... no way! Bottles of wine were 10 Euros, food was included and the meals were amazing, drinking at the bar was cheap, etc... This was a great cruise. Never been on a big boat...but this will be hard to beat. The staff/crew was so cool and relaxed and friendly/helpful, etc...

[EDLOS]

Thank you Evil Levi for your report on MS ARION. How were shore excursions. well done and what were prices, any you really recommend and/or any you would skip ??????

[EDLOS]

Just returned from a week on the Arion cruising the Adriatic Sea. Overall it was a good cruise.

Ship: Cabins are very small. my single cabin was about 90 sq. feet including bath with a TV, no minibar, one upright chair and a small desk with 4 draws for clothes and a small wardrobe. bed was a single lower bunkbed with a very narrow firm mattress. Shower water pressure and temperature control were good.

Food: Breakfast was basically buffet served in dining room and outside upper deck and eggs, omelets, french toast served your way could ordered in dining room. Good selection of items hot and cold.

Lunch: Order off of menu in dining room or buffet on outside upper deck

No problems with long lines..ship capacity 300 persons and was told that there were 230 on board.

Dinner: Order off of menu, at least three sometimes four main course items. two/three appetizers, two soup choices, a salad plus desserts and/ or cheese selection.

Had a nice selection of wines in the 12 to 14 euros price range, If you did not finish the bottle, they tagged it and brought to your table the next night.

Quality of food quite good, less than a Silverseas or Regent but better than the three River Cruises I have been on !!

Of the 230 persons on board, I think 130 were French, the rest Americans, English, Canadiens. Everything was announced/printed in French and English.

Ports we visited were excellent, ship was able to dock downtown in every town but Dubrovnik unlike the large ships that anchor out and they usually only visit Dubrovnik and Split. In both these Ports it became very crowded by mid-day and we could't wait to go back to the ship after our morning walking tour ugh!!!

Ships optional tours were as usual, overpriced ! I only booked 4 out of maybe 10 offerings. Most of the smaller ports we visited with the maps they provided or obtained at the local tourist office could be navigated easily.

In one case a bus trip to Budva at 45 euros each by the ship led another traveler and myself to negotiate a 3 hour trip by taxis for 25 euros each.

Thats all for now!!

[gollane]

Thanks for the info you guys,we have booked very early for September 2010 and are making our own way there using loyalty miles etc.

 

Have any of you experience of getting from Ljubliana to Koper I know there is a train but how easy is it to get from Koper station to the ship ?

 

Just in passing we have booked through Blue water holidays and their prices are very competitive.

[wshadow1]

I can't help you at the moment but will be on a cruise about the Arion that departs Koper,Slovenia on 4/26 (and returns there May 3) for ports on the Dalmatian coast. I am looking for people that also may be going on the cruise. I will also be happy to relay my own impressions about the vessel and the cruise on my return.

 

There are diagrams of the vessel and also a downloadable brochure (english) about the cruise at the following site: www.cruises-croatia.com

 

dcglobal

 

I am interested in your feedback concerning all aspects of this trip. We are taking this trip on June 12, 2010. Please comment on dress code on ship, food on board and specifically the shore excursions--worth the money? tours on your own? hiring locals at the port? Thanks.

[janohara]

We are planning to do this cruise on the MS Arion next May and would appreciate any feedback you have on the trip that you just took.

Thanks -

[wshadow1]

This was a great trip. The weather was fantastic during the entire trip.

 

A quick summary---The MS Arion is a rebuilt ship and in very good condition. The cabins are somewhat small. The food was excellent as was the service and the entertainment. The visited ports are magnificant. The scenery is spectacular. Very, very medieval and wonderful. We visited Venice for 4 nights (2 going and 2 returning)---beautiful. We stayed at the Hotel Plaza (in Mestre--just over the bridge from Venice) for all 4 nights---a great hotel and very convenient to public transportation--both bus and train to Venice and by express bus to the airport.

 

The ship's passangers were primarily European--the large majority were French and not to friendly. The dinner arrangements are permanent and you will be asked your language of preference and, hopefully, you will be matched accordingly--we were and it was fine--tables are 6 and 8. Formal dress was not so formal for most--jacket/suit/tie is all you should do.

 

The shore excursions were great and the guides were very knowledgeable. We did not take the city tours as the cities were within easy walking distance from the port.

 

We took the ship tours to Montenegro (Former Capital Cetinje), Bosnia Herzogovina (Mostar) and Albania (Tirana). These were great tours ---highly recommended. We did the others on our own.

 

Buy your wine in Koper--great wine for 2+ Euro's/bottle.

 

All in all, a great trip to a part of the world that has been at war almost contnually. The people were very friendly.

 

If you have other questions, please ask.

[gollane]

I would be interested to know if all the places visited accept the Euro or did you use your card all the time.

 

Really don't want to carry different currencies with me.

 

Hope we enjoy our Sept.cruise as much as you clearly did.

[wshadow1]

The euro is accepted in most countries with the exception of Albania as I recall. We didn't puchase anything in Albania. We used our credit card whhere we could but did bring enough Euros just in case.

[superoma]

I would be interested to know if all the places visited accept the Euro or did you use your card all the time.

 

Really don't want to carry different currencies with me.

 

Hope we enjoy our Sept.cruise as much as you clearly did.

 

Hi, Gollane

When in September will you be in the MS Arion? We board her on Sept 19, might we be on the same cruise?

[gollane]

Hi Eva,

We will probably pass on the gangway as we disembark on the 19th. !

[superoma]

ah, and I have been looking to connect with someone on our cruise. too bad!! I won't even get a chance to read any review you might post.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[Corkyirish]

HI

I am also thinking of the MS Arion cruise --but my friend has never been on a cruise & she is worried about being sea sick --is the Adriatic rough around end of Sept --or is the ship too small so that you will feel everything?

Info on this would be greatly appreciated -

[dwdulmage]

We did a one week cruise in Sept of last year on the Arion. Being a older ship it does not have the fancy stabilizers. However we only had one night that was a little rough. Had to tape the drawers shut so that they did not keep opening and shutting. Didn't seem very bad to us although we heard the next day the port of Dubrovnik was closed to the big ships because it was to rough to use the tenders.

[Rocket4Oh]

Difficult to find info from people who have done the Dalmation Coast cruise from Koper, Slovenia on MS Arion....HELP,HELP....Food, service, cabins, shore tours, formal dining nights ? good news, bad news

have u tried googling "ms arion reviews"? I did and found (amongst the 919,999 other hits) http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews90697.html

[gollane]

Funny how we all see things differently isn't it.We were on the Arion 12-19 September and were fortunate to have fantastic weather,I say fortunate because if we hadn't been able to sit on the open deck with a cold beer I think us, and the other 270 odd guests would have gone stir crazy as there was very little to occupy you if you had to be inside.

 

We found ourselves in cabin 201 on the upper deck,this must be the smallest,dirtiest cabin on the ship,at its narrowest point it was 6'6" wide,even the bedside cabinet had lumps sawn out of it to enable the beds to fit in.The shower room was a preformed plastic type but the floor had been painted over twice with different colours which had begun to peel, trapping dirt and mould which looked as if it had never been cleaned.

 

If you are going on the Arion avoid cabins 201 &202 at all costs they are really minute.

 

Seeing as I am having a grumble the very popular Lido deck area had seating for 84 persons at tables for four and as most passengers were couples getting a seat for breakfast or lunch was something of a lottery.It is a pity that the sunbeds here aren't removed as they were never used to anywhere near capacity,there is plenty of space to sunbathe on the upper decks anyway.Many chose to have lunch in the main restaurant where it is waiter service and you don't always have a choice where you sit.

 

As previous comments have suggested the tours are pricey,we only did the trip to Mostar,expensive but well worth it,and to Cetinje.If you have a fear of heights or have vertigo do NOT do this tour as the return run is over truly mountainous roads and terrified 2 ladies on our bus to tears,and when we got there it was a 1 hour wait to do a 25min trip around a museum,not great.

 

The only other moan is the fact that they wake you up at about 7.30 each day with loudspeaker announcements,grrrrrr.

 

Better things now,the ports of call were simply great, each full of history concerning this once troubled region.I would suggest that Zadar,Kotor,Korcula,Doubrovnik and Split can all be enjoyed without the need for a guided tour.The ship issues copied maps so getting about is easy in these fairly small towns.Why not skip on board dinner and have meal on the terrace in Korcula,fabulous.Also on the first night be sure to take in the wonderful light show provided by the representatiuon of the solar system right by the ship in Zadar after dark.It is also worth getting up early when approaching Kotor as the run up the fjord is beautiful as the sun comes up.

 

If you decide to walk the wall in Dubrovnik then get up early and catch the local bus from just outside the dock gates for 10 Kunas to Pile as it gets very,very crowded after about 9.30 - 10am.Have fun trying to to find the famous Buza bar for a beer in what must be one of the worlds

most stunning drinks locations,heres a hint,it isn't that far from the Ethnographic museum which is shown on the town map,available for 1 euro from the tourist office, just to the right after entering via the Pile gate.

Meals on board are of a very good standard being served by friendly and efficient waiters with a wide choice of dishes every night and wine starts at 14 euro per bottle,how different to the big cruise lines.There is no problem with bringing your own on board either.Another good point is the quality of the 3 shows the ship provides,in my opinion they far exceeded expectations for a small ship and they resident band were also very good providing entertainment in the comfortable lounge.

 

This seems to be a happy ship but there are shortcomings which left us wondering if it was good or even fair value for money.

[MV Cruiser]

Jonohara,

 

Hello. Did you take the May cruise on the Arion. Your thoughts and comments would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

MV Cruiser