Croatian Cruise: Living the High Life… for One Week
If you’re looking for one of our usual travel blogs filled with my obligatory deep dive into the history and some unique facts…this isn’t it.
Frankly, Croatia broke my blogging system.
We visited so many islands, medieval towns, hidden coves, wineries, and national parks in just seven days that my brain eventually gave up trying to remember where one place ended and the next began. Was that Korčula? Hvar? Vis? At some point they all became “the one with the ridiculously gorgeous harbor.”
Rather than pretending I can give every stop the attention it deserves, we’re calling this one what it is: a shameless photo dump of one ridiculously gorgeous week cruising the Croatian coast.
Every morning around 5:30 a.m., our floating boutique hotel quietly slipped out of another medieval harbor while we cracked open the sliding glass door and let the cool Adriatic breeze drift into our cabin. We’d lie in bed with coffee, watching the sun rise over islands scattered across the horizon.
Not a bad way to wake up.
Then breakfast. Sometimes Bloody Marys. Or both.
Then we’d anchor in some secluded cove where the water was so absurdly clear you could count the pebbles on the bottom. Some people enthusiastically jumped into the Adriatic while some rallied from the deck with a beverage in hand. Everyone contributes in their own way.
After that came a leisurely three-course lunch while the crew whisked us away to another medieval town.
Every afternoon felt like stepping onto a movie set. We’d wander polished limestone streets and other impossibly charming towns where every alley seemed to lead to another tiny square, another church bell tower, or another waterfront café with a view that screamed, “You’re going to take 99 photos of me, aren’t you?”
Yes. Yes, I am.
Some days we explored nature. Some days we visited wineries. Every day ended with us hunting down another restaurant hidden inside a medieval alleyway or perched on top of an old fortress wall.
I also have to admit…it felt pretty cool being one of the people casually walking off one of these sleek yachts while docked right in the middle of bustling medieval harbors.
For one week we luxuriated off our normal retired life, which is more along the lines of finding happy hour specials, hunting for cheap local eats, doing laundry, and debating whether we really need to spend money on this lodging or that hotel.
But every once in a while, it’s fun to trade our travels for a bathrobe, attentive crew members, gourmet meals, and waking up somewhere new without ever having to pack a suitcase. This cruise gave us a taste of Croatia’s incredible coastline—hundreds of miles of rocky islands, sparkling turquoise water, charming fishing villages, and storybook medieval towns—all without spending half our vacation figuring out ferries and hotel check-ins.
The best part? Sharing the experience with wonderful friends and celebrating their milestone birthdays.
