April 25, 2022 - The 2022 cruiser season in Croatia officially launched at the beginning of April in Dubrovnik and will end on November 21 in Split. 

The cruising season in Croatia started very early this year, or at the beginning of April, when the first MSC cruise ship of this year, MSC Fantasia, sailed into the port of Dubrovnik. This ship, which can accommodate up to 4,300 passengers, will visit Dubrovnik on Thursdays until the end of the season, scheduled for September 8, reports Novi List. 

In addition to Dubrovnik, MSC Cruises will visit Split, Zadar, and Rijeka and record 63 Croatian ports this season, which will end on November 21 in Split. Dubrovnik, the first and strongest Croatian port for large cruisers, expects to achieve 70 percent of 2019's traffic, which means that the city should reach about half a million passengers on large cruisers, or about 340 large ships. However, the number of cruisers and cruise passengers in the city is limited to two berths, or 4,000 passengers at a time.

While southern Croatia has opened the cruising season for large cruisers, Kvarner has started a new season this year with small cruise ships. Over the weekend, the ID Riva tours Alpha and Vita set off on a seven-day cruise from Rijeka with a group of guests from Switzerland who rented the boat for three weeks at the beginning of the season and three weeks at the end of the season and go on a bike tour. This is around 70 guests. Mario Konta, head of the port of Rijeka in ID Riva tours, said that this year's season started six weeks earlier than last year and that booking is incomparably better.

"This year, if all goes well, we should have a better year than 2019. I have been working here for 20 years, and this is the first time we are leaving in mid-April. It had never moved this early, always towards the end of April. And that's a very good sign. Today we are on board the ‘Alpha,’ which was sold in 13 charters this year before the season even started. So we have a lot of old guests coming back to us, and also a lot of guests who were there during the pandemic and who came back to us precisely because they said we were one of the few who asked for hand sanitizers, disinfection, wore gloves and masks and carried out all epidemiological measures. And the guests remembered that," said Konta, adding the last tour should be done on October 22, before the proper off-season begins. 

"The ships will sail for six months, which is a huge improvement compared to the last two years, so we are delighted. Next week we already have six ships departing from Rijeka, which is also a great indicator considering that it has not happened to us that we already have six full ships at the beginning," said Konta and explained that the route goes through the Kvarner islands, visiting Krk, Rab, Pag, Zadar, Kornati, Lošinj and Cres, before returning to Rijeka.

The captain of the motor yacht 'Alpha', Marin Tomaš, pointed out that he has had a boat with ID Riva for more than half a year.

"You know how much that means to us in these circumstances. This ship, 'Alpha,' is sailing for its third season, so the first was during the 2020 pandemic, and that year was unknown to everyone. ID Riva was on the front line of cooperation with the Croatian Institute of Public Health, the German health authorities, and others. And we found a balance, and, in addition, we all joined the Ministry's "Safe stay in Croatia" program. The complete ID Riva fleet is under this program, and we all adhere to epidemiological rules. This season we are starting to work also with epidemiological measures. For example, when leaving the kitchen, waiters must wear masks when receiving guests, during room service, and, therefore, during contact with the guest. Because, above all, we want our guests here to continue to feel safe. The entire crew has, of course, been vaccinated," said the young captain, adding that for the past two years, they have been driving at reduced capacity, on the verge of profitability. But the banks, he says, have met the needs of shipowners and approved a moratorium on loans for shipbuilding, and all that has been balanced so that those two critical years ended well.

"As for this year's bookings, it is phenomenal. We plan to sail for 26 weeks, and we are already at a good 80 percent occupancy. I must say that when the situation with Ukraine arose, there was a great fear of how it would develop and what would happen to the season; however, fortunately, it turned out very quickly that the situation with booking, despite everything, is excellent," said Tomas. Yesterday, another small luxury cruiser, 'Vita' with guests from Germany, set sail from the port of Rijeka.

His captain Silvestar Vukovic, doyen of the ID Riva cruise, also pointed out his satisfaction with this year's announcements and the fact that after two pandemic years, he is starting two months earlier.

"This is the success of our ID Riva agency and its entire team led by Selimir Ognjenović. The past two years have been challenging, but thanks to the Government's help, which provided the minimum wage to our employees, and thanks to the banks that approved the moratorium on loans, we managed to survive those two difficult years," said Vukovic.

He added that this year the old guests are coming back. Still, new ones are coming who have the opportunity to enjoy this unique vacation, beautiful towns, and small coastal and island places, but also the kindness of the hosts and very important gastronomy. This long-time sailor who has been with ID Riva since the very beginning of the cruise pointed out the excellent cooperation through all those years with the Port of Rijeka Authority, whose employees, he pointed out, he can always count on.

MB 'Morena' and MB 'Kalipsa' sailed from Opatija over the weekend. There were over 60 Austrian guests on these cruises in total. 

"Today is an important day for the Katarina Line agency. Although these are not our first departures this season, since we already had American guests who set out on a cruise from Split, three ships will set sail from the port of Opatija today. More precisely, two today, and another tomorrow morning. This is not what we had in 2019, but it is still a good start in 2022 and an indicator that, as it looks now, our business will be much better than last year. However, it should be said that all this together is still with a lot of ‘holes’ and uncertainties.

Reservations exist, but they can be canceled at any time, and we must not be deceived, but work intensively to offer as much as possible around the world and in the domestic market. For domestic tourists to also be able to enjoy cruises, I announce that we will have special offers for them," said the owner and director of the Opatija agency Katarina Line Katica Hauptfeld.

Cruises in various categories, from traditional to premium and deluxe quality ships along the Croatian coast, are their specialty. Of their three boats, two will be stationed in the port of Opatija.

"We have been to Croatia many times, we are a small agency from Villach and our guests love the combination of sports and relaxation on board. We always do it out of season and spring is ideal for that, because the islands are still fresh now, nature is waking up, everything is quiet, there is very little traffic, no crowds, which is very good for cyclists.

With the Katarina Line agency, we create exciting routes for our guests because they love cycling and cruising. The boats give us flexibility in terms of weather conditions, our departure today is from Opatija, and after a seven-day cruise, we will return to Opatija. Our guests are all from Austria, except for one Frenchman, there are 24 of them on the cruise, and they did not come to swim in the sea, but for active rest, relaxation, health, and enjoy excellent food. We sail to Krk, Rab, Pag, and Mali Lošinj and Cres, and then return to Opatija," explained Elke Neuhuber, owner of the agency from Villach, who sailed on the MB 'Morena'.

As Katica Hauptfeld pointed out, there are six more sailing on Katarina Line in Kvarner in addition to the already mentioned ships. 

This is the year of great cruisers to Rijeka, given that the pandemic essentially reduced their arrivals to zero. Nineteen ships are expected to arrive, slightly less than the record in 2019 when there were 24. Eight shipping companies have announced their arrival in Rijeka, and according to the current plan, the first ship to arrive in Rijeka is Marella Explorer 2 from Marella Cruises. Its first arrival was announced on May 7. The ship comes to the port of Rijeka for the first time, and it will be the first of its eight arrivals this season. In addition to Marella Cruises, ships of Celebrity Cruises, Oceania Cruises, TUI Cruises, MSC Cruises, Crystal Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and Noble Caledonia will arrive in Rijeka in 2022. 

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May 22, 2021 - Which rules will MSC Cruise Ship guests in Croatia need to follow once they first arrive in Dubrovnik in June?

Jutarnji List reports that while other shipowners are still calculating or choosing cruises within national borders with the line of least resistance, the Geneva-based company MSC Cruises was the first to clearly and loudly confirm the flow of floating hotels in the port of Gruž this season. The arrival of the first cruiser has been agreed to for June 2021, and approved by the Dubrovnik Port Authority.

In the management of MSC Cruises, Jutarnji inquired about the safety protocols that Dubrovnik passengers need to follow this summer.

"Passengers must be tested before the cruise, but also in the middle of the cruise, with an antigen test before departure to cross the Italian border. The crew will not leave the ship just yet, they are being tested once a week, and the company has started a comprehensive crew vaccination program," points out Darija Semiz from MSC's marketing department.

There are also new rules for guests on cruise ships:

"Food and drinks are served only at the table. In addition to the standard menus, guests can view them on their mobile phone by scanning the QR code," says Semiz and explains further details of the itinerary:

"Destinations during the cruise are visited only as part of organized excursions of MSC Cruises, which means reduced vehicle capacity, testing of guides and drivers before starting work, and face masks are required, and passengers must not be separated from the group during the trip," said the Dubrovnik MSC Cruises representative.

"Passengers are required to wear masks in common areas, MSC has also provided smart bracelets that serve as a means of payment onboard, a cabin key, and to identify close contacts if necessary," Semiz said.

The MSC center reports that the vaccination program against COVID-19 for all crew members is becoming a vital element of the company's health and safety protocol, which has been in place since last August when the first ship began sailing regularly.

In the initial phase, MSC Cruises prioritized prevention to crew members, with ten ships announced in the cruise program for the summer of 2021 in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Priority is also given to the crews of the white fleet, which should re-sail the Caribbean from American ports and others that are preparing to re-sail.

The latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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January 25, 2021 - Dubrovnik expects HRK 14 million in tourist tax from cruisers this year, which will be used exclusively to improve the road infrastructure in the Dubrovnik area.

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that at the Dubrovnik City Council session scheduled for Tuesday, the amount of tourist tax for cruise ships in international maritime traffic in 2022 will be discussed. 

Recall, Article 11 of the Tourist Tax Act stipulates that a ship on a cruise in international maritime traffic and international traffic on inland waters, when it is at berth in the port or anchored at the port, may pay the tourist tax, provided that the municipal or city council decides whether or not to charge and in what amount.

The proposal to the City Council from the City Administrative Department for Tourism, Economy and the Sea is that from January 1, 2022, ships with a capacity of 50 to 200 passengers will be charged a tourist tax of 2,000 kuna, those with a capacity of 201 to 500 passengers will pay 5,000 kuna, while 10,000 kuna will be charged per ship with a capacity of 501 to 1000 passengers.

For ships with a capacity of 1001 to 2000 passengers, 20,000 kuna will be charged, from 2001 to 3,000 passengers - 30,000 kuna, and for ships with a passenger capacity of more than 3001 - 40,000 kuna.

These amounts are no different from those approved by the City Council at its session on September 23, 2019, when the decision was made to collect this tax in the same amounts for 2021.

Billing began on January 1, and the city of Dubrovnik expects 14 million kuna in tourist tax from cruisers this year, which will be used exclusively to improve the road infrastructure in the area of the city of Dubrovnik, said Mato Franković.

The collection of this tax was made possible by the Ministry of Tourism by amending the Law on Tourist Tax, leaving its collection to local self-government units.

In January last year, the City of Split also decided on tourist tax for cruisers. In the season, cruisers will be charged the maximum amount, with the same schedule as Dubrovnik, while out of season, from November 1 to April 30, the fee will be 50 percent lower.

Approximately twice as many cruisers sail to Dubrovnik annually than to Split, which accepts twice as many cruisers as Zadar. The City of Zadar also charges the maximum tourist tax to cruise ships, except in the port of Gaženica, a large infrastructure project made with state money, where this tax is not charged to increase competitiveness.

The good news is that MSC Cruises announced on Monday that boarding MSC Grandios and MSC Magnifico in the winter season 2020/2021 will be possible for three additional countries: Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania. Once they initially resumed navigation, boarding was only possible for passengers from 26 Schengen countries.

Following a temporary suspension due to restrictive traffic within Italy during the MSC Grandios holiday season, MSC Cruises' flagship fleet resumed its 7-night cruises on January 24, departing from Genoa every Sunday and visiting the Italian ports of Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo, and Valletta in Malta. Boarding is possible in each of these Italian ports. MSC Grandios will sail with the said itinerary until March 21, after which it will stay in the western Mediterranean with a new itinerary as part of its summer program.

MSC Magnifica will continue sailing on February 14, departing from Genoa on 11-night cruises designed to give guests a chance to discover the attractions of the eastern and western Mediterranean, with a tour of Italy, Greece, and Malta.

As the Dubrovnik Port Authority director, Blaz Pezo, said, it has been possible to board and disembark some guests or crew members on MSC ships before.

"So far, they have not embarked or departed from our ports en masse," said Pezo.

"In exceptional situations, guests were able to board half of the cruise. The port of embarkation is Venice for them. They may no longer have as much demand, so they consider making it easier for people to board in Split or Zadar to reduce the costs for someone traveling from Bosnia or southern Croatia to Venice. Everything has changed now," said the Port Authority director, who is already rooting for Dubrovnik to become a homeport destination.

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August 9, 2020 - Last year, there were 272 cruisers in Croatia - and thanks to COVID-19, only 15 have been recorded in the country in 2020. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that this time of year, our coastal cities typically feature swarms of tourists, and monster cruisers are parked in and around our ports, adding to the crowds and pushing the city's capacity to the brim.

However, it only took one coronavirus pandemic to change it all; and while there are tourists today, there are no cruisers in sight. 

There have been no cruise ship tourists in Croatia for months, as cruisers came to a halt in March. The Central Bureau of Statistics on Friday published data on foreign cruise ships in the first half of the year, stating that there have been no cruisers on the Croatian coast for months because the COVID-19 pandemic introduced measures to ban the entry of international cruises, which directly affected the number of foreign cruise ships in Croatian seaports in March and their absence in April, May and June 2020.

From January to June, six foreign cruisers sailed into Croatian seaports, making 15 trips  - five in January, seven in February and three in March. Last year, in the first half of the year, there were 54 cruisers in Croatian waters, which made 272 trips. There were 3737 passengers on cruisers in Croatian ports this year, and most of them, 2809, was in January. In total, these cruisers were in Croatia for 47 days. In the first half of last year, there were a total of 409,238 passengers on cruise ships, making 554 trip days, and most passengers were counted in June, or 162,000 of them.

The CBS states that due to the pandemic, from January to June this year, the number of foreign cruise ships in Croatian seaports decreased by 88.9 percent compared to the same period last year. In the first six months of this year, foreign cruise ships decreased by 94.5 percent, and the number of days spent on the Croatian Adriatic decreased by 91.5 percent compared to the same period in 2019. The number of passengers on these ships compared to in 2019 was lower by 99.1 percent.

Of the 15 cruises of foreign ships this year, 12 flew the flag of Malta, while the largest number of passengers, 2,690, arrived on ships flying the flag of Italy. The majority of these cruises this year, 73 percent of them, were realized in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, while the rest were in Istria County.

Some believe that Venice and Dubrovnik will not see a quick return of cruisers, as cruise companies suffer huge losses.

In the first quarter of this year alone, Carnival, the largest cruise company, had more than $4 billion in losses due to an 85 percent drop in revenue over the same period last year. Carnival has already borrowed more than six billion dollars and announced that it would sell four cruisers to cover its minuses and costs, which exceed $600 million a month.

The second quarter will not be easier for Carnival and other companies in the business. Some companies have announced they could re-arrange travel in mid-September, others cite November, though everything is still uncertain, as the coronavirus continues to spread. 

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Most of the voyages were made by cruisers under the flags of the Bahamas, Malta, and Panama.