sail croatia vs yacht week reddit

The Truth About Going on a Yacht Week in Croatia

It’s rare I take vacations with friends these days, but the stars aligned and four (very busy and hard to plan) girls from across the US met up for Yacht Week Croatia, sailing from Dubrovnik to Split across the dazzling Adriatic Sea. In short, it was one of the best weeks of my life and a perfect ending to an amazing summer of adventure.

Here’s an Unfiltered Look at the Experience:

First, it’s important to understand I did not say I went on THE Yacht Week, which is the company most people are familiar with. Their branding is incredibly well known and reaches all corners of the globe (who wouldn’t want to bask under the sun with those hotties in the promo video ?). The truth is, there are many competitors to Yacht Week Croatia – sailing companies that offer week on a yacht for a set fee so if you’re considering Sail Week vs Yacht Week, make sure you consider all your options and read the reviews. We did our homework and chose to embark with the Sail Week Croatia for a number of reasons – and I’m pleased to report our expectations were far exceeded.

Why We Chose Sail Week  Croatia over the Yacht Week: Itinerary and Price

The Itinerary: A lot of the companies we researched (ahem: The Yacht Week Croatia) looked extraordinarily spring breaky, promising young 20-somethings the perfect girl to guy ratio and Europe’s hottest nightclubs. They offer Party Weeks, Ultra Week (to the huge music fest), and basically a week of binge drinking. That would’ve been great 10 years ago, but when you’re in your 30s, you usually want to remember the experience. Sail Week has that kind of trip too, but what caught our eye was Adventure Week . The route was completely different than the party cruise (so we wouldn’t run into them) and each port offered a different activity like hiking, biking, kayaking, and SUPing. Full disclosure, it was a bit more soft adventure than I would’ve liked, but it was still actively exploring instead of wasting the day sleeping off a hangover.

The Price: We spent a week on a yacht (included was 7 nights accommodation, breakfast and lunches) for less than $800. Yes, you read that right. Essentially the same program as The Yacht Week for a fraction of the price. With the Yacht Week Croatia, you can choose how big of a boat you want (there’s a joke there), but you’re still paying for the brand name. They also try to upsell you on their food and drink packages, which start at about $915. Ouch. On Sail Week Croatia, you simply buy your own snacks and alcohol at each marina. Always do your homework if you’re looking to save money on travel.

The Setup: Each boat held eight guests plus the skipper; so half our boat was my friends. The other two were couples on their honeymoon (great humans, but a little weird due to the lack of privacy…we’ll get to that later). There were three other boats in our bevy so about 35 people total. The number of boats varies each week by demand (they operate every week of summer).

• The thought “life is hard” will run through your head often. You will regularly wonder what you did to deserve this terrible life cruising Baller Bay with the beautiful people.
• There’s plenty of downtime (which I sometimes need forced up on me). Actually getting to catch up on reading for fun was a whole new world and a necessary reset.
• You will feel like you have this whole amazing corner of the world to yourself. There are hours of blue expanses where you won’t see another vessel or another human.
• The water is unlike any shade of blue you’ve ever seen (and you’ll take more pictures of it than you ever dreamed possible).
• The skipper made the trip. The glue that ties the group together, Zoran was a fantastic human (and it didn’t hurt that he looked like a cross between Paul Walker and Ryan Gosling).
• We went in early August and had perfect weather. Or at least perfect weather for tanning. There was not a cloud in the sky, and no wind either so not a whole lot of actual sailing happened, It was more motorboat week (bad joke).
• Our skipper was a world class BSer and liked to mess with us so it was hard to know what was true. Much to our surprise, a few of the stops did in fact have floating markets which would deliver breakfast to your boat, or even better, mojitos from the floating bar.
• Can we talk about how solid the WIFI was in the middle of nowhere? We were rarely without Snapchat or Instagram.

• This isn’t the mega yacht you’re picturing having seen Below Deck . There’s no maid or crew. Just one lone (albeit fantastic) skipper who does everything from steering to cleaning and cooking.
• Quarters are tight, but you will get over the fact that there is no possible way you can sleep in a space that small. As soon as you accept you’ll be on top of each other, you’ll learn to stay out of each other’s way. The good news is, aside from sleeping you’ll rarely spend time in your cabin.
• The bathrooms are another story. You will quickly get used to hearing everything. You’ll get extraordinarily close to your bunkmates joking about who’s turn it is to take the toilet paper bag out (no flushing of paper allowed). Let’s just say life on the boat doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
• Showers on the boat are interesting also. You have to ration the water between port stops and not every marina has facilities (you’ll appreciate the ones that do even more).
• You will come home with random bruises all over your body with no idea how you got them. It’s inevitable.
• At some of the ports, we had to dock via anchor away from land, which made coordinating dingy runs to use the potty interesting.
• Omg the bees. They were everywhere!

What Surprised Me:

I wasn’t sure I’d like this type of vacation because I get bored at the beach in about two seconds. After lying out for an hour I’m usually antsy and wondering what we’re going to do next. I typically only spend 2-3 fast-paced days in each country before moving on, which each day packed to the gills with active adventures. This was basically doing the same thing for a week straight – a deep dive into one country.

Thankfully, my worries were completely unfounded. We quickly eased into the routine of 1-3 hours of sailing in the morning, stopping at unique swimming coves, and exploring each new port at night, which broke the day up and kept us on the move. The cities were remarkably different from each other, bustling historic gems like Dubrovnik (do the Game of Thrones tour even if you’ve never seen the show) and Korcula (Marco Polo’s hometown) to happenin’ Split and Hvar and completely remote spots you’d never think to visit (some without a single bar).

Synopsis: What are you waiting for? Go!

I would recommend Sail Week Croatia to anyone in their 20s or 30s looking for a unique vacation (older folks, charter a private boat). It was ridiculously affordable (especially if you use miles for flights) and CNN just said Croatia rules the Rivieras. The country is poised to blow up in the next few years; get there while it’s still under the radar and a hidden gem. I personally can’t wait to get back. We were extremely happy that we did our homework and did not just go with the Yacht Week because it was the first company we saw: we crossed paths with their ships along the route and it looked like we were having an even better experience for a fraction of the cost (while getting our adventure on).

Other Things to Note:

• Sail Week lets you sign-up as a solo traveler without a single supplement. The Yacht Week has a Facebook page to help connect you to people looking to fill open yacht spots, but doesn’t technically let you sign-up solo.
• There are plenty of other providers that offer similar sailing experiences in Croatia so do your homework. You can even charter a yacht and captain it yourself if you’re confident in your skills.
• Spend a day or two before or after your cruise exploring inland Croatia — Plitvice Lakes and Krka are both incredible national parks with waterfalls for days.

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This is such a great guide! I loved reading about the ‘mehs’. You are so right. I did this trip in 2016 and can confirm that they are all true <3

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Yacht Week vs Sail Week: Which Is Better?

Yacht Week and Sail Week Croatia are both well-established travel companies offering various sailing routes around Croatia. This article is a side-by-side comparison of the two.

As a former yacht crew member, I get asked two questions pretty often:

1️⃣ First, is working on a superyacht really like what you see on Below Deck ? 2️⃣ What’s the difference between The Yacht Week and Sail Week Croatia?

The Yacht Week, the original company in this space, essentially invented this type of holiday. And Sail Week offers excellent value for money.

They both provide instagramable opportunities at every turn, and the best option for you will depend on your individual needs.

Let’s get started with what set’s these brands apart!

The Yacht Week is heavily focused on the party and music festival crowd . Their website offers a tasty selection of floating festivals and unique events by partnering with festival organisers and record labels.

If you are looking for remote island shenanigans soundtracked by some of the world’s best underground DJs, then The Yacht Week is a solid choice.

Sail Week is an ABTA member in the UK, and they offer financial protection on all their travel products. They strongly emphasise creating a memorable party atmosphere but with the added twist of offering chic excursions to sweeten the deal .

⚖️ Product Range Comparison

A few sailing routes can be compared directly, and they are in Croatia and Greece. However, for the sake of this article, I have only compared routes that are similar to each other.

The Yacht Week (TYW) Sailing Route Range

The Yacht Week features eight different sail routes for you to choose from . All of The Yacht Week routes are listed below:

• Hot Creations
• Original Route
• Athens Route , Greece
• Ultra Festival Route
• Hideout Festival Route
• Tahiti Route , Polynesia
• BVI Route , Caribbean

All the routes last for 7 days (6 nights), keeping with the mantra ‘yacht week’. The majority of the routes are in Croatia, and they follow the same itinerary except for the Hideout Festival route.

The Hideout Festival route begins and ends near the seaside city of Zadar. In comparison, the other Croatian routes start and finish in the town of Split.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Yacht Week (@theyachtweek)

Sail Week Croatia Sailing Route Range

All these routes last an entire week, and there 6 to choose from depending on if you want to party flat out or find a more balanced vibe. They can be seen below:

• Party Route
• Ultra Route
• Dubrovnik Route
• Montenegro Route

The Party Route and Ultra Route are party-focused routes. And the balanced vibes are on the Dubrovnik, Athens and Montenegro routes.

Route Range Winner – The Yacht Week

📦 Package Comparison

Both brands have similar package options. However, the most significant difference is that Sail Week offers a Bring Your Own Booze (BYOB) option , which considerably impacts the price you pay for a given package.

The Yacht Week Packages

You can select from 4 different package types, namely:

• Build your own

Monohull (43-46ft); Capacity 9 (4 cabins)

• Air-conditioning

Monohull(47 – 60ft); Capacity 10(5 cabins)

Catamaran(40-45ft); Capacity 10(4 cabins)

The difference is the type of yacht your money gets you here. Classic packages offer monohull yachts in the 43-46ft range, and Luxury packages afford you access to catamarans in the 40-45ft range.

The luxury packages also include all the amenities available like air-conditioning, a host and half board meals. You can add a host and air-conditioning to the Build Your Own package.

Sail Week Croatia Packages

The options are below:

• Deluxe Catamaran
• Full Yacht (ideal for larger groups)

Monohull (43-50ft); Capacity 8-10 (4-5 cabins)

• Food package

Monohull (43-50ft); Capacity 8-10 (4-5 cabins); Built 2016+

Catamaran(40-45ft); Capacity 8(4 cabins)

The standard packages get you a cabin on a monohull yacht in the 43-50ft range. Unfortunately, there is no option to add amenities like air-conditioning or a host to these packages.

The Deluxe Catamaran offers air-conditioning, a host, food package, and half-board included. The yacht size is in the 40-45ft range.

If you are a group, you can select between monohull or catamarans when using the Full Yacht Package with the option to add any of the Sail Week amenities.

Package Option Winner – Tie

🏝️ Route Comparison

*To compare apples to apples, this article will focus on similar routes between the two brands. First up is the flagship routes of each brand, namely; Original Route (TYW) vs the Party Route (SWC). Followed by both Athens Routes.

Original Route vs Party Route

Tyw – original route.

The direction of sailing/travel for the week is: Trogir > Bol > Natural Bay > Hvar > Vis > Trogir.

There are 10 weeks that this route runs, beginning on the last weekend of May and ending in mid-September.

Prices for peak summer (July) are considerably more than the end of the season (September), which is to be expected due to the demand.

You can select from 4 different package types: classic, premium, luxury, or BYO.

It’s hard to beat this route if you are looking for a party. The week lineup is simply jam-packed, and nobody does this better than The Yacht Week.

For your money, you’ll get an array of party shenanigans to experience:

• Opening party in Trogir
• Circle rafts floating festival
• Dockside disco at Fort George
• Buzz Boat party (a boat with DJ booth and Void Acoustics)
• Carpe Diem party in Hvar
• Tunnel raft party (like you see in the videos)
• Headline DJs, including the like of Claptone and Gorgon City

Add in seaside yoga sessions, a castle hike in Hvar and even convertible VW Beetle exploring in Vis , and you have more than enough to keep you entertained for an entire week.

Yacht Week prides itself on being able to throw the best parties you’re likely to experience, and it makes them different in this regard from Sail Week Croatia.

SWC – Party Route

The direction of sailing/travel for the week is: Split > Supetar > Makarska > Bol > Vis > Vinogradisce Bay > Hvar > Split .

This route has 13 different weeks for you to choose between. For example, beginning the first week of June and ending the first week of September.

Each week, you can choose different packages depending on your budget or group size. The package options are:

The party atmosphere is also up there with the best, and you can expect everything from cave parties & beach parties to the infamous circle raft floating festival in the busiest weeks.

What makes Sail Week different from Yacht Week is the diversity of extra activities they offer. Everything from Sky Diving to Fly Boarding is an option for you, although not included in your package price.

Flagship Route Winner – The Yacht Week

Athens Route (TYW) vs Athens Route (SWC.)

The direction of sailing/travel for the week is: Athens > Poros > Porto Heli > Ermioni > Natural Bay > Hydra > Athens.

You can choose from 10 available weeks from the end of May until the first week of September. This route begins and ends in Athens, where you will get to visit the Acropolis overlooking the city below.

There is a good dose of partying thrown in with the infamous Yacht Week circle raft (think boutique floating festival), day parties at Cavo Bianco, and beach parties on sandy beaches, complete with cocktail-sipping DJs.

In addition, there are wellness elements to enjoy in the form of sunset hikes and water volleyball to keep the hangover at bay.

The emerald waters of the Greek islands are famed for their marine wildlife, so dolphin spotting is almost certainly something you can bank on.

The direction of sailing/travel for the week is: Athens > Agistri > Hydra > Ermioni > Spetses > Dokos > Poros > Athens.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by SailWeek (@sailweek)

In total, there are 14 allotted weeks available, and they start in June and run through until the middle of September.

The focus of this route is more toward the activity side, with the option to do stand up paddle boarding, wine tasting, quad biking, hiking and even donkey riding if you desire.

There is nightlife and partying on the islands you visit, but these are not organised by Sail Week, unlike Yacht Week on this same route.

If you are looking for hidden gems in the Greek archipelago, then this route will delight you with secluded coves, charming villages and unique coastal pine forests to explore.

Atehns Route Winner – TYW

💸 Price Comparison

Okay, so here we are at the all-important price comparison of the two. For simplicity sake, I’ve compared apples to apples again and taken the first week of August (6th-13th) for the Original Route (TYW) and the Party Route (SWC) and staked them side-by-side.

To keep it as balanced as possible, I’ve further compared each of their package tiers, and prices are per person (p.p)

• Classic – €1000 p.p
• Premium – €1725 p.p
• Luxury – €2360 p.p

For the build your own package, the yacht selected was a 50ft Catamaran for a group of 10 people – a total of €2919 p.p (host and skipper included).

Local payment of 600 Croatian Kuna (~€80) per person applies to all bookings.

• Standard – €826 p.p
• Premium – €1058 p.p
• Deluxe – €1490 p.p

For the build your own package, the yacht selected was a 50ft Catamaran for a group of 10 people – a total of €2413 p.p (host and skipper included).

Winner – Sail Week

🏆 Overall Winner

This Yacht Week vs Sail Week review demonstrates that The Yacht Week is the superior party holiday week due to its strong following and 15-years of experience.

TYW features more unforgettable parties and world-class DJs than any of its competitors. But, those factors also make TYW significantly more expensive.

Both premium brands provide similar experiences, and SWC is an excellent choice for fun-seeking revellers on a stricter budget. Their mix of parties and chic extra activities offers fantastic value when considering their premium options.

You could argue that you get better value for your money with Sail Week from the fact it’s 7 days & nights, as opposed to Yacht Week’s 6 nights.

Both are aimed at those who love travel and music festivals. The Croatian music festival scene is well renowned in Europe. With the option of these floating festivals, it is now truly world-class.

Written by:

Founder and editor at On The Beating Travel. I’m a lover/fanatic of repetitive electronic beats. Now exploring new music hotspots and festivals. Former yacht crew, now running this online space.

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This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item or service, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

With the unpredictability of Covid-19 and the variant strains, always research before booking any trips. You can find the latest travel advisory here:  World Health Organization

Why I Chose Sail Croatia

As a solo traveler, I look for locations and adventures where I can meet new people, enjoy activities I like, and explore new cities/towns. In the past, I have made the mistake of booking a tour where everyone was over the age of 60, and I at the time was 25, so I am sensitive to ensuring the group is AROUND my age.  Sail Croatia was a perfect blend of all of these things for me. When I researched the company online, they had raving reviews so two weeks before I arrived in Croatia, I booked the under 40 Navigator Cruise. They were very quick to respond to my inquiry and the booking process was smooth.

Our boat, Tuna, was where we lived during the week.  Each cabin was made up of a bunk bed (two singles), a dresser for clothes, and an ensuite – with toilette, shower, and sink. My cabin was on the upper level beside the main area, which could be louder at some point. I was happy to have had the entire cabin to myself (an end-of-season perk!) as it was tiny and I like to have my own space.  The shared areas of the boat included:

• An upper deck (perfect for tanning or napping)
• A middle-covered deck with a bar (our main partying area)
• Main floor kitchen with indoor seating

The Itinerary

The cruise covers a lot of ground in 7 days.  The typical day was cruise to the new location in the morning hours, arriving at the swim spot of the day, 3-course lunch at 1pm, arriving at the new port between 2pm and 3pm, checking out the town, have dinner, and party!

• Day 1: Split – Hvar
• Day 2: Hvar – Korcula
• Day 3: Korvula – Dubrovnik
• Day 4: Dubrovnik
• Day 5: Dubrovnik – Mljet
• Day 6: Mljet – Makarska
• Day 7: Makarska – Split
• Day 8: Split (leave boat by 9am)

How to Budget this Trip

When budgeting for this trip, the initial cost of the trip (959 pounds) is one part, but you need to account for a few extras: 

• On Boat Bar Tab: 1250 kunas = $250 Canadian
• Dinner Nightly: 100-200 kunas = $20-$40 Canadian
• Partying: 400 kunas to pay entry into nightclubs + drinks = $300 Canadian
• Excursions: walking tour (30 kuna) + canyoning (500 kuna) = $110 Canadian
• Tips to Staff and Crew: 400 kunas = $80 Canadian

My total expenditure: ~$2500 Canadian. In my opinion, I experienced, ate/drank, and enjoyed on this budget. It was money well spent.

Need to Transfer Your Local Currency to EUR?

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My Experience

It’s hard for me to put into words how much I loved this past week. I book these tours with a bit of anxiety as I never know the types of people that are going to be on these tours. Will there be a lot of couples? Will it all be a group of friends who already know each other?  When I arrived on the boat and started to meet the group, everyone was very friendly and chatting with each other. There were 19 of us in total, one couple, a few groups of friends from Britain, and a few solo travelers. Literally from the moment we met on that day, until the end of the tour, our group basically was together 24-7. We woke up and hung out on the deck awaiting our swim spots, we played on the standup paddle boards and swam at all the swim spots, we ate lunch together, we spent time in the city together and we partied together every single night. Were we all really similar? No. Were we all-inclusive and wanted to make the most of the trip – 100%. Every day I spent time with different people, getting to know them, having interesting conversations, and laughing. There was lots of laughter!

Our Community Coordinator, Mia, started a WhatsApp group for us during our first lunch and it was ACTIVE. I probably have 500 unwatched videos and pictures that I am still going through, re-living the small moments of each day that made me laugh.  I am not a typical partier. When I am in Toronto, I like to go out and enjoy a couple of cocktails, and some delicious food, and then be in bed between 10 pm-midnight. I will guarantee that you are going to party on this boat. I did not sleep before 2am any night and that was an early night!  I will look back on this week with joy and love for all the new friends I have made, the new sights I saw, the beautiful swim spots we stopped at, and the overall experience of again, trying something new that scared me a little, but ultimately made my life richer.

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2 thoughts on “ sail croatia 7 day navigator cruise review ”.

Did you get a Croatian SIM, or was wifi readily available for WhatsApp?

Heading on Sail Croatia from Canada in a few days and deciding what’s best

I just used wifi! They have wifi on the boat and in most towns its easily accessible!

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Home > Croatia > Yacht Week Croatia Review – The Straight Facts

Yacht Week Croatia Review – The Straight Facts

The Yacht Week Croatia Review: Know Before Your Go

Perhaps you've heard to rumours, the stories, and the legends about the Yacht Week. It sounds awesome. But so did the Taco Bell Cheese Roll-Up burrito . It is all hype, or is it the real deal? This Yacht Week Croatia review has the answers.

In the interest of educating the masses, I sacrificed myself. From Aug 9-17 ten buddies and I embarked on the Yacht Week Croatia in search of the truth.

We found it.

My Yacht Week Croatia review summary is that it's awesome…  b ut   i t's not for everyone.  And there are definitely some things you should know in advance. Here are some key figures to shed light into the inner workings of the mayhem and help you prepare for your own experience:

And for those of you who don’t know what the Yacht Week is, watch this video:

The Yacht Week Croatia Review by the Numbers:

Number of nationalities represented at Yacht Week.Somewhat surprisingly there was nobody from Russia, the Middle East (not even Israel), or Asia. Nevertheless, the chance to cavort with and befriend people like you from around the world was definitely a highlight of the Yacht Week.

Number of nationalities representing 80% of the yacht weekers: American, Australian, Brazilian, Spanish, and German. In other words, while the Yacht Week Croatia draws a worldwide clientele, it's not THAT diverse.

Nationalities we had on our boat, “The Love Boat”: German, Swedish, Swiss, Canadian, Portuguese, South African, and Namibian. This definitely played to our advantage in drawing the attention of other boats.

Estimated age of the average yacht weeker. The youngest were 22 and oldest closing on forty, but most were in the late 20s to early 30s range.

Average age of the skippers, who are supposed to keep everything in control. No wonder chaos ensued.

This may be crude, but no Yacht Week Croatia review would be complete without sharing how much sex goes on. Fifteen is the number of girls the eight single guys in our crew “got intimate” with during the week. Just under two girls per guy might not seem like a lot, but most of our crew settled on “Yacht Week girlfriends”, meaning they hooked up with the same girl each night. If getting laid is one of your objectives at Yacht Week Croatia, you're in luck. It is very easy.

Percentage of yacht weekers who were female. At least. If anything, there were more girls than guys. Everyone—guys and girls—seemed to agree it was an ideal ratio.

Estimated total number of hours we were actually at sea. And some of that was early in the morning while we were sleeping. The vast majority of our time was spent anchored or at harbor. The Yacht Week is not about boating; it's all about partying.

Hours we actually had the sails up. We only put our sails up twice in the whole trip.

Estimated average sleep quality score, out of 100 during the trip. The cabins get unbearably hot at night. This forces you to sleep on deck, which is not designed for sleeping. And sleeping outside leads to an inevitable early wake up as soon as the sun comes up. I’d recommend following the skippers’ lead: bring a hammock and something to cover your eyes.

Number of full meals we ate per day. With the exception of one egg salad, that meal was always pasta. Other than that, for sustenance we snacked on fruit, cereal, pizza, sausages, bread, and booze.

Boats doing the same route as us, the Yacht Week Croatia Black Route. At the same time, 46 other boats were doing the Red Route, which is the same route but in the other direction. That’s a lot of boats and a lot of partiers.

$850 (4900 kuna)

Total spent on groceries at the Getro by the marina before sailing off for the first time. We ate it all and then some.

$35 (200 kuna)

Amount we were extorted into paying for the 250 meter taxi ride to bring our haul of groceries from the Getro supermarket to the Marina Kastela. Bring some dollies or carts from the marina so you can push the stuff back yourselves and avoid being ripped off.

$10, $1, $0.5

Approximate cost of a bottle of vodka, a can of beer, and a kilogram of bananas respectively at the supermarket by the marina where we started our trip.

$30, $2.50, $3

Cost of the same vodka, beer, and bananas at the harbor by Hvar where we spent two nights. Buy as much as you can at the begging in order to save money.

$260 (1500 kuna)

Amount each of the eleven in our crew contributed to the pot, which was used to pay for joint expenses like groceries, gas, and harbor fees.

$4.50 (25 kuna)

Typical cost of a can of beer at the Yacht Week parties. If you’re a cheap-ass like me, be sure to pre-drink, or make a party mix that you can stash nearby.

$350-$900 (2000 to 5000 kuna)

Cost of getting tables at the parties. Don’t get tables. The parties are free-for-alls and you won’t be spending much time at your table anyways. If you want drinks, buy them individually or take advantage of other people’s tables.

Number of skippers (the guys we paid to captain our boats for us) who said Yacht Week Croatia is their favorite. Without exception, they said they thought the Yacht Weeks in Greece and the US Virgin Islands were better. That’s not to say Croatia is bad at all – it’s awesome – but food for thought for those considering signing up and deciding where to go.

Number of times in my life I will do the Yacht Week. It was an even better time than I expected, but it's the polar opposite of the type of traveling I prefer (blending in) and I’m not sure my body could survive another. Plus, it’s expensive and there are plenty of other experiences and parties to be had in life. I recommend everyone do it once at least. And if you’re crazy, you’ll be back for more.

Disclosure: Whenever possible, we use links that earn us a cut if you pay for stuff we recommend. It costs you nothing, so we'd be crazy not to. Read our affiliate policy .

10 thoughts on “Yacht Week Croatia Review – The Straight Facts”

Just did The Yacht Week Croatia. Wish I read this before going there to be a little bit more prepared. Really liked your article and all the numbers – especially the cost for taxi and food supply. Actually, all the numbers were quite accurate and interesting!

SUPER HELPFUL, thank you!

Glad to hear it, Alexandra! Enjoy the summer

All the guys and girls are so shredded and ripped. Does this mean that the less attractive bodies don’t get a fair chance to get laid ?

Hi Kamlesh. I'd say it's no different from the non Yacht-week world.

Thanks for sharing! Was searching info for the yacht week and found this article helpful.

You're welcome. This post is getting old, so hopefully some of the info in it remains reasonably accurate.

Hi, two things:

1.Im planning to travel in July, should I opt for an AC yacht or non AC one? is the heat really unbearable? 2. A bit embarrassing but I am a snob in these How well equipped are the toilets of the yacht like?

THANK YOU FOR THESE GREAT TIPS. The company emailed my friends and I that our boat is no longer available. Im hearing the ac yacht is not worth it. Some nights the boat ran out of fuel and they didnt have ac until later that morning. What is your opinion?

What do you think? (Leave a Comment.) Cancel reply

Croatia Sailing Tours: How to Choose the Best Island Sail Week in Croatia (2024)

Posted on Last updated: May 21, 2024

So you haven’t been on any Croatia sailing tours yet?! What are you waiting for?! As a booming newer destination in the past decade, sailing Croatia is now on the radar of travelers everywhere. As someone who has been working there for quite a few years, I’ll tell you that there’s no better way to experience this beautiful country than to sail Croatia – spend a week on a sail week trip of the Croatian islands.

Croatia sailing trips are becoming so popular that new companies and Croatia sailing weeks are popping up left and right; everyone wants to try to get their slice of the booming business of the perfect idyllic holiday.

There are some companies that have been around for years and some new ones, some bigger sailing companies and some smaller ones, both budget and luxury sailing tours, and some massive boats with more passengers or smaller ones with less. There’s definitely a lot of choices when it comes to picking the best Croatia sailing tours, and I’m here to help you figure out which sail week in Croatia may be right for you.

How I Know About Croatia Sailing Tours

I worked three summers as a tour guide on these very Croatia sailing tours I’ll be describing to you, and during that time, I got to know the in’s and out’s of all the different companies and different tours. In 2022 I became a partner in my very own Croatia sailing company for young professionals called Fjaka Sail (more on that later) and helped run our first tours in 2023.

I have come to know what the selling points of each company are, what makes each one different, which tours are better for what ages, and what kinds of people tend to book a certain tour due boat size, party level, and more.

Below I have outlined all that I know about each Croatia sailing company and what kind of person it may be more geared towards. I’m hoping you can take all this info to make the perfect decision on the right one for you! If you need any help planning, feel free to reach out to me by email or DM me on Instagram.

Disclaimer: All this info is my personal opinion from working 5+ seasons of sail Croatia on the Adriatic. They may not be correct or agreeable, but I hope my experience can be used to help you choose the best Croatia sailing tour week for your needs. This post also contains affiliate links.

What to Know Before Booking Croatia Sailing Tours

First of all, know what to bring! Here’s my sailing trip packing list , and everything else you need to know is below.

Sailing Croatia Tour Boats

Before I start, I want to give a quick description of what kinds of boats you’ll be looking at for your sail week Croatia. The boats come in a few different classes and styles that you will want to know before you go! Links to companies are below.

Renting Your Own Boat

If this all seems too complicated to you and you already have a group, you might want to consider renting your own boat and doing your own tour. This is totally possible. I recommend using a site like Sailo to rent your own boat . You can view boats, where they are located, prices… etc. It’s kind of like an Airbnb for boats.

Floatilla Style Croatia Tours/Boats

Some tours run in a floatilla style, meaning that there will be 5+ (usually even more, up to 20+) smaller boats of 8-10 people all sailing together. Each small boat will have a skipper and the option to have a hostess. These boats don’t specifically have a guide, but workers who help to run the whole floatilla smoothly.

Bigger Sail Croatia Boats – B/A/A+

Companies with bigger boats run as one complete tour by themself. Bigger boats will hold around 25-40 people. These boats generally have their own Croatian sailing crew (captain, chef, bartender/server, sailor(s), etc) and may have a tour guide responsible specifically for the well-being of the guests. Bigger boats come in three categories:

B Class boats – These are wooden boats with shared facilities and usually no air conditioning. They are, of course, quite a lot cheaper. Cabins will have two bunk beds each. These boats are usually smaller (18-25 people) and are quite the authentic sailing experience!

A Class boats –  A-class boats have ensuite toilets in each cabin and sometimes communal air conditioning in the hallway or saloon/eating room. Beds are usually bunk with two in each room. There’s a large range of A-class boats – some much nicer than others – but will all have this basic ensuite structure.

A+ Class boats – A+ boats are the luxury of the seas and are the fancy white boats you will see on the Adriatic that hold 35+ people. A+ boats have air conditioning in each room, two (not bunk) beds in a spacious cabin, a safe in each room, and LOTS of space to chill – including a big upper/lower deck, good speakers, and hot breakfast.

Smaller Private Yachts

Some Croatia sailing tour companies that are more family/all-ages oriented will have one smaller 8-10 person boat available for Croatia yacht charter hire for the week. These will come with a skipper and possibly a hostess.

Katarina Lines

Because all boats are privately owned and operated, most companies use an agency to obtain the boats they work with. The agency that operates most of Croatia is called Katarina Line. 

You will see these logos all over the place, and you can actually book tours with KL themselves, as they have some sail Croatia tours that are not affiliated with a specific company and also can help find you what company works best for your needs.

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Croatia Sailing Tours Routes/Duration

You will find that most of the Croatia sailing tours are one week, from Saturday morning to Saturday morning. The brochures may say 8 days because of the first and last Saturday. Some run Wed-Wed or Thurs-Thurs, and are usually quieter.

Sail Croatia weeks will mostly be one-way or round-trip between Split and Dubrovnik. If you fly into one of the airports, it’s easy to get a ferry/bus transfer to the other city if need be.

On bigger, more highly powered boats (not floatillas) you will either sail Split-Split, Dubrovnik-Dubrovnik, Split-Dubrovnik, or Dubrovnik-Split. Floatillas will generally not make it all the way between Split and Dubrovnik because they’re smaller boats and can’t move as fast.

Croatia Sailing Destinations:

When looking at routes, make sure you pick places you like most (or just follow my recommendations!). To read a bit more about different destinations, see my guides below:

Split – Day Trips from Split – Vis Island – Hvar Island – Makarska – Korcula Island – Dubrovnik – Day Trips from Dubrovnik – ALL OF CROATIA – 20 Best Festivals in Croatia

Croatia Sailing Tours Added Costs, Currency, and Optional Activities

When you go on a Croatia sailing trip, you must be prepared for extra costs . Most routes will include breakfast and lunch, but not dinner (except floatillas, which do not include either). There are usually two optional dinners onboard the boats during the week which you can purchase if you wish.

Drinks and dinners on the boats will go on a tab system you can pay at the end of the week. Drinks and food outside the boat will usually be paid for in cash in euros, which is the official currency since 2023 (it used to be Croatian Kuna). Any adventure tours (like zip lining ) or activities will cost extra as well.

So What is the best Sail Croatia Company?

This depends on your age, but here is a quick breakdown:

Best Sail Croatia company for young people (18-22+): Topdeck/Contiki

Best Sail Croatia company for Young Professionals (22-40ish): Fjaka Sail/Koda Sail

Best Sail Croatia company for All Ages/Families: G Adventures/Intrepid Travel

Best Sail Croatia company for an Older Crowd : Kompas/Peregrine Adventures

Keep reading for a description of each company and links.

Croatia Sailing Tours for Young People and Young Professionals – Tours for Youth + Mature

So if you didn’t already know, sail Croatia is a great party destination . Many people come to Croatia to enjoy the scenery a little bit and sip on cocktails, take fancy shots, dance on bars, and party quite a lot .

This isn’t to say that you can’t come on a Croatia sailing holiday and have a mellow, chilled week relaxing in the sun, but just be warned that there will be quite a lot of debauchery going on around you. It is actually part of tour guides’ jobs on these boats to take you to at least one (or 4) bars every night. It’s up to you whether or not you wish to take part.

What Do I Need to Know Before Booking Party Croatia Sailing Tours for Young People?

Bell rings:.

On each boat, if you ring ‘the bell’ (every boat has one), you buy a round of shots for the entire boat. Yes, everyone on it. Bell rings are like a Croatian right of passage; they’re a ceremonial symbol of Adriatic party. As soon you ring the bell, the bartender will compile a tray of shots with the amount of people on the boat, and put it on your tab which you pay at the end of the week. Dangerous.

Nights Out:

There’s always a good mix of bigger and smaller nights out. Save up for nights out in Hvar, Dubrovnik, Makarska, and Korcula. At the rest of the ports, you can go crazy at one or two small bars or chill out and stargaze on the boat. Tour guides should always give you a nice alternative to a party night.

Nationalities:

On the bigger boat Croatia sailing tours (Topdeck, Busabout, Contiki, Sail Croatia), you will find that there are a lot of Australians (and Kiwis) around. You will find Americans, Scandinavians, and more Europeans on floatilla tours like The Yacht Week and Medsailors. I have no idea why this is, but that’s how it turned out.

Some companies tend to end up as bigger parties than others, and I will go through each one and their general stereotype/clientele below.

MY OWN CROATIA SAILING TOUR COMPANY: FJAKA SAIL

I’ve been waiting to announce this news: myself, another tour guide who has been working Croatia sailing tours for 10 years, and my partner started our very own Croatia sailing company called Fjaka Sail. We ran our first 3 amazingly successful tours in 2023 and have 4 weeks available in 2024.

After working for big companies for so long, we have always known that we could do better running the show ourselves and not answering to a main office in another city or a sales team who have never even been to Croatia. Fjaka Sail is a small company run by passionate travelers who KNOW Croatia and can’t wait to tailor the experience to each and every person.

Clientele/Age Range : Fjaka Sail is targeted at young professionals and young at heart. This means travelers who are a bit older but still know how to have a good time – you can be a more mature 23 or a young and fun 45. As far as Nationalities, we get a big mix and our doors are open to everyone. We are after more of a mindset than an age or nationality, but we have had Americans, Aussies, Kiwis, Brits, South Africans, and more.

Our Fjaka Sailing Guide: Andre knows the language, the land, and EVERYONE there is to know in our destinations – the families with amazing restaurants, the coolest bars, and hidden gems. There’s a reason he has the most returning passengers out of any guide I know.

Fjaka Sail Boats : We have what I fully believe to be the best boat for our age group: The President. The president is an A+++ white boat with a rooftop jacuzzi, spacious rooms, A/C, hot breakfast, two chefs, four floors, amazing crew, and more. Trust me, you won’t want to be on board ANY other boat this summer.

Party Level : We will always have options for whatever each person wants to do, whether that be a huge night out or go stargazing. We know that a young professional crowd is a bit more mature, so we visit chic cocktail bars on the Riva and hidden gems, as well as some usual local party bars and, of course, a club or two – because we believe in balance.

Fjaka Sail routes : We have tailored our routes to include EVERYTHING cool and remove anything annoying about routes we worked in the past for big companies. You won’t miss out on anything important on a Fjaka Sailing tour, and we have some extra special things organized that NO other tours do.

Fjaka Sail Price: We are keeping our prices much lower as the industry prices continue to soar. We pride ourselves on privicing affordable luxury for young professionals! Our tours start at €1950 for a bed which gets even cheaper when we run discounts. Follow us on Instagram to keep up to date!

Use my code KIMMIE10 for a 10% discount on our sailing weeks for this summer, or subscribe below to see if we have any bigger discounts running at the moment.

Croatia Sailing Companies: Koda Sail

Koda Sail is a more intimate and detail-oriented company geared toward the more mature partier and the young professional (and they also run tours in the Maldives, Turkey, Greece, and more now). Koda Sail only runs premiere A+ style luxurious boats, but is still quite affordable for young people. Koda Sail stands for the fact that sometimes young people need a bit of luxury, too, but can also have a bit of fun.

Clientele: Koda Sail was founded by an Aussie guy named Chris, who is a total legend! A lot of the clientele would be similarly Aussie/Kiwi but varied.

Boats: Koda Sail only has A+ style, ensuite, air-conditioned boats. See A+ category boat descriptions above.

Guides: Koda Sail has an experienced guide who is a bit older but still knows how to have a good time. Chris, the owner, runs some of the tours himself I believe.

Party Level: The option to party is always there on Koda Sail (as with any Croatia sailing tour). Koda Sail has a better balance of big and small nights with some great options for nights out and recovery days in between.

Age Range: Koda sail passengers are generally mid-twenties to late-ish thirties, but if you are of the young professional category/mindset you will be just fine.

Routes: During the summer, Koda Sail has three different routes, the S-S, S-D, and D-S. There’s only one tour per week so the route depends on the date. All routes include great places.

Koda Sail Tours

Recommended Tour: All the routes are great but I recommend the Split to Split Luxury A+ Koda Sail Cruise :

Croatia Sailing Companies: Travel Talk

Travel Talk is a tour company with bus tours throughout Europe, and Croatia sailing tours are just a small part of their product. They have two boats that switch between Split to Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik to Split routes, and are historically one of the cheapest  Croatia sailing tours – even with ensuite facilities. 

Clientele: Travel Talks clientele is also largely Aussie, with a bit of variety thrown in here and there, and do love a good party.

Boats: Travel Talk have two smaller wooden boats (about 20 capacity) with ensuite facilities (A class). One of them, Lav, is an actual pirate ship and is awesome to see sailing! But be warned, they’re by far not the nicest A class boats, but they are fine (especially for the price!).

Guides: The guides on Travel Talk are usually super fun Aussies who are outgoing and helpful but know how to have a good time. I’ve loved the travel talk guides every year.

Party Level: These will be a high party level tour, with options to go out each night (or drink in the day! :P)

Age Range: Travel Talk caps its age at 50-something. Most people are in the young category but some boats have a larger range.

Tours: Just choose your direction:

Croatia sailing companies: contiki.

Contiki is a global tour company that focuses on bus tours all over the world. They have a couple of Croatia sailing tours on different types of boats. Contiki is rather well-known for being a party tour company; I think they are trying to rid themselves of that stereotype but Contiki passengers usually do love a party.

Clientele : Contiki passengers are usually Aussie. However, as their brand grows, their clientele is also. Expect Kiwis, South Africans, Americans, Canadians, and every so often a few people of Asian descent – rarely European.

Boats: Contiki has a few types of boats. They have some premium A+ boat tours and also a few A category ones which differ in price quite a lot. Two dinners are also included on these tours, which is great and differentiates them from most other tours.

Guides: There are a few Contiki Croatia sail guides who stay in Croatia all summer, but a lot of the guides are normally European bus tour guides who come down and guide sails for a few weeks a summer.

Party Level: There will generally be a lot of partying on Contiki Tours.

Age Range: Contiki tours are 18-35 ages – younger than most.

Routes: The Contiki round trip routes spend two nights in Dubrovnik , giving you more time to see the bigger cities but less time in the smaller ones. They only operate Split-Split routes like this. I’m not a fan.

They have some luxe and some cheaper boats available. I have linked their luxe option and their cheaper option below. But I will say they are pricey for what they are and Fjaka Sail’s deals are far better for what you get 🙂

Croatia Sailing Companies: Topdeck

Ah, Topdeck. I worked here for three summers. I’m going to keep my opinions of the company to myself and try not to be biased in my review, but I do know this company the best.

Topdeck is a global, corporate tour company that does tours in six continents. Croatia sailing tours used to be a pretty big part of their European product, but now they only have a few boats running each summer.

Clientele: Topdeck is another one of those companies that gets around well with Aussie word of mouth. Most passengers are Aussie and Kiwi, with a few Canadians and maybe a South African or American once in a while – becoming more diverse over time.

Boats: Topdeck has A and A+ boats. They change each summer but I recommend the A+ ones if possible. I recommend Dalvin and Toma over Moja Maja.

Guides: Topdeck Croatia sail guides are usually absolute legends. Pretty much all Topdeck guides during my time were knowledgable, passionate, kind, and loved a good party.

Party Level: There is a lot of partying on Topdeck sails, which of course depends a lot on the group. There’s also a lot of culture included as well, as guides are required to show you around or do an activity in each town but also take you out each night.

Age Range : Topdeck is 18-39’s.

Routes : All the routes are quite good these days. One-way routes are usually easier on the travel schedule, but their Split-Split and Dubrovnik-Dubrovnik routes are great too. Choose the boat that looks best and go with it!

Topdeck Croatia Sailing Tours

For 2024, I’m not sure what will be available, but again I recommend the boats Dalvin, Meridijan, and Toma if they’re there.

Go Croatia Sail

This company has grown exponentially in the last few years and has almost even overtaken some of the larger companies above in terms of volume. They have flotilla-style boats as well as larger boats these days. They are one of the more affordable Croatia sailing tours on the market for younger people 20-35 (but more like 20-24).

This is the only company I know of that does 4-day and 5-day Croatia sailing tours. If you are low on time, check out some of their tours from Split to Dubrovnik in 4-5 days.

Croatia Sailing Companies: Sail Croatia (Party Tours AND Other Tours)

Sail Croatia is actually a massive company that runs sailing tours for many different clienteles, both old and young. They are known in the young person sector as the main party tour in Croatia.

Check their website for all they offer, but the majority of their product are tours for young people. They also do have some of the nicest and biggest boats for older crowds up to 80+, however.

Clientele: Sail Croatia’s clientele on their ‘Navigator’ tours are mostly young Aussies looking for a good party. They are known for this. But other then ‘ Navigator ” tours, they also have ‘Explorer,’ ‘Elegance,’ ‘Cycle,’ and ‘Hike’ tours for all types of people.

Boats : Sail Croatia has all classes of boats, but the party cruises will usually be on B or A-class boats, with the possibility to book an A+ for young professionals (explorer tours) or older guests (elegance tours).

Guides: Sail Croatia is one of the only companies that employ Croatian tour guides for their trips. I think they have a couple Aussie guides, but they’re mostly Croatian. I find that this is actually not favorable because the cultural barrier is quite large, and having an English speaking tour guide to form the liaison between the Croatian crew and Aussie/English speaking passengers is better… especially one who goes out with the groups and understands the culture.

Party Level: These will be lots of (often messy) partying stereotypically on Navigator tours, but oftentimes it’s just good fun. On Explorer, Elegance, and other tours it will be less.

Age Range: Navigator Party cruises are for under 35’s. Explorer Cruises are nicer boats for younger professionals 25-50. Elegance are for 35+, and Cycle and Hiking Tours are for all ages.

Sail Croatia Tours

If you are young, you will want to book a Navigator Tour (cheaper, lesser quality boats, fun party) or an Explorer Tour (more expensive, nicer boat, more relaxing/sightseeing)

Croatia Sailing Companies: Stoke Travel

Stoke Travel started running Croatia sailing tours in the last few years. Stoke is most well-known for being the party tour company of Europe (even more so than the rest – it’s part of their branding), and I am sure this will correlate to their Croatia tours too. One of their selling points is also selling unlimited beer and sangria for a small price.

Clientele/Guides: Clientele are mostly Aussie, as are guides, and it is sure to be a loose and fun time with like-minded young people.

Boats: I think Stoke’s boats are either B or A… probably B. Given that they have lots of ‘roughing it’ camping party tours I think they will be the same in Croatia. Fun and very shared.

Party Level: With unlimited beer + sangria onboard, you bet it’s HIGH.

Age Range: Stoke is for all ages who like to party. But people are mostly younger.

Price: If you get in early, S toke has some of the cheapest Croatia Sailing tours on the market. Check their deals below!

Floatilla-Style Croatia Sailing Tours

There is an increasing number of floatilla-style tours in Croatia each summer – the ones that sail with lots of smaller boats together. They are very different yet just as fun as doing Sail Croatia on bigger boats!

Floatillas do not travel as far (they either stay around Split or Dubrovnik or go one-way) and may have day and night stops. See the beginning of this article for more logistical information on how floatillas work. Here are a few main floatilla companies you can consider.

The Yacht Week

The Yacht Week is the Croatia sailing company that most Americans know about. The Yacht Week is glamorous and is known for its music, dj’s, and ‘exclusive parties.’ The Yacht Week definitely has a different vibe than a lot of tours, but a lot of the destinations and parties are still the same. They also have lots of tours centered around Ultra Europe music festival and Ultra Week in Croatia.

Yacht Week Clientele: The Yacht Week gets most American, Scandinavian/European, and South American clientele. The 8-10 person boats will be full of groups of friends from different places.

Party Level / Age Range: The Yacht Week is a massive party, but tends to be a more expensive one. Yacht week passengers always seem to buy tables at the fancy clubs and spend more money on what seems like a businessperson’s week off to have fun.

Med Sailors

Med Sailors is another of the biggest floatilla companies that sail Croatia – boats are about 8-10 people. They run great tours with great skippers who will also love to take guests out to the bars at night (always wearing their yellow and blue Med Sailors shirts – you can’t miss them!) I recommend doing one of their Split-Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik-Split tours so you can see more. 

Clientele/Party Level/ Age Range: Med Sailors also has a varied clientele of more English/Irish/Americans than many companies. The option to party is also always available, and people are usually young (18-35) but more mature.

MedSailors is a VERY popular option for those who want a smaller boat sailing in a flotilla that is still built for young people. It’s also generally more affordable than the Yacht Week. Medsailors tend to visit more offbeat destinations but still gets the good parties in.

Sail Croatia Tours for All Ages, the Older Passenger, or Families

Phew! Now that we have gotten through the Croatia sailing tours for young people, it may seem it is not possible to visit this country without a party, but that is far from true! There are loads of Croatia sailing tours that cater to different audiences- older people, families, bicyclers, even tennis players and vegans! I’m telling you – there’s something for everyone.

Remember to read above for descriptions of boats and facilities!

Croatia Sailing Companies: G Adventures

G Adventures is an extremely reputable tour company that runs tours all over the whole world. It’s no surprise that their Croatia product will be amazing as well. Their tours are for smaller groups (max 8 on smaller yachts) and run from April all the way until October.

Demographics: G Adventures tours are for 12-70-year-olds. Younger people may book out the boats for a private tour, but they’re also great for families or friends of any age. Their tours are one-way from Spit to Dubrovnik or vice versaa.

Sail Croatia Companies: Intrepid Travel + Peregrine Dalmatia Unique Tours

Intrepid is yet another world-renowned travel company (operating in all 7 continents, I believe!) who also run both small group tours and larger boat tours in Croatia. They run larger boat tours with Peregrine Adventures, another popular all-ages travel company.

The small-boat groups will be about 8-10 people as a single tour, and will stop at all sorts of islands on the way across the Adriatic. The larger boat tours will be similar in nature to all others I have described with groups of 30+.

Routes: Intrepid has come out with some incredible sailing tours in recent years. They have all the classic routes between Split and Dubrovnik (on both large and small boats) but have now have some of the the most unique routes of all these Croatia sailing tours – some tours sailing north of Split and even to Venice !

Demographics: Intrepid is listed as 15 to 99 year olds, so would be perfect for older families or groups of friends of any age who like to be a bit more low-key.

Smaller Boat Tours (Max 8 pax)

Split to Dubrovnik Sailing Tour with Intrepid Travel  OR Dubrovnik to Split Sailing Tour with Intrepid Travel

Larger Boat Tours (Max 31 pax) Run by Peregrine Dalmatia

For 1 standard week, I recommend their Dubrovnik to Split route, but Peregrine offers more unique locations than other Croatia sailing trips. To sail NORTH from Split to Zadar , Kornati, and a day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park, check out their Central Coast Tour from Split.

They also have a VERY unique 15-day Dubrovnik to Venice tour (with partial bus transfer) with stops in Mostar and Northern Croatia destinations such as Krk, Opatija, and Rab (which no other sails visit).

Croatia Sailing Companies: Kompas

Kompas is one of the Adriatic’s premiere luxury travel companies. Perfect for families or people of any age, Kompas Tours has a minimum of 5-8 years of age and a maximum of 80. These tours will be on the nicest A+ category ships, and your every need will be catered to!

Kompas has more unique routes, and has tours going as far north as Zadar. Many tours will have daytime and nighttime stops to cover more ground in the same amount of time – 8 days. These tours move FAST and see A LOT.

Many boats will have small pools/jacuzzis onboard and premium space to relax on lounge chairs or eat meals in style. These are the ridiculously nice boats that other people just gape at. You can see all information about the boat before you book a tour!

Here are my most recommended Kompas Croatia sailing tours, the Split to Split North Route with Krka and Kornati National Parks, and the regular Split to Dubrovnik Sail:

Croatia Sailing Companies: My Croatia Cruise

My Croatia Cruise offers Croatia Cruise tours you can book a spot on, OR charter of your own small cruise ship. Whether you’d like to jump on a tour with other passengers with a set route from Dubrovnik, Split, or Opatija, or charter your own boat and crew, this company is a great option.

Unique Croatia Sailing Tours: Different Themes

Here are some Croatia sailing trips with a certain focus, like hiking, tennis, or vegan food.

Croatia Bike Tours: Art of Bicycle Trips

Art of Bicycle Trips is a leading bike tour operator running bike tours (and also hiking, kayaking, and more) in over a dozen destinations across three continents. All their bike tours have a special focus on local and cultural experiences and involve zooming around the country on two wheels between destinations, seeing each from a unique perspective.

They are a highly rated company that has been featured in multiple publications, but their Croatia bike tours are especially epic.

In Croatia, their Island Hopping bike tour from Split to Dubrovnik allows guests get to bike across three islands — Brač, Hvar, and Korčula — in addition to Split and Dubrovnik. At the beginning of each day, you sail with your bikes on the boat to the next island, then spend the rest of the day exploring the island on a bike. Imagine exploring olive groves in Brač, fields of lavender in Hvar, and visiting Marco Polo’s home in Korčula. An expert local guide and a support vehicle accompany guests at all times. 

Croatia Sailing Companies: Go Croatia Sail Tennis Cruise

Yep, that’s right: a tennis cruise. This Split to Split cruise is focused specifically on playing tennis in different places in Croatia! It’s only one specific week in June, so if you are a tennis person get in it now (I actually can’t get over the cover picture on this tour with everyone and their tennis rackets!) 😛

Book your Tennis Croatia Sailing Tour

Did you think I was kidding when I said there was a Vegan Cruise?

You thought wrong! This raw vegan cruise takes place during the first week of August in Croatia on a very nice boat, and has yoga classes and lectures on veganism. What will be next?!

Think A Croatia Sailing Tour isn’t for You? Charter Your Own Boat!

If you’re still a bit iffy after reading about all these different kinds of Croatia sailing tours, I have the perfect solution for you: charter your own yacht! If you’ve got the budget and want the privacy, this is definitely the most luxurious option of all.

Head over to Sailo to charter a boat for you and your friends/family/group that meets your needs.

PHEW! That was a lot of Croatia Sailing Tours. Overwhelmed? I would be too. Feel free to send me an email at [email protected] if you need help sifting through all this information to find out which sail Croatia tour is right for you. Or, book a trip on Fjaka Sail and I’ll be there in person to help you.

Just use deductive reasoning: figure out if you want a young person tour or not, a floatilla or not, a smaller 8-person boat or a larger 30+ person boat with a chef/aircon, if you want something super luxurious or something cheaper, and finally if you want a specialty cruise (hiking, biking, tennis) or something… normal.

This should narrow things down, but. if you want my recommendation, go with a bigger and more luxurious boat with a one-way route! Enjoy your week sailing in Croatia!

Wednesday 19th of February 2020

Hi, i am struggling to find any information about Fanatics sail Croatia tour, i am hesitant to book as i don't want to be ripped off! Would you know where i could find up to date information? Thank you!! :)

Hey Alex!! The last time I was in contact with fantatics tours was a few years ago but they were going as strong as ever! I knew some of their guides in '15-'17 and some of my friends had a great time on their tour. If you are worried however try some of the other companies I recommended in this post - like Travel Talk (if you are worried about the price point) or Busabout/Topdeck (if you want the option of bigger boats). Hope this helped!

Travel to the Balkans – 14-Day Road Trip Itinerary (Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro)

Wednesday 14th of November 2018

[…] visitors to Split arrive here by boat. One of the great ways to experience the city is by taking a Croatia sailing tour that will also take you to Dubrovnik. This is a great alternative to renting a car and driving in […]

Wednesday 7th of November 2018

Hiiii! This was genuinely one of the best articles I’ve read and exactly what I was looking for. Out of curiosity, how did you end up working for Sail Croatia and bus about?

Friday 9th of November 2018

Hi Brooklyn!! That makes me SO happy to read and so glad you got some great info from it! :) Which one are you thinking to book? I actually worked for Topdeck, and I got the job by simply applying for it when I lived in London. Their head Europe office is in London so I interviewed there. My advice would be to check up on the job postings often if you would like to do it!

Croatia Travel Guide: Top Tips and Best Destinations

Saturday 27th of October 2018

[…] islands at once is taking a sailing tour- Check out Adventure n’ Sunset‘s post on Croatia Sailing Tours for all the information you’ll […]

Friday 4th of May 2018

What a great article! What about sailweekcroatia.com? Do you have any experience with that company?

Hey Amanda! Thank you! :) I have definitely seen that company around in Croatia and they seem to be great also! I would say they're similar and a bit smaller than MedSailors, with a few smaller floatilla-style boats/tours!

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MedSailors Review: My Experience Sailing through Croatia

Last Updated: June 24, 2021

*FYI - this post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase from them. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Check out our Privacy Policy and Disclosure. for more info.

Cheers to MedSailors for inviting me as a guest on board their Croatia Voyager route! I was not paid to write this review, but wanted to share my honest experience with all of you so you can decide whether or not MedSailors is right for you. Enjoy!

10 shades tanner, I am officially home after the best two weeks ever in Croatia!

When MedSailors invited me back in January to join one of their sailboats this summer, there was no containing my very unattractive happy dance.

I’ve always believed that life has a way of working itself out, and this short MedSailors email felt like the stars had perfectly aligned to tie up a final loose end in my travel life.

You see, last summer, one of the most devastating moments of my 3 months abroad was when I missed a flight… and consequently a dream trip cruising through Croatia with the company I was working for.

At the time, I was photographing/blogging for a European river cruise company, and I was en route to Croatia, waiting for my airport taxi in Venice when I got one of the most mortifying phone calls I’ve taken to date.

“Hi, Christina this is the captain of your cruise in Croatia. You were supposed to be here yesterday. Where are you? “

I almost withered and died on the spot. In a panic, I flipped through my travel documents and realized that I had, in fact, missed my flight by a day.

Long story short, the company had changed my travel arrangements midway through the summer and I forgot to mark down the changes.

I had messed up. Badly. Aaand my boat was leaving without me.

And so it goes – one trip to Croatia gone with the wind. That said, this new opportunity provided a chance for redemption, and I was oh so ready.

Setting sail in Croatia with MedSailors

After months of obsessively pinning every Croatia photo I saw (and vainly doing crunches to look acceptable in a two-piece), I set sail at the end of July on MedSailor’s Voyager route from Dubrovnik to Split.

Time on board would amount to a week, but I booked a few extra days in Dubrovnik and Split to make sure I’d have enough time to see everything.

Without any friends tagging along, this would be a trip done solo. While I’m no newbie to solo travel, being stuck on a boat with strangers for a week seemed a little different.

Shuffling up to the ACI Marina in Dubrovnik, I was a bundle of nerves.

What if my boat hated me? What if I got seasick? What if I got snatched up by some rare breed of Croatian shark?

Knowing my luck, this was all pretty possible…

Walking towards the navy blue MedSailors flags, I was greeted with plenty of smiling faces. Check-in was a breeze, and was done in 30 seconds.

Okay, so far so good – still alive. No sharks.

Over the next 15 minutes or so, we waited as the rest of the guests arrived.

Boat by boat, the skippers came and fetched their little families for the week, while we were slowly introduced to our boatmates as they came.

I was introduced to two couples first, and so quickly resigned myself to the fate of 5th wheeling a romantic Croatian love cruise, awkwardly enjoying sunsets next to doting lovebirds.

Turns out I was wrong, as I was introduced to two more female solo travellers on my boat soon after. There we stood, the 7 of us, 2 couples and 3 girls, ready to sail the seas.

So what happened?

Genuinely, it was such a fantastic week!

In hindsight, I’m kind of happy I saved my first Croatia experience for this sailing trip because while it was rather different from my expectations, I ended up having an ahh-mazing time.

In the week that ensued, we hopped around paradise from island to island, dipping our toes in the clearest waters of the Adriatic, sampling some of the freshest seafood I’ve ever had, all the while braving daily adventures via paddleboard, swims and more.

For a little more insight into what it’s like to sail with MedSailors in Croatia, here’s a full breakdown and review.

My MedSailors Itinerary

Our one week trip began in Dubrovnik and ended in Split (a very common combo for those spending a week in Europe ).

Along the way, we visited a variety of islands, docking in a different one each night.

These included smaller ones that I had never heard of, like Sipan, Vela Luka and Stomorska and others more on the tourist path like Mljet, Korcula and party haven, Hvar.

While usually guests were given free reign to do what they wanted upon arrival, MedSailors did organize a few different activities throughout the week including a paddleboard race on the last day and of course, an introductory punch party (which involved pitchers and pitchers of potent punch and plenty of colourful floaties).

For me, the itinerary was a good mix of busy hotspots and sleepy towns.

Usually these were alternated in the schedule, which meant more hectic (read: boozy) nights would be followed by calmer stops the next day.

While all the stops were extremely charming, some of the smaller towns lacked activities besides swimming, tanning and enjoying some food/drink.

While I do love laying like a walrus in the sun (who doesn’t?), sometimes I did wish there was more to do and see. Still, if relaxation is what you’re after, then this would be perfect.

Note: MedSailors offers a variety of different itineraries, so take some time to compare them before selecting a trip.

MedSailors Staff

In addition to the skippers, there’s also a photographer who travels with you throughout the week and a guest manager who is available to answer all your questions.

Everyone was always so friendly, and I never had a bad experience with any staff!

That said, it’s crucial to note that a lot of your trip experience will depend on your skipper, who is in charge of your breakfast/lunch and of course, navigating your boat.

Luckily, our boat hit the jackpot with our skipper Holly.

Not only was she an excellent cook with the voice of an angel, she was a hilarious firecracker who always kept morale high. It seemed clear that all the staff were genuinely invested in making sure everyone had a great time, which made all the difference.

In fact, the staff often went the extra mile to make guests feel special.

One particular night, the dreamy smell of chocolate ganache cake filled the air as Holly and another skipper prepared for a guest birthday.

Armed with an arsenal of balloons (and homemade cake, of course), they were more than happy to spoil one of the flotilla’s birthday girls on her special day.

Similarly, on another night, a couple got engaged, an event made all the more swoonworthy with a private sunset sail coordinated by their skipper. Customer service to the max, am I right?

This was the bit that surprised me.

While MedSailors does (according to their website) cater to a broad age range of 20-35 year olds, I was expecting to roll up on the marina to see hordes of party-hungry youngins’ eager to get their drink on.

Scanning the 70+ guests though, this was clearly not the case. The age range was a bit more mature than the target demographic of say, Yacht Week or Sail Croatia and guests were mostly clustered in couples or friend groups.

This can be a plus or minus, depending on what kind of vacation you’re looking for.

Being 22, I was definitely one the younger ones sailing that week, which was surprising, but as it turns out, wasn’t a big deal because everyone on my boat was awesome (and could party even harder than me!).

Most of our days consisted of lazing around on the boat as we moved onwards to our next destination.

Our mornings would be spent on the water, which meant plenty of time to soak up the sun and unwind with a good book and summery tunes.

We’d occasionally stop for a quick swim as well, with more adventurous activities like paddleboard surfing when conditions permitted.

It was on this trip that I realized the full extent of my athletic uselessness.

Whether it was wiping out on a paddleboard, shakily biking around Mljet or even just slipping off our inflatable crocodile, I was horrible at it. Still, every day was a good one.

After docking, we would usually have some time to explore before dinner and after that, well… that’s when we’d bust out the drinks.

Like I said, the guest demographics weren’t exactly the party YOLOers I was expecting, but alcohol was nonetheless a quintessential part of our daily routine.

Even in towns where we didn’t get electricity to charge our phones, there was at least a bar or two, which guests eagerly flocked to each night.

Still, those looking to get a good night’s sleep aren’t pressured to go out, or disturbed by any noise, since the skippers enforce a ‘boat time is bed time’ rule, and any alcoholic escapades take place far away from the boat!

That said, don’t miss out on the parties. They’re great fun, especially the costume night where my boat entered as a giant crocodile. True story:

Socially, I didn’t observe a whole lot of mixing and mingling between boats.

As previously mentioned, most boats consisted of couples and groups who already seemed pretty tight knit, which appeared to limit their desire to branch out.

There weren’t too many organized occasions where boats interacted with one another, which would have been nice, but nonetheless, everyone I did meet was super lovely.

The Food with MedSailors

Included with the price you pay are breakfast and a light lunch, both prepared by your skipper.

I think our boat lucked out because Holly was an amazing cook, and despite the promise of a lighter lunch, we were never left hungry!

Breakfasts would consist usually of cereal, yogurt, bread and various spreads (with the occasional hot breakfast throughout the week as a treat), while lunch was something new everyday – sometimes a creamy blue cheese gnocchi with crusty bread and salad, other times a mouthwatering charcuterie plate with plenty of ham and cheese.

Every meal was delicious!

For dinner, we’d often eat with the rest of our boat at a local restaurant recommended by MedSailors.

Some nights would be free choice nights, whereas others (in the quieter islands especially) were pre-arranged, with MedSailors taking us somewhere (and us pre-ordering from the boat).

I genuinely never had a bad meal at any of these restaurants, which usually served some mix of seafood and Italian-influenced favourites like pizza and various pastas.

Price-wise, we paid about 20-25 euros per person (with drinks).

This was a bit more than I was expecting (especially because I was told Croatia was quite budget-friendly) but my treat yo’self mode quickly kicked in and I happily disregarded the higher price tag because the food was just so good.

The Living Conditions on Board my MedSailors Yacht

My week was spent on board one of the Premier Plus yachts, which is said to be a bit bigger and newer.

I have to admit, my cabin (which my bunkmate and I lovingly referred to as our coffin) left a bit to be desired.

The room was so tiny that there wasn’t even room for our two bags, and could get stuffy at night, despite the little fan and window.

Note: our boat only had one bunk room like this.

The other three rooms were double cabins that looked a lot comfier and significantly less claustrophobic, with a larger double bed and a bit more space to move around.

The boat itself can’t be faulted though – ours had a killer sound system and there was always enough space for us to sit around on deck.

This is where we spent most of our time anyway!

Extra perks?

Unlike some other sailing companies which bar you from bringing any beverages and snacks on board, MedSailors allows you to bring your own drinks and food!

This was a huge moneysaver, and lifesaver too.

One night, after a few drinks at the local bar, we were dismayed to discover that there were no late night food options to be found (no döners or McDonalds… whaaat?).

Just as starvation was about to destroy us, one of the couples on board busted out their stock pile of instant noodles and rice. Life made.

… but what about travelling solo with MedSailors?

As one of three solo female travellers on my boat, I had a great time.

Everyone was friendly and inclusive, and I never once felt left out.

Still, my mind did wander a few times to how good it would have been to have my boyfriend or a group of friends there with me.

For the most part, we didn’t mingle much with other boats, largely because they were already split off onto their own little pods.

This made the environment feel less solo traveler friendly than say, a hostel.

Despite this, the week was still amazing, although I feel like this would be a trip best done with some friends or a significant other.

The Final Word

MedSailors is the perfect company to go with if you’re looking for a relaxing and mellow alternative to a party-heavy booze cruise.

If, however, your main goal is to mingle with a lot of other young travellers and party intensely every night, then this might not be the ideal choice.

For me, the blend of relaxation and parties was a perfect way to spend the week, and I can say with confidence that MedSailors took great care of me!

I am so happy that I finally got to see Croatia, and in such an epic way. Sailing across this crazy country is an experience I can’t recommend highly enough, and I know for sure this sailing trip won’t be my last.

Maybe I’ll even try doing some of the boat stuff next time?

Ha, who am I kidding. I’d be a disaster.

Until next time, guys. Safe travels!

My Go-To Travel Favourites:

🧳 Eagle Creek: My favourite packing cubes

💳 Wise: For FREE travel friendly credit cards

🍯 Airalo: My go-to eSIM

🏨 Booking.com: For searching hotels

📷 Sony A7IV: My (amazing) camera

✈️ Google Flights : For finding flight deals

🌎 WorldNomads: For travel insurance

🎉 GetYourGuide: For booking activities

23 thoughts on “MedSailors Review: My Experience Sailing through Croatia”

Croatia has sadly been getting more and more expensive as it has become more and more popular as a tourist destination.

Sounds like you had a wonderful time though.

How much did it cost you for the seven days?

Yess, I really do wish I could have seen it before it became such a well-known destination… sometimes the crowds can spoil it a bit, but luckily on this trip we had a mix of quieter towns alongside the major tourist hubs so it was a nice balance. I was lucky enough to be invited on board as a blogger, so my week with MedSailors was complimentary, but a week on their Croatia route ranges from £500-600, which includes breakfast, lunch, accommodations, etc. but exclusive of dinner and extra activities. I would say 50 euros per day covered me fine for any extras, like food and alcohol.

That was a great adventure and I am sure you enjoyed every moment of it. The places you have covered are all so exotic and beautiful. Never been on a cruise before, would love to get on to one.

Being from the West Coast, I adore coastal locations/just being near water in general, so this trip was perfect for me. Croatia far exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to go back one day and explore some of the other bits I missed.

Sounds quite fun. Glad you got a 2nd chance.

Yeah it was! Thanks Heather 🙂

This was a great read for me! I am seriously considering a thorough visit to Croatia this year and I would like to spend as much time as possible near or on the water. I didn’t notice if you mentioned being seasick at all, but I saw that you were concerned about that. Just curious if you were? This is one of the main things that have held me back from trying a small cruise like this… though I actually worked on large cruise ships for some time. Sounds like a fulfilling experience!!

So happy you enjoyed it! Croatia is wonderful and you should definitely spend a great deal of time there. Luckily, I didn’t get seasick at all, only mildly nauseous on one day when the water was very choppy, but I took a Gravol and was fine after that. Some of the others did get a tad seasick, though nothing extreme – only a bit of nausea like me. Just pack some good pills just in case and go have a blast! 😀

Looks like you had a great trip. Christina. It’s funny how things have a way of working out and that this trip came up just as you missed the other to Croatia. Happy sailing!

Yes, it’s amazing how life works itself out like that. Very grateful for this experience, that’s for sure 🙂

We just got back from Croatia and are COMPLETELY in love. We’re planning to live in Rovinj next summer for a month or two – we loved it THAT much! It seems like your trip was the perfect combination of relaxation, socializing and seeing all the beauty that exists in this country. Maybe we’ll even look into a sailing adventure too!

So glad you got a chance to do this again! I’m terrified of missing a flight! Sounds like an absolutely amazing time with some incredible people!

Knock on wood it never happens!! And yes I really did – so grateful I got the opportunity 🙂

Wow. Never visited, but after reading this post, I really should come and check it out. Looks like the full package: history, islands, food & party. Bring it on! TT

Yes Croatia is the bombbb diggity. Be sure to add it to your list!

Looks like you had an amazing time, Croatia looks like a real paradise and an awesome place to spend a few days to relax and explore.

I sure did. Thanks lisa! 🙂

Glad you still made it. Croatia is sooo beautiful. I never experience sailing this way in my entire life and it looks fun!

It’s amazing, Cai! I would highly recommend it 🙂

I’m so glad you loved Croatia. Which place did you like the most?

Impossible to pick a favourite! I do have a soft spot for Dubrovnik though, even though it’s so touristy 🙂

Hi Christina, I am 22 now and interested in doing the same trip solo! I have been habing trouble choosing a company because I am laid back and I like to sight see. I like to drink and party but I left those crazy party days back to my university years so I am worried about those other companies like sail week and yacht week which were crazy. I think med sailors would be good for me but I’m worried about going solo or being too young. I’d love to hear more about your experience on the trip and also ehat you did before and after. Tara

After reading your article, I can assume that Croatia is not only the safest place to trip with your family and friends but it is also one of the friendliest places on earth. The atmosphere is clean and pleasant enough to make your day and the low cost is factor is one of the remarkable things as well.

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The Ultimate Guide to Yacht Week Croatia

Croatia , Travel Tips

Aug 29, 2015

comment 87 Comments

By Ryan Gargiulo

Last Updated: August 14th, 2020

Welcome to my in-depth guide to planning for the Yacht Week Croatia .

Below you’ll find the answers to all of your questions about Yacht Week Croatia as well as my insanely popular Yacht Week Packing List which features what I call the “Yacht Week Necessities”, aka a short list of some of the best things to pack for the Yacht Week in order to really get the most out of the experience.

I think you’ll find this article to be extremely helpful with your planning for Yacht Week. As always, if you have any questions, please be sure to leave a comment and I’ll respond as soon as possible.

Yacht Week Croatia

Yacht Week Croatia is absolutely insane. It’s fun, it’s wild, it’s crazy and it’s downright exhausting to say the least.

It’s likely to be one of the most memorable weeks of your life. I mean, how could it not be, right?

You, your friends, lots of sunshine and drinks in hand.

The perfect recipe for creating memories that will last a lifetime.

The people, the parties and the experiences at The Yacht Week await you but my question for you is…

Are you ready to set sail on Yacht Week and see where the wind takes you?

My Yacht Week Croatia Experience

As many of you know, my friends and I just finished up a week of madness on Yacht Week Croatia and I’m here to report to you that this week was not only the longest and most tiring week of my life but it was also a week that I’ll never, ever forget.

If this is your first time attending the Yacht Week, there’s a good chance you probably felt a lot like I did when I first signed up. 

Like me, your mind is probably filled with curiosity and a seemingly endless list of unanswered questions.

Some that won’t be answered until you experience them first hand.

I’m going to do my best to try to walk you through The Yacht Week Croatia process and give you a bunch of really useful information that will prepare you (at least somewhat) for what you’re about to experience on The Yacht Week.

How to Book Yacht Week Croatia

1.   Find Some Adventurous (single) Souls — The first step in booking Yacht Week is to find a crew of people that are down for a true adventure. While I recommend going with at least a few people that you know, plenty of people join the crew list on yachts with a group of strangers and still manage to have an incredible time. That being said, attending Yacht Week Croatia with a group of friends is the ultimate way to go in my opinion.

• Open Minded People:  When choosing your crew it’s very important to try to gather up a good group of open minded people. Close minded, complainers, and those who are “accustomed to life back home” should be your last resort when trying to fill your boat.
• People with Similar Interests: Choosing a crew that has similar interests is important. The yachts are small, personal space is limited and more importantly Yacht Week Croatia can get weird  (no explanation necessary) so having close minded or grumpy people on board isn’t the best idea.
• Singles. Not Couples:  Couples on Yacht Week. I know I might receive some harsh feedback for this but Yacht Week is for single people. Straight up. Couples do couple-y things. They generally keep to themselves, they bicker, they argue, and they’re usually a lot more reserved around their significant other. While there’s nothing wrong with these things (it’s completely natural), it can definitely put a damper on the environment of your boat. I spoke to a few singles who had a couples aboard their boats and all of them said the same thing. The Yacht Week Croatia is not for couples. Again, this is strictly my opinion based off of what I’ve experienced and after speaking with others on YW.

2. Choosing your Route — The Yacht Week has routes in Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Thailand and the BVI’s although the most popular route is Croatia, where TYW first originated.

There are two routes you can take on Yacht Week Croatia; the Black Route and the Red Route.

Both routes are identical, they just operate in the opposite direction of each other.

I asked my skipper what the most popular route was and he said the the Black Route is far more popular than the Red.

For example, we had 48 yachts on our route (Black Route) versus just 24 boats on the Red Route. Go Black!

3. Choosing Your Yacht — As I mentioned above, Yacht Week Croatia is a long week of partying and fun in the sun. If you’re wanting to truly make the most of your trip, I highly recommend you charter the best yacht possible.

There are a variety of yacht charters available on Yacht Week but the quality, price and amenities available on board can vary big time.

Do yourself a favor and rent the best yacht possible, or at least the best yacht that you can afford.

At the end of the day you and your crew can try to pinch pennies to make Yacht Week happen but if you’re not on a decent boat, it’s going to make your week that much more exhausting.

If there was one complaint that I heard most during my week when speaking to other YW’ers, it was that their boats were blazing hot throughout the night.

The amount of time you have to sleep on Yacht Week is already limited due to the nonstop parties and the nature of the trip.

Imagine heading back to your boat at sunrise to catch up on a couple hours of sleep and not being able to sleep due to the heat? Nightmare.

In my opinion, getting a yacht with air conditioning is crucial.

Now that I’ve done Yacht Week Croatia with an air-conditioned yacht, I wouldn’t do it any other way.

Our yacht happened to be one of four boats on Yacht Week with air conditioning.

Did I mention there was 48 other yachts sailing alongside us that week? 

That means if you’re wanting to snag a boat with air conditioning on board, you’re going to have to act fast when booking.

4. Registering and Checking in  —   Once your yacht is booked, go ahead and make sure you send out your personalized invite link to your entire crew so they can register for a Yacht Week account and check in on the crew list.

It’s a requirement for all crew members to register and check in on your yacht week booking prior to arriving at the marina.

Upon arrival to the marina, your crew will need to fill out details such as their name, passport number, nationality, email, date of birth and gender.

How to Prepare for Yacht Week Croatia

1. Travel Insurance —   When prepping for Yacht Week Croatia, your first priority should be to make sure you make a small investment towards your health and well being by purchasing a  travel insurance policy  for your trip.

Not only will this policy cover you if your bags are lost/stolen and if your flight is delayed/cancelled, but you’ll also be covered for all medical and injury related issues as well.

Nobody wants to have to cover the cost of you getting airlifted home from the middle of the Adriatic Sea (no, not even your parents).

Anytime you mix partying out on the open water and slippery boats, you’re just about guaranteed to encounter a few injuries along the way.

When it comes to Yacht Week, travel insurance is an absolute must and a win-win situation when considering how inexpensive travel insurance is these days.

2. Create a Yacht Week Playlist  — The best way to manage your music on Yacht Week Croatia is to create a few killer Spotify playlists. Oh, and don’t forget to pick up a standard 3.5mm aux cable. With the aux cable, you’ll be able to connect your phone directly to the onboard stereo system on your yacht and jam out all day.

Now, you’re probably thinking. But, if I don’t have Internet, how can I listen to Spotify? Well, here are two ways to go about it.

• If you’re a Spotify Premium user, you’ll be able to listen to all of your music offline. Anytime, anywhere. Grab your subscription before you head out and don’t forget to make all of your music available offline before you set sail. *Spotify Premium is FREE for 30 days so be sure to take advantage of the free month right before you head out on your trip. After the first 30 days, you will be billed $9.99/mo. If you don’t want to pay, simply cancel your subscription.
• The second and best option (IMO) is to pack an unlocked smartphone with you when you head to Croatia. Why? Well, with an unlocked phone, you can pick up a sim card at T-Center (aka T-Mobile) when you’re in Split and you can purchase a 7-day unlimited data sim card for approximately $12 USD. Now, you’ll be able to stream your spotify all week without worrying about data overages.

If you don’t want to deal with streaming music on Yacht Week, simply throw together a playlist on your phone and you’ll be good to go.

3. Diet & Exercise  — Working out and staying in shape prior to Yacht Week is important on so many levels. You’ll be surrounded by boat loads of good looking people wearing little or next to nothing so being comfortable in your own skin will be key to enhancing your overall YW experience.

Remember, Yacht Week is a week long marathon of sailing, partying and eating whatever you can get your hands on.

Preparing yourself by eating healthy and exercising prior to Yacht Week is highly recommended before setting sail on a week of mayhem and very little sleep on the open sea.

Try this free  bodyweight workout  to get you started.

4. Planning your Arrival — I highly recommend that you do not plan to arrive on the actual day of departure for Yacht Week.

International flights often get delayed and even cancelled and I’m pretty sure you’re not going to want to splurge on Yacht Week only to find out that your flight isn’t going to make it and you’ve now missed out on an incredible week that you’ve had planned for months now.

Do yourself and the rest of your crew a favor and plan to arrive at least one day prior to the start of Yacht Week Croatia.

5. Accommodations prior to Yacht Week — When it comes to Yacht Week accommodations, I can personally recommend and vouch for this Airbnb apartment in Split.

6. Split Activities and Tours  — If you find yourself in Split for a couple of days before or after Yacht Week, you should definitely make an effort to explore the city and wander all the little alleyways that connect the city to the sea.

There is so much to see, do and experience in Split. Here are some of the best  tours and activities  to check out during your visit.

Are you a Game of Thrones fan? If so, you might be interested in this exclusive Game of Thrones Tour .

7. Which Marina? — In order to prepare for Yacht Week, you’re going to want to figure out which marina your yacht is assigned to. Why? Because there are several marinas in Split. Some of the marinas are quite far from each other and I can see this becoming an issue if you or your crew decide to show up on the day of departure.

You can find the marina assigned to your yacht on your Yacht Week Croatia reservation page.

Once you figure out which marina you need to be at,  click here to find directions to get there.

8. Crew Explorer — Now that you’re all booked and ready to go, it’s time to find out who else is going to be joining you on Yacht Week.

Go ahead and log in to your booking and scroll down to the Crew Explorer section to see a list of Facebook profiles for all the other Yacht Weekers that will be joining you on your route.

Another great way to meet fellow Yacht Weekers is to download the official Yacht Week app  (iOS only). Upload a photo and introduce yourself now.

Yacht Week Packing List

Overpacking for Yacht Week can be a huge mistake.

Let’s face it, nobody wants to be tripping over giant mounds of clothes and accessories that will ultimately never get worn or used.

As I mentioned above, no matter how big of a yacht you charter, space is still going to be tight no matter how you look at it.

Don’t Miss: The Ultimate Yacht Week Packing List

Do yourself and your crew a big favor and pack a carry-on bag for Yacht Week Croatia.

A must-have for Yacht Week Croatia

Of course, before you start your journey, be sure to find a suitable and convenient accessory to keep your important items. Custom Lanyards Cheap are the best choice! You can wear your lanyards around your neck to tuck your phone in a waterproof bag, hang your keys, etc.

It will make it easier for you to enjoy your fun time. Design shiny and unique custom lanyards as a gift for your partners who will spend a happy time with you will make them feel even closer to each other.

Recommended Luggage for Yacht Week

Tortuga Outbreaker Backpack

The Outbreaker (available in 35L or 45L) is my recommended go-to bag for The Yacht Week. 

After a few days of everyone tripping over each others belongings on our yacht, everyone will be wishing they had picked one of these up.

Besides, other than a few bathing suits and a few of the cool things on this Yacht Week packing list, how much do you really need to take with you anyway?

You can read my in-depth review of the Tortuga Outbreaker or you can head on over and pick one up now by clicking on the button below.

CLICK HERE NOW TO SEE THE FULL YACHT WEEK PACKING LIST!

Food & Drink on Yacht Week Croatia

When it comes to food and drink on Yacht Week, you’ve got two options. You can either hire a hostess that will join you for the week and take care of all the cooking, cleaning and food shopping OR decide to do it on your own.

We decided to skip out on hiring a hostess and we survived.

That being said, if I was to do another Yacht Week I would definitely prefer to hire a hostess next time around.

Not only do they know exactly what to buy and how much to buy when it comes to food and drinks, they also cook/prepare meals for you on board while you kick back and enjoy Yacht Week.

Oh, and how many of you want to do dishes and clean the yacht while on vacation?

Because we did Yacht Week on our own without a hostess, I’m going to provide you with a short list of what you should consider picking up before setting sail.

Yacht Week Croatia Shopping Checklist

• Beverages — Lots of them. You wouldn’t believe how hot it gets when you’re out at sea. In order to stay hydrated, a good rule is to buy 1.5 to 2x more than you think you’ll need.
• Bread — For sandwiches, of course. Start with two or three loaves of bread and see where that gets you. Worst case you have to pick up another few loaves on one of the islands.
• Deli meats — Choose food that is easy to prepare. Deli meats do the trick and they’ll last at least a few days in the refrigerator.
• PB & J — Perfect solution for a nice snack in between meals. Easy to slap together and always delicious.
• Snacks — Don’t forget to pick up snacks like chips, pretzels and nuts. Almonds are great for keeping you full and healthy for you, too.
• Pasta — Pasta is not only super easy to cook but it’s also a meal almost everyone eats. Don’t forget to buy twice as much sauce as you think you might need. Sauce goes fast.
• Fresh fruit & vegetables — Pineapple, berries, apples, oranges and bananas are perfect for the morning and even afternoon snacks. Veggies such as spinach and tomatoes are great for whipping up quick salads. Don’t leave without stocking up on fruit and vegetables.
• Yogurt — Great breakfast option with a side of fruit or granola.

My partnership with Cayman Jack came in seriously handy for Yacht Week as they were nice enough to send out a small shipment of margaritas for my journey.

I must say, there’s nothing better than sipping on a few bottles of CJ after a long day of fun in the sun on Yacht Week. Yum!

Uber Discount for Split

Did you know Uber serves the city of Split? If not, now you know. What’s even better is that you can get your first ride free (up to 50 HRK or approximately $7.50 USD) when signing up for a new Uber account.

All you have to do to take advantage of this Uber discount is the following:

Already have the Uber app?  CLICK HERE  and follow the simple step-by-step instructions to receive your 50 HRK credit towards your first ride.

Got questions about Yacht Week Croatia? Feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

87 thoughts on “The Ultimate Guide to Yacht Week Croatia”

This looks insane, how early did you start booking everything

It certainly was! We booked on March 18th for the week of July 25th-August 1st. I would recommend you try to book things as soon as possible.

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My group and I are booking Croatia tomorrow. Do you recommend the food package? We’re all picky eaters and 1/3 of the items we won’t eat. Thanks.

Awesome! Nah, I recommend you do your own shopping especially if you’re picky. That way you can buy exactly what you guys like to eat/drink. Best of luck. You’re going to have the time of your life!

Sick review mate. Did you go for bottle service at the clubs? What was the pricing like?

Thanks Daniel. Yeah we did bottle service at most of the venues. It’s really nice to have a table to call home although it’s not always 100% necessary. If you’re going to get a table/bottle service at any venue throughout the week, make sure you get one at the White Party. Trust me on this.

Ryan! Thank you so much for your super helpful and informative article. Similarly, I am a yacht week newbie and me and some friends are planning to go in August of 2016 – Croatia – we’re all turning 30 :) No one has been and I’m the appointed group organizer- I’m wondering if you might be able to advise on some additional items: 1. How many people did you have on your boat? (We might have to book 2) 2. If we hire a hostess, they take care of the food right? And I assume it’s the food packages listed on the site? I don’t think any of us will want to shop/cook/clean. Should we be buying our own alcohol? 3. How much approx would you say each person spent all in on average? I know that might be tough to answer, but I’ve told ppl to assume at least $3k a pop for boat & flight. 4. For flying out – did you fly out a day after or same day of the final docking? 5. A couple friends of mine who went before said they got super seasick/motion sickness – it was hard to sleep at night and being hungover didn’t help much – did anyone on your boat experience this and do you have advice? 6. This year I see they also have a Croatia Ultra route – do you know anything about that? Would you advise that over black? 7. That’s it for now but I’d really love to pick your brain some more as I go through this process!

No problem at all. Glad to be of assistance to you.

2. The Yacht Week Hostesses will take care of the shopping for you. They won’t BUY the food/drinks, that’s on you. They will shop for you though. If you want to avoid things like shopping/cooking/cleaning, definitely shoot for a hostess.

3. Unfortunately, I don’t know the numbers. I’d say I probably spent somewhere around $2k all in. That being said a couple of my friends on board picked up bottle service in a few of the clubs and they ended up spending a lot more than I did. Also I should mention that I was already in Europe for the summer so my flight to Croatia was cheap.

4. I was in Europe from June to October so I didn’t actually fly in for Yacht Week. I arrived in Split two days before Yacht Week started and spent a night or two on the tail end before flying to my next destination.

5. Nobody on our boat had any issues with sea sickness. I know some people wore these wristband things but I can’t remember what they’re called. They seemed to think that they worked well.

6. We had one of the most experienced skippers on our boat and he said Ultra week + Yacht Week is a waste. Do one or the other. Yacht Week is crazy enough. Combining both Yacht Week and the Ultra Music Festival doesn’t sound like a great time to me. That’s just my two cents.

Feel free to reply to this comment with any other questions! Best of luck.

YES! Great review Ryan and THANK YOU!

I’m a hostess for The Yacht Week — last season I did four weeks in Greece and then four in Croatia! Best job EVER.

A little more detail on us — we’re fun ambassadors — we want you the have the best week of your life so our sole job is to make sure you’re having the absolute best time with the least amount of stress or worrying about the “little things”. We cook, clean, and make sure you know the best of everything on the islands (excursions, things to do/see, best places to eat – you name it!) plus we work with the skippers to book tables and any reservations you might want. I’ll guide you to ferries, Carpe Diem Beach and all the other fun things TYW has planned and some that aren’t (treehouse drinks in Palmy anyone?).

When it comes to food — we’re magic. We know the boats, the grocery stores and we will prepare you delicious breakfasts, lunches and maybe a dinner or two. It will seem like pure heaven to wake up after a crazy night out to a clean boat, hot coffee and a breakfast of pancakes, Egg Benedict, fruit platters, parfaits and whatever else we whip up. We aren’t serving just cereal that’s for sure and we’ll go over the menus (yes, menus) that we have in mind for your input prior to your arrival. We’ll also pick up fresh bread, fruit, etc. during the week. We’re definitely worth it. :)

Hi Shay! Thanks for stopping by and giving everyone some more insight on what it is you hostesses do. This is gold!

Thanks again.

Ryan, thanks so much. This is great!

Shay, you answered exactly the questions I was wondering. I’m planning my first Yacht week in Croatia and I have a couple of people that are Vegan. Do you think the hostess would be able to accommodate for that too? Thanks in advance!

No problem. Glad to help.

I’m sure there would be no issues at all for the hostesses to plan around that. You definitely won’t be the first vegan on Yacht Week. ;-)

Which month did you go there? I’m considering going in June, but am a bit concerned about the weather

We did the July 25th-August 1st route. June will be beautiful. Sunny and HOT!

Hey Ryan! Very informative article for a first-timer like myself :). I’ve been doing a lot of reading on what to expect for the YW but I still have quite a few questions if you don’t mind taking the time to answer them!

1. For starters, what do you do about waste? I’m sure it’s very easy to accumulate a lot very quickly. And as a follow up to that, would you recommend getting jugs of water rather than individual water bottles as to try and reduce the amount of waste?

2. Are things such as pots & pans, plates, cups, and utensils all included in the kitchenette of the yacht? Or must we purchase paper plates and whatnot on our own?

3. God forbid we run out of liquor half-way through, but if so, are there markets or places on the islands we stop at where we could purchase more?

4. I’ve read that water and electricity are only available at the harbors: does this mean that showers/sinks/toilets and such cannot be used while at sea?

5. The Crew Boat Party – it looks fun! Is it worth it?

6. Exactly how strict are they about the ‘no music at the marina in the evenings’? Do people just after party with no tunes at all?

7. How much cash would you recommend having on hand for the entirety of the week? I’ve read that some of the organized YW events don’t take cards which is surprising to me.

8. And last, but not least, how much is an appropriate amount to tip the skipper?

Thanks again for your time!

Hi Michaela,

Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad you found the article to be helpful.

1. We bought giant trash bags and our skipper would store them in a compartment at the back of the boat each night. We would get rid of the trash when we docked up. Jugs of water might be a good idea. We bought big packs of individual waters and they ended up being really convenient. That being said, it’s not the best idea if you’re worried about the environment.

2. I can’t speak for all boats but ours had the basics (pots, pans, etc). We bought plastic silverwear and paper plates.

3. There’s always places to re-up on booze although I would recommend buying a huge supply of it before you depart because it goes fast when you’re out on the water. My advice is to buy more than you think you’ll need.

4. We had water and electricity on our boat. Our boat had a big water tank and we used a generator for electricity. I’m not sure all boats have these types of amenities though. I recommend you shoot a msg to Yacht Week to see what your boat has and what it doesn’t.

5. All of the Yacht Week Croatia parties are a must. They’re all unique and you’re guaranteed to have a blast. It’s one hell of a long week of partying. Prepare yourself.

6. Some people play music on their boats but to be honest you really can’t have it loud because it’s not fair to other (non-yacht weekers who are docked up at the same marina).

7. This is such a hard question to answer. My advice is to have more Euros than you think you’ll need. I will say though that some of my crew were putting bottle service on their credit cards at every party. Individual drinks at the bar? Probably cash only.

8. This is completely subjective and depends on how good you think your skipper was. Every crew has different experiences w/ their skippers. I think somewhere between $50-100/pp is decent.

Be sure to let me know if you have any other questions!

Wow! Amazing review. A big group of us just got 2 yachts for Croatia Week 34. We are coming over from Texas! Random questions for you:

1. Where would you stay the night before you sail out? Hotel? Hostel? 2. My boyfriend and I, along with several other couples, are on this trip…is this a couple friendly trip? I always thought it would be and then people started telling me differently. What do you think about this? We already paid, so we are going no matter what! :) 3. What did you do with your valuables credit card, money, jewelry, etc while you were on off the boat? Is theft an issue?

Thanks again so much for your awesome blog! It is much appreciated!

Hi Kate. Congrats on booking your first Yacht Week!

1. I rented an airbnb apartment in Split for a few days prior to setting sail. The morning of departure I taxied over to the port. Simple and easy. 2. I’m not saying your not going to have fun going as couples. You will. It’s just not built for couples (IMO). Yacht Week Croatia is really for singles. The other yacht weeks (Greece, BVI’s, etc) might be more suited for couples. 3. I left all my valuables in my room locked in my bags. In my case, there was always at least one or two people from our boat on the boat at all times. I didn’t really worry about it too much. Fortunately, nothing got stolen.

Thanks for following along. Hope this helps.

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Hey Ryan! Great review, really insightful read :)

Currently a group of 3 of us are planning to do the Week 29 Ultra Cruise (16th-23rd July). We are unsure how to go about booking with such a low number of people.

Could you make any recommendations? Is it viable to just book 2 cabins on someone else’s Yacht?

Cheers from Australiaaaa :D

Hey Jono. Your best bet would probably be to book the yacht for the 3 of you and then add your yacht to the Yacht Week Crew Finder and then single people that want to join Yacht Week can reach out to you and grab a spot on your boat. The only other way you could do it would be to use the crew finder to find 2 spots on someone else’s yacht.

Ah yes this sounds like a great idea. I was wondering if you have experienced or know anyone who has used Quest.Life? We were thinking of booking a 2 person cabin on one of their catamarans for Ultra Week 29, but we are a bit unsure of their reliability.

Hey Jono. No, I’ve never heard of that company so I can’t vouch for them.

Thanks so much for this Ryan!

Quick question: There are A LOT of Croatia weeks available. Is there a specific time that people generally go the most. I would hate to pick a week where no one is there.

No problem Jasmine! I wouldn’t worry too much about being on YW alone. I believe almost every week sells out completely for the Croatia routes. You could always shoot an email to YW and ask them which weeks are the busiest. I think that the first few weeks and the last couple weeks probably have a few less yachts otherwise it’s madness as depicted in this post.

Fantastic blog post, super helpful!

Glad I could help! Best of luck.

Hey Ryan! Awesome Post.

I would like to ask, do you happen to know which boats have Air Conditioning on them?

Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately, I do not. I would recommend you reach out to Yacht Week prior to booking to get a list of the boats available that have A/C on board. Enjoy yourself!

Is there somewhere to blow up our floats in Split if we bring our own? I’d rather bring one with me because we found some awesome ones here in the U.S., but they’re also huge so blowing them up on my own is certainly not going to work out very well!! Thanks!

Yeah there’s a float inflating station thingy at the first stop on the first day. You shouldn’t have any issues at all. Plus, most people bring their own electric pumps so worst case scenario you’d be able to borrow one.

Excellent and thoughtful review. I am heading with a crew for Ultra Week 29 this year and I am counting the moments until we are all there to celebrate.

With regard to the White Party in Hvar, is that a weekly event that is thrown or is it on a specific date?

I look forward to reading your reviews in future and I would truly appreciate your feedback.

Hey Michael. The white party is one of the many parties that Yacht Week hosts during the week (in Hvar) and it depends on which route you do (Black Route or the Red Route). I was on the black route so our party was earlier in the week. I believe the Red Route doesn’t do the white party until the end of the week as they travel in the opposite direction.

Best of luck and enjoy yourself!

Hey Ryan, Great post btw! I have a couple of questions that hopefully you can answer.

I’ve heard that water taxis really stick it to you, Is their any way around them?

How much money do you recommend that we budget daily pp, to have a really good time?

Fine dining options on the islands?

Do they sell commercial liquor and beers at the islands?

Must does on the islands that you recommend?

1. There are free water taxis that are reserved for Yacht Weekers and run to/from the islands from where you’re docked but they only run at certain times. If you want to leave early sometimes you need to take a private one which will cost you but when it’s between a group of people it’s pretty minimal.

2. Most of your eating and drinking will be done aboard your yacht. Drinks at sea go faster for whatever reason so make sure you stock up big when you do your first shopping trip. What you spend in the bars/clubs outside of that really depends on how much you drink, what types of drinks and at which bars you’re drinking at. I really can’t help you too much with a daily budget because it’s so different for each and every person. That being said I can’t imagine you spending more than 300 Croatian Kuna per day (approx. $50 USD) between food and drinks (if you eat out at restaurants when on land).

3. There are plenty of fine dining options available. All you need to do is ask your skipper. They know the best and most expensive places on the island if that’s your thing.

4. Yes, the islands rely heavily on Yacht Week tourism so there are plenty of opportunities to pick up liquor, beers, ice and more.

5. I don’t have too many recommendations for the islands because we were either on the boat partying with everyone else or on the islands at night at the nightly parties. The down time you do have is for eating, relaxing and maybe even getting an hour or two of sleep.

Hope this helps!

I decided to get on board (ha) and join TYW. From the US we will be heading over to Greece for 4/5 days and then to Split a day or 2 before departure on the 30th. After reading about your experiences, I think you are the most qualified person I know to ask. My questions to you are regarding the Plitvice Lakes & Barcelona. I really want to visit the Lakes and possibly the Sea Organ before taking a plane from Zagreb to BCN. (would that be the best airport to do that or go back to SPU?)

1. Once the TYW concludes should I stay a night in SPU and make my way to the sites the following morning? Bus? Tour? Taxi? And after the site visits, do I stay in a place nearby? I just need an idea of when to purchase my ZAG>BCN flight. 2. If (when) my site visits happen, I’ll only have about 3 nights in BCN before I have to get to LAX by August 14th. In your opinion, should I skip BCN and save it for another time when I have more time or is that time to get a good taste? 3. When traveling to the locations mentioned above, can I purchase last minute or is that a huge mistake/waste of money? I’m just not certain of my plans.

4. Can I even do this after TYW. Now I’m a little concerned about my energy. “life is short?”

Back to TYW

5. I feel like I may die during TYW. We don’t have AC or a generator…or a hostess! Any advice? How do we survive? Is it really just the basics; fruits, veggies, meats, carbs, and water? 6. Planning on exchanging money here in the states….do I get Kuna or Euros? 7. Are there many skippers who get requests to visit the Blue & Green Caves and Lagoons? I feel like this is a must! right?

I’m nervous and excited for this experience, just need some things cleared up to put my mind at ease. Congrats on all of your travels and wish you even more excitement. #canicomewith

Hey Michelle,

Glad to hear you are joining the Yacht Week. You’re going to have a great time!

I highly recommend you visit Plitvice, it’s incredible. It’s slightly closer to Zagreb (2 hrs 3 mins) versus 2hrs 31 mins from Split. Don’t forget there’s also Krka National Park which is only 1 hr from Split. What makes it more of a popular day trip from Split is they actually allow you to swim there unlike Plitvice.

1. You’ll arrive back in Split for your final night (final Yacht Week party) so if it’s going to be a long night I would recommend you grab an Airbnb for the following day to rest up.

2. You can do a lot in BCN in 3 nights. Just be prepared to use the public transport here because the sights are pretty spread out. I would recommend Park Guell, Montjuic, La Sagrada Familia, Barceloneta Beach.

3. I would recommend purchasing flights at least a little ahead of time. The days of finding cheap last minute tickets are long gone. That said, you can find lots of great deals using some of the European budget airlines.

4. Yes, of course. You might be tired after a week of partying though.

5. Yeah, not having AC on the Yacht Week is a big deal. At least for me. The majority of people on YW complained about not being able to sleep due to the heat on the boats at night. You won’t die but you certainly won’t be comfortable. As for the hostess, it’s not a game changer. She would just make things a little easier when it comes to the purchasing/cooking/cleaning. Fruits, veggies, sandwiches (PB&J), water.

6. Croatia uses Kuna so I would recommend you just grab Kuna out of the ATM in Split prior to departure.

7. Sure. You can ask your skipper to visit the caves. It really just comes down to how many people on your boat want to visit them.

Well, I hope I’ve been able to answer all of your questions and make you feel a little more at ease. As always, be sure to leave a comment if you have more questions.

Amazing! Thank you for taking the time. I’ve decided that after TYW I’m going to stay 2 nights in Zadar in order to take my time resting and visiting the Sea Organ, Plitvice, and Krka. I’ve booked all my travel and will have 5 nights in BCN and excited to check out the places you’ve advised. I’m feeling great about everything, but the yacht AC. Hmmm.

Again, thanks!!

No problem at all. I’m always here to help. Your plans sound great! 5 nights in BCN will be plenty to see most of what it has to offer. Enjoy and best of luck!

Hi there, I’m looking into doing a Croatia sail week next year the week before Ultra. Im just doing my research on the different options, The yacht week, sail H.R or sail Croatia. I’ve heard many good things about TYW and Sail HR. the only thing is I might only be doing my sail with one friend as I’m sure I’ll make new friends during the time anyway. which would you recommend would be best for me? this post was very informative, a good read!

Hi Erica. Unfortunately, I have zero personal experience with either Yacht Week alternative. I think your best bet would be to scour the web looking for reviews on both of those alternatives and see which one suits you best. Another way you could potentially find out more about these is to search Instagram for their hashtags and reach out to people through Direct Message on IG asking them what they thought about the trip. Hope this helps!

Great piece, very informative,

1) I’ve heard a couple people say catamarans are a lot better than the yachts have you heard that at all?

2) is there plenty of space to keep the beers cold (serious question)

3) and just to get an idea how much did you pay for the yacht per person

Thanks Adam.

1. The Yacht Week catamarans are really cool and have a completely different layout than the actual yachts. Regardless, be sure to get one with air conditioning if you plan on sleeping.

2. Our yacht had a pretty big fridge/freezer combo that stored a lot of beers, bottles of liquor, food, etc. I think it really depends on the yacht you choose as each one is different from the next. You could always reach out to the Yacht Week and inquire about the boat you’re thinking of booking.

3. We had 11 people on our yacht (not including our skipper). Total cost for the yacht: $12,934 USD — approximately $1,175 USD per person. That being said, we didn’t want to make the girls pay as much as us so we all threw in more cash to compensate for the difference.

Hope you find this helpful. Feel free to reply with anymore questions you might have. If not, best of luck!

Thanks, one more I’ve been reading about bottle service I saw you mention it in an earlier question, what prices do they charge for it do you know?

Hey Adam. Bottle service prices vary between clubs. It’s nothing to do with the Yacht Week at all. Basically your skipper will line up bottle service for you if you need/want it.

hey which yacht company did you use that utilised airconditioning!? thanks! :))

We reserved our yacht directly through the Yacht Week website.

What was the average age of the people? We are 33-36 years old. Are we too old?

Hi Cristina. I was 31 last year during Yacht Week and I didn’t really feel too out of place. Sure, there are younger people but I’m not sure I ever felt uncomfortable. I would say that 36 might be pushing it a little but who am I to say how old you should be to party? LOL. Go for it and enjoy! ;-)

Hey Ryan, excellent piece of work! I wanted to ask you few things because i’m planning to go with some friends of mine from Argentina. If you can answer, that will be appreciated. 1. I read that a Hostess is really helpfull. But, the captain that is not included, is 100% neccesary? 2. How much is the bottle service approximately? 3. How much did you spend, between food, drinks, extras and yatch during the entire week? 4. It’s recommended to make a reservation just for me and my friend, and then the company join us with another group?

Thank you. Appreciate the comment.

1. I think the hostess can be a great thing if there’s a group of guys who could really careless about shopping/cleaning up after themselves. The hostesses know their stuff and they know what to buy at the supermarkets, what the easiest and most affordable options are when it comes to eating at sea and you can rest assured that your boat will be clean at the end of the week. This is completely up to the group. I suggest you round up your friends and have a conversation about this prior to booking.

2. Bottle service prices ranged from club to club. The bottles we were getting were giant (6L or something crazy) and from what I can remember were $1,500+. I honestly don’t remember the prices.

3.Food/Drinks/Extras: I would say somewhere between $500-700? We drank a lot on the boat so we weren’t buying much out at the clubs. Yes, there was bottle service but that was only at some of the special events.

4. Well, if you charter a yacht for yourselves, you’re going to have to hope that you’ll find others to join. I think if it’s only the two of you, you would be better off finding another yacht that’s looking to add 2 to their crew.

Just wondering how we choose the black route over the red route? Is there an option in the booking process that allows us to choose?

Thanks for your blog post, seriously helpful!

Hey Mel. Yes, there is an option and you’ll find it during the booking process. Glad to hear that you found this helpful!

Hey Ryan, This was a super helpful article! I’m looking to join a boat via the crew finder and see an option in Croatia (with no air conditioning) and another option (with air conditioning) in Greece. Any other information that you know that might help me decide which destination? Thanks!

Well from what I hear… the difference between Yacht Week Croatia and Yacht Week Greece is that Croatia is more of a party and there’s always 1.5-2x the amount of yachts on the route than Greece. I think Greece is a party but a little more chilled and definitely less people. That’s unfortunate about the boat with no air conditioning on YW Croatia. What a bummer. I mean plenty of people do it without AC. Just depends on how comfortable you think you’ll be without it. It’s a tough call. On another note — generally speaking (not talking Yacht Week) I can’t get enough of Greece. It’s one of my favorite countries in the world.

Great article. Quick question: what is the average temperature of the ocean in those parts at the beginning of June? I live in a Miami and from what I’ve seen it’s not that warm that week of yacht week.

Hi Millie. I don’t know the average temps of the sea but what I can tell you is that it will be refreshing after being in the scorching sun all day. No worries about the water. It will surely be more cool than the coast of Miami but not freezing by any means.

Hi ! Incredible article…..theres 8 of us going 29 July – 5th August

Regarding the bottle service, how much pp would you say it was ? (probably hard to answer as different clubs vary). I can imagine the tables get reserved quickly….how would you suggest going about getting them sorted ?

Hi Jas. Excellent! You’re going to have a great time for sure. Honestly, I can’t answer the pp prices as it varied from club to club and also there are a variety of brands and sizes of bottles. I just don’t know, unfortunately. As for the tables, you can ask your skipper or your hostess to line those up. Do it, it’s worth it.

This is an amazing article. Thank you so much. I am buying everything on the packing list. I’m going to yacht week Croatia in July. I’m scared I will overpack!!

Thanks Christianne! No worries about overpacking, just be sensible. You’ll be in a bathing suit for the majority of the trip. ;-)

This is a really helpful article! How much is normal for tipping the skipper and hostess? Thanks so much! :)

Hey Amy. I don’t know if there’s a “going rate”. I would advise you reach out to TYW to find out if they recommend a certain percentage.

Incredible article, thanks so much for taking the time to write it. Me and 3 other friends are planning to do the Croatia route next summer. Few questions for you

1. How far in advance do bookings usually become available? 2. How does it work in regards to booking your own yacht then posting for other people to join?

Hi Kam. Thanks for the feedback.

1. I’m not sure exactly how early they announce the dates. I would reach out to the Yacht Week to check on that. 2. You can book your own yacht and then add your yacht to the Crew Finder using this link: https://www.theyachtweek.com/crew-finder

Hey ! Thanks for all the helpful tips ! I was wondering how/where can we send floaties? Is there a place where we can get them pumped ??

No problem Mily! I would recommend you bring your own mini portable pump like the one found here: http://www.yachtweekpackinglist.com/tech/

Hey Ryan! Awesome info!!

My friends and I are thinking of doing this next summer, but have one concern. Are there actual opportunities to see Croatia and the culture on the island throughout the week or do you pretty much stay docked out in the open water unless there are the parties at night?

Hey Rachel — I highly recommend it! ;-) Unfortunately, there won’t be much time to explore much as it’s really about the party. It’s pretty much a non-stop week of partying day and night. There are very few windows of opportunity to actually sightsee and do things on the islands. If you’re looking to actually see and explore Croatia it would need to be either prior to Yacht Week or afterwards. Best of luck!

If you’re looking for a great resource on packing for Yacht Week be sure to check out: http://www.yachtweekpackinglist.com/

Hello, could you help me on one thing? When usually happens the white party? Which day of the seven day trip?

Hi Marcela. The White party was on day 3 for our crew. I think it depends on which route you’re on.

Hi there Ryan!

Your review has probably been the most helpful of them all so far! I have a couple questions I hope you don’t mind answering them?

1. How many days prior to leaving would you suggest staying in Split for? If we decide to do this trip we obviously will be arriving to Split prior to the day the yachts leave, so how many days would be enough to explore Split?

2. We are a group of girls- around 20-23 year olds… Were there much people of that age group going on the yachts or will we probably be one of the younger ones?

3. How does it work booking a boat with air conditioning? Is it randomly assigned or do you select it? Because I see that you had gotten a boat with air conditioning, and I would assume that those are the boats to sell out first, however you had booked yours not too long before leaving!

4. How exactly does paying for yachts work? I could be completely wrong here- Because I figured that it was a specific amount per person, but is it actually purchasing the yacht as a whole? So for example, if I were to get a group of 4-6 girls would we just throw in a chunk of money to pay for the yacht or is it a certain amount per person to pay?

5. Kind of following question 4, if we were to be a group of 4-6 girls, and they say on the website that there needs to be an even ratio would we have to go onto the crew finder to get the other half of our yacht booked? (Keeping in mind we would have a hostess and a skipper additional making that more of like 6-8)

6. Was there a day where you needed costumes for your whole crew? I read something about that somewhere online….

7. Lastly, I saw you said the catamarans were pretty cool but whats the difference between the catamarans and yachts? Sorry if thats a silly question lol

Sorry I have so many questions!! Many thanks in advance! :)

Hey! Is there a week out of the summer that is supposed to be the craziest?

Thank so much for all the info so far!

Hey Lucy — I think most weeks are the same. Everyone is there for the same reasons. ;-)

Hi Ryan, awesome article and photos! Guys, rent a boat for Croatia island hopping and enjoy perfect sailing vacation. You can get best sailing experience at lowest cost in the market on our site.

Thanks my friend.

This is an awesome post! I have a question about the people you wind up being with on your yacht – 1). are you obligated to always be with your specific crew at the parties? 2). Do people ever hop around from boat to boat, or branch off away from their crew and do their own thing? I’m traveling solo and already committed to a boat and crew but was just wondering if people sort of wander off on their own and make friends on different boats. 3). Is it more common than not that people wind up spending the night on a different boat? Thanks so much for your help x

1. No, of course not. You can hang with whoever you’d like. Some people end up sleeping on other people’s boats the entire week. You have zero obligations to your crew.

2. Yes. All the time.

3. Yes. Sometimes you hardly see your crewmates. I believe you do need to be back on your boat in the morning to check in because your boat cannot leave until you’re back onboard. AKA they want to be sure that you’re still alive. LOL

Best of luck, Celine!

Awesome post, thanks for all the info!

As for sleeping arrangements; each cabin has one bed for two people to share?

Thanks for the feedback. Honestly, it depends on the yacht you choose. Our yacht had two beds in the front, two in the back. There were also two single bunk beds. Normally each of the big beds located at the front/back of the yacht sleep 2 people comfortably but for one reason or another one bed would always end up being host to a slumber party with 6 bodies or so. ;-)

Hi Ryan! Thank you for the informative article. My gf and I are turning 30 this summer, her bday is in july and mine is in Aug. Trouble is we can figure out which week to go. I know you replied to a comment in 2016 about either the first weeks or the last few weeks. Any new changes since 2016?

Hi Megan. I think it remains the same. The first and last few weeks are generally the best. Wishing you two a happy birthday and a great trip!

Hi, I saw a video that you have a couple Yacht week special. I was wondering where can I find it on your site ? We are 4 couples who want to book a Yacht and party :)

Thank you !

Hi Ryan! Hope you can read this, do you know what’s the typical yacht if you don’t peak it yourself, I mean the entry level ones. Thanks!

Unfortunately, I do not. I would recommend you reach out to the staff at Yacht Week. I’m sure they’ll be able to help you with that.

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Guide to the Yacht Week Croatia Itinerary

• By Susan Weston

What is Yacht Week Croatia?

Yacht Week is a week-long sailing adventure around the Croatian Islands on your own Catamaran. It is basically college spring break with an itinerary of partying all day and night. Our boat was the oldest ranging from our late 20s to 52 (Damn Damon), but I had assumed it would all be college kids, and it wasn’t. Most boats were in their 20’s and early 30’s. Despite our ages, our boat was the party boat, and we ended up with quite the reputation.

Our Itinerary During Yacht Week Croatia

* Schedule subject to change.

Itinerary Day 1 – Trogir

Day 1 was frustrating. We were all super excited. We had already checked out of our hotels and had all our luggage with us, but we had to wait until almost 5 p.m. for the skipper and host to prepare the boat. We spent breakfast and lunch at the same restaurant (poor servers). Then we went to the pier and sat there waiting and waiting and waiting. It was a buzz kill for sure, but it all worked out. Just be prepared.

Shout out to our skipper, Simon and host, Mia! They were the best and were 100% the reason we had such a good time.

It’s important to know which marina your boat will leave from when planning your accommodations. We departed from ACL Marina Trogir, which is located farther away from Split but closer to the airport, so it worked out well for us. The pre-party on Day 1 was held at Padres, a bar located in Trogir. Since we were staying in Trogir, we could easily walk to the bar instead of taking a water taxi like other Yacht Week boats. Just a heads up – your catamaran will not leave the dock until Day 2.

Cover Charges During Yacht Week

Carpe Diem, Padres, Hula Hula, Club 585 and Fort George are private Yacht Week events. Other events are for the general public, but your Yacht Week bracelet grants free entry. 

Itinerary Day 2 – Hvar

We sailed to the ACL Marina Palmizana near Hvar. It is a small, secluded island with a beach, a coffee shop, and showers. In the evening, we took a water taxi to the beach club Carpe Diem, located on its island of Stipanska, for the Siren’s Call party. It was sad to see that many people didn’t follow the theme. Don’t be those people. After that, we took a boat taxi into Hvar and went to Kiva Bar. Hvar is a beautiful city with small alleys filled with bars and restaurants. Although Kiva was fun, it was packed with people.  

Laundry During Yacht Week Croatia

The ACL Marina Palmizana has laundry facilities. It is a perfect time to do laundry because you will spend two nights here.

Itinerary Day 3 – Hvar

Today is usually day 5 on the itinerary, but it was changed due to the weather. Normally, it is a much-needed recharge day. We spent the day hanging out with all the other Yacht Weekers on our boats, as there wasn’t much to do on the small island.  In the evening, we went into Hvar again. Our host recommended hiking 15 minutes to the fort for sunset, but it looked high, and we were lazy. There was a Yacht Week party at Hula Hula. It’s just a short walk from the water taxi drop-off. 

Yacht Week Drinking Tip: Roadies 

Get some roadies for your walk to Hula Hula. We didn’t, and our new friends from London gave me a warm beer. I was appreciative, but why is it only Americans who like super cold drinks?

Advice for Hula Hula, Hvar

Getting a drink at Hula Hula was impossible, but we walked another 2 minutes and found a bar on the right-hand side with no line and a better view. I even met a guy from my hometown, which is very small. It is a small world.

At dinner, I decided to practice my Croatian language skills. I learned that “živjeli” means “cheers” in Croatian. I thought I was pronouncing the word perfectly, but the waitress and my table mates did not agree. The waitress spent 5 minutes at our table trying to help me before shaking her head and giving up. Nonetheless, I will never forget the word; I even got it tattooed on my back in Croatian Script.

Water Taxis 

We bought round-trip tickets for our water taxi, but when we went to head home, we were told the taxi we had tickets for only came every hour. It was strange. They all looked the same.  The man who claimed that “he wasn’t our taxi” allowed me to board anyway, so who knows. It was a rough ride. I ended up sitting on the floor of the tiny boat between all the passengers. At least I was protected from getting wet. Just make sure the boat is going back to the right marina.

Where to Eat:   Silk (Ul. Sveti Marak 14, 21450, Hvar, Croatia) Serving Pan-Asian Fresh Street Food. Our host recommended it.

Itinerary Day 4 – Bol

On day 4 of the itinerary, we sailed to Bol. Our skipper was the lead, so we tied up along the waterfront while other boats had to anchor in the marina and take a tender. We walked 15 minutes along the beach to the Auro Beach Bar. The bar is at the island’s tip and was very windy, so beware. There is a little train that drives back and forth if you are feeling hungover. At night, everyone headed to Club 585. I won’t name names, but someone forgot I was in the bathroom on the boat and left without me. I’m blaming the alcohol. 

Where to Eat: Taverna Riva (Frane radića 5, 21420 Bol, Croatia) – Located on the waterfront across from our catamaran. Beautiful view and delicious Mediterranean food.

Itinerary Day 5 – Sailing

Today was Regatta Day, which we thought would be a big event, but it turned out to be a simple sailing trip. We sailed together to our destination, where we anchored for the Tunnel Raft Party. Our group dressed in a Mario Cart theme for the Regatta but then changed into regular beach clothes.

The Tunnel Raft Party was a blast. All the boats were tied together in two long lines. A DJ played music from a boat in the middle, and everyone floated on their rafts and walked from boat to boat, enjoying the party. Again, we were lucky to have the lead skipper, so he ensured we were right next to the DJ. We transformed our boat into a Vegas Club with a VIP section guarded by a Velvet Rope. Damon and Johnny acted as bouncers, and anyone who passed by had to get a “Welcome to the Shit Show” tattoo. There was a rumor that our boat was the “Only Fans” boat, but that’s another story.

Itinerary Day 6 – Vis

Half of the group went on a day trip to a cave, while I decided to stay behind and find a coffee shop with Wi-Fi. At this point, I still had no idea where I was going after Yacht Week. I had no plans for the eight days until my flight back to the US. We had one last dinner with our skipper and host and went to Fort George for the final party. 

Where to Eat: Villa Rustica (Mijurovac ul. 16, 21480, Vis, Croatia) – Most of the Yacht Weekers went to Fort George for dinner before the party, but our host recommended this restaurant for traditional Croatian food. It was delicious and within walking distance from our boat.

Itinerary Day 7 – Back to Marina

Sadly, we had to sail back to the marina. We stopped and had one more opportunity to swim before packing and cleaning. 

And that is what the itinerary looks like on Yacht Week in Croatia. Would I go again? Absolutely. Have you already booked your trip? Check out the Top 11 Tips to Know Before Yacht Week Croatia .

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Top 11 Tips for Yacht Week Croatia

THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME

The ultimate group adventure to the world's first floating festival. Live on a yacht, explore Croatia and tick a new thing off your bucket list every day.

Trips start from $610 per person

“You’ve never traveled like this”

This is a proper summer. You, your mates & the open water. Oh and about 400 other people, a bunch more yachts & raves on remote islands. If there’s one thing you should do before you die, it’s hug your mother. If there are two things you do before you die, go on Yacht Week.

and it all starts in

We first set sail for Croatia 15 years ago. This is where it all began and we’ve been back every year since. With its sparkling oceans, iconic sites & ancient walled cities, Croatia is the iconic, original destination of Yacht Week. An absolute essential stop for any Eurotrip.

set sail on the adriatic sea.

The regatta.

come together in secret bays.

The tunnel raft

“THE PARTY OF A LIFETIME”

Explore historic islands.

Hvar starigrad bol vis

BE A PART OF THE LEGENDARY CIRCLE RAFT

"That was the best f***ing week of my life"

-Kevin, Buffalo, NY...

(to anyone who will listen)

party in an ancient fort.

Fort George

And everything in between.

to choose from

may 25 - sep 6

FOR THE UNINITIATED

This is not fyre festival.

We’ve been running this for 15 years. We’ve hosted over 100 000 people on the water... And we don’t even have a Netflix documentary.

You don't need to own a yacht.

Choose from our trusty fleet & a Yacht is yours for the week.  It’s basically like AirBnb – if an AirBnb could float.  And travel between islands. And take you to hidden bays. Ok it’s literally nothing like an AirBnb.

YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW HOW TO SAIL.

Every Yacht has its own Skipper.  They’ll be with you all week, fully trained captains of the high seas. Carefully steering you through the best week of your life.

Full week pass + yacht

From $610 per person