August 8, 2021 - Split Ferry Port weekend traffic is far from slowing down, with over 75,000 passengers and 17,000 vehicles expected this weekend. 

Traffic at the Split City Port is most pronounced this weekend - convoys of vehicles descend to the pier to board ferries, special lines to the islands are introduced, ships arrive from the Italian side of the Adriatic, larger groups of cruise passengers take a tour of Split, everyone rushes and wants to get to their destination as soon as possible, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

"With the synergy of all of us, we are bringing order to the port. We are well organized, but the numbers are relentless. This morning, more than 1,500 passengers and 500 vehicles arrived with two ships from Italy, from Ancona. We perform customs inspections in all four lanes, as many as we have. We have also set up a mobile device for document inspection and checking Covid passports. We process 200 vehicles in an hour, and I have to admit that no one is angry about what is waiting in the line because everyone sees how we work at full capacity," Joso Vujić, Commander of the Maritime Police, said at the Customs Pier, revealing that 90 percent of the guests have been vaccinated, while the rest have a certificate that they have recovered from the corona. A smaller part of them performs a quick antigen text in the port which takes 15 minutes and costs 75 kuna.

"This would go faster and faster if 60 percent of them did not have old documents, so we waste time scanning," explains police officer Stipe Šurlin.

Commander Vujić reveals that this year there is a huge number of French tourists on ships from Italy:

"Marco Polo" is now going to Stari Grad; it will pick up two hundred vehicles and over 600 passengers for Hvar, and then return to the Split-Ancona line again at 2:30 pm. We regulate it all."

"True, we are introducing additional ferries if necessary; we are coordinating the approaches to the pier because we expect an influx of more than 75 thousand passengers and more than 17 thousand vehicles for this weekend. As a result, we came with a turnover of 77 percent compared to the record 2019," concluded Jelena Ivulić of Jadrolinija.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

July 4, 2021 - Jadrolinija tourist traffic is picking up at the Split Ferry Port, and with the agency working 24/7, there aren't the usual summer crowds! 

The Jadrolinija agency at the Split ferry port is looking forward to increased traffic. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that their counters work 24 hours a day, all to avoid crowds, meaning the famous traffic jams and general chaos that would regularly greet us during the summer months, especially the first weekend of July, are a thing of the past. Furthermore, this summer, the road to the station and the terminal is passable despite the works on the reconstruction of the City Port. 

Jelena Ivulić, the head of the Jadrolinija agency in Split, revealed this summer's secret.

"There are crowds, but everything is flowing, everything is fine, so they are not seen as before. We work non-stop, there is no waiting for boarding, and again, our ferries are full.

This weekend we expect about 40 thousand passengers in both directions and about 11,500 vehicles on ferries. Passengers arrive at a steady pace, most tourists from Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, with of course our domestic travelers. 

For now, there are no extraordinary lines, but since July 2, we have increased, as usual, the number of lines, so now we have 14 regular departures for Brač, seven for Stari Grad, three for Vis, and six for Šolta.

The summer sailing schedule includes later departures, too. At midnight is the last ferry to Supetar and at 1:30 am to Stari Grad. Certainly, the ferries are nicely filled, but there is no waiting. Let it continue like this, and we are there for the passengers, available 24 hours a day," Ivulić told Slobodna Dalmacija.

Jadrolinija is at 65 percent of turnover compared to 2019.

On Saturday, the MSC Magnifica, which sails the eastern Mediterranean from Italy, is also on Split's itinerary. Magnifica brings about 1,200 passengers to Split who can explore the town, but under strict measures.

"Anyone who wants to go out can only do so as part of MSC's organized excursions, not on their own.

There is no separating from the group. Everything is going well in the port, there are no crowds, no extra ferries, the works are in progress, but they do not interfere with traffic, so today is an exemplary summer day," said Vicko Vrgoč, head of the Port Operations Center, on Saturday.

He says that the arrival of 155 cruisers in Split has been announced for this year, but all this is very uncertain and depends on the pandemic. We remind you that the record year was 2016 when 286 cruisers came to Split.

"In any case, we are very satisfied and expect an increase in numbers. June was great, and we are optimistic for July and beyond - it will be convincing."

For more, follow our travel section.

June 29, 2021 - Definitely one of the most requested routes during the summer, the Jadrolinija catamaran line linking Dubrovnik, Korčula, Hvar, Bol and Split is already available from June 25th.

As reported by HrTurizam.hr, Jadrolinija's catamaran on the line Dubrovnik - Korčula - Hvar - Bol - Split started sailing on June 25th. This daily return line connecting Split, Dubrovnik, and the three Adriatic islands will run until September 13th.

The catamaran will depart from Dubrovnik at 7:00 with arrival in Split at 12:55. On the way, they will stop in Vela Luka on Korčula at 9:00, and depart for Hvar at 9:15. The catamaran will arrive in Stari Grad on Hvar at 10:30, and depart from it at 10:50. At 11:45 the catamaran will arrive in Bol on Brač, and depart at 11:55 for Split.

On the way back to Dubrovnik, the Catamaran will depart from Split at 15:30, with a landing in Bol at 16:30, on Hvar at 17:35 and Korčula at 19:10, until the final landing in Dubrovnik at 21:25.

The price of a ticket from Dubrovnik to Split in one direction is 220 kuna. The approximate time of arrival of the catamaran that leaves from Split to Dubrovnik is 3 to 4 hours.

Other prices from this Jadrolinija catamaran line are:

• Dubrovnik - Bol: 215 kuna.
• Dubrovnik - Hvar: 210 kuna.
• Korcula - Split: 150 kuna.
• Dubrovnik - Korcula: 130 kuna.
• Korcula - Bol: 130 kuna.
• Korcula - Hvar: 120 kuna.
• Hvar - Split: 110 kuna.
• Hvar - Bol: 100 kuna.
• Bol - Split: 100 kuna.

To see the full schedule and prices, open this link. 

Tickets can be purchased in agencies and at Jadrolinija points of sale, and online via their website jadrolinija.hr or the mJADROLINIJA application.

For everything you need to know about traveling around the Adriatic sea by ferries and catamaran, be sure to check Total Croatia's Ferry Travel page.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June the 25th, 2021 - The Croatian ferry Jadrolinija has added a ''young'' eighteen year old vessel to its fleet. The ferry company has previously been accused of never acquiring anything but old ships, and this one is quite youthful in comparison to some it boasts.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes, the largest national shipping company, Jadrolinija, is continuing o procure new but very much used ships - it has rejuvenated its fleet with the aforementioned ferry purchased from the local shipping company Rapska plovidba.

It is a smaller ship, which will replace the ferry "Prizna", which is more than 50 years old, which operates along the Biograd - Tkon line between the mainland and the island of Pasman. The new ship will sail under the name "Tkon", and is 42 metres long, 15.3 metres wide, and has a capacity of 250 passengers and 35 vehicles.

The ship cost the Croatian ferry Jadrolinija 5.3 million kuna plus VAT, ie 6.6 million kuna, but it is also interesting that this price is higher than the estimated value of the procurement stated in the public tender opened back in April this year.

The Croatian ferry Jadrolinija was ready to pay a maximum of 4.5 million kuna without VAT, or 5.7 million kuna, for the new ship with the characteristics that Rapska plovidba's offer fits into.

In the explanation for such a decision, the Croatian ferry Jadrolinija calls for the use of the possibilities from the Public Procurement Act from Article 298, paragraph 9. According to that Act, in such cases, if the offered price of the most favourable bid exceeds the estimated value of the procurement, it is accepted.

Rapska plovidba appeared in this tender as the only bidder, and the inspection of the passenger ship determined that it meets all the required conditions of the Croatian ferry Jadrolinija.

''Tkon'' will sail as the 55th vessel in the seemingly growing fleet operated by Jadrolinija, for which this is the fifth ship purchased in the last four years with the strategic goal of rejuvenating the fleet.

For more, follow our dedicated business section.

17 June 2021 - Jadrolinija national ferry company acquired a new ship that will connect the town of Biograd with Tkon on Pasman island.

"Jadrolinija" is one of the most used words in the Croatian language during the summer, at least on the coast. This national ferry company has been connecting the mainland and the islands of the Croatian part of the Adriatic for decades. Its international lines see it connecting Croatia with Italy for part of the year as well.

Because of the small size of the towns and villages and the scarce population living on the islands, only a portion of these lines are profitable and the fleet is pretty large. It is therefore quite a newsworthy item to see Jadrolinija presenting a new addition. Ferry „Tkon“ joined the fleet that now counts 55 ships in total.

Valuable Addition

It was purchased from Rapska Plovidba (Rab Shipping) as index.hr reports. Tkon is a product of renowned Croatian shipyard Viktor Lenac. It is 42 metres long, 15,3 metres wide, and can hold 250 passengers and 35 cars. It was built in 2003. In comparison, ferry „Prizna“ that serviced this Jadrolinija line so far is over 50 years old. It will be on stand-by for the busiest parts of the year. After the purchase Tkon is heading to the docks for maintenace and re-painting. This is good news for all travellers to Pasman island, but also all the islanders and Biograd locals. Chairman of the board of Jadolinija, David Spota said the move goes along the strategic goal of updating and improving the fleet. This is the fifth new ship to come under Jadrolinija flag in the last four years.

It really is difficult to avoid blue-striped Jadrolinija ships along the Croatian coast. They bring much joy to all those wishing to visit some of over a thousand magical islands of Croatia. Here's to Tkon's smooth sailing!

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

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 5, 2021 - With each passing day, we are one step closer to summer as traffic at Split Ferry Port and Airport pick up this weekend!

HRT reports that as of Friday, a new Jadrolinija summer sailing schedule is in force, with ticket prices up 20%. Jadrolinija has introduced several more daily ferry lines to the central Dalmatian islands, so there are no major crowds in the Split ferry port this weekend.

"Instead of 05:30, the point of sale will open at 04:30, so we really get up early at dawn. And off we go!" Jelena Ivulić from Jadrolinija said with a smile for HRT's show Dobro jutro, Hrvatska.

Jelena says there will be increases on the ferry lines.

"For example, Supetar will increase from 9 lines to 12, Stari Grad from 4 to 5, and so on, we are gradually moving forward. As for the catamaran lines, we are a little more careful here. We are not launching immediately with full routes, but, for a start, instead of 4, we are starting with 2 commercial routes to Hvar - we still lack air passengers who would then continue to our islands," she explains.

After many months of peace and quiet, you can finally hear some foreign languages ​​in Split - both at points of sale and in the port.

"We are starting slow, to roll in the second half of June, July, August, and so on," says Ivulić and adds that Jadrolinija has finally waited for 40 percent of the total allowed capacity to be abolished.

"We now have one hundred percent capacity in which we can board our passengers. That really came as a great relief. As for the measures, the masks remain, and we appeal to our passengers to help us with that and the whole trip to be with masks," she notes.

At Split's Resnik Airport, slightly higher traffic is expected this weekend - 67 planes and 5,500 passengers, which is slightly lower traffic than the same period last year, Mate Melvan, head of reception and departure of passengers at the Port, told HRT.

"We expect about 40 aircraft and close to 4,000 passengers, and tomorrow 27 aircraft and a little more than 1,500 passengers. We have had 70,000 passengers since the beginning of the year, and 80,000 in the same period last year. The highest numbers are expected in July and August," he told HRT.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April the 19th, 2021 - Several years ago, Jadrolinija's management board decided to stop financing the old Dubrovnik-Rijeka line which ran in summer and it was dropped. Should it be returned?

As Jurica Gaspar/Morski writes, the Rijeka-Dubrovnik ferry line was considered unprofitable and was dropped, this decision of Jadrolinija's management put an end to the very long tradition of connecting the northern and extreme southern part of the Croatian Adriatic was unpopular with many.

Although back in 2016 the Croatian Government made a decision to reintroduce the so-called coastal "blue highway" for the whole year, after the sale of the Liburnija vessel, the former president of the board of Jadrolinija stated that the company doesn't even have a ship to sail on that line any more.

However, more and more people are becoming irritated by that decision, because many would have gladly chosen to travel along the Croatian coast by boat rather than by land.

''The only night Dubrovnik-Rijeka line which ran overnight was shut down without any explanation. It's necessary to return this line this season, which connects Kvarner with Dalmatia and vice versa, by ship, for at least three months,'' stated Tomislav Pavleka, who launched a public petition for this initiative, and explained:

''The boat was full every summer. If it's necessary to increase the price of the tickets, issue a concession for a deck restaurant to someone, establish a ship's jazz orchestra that would play under the stars, do anything to improve the offer of long-distance transport of passengers, motorcycles, bicycles, dogs, cars... then it should be done. Croatia must have one such coastal line,'' he said in his explanation of the aforementioned petition to return the Dubrovnik-Rijeka line.

The Dubrovnik-based initiative Srdj je Grad (Mount Srdj is the City) is also advocating for the return of the coastal ferry line which once connected Rijeka with the island of Korcula and then the City of Dubrovnik.

''In a situation when the number of rotations in air traffic is very uncertain and when we don't even know when charters and low-cost airlines will start flying again, it would be necessary to launch an initiative that can open up a new traffic route for tourists to the extreme south of Croatia. Everyone knows that Dubrovnik and its surroundings are a distinct air destination and that we depend on airlines flying down here. This is what has made us the most vulnerable during these challenging times, when the global economy is establishing new principles of functioning,'' they stated.

The holiday begins aboard the ship

Let's remember that Jadrolinija once had a very successful slogan for the Dubrovnik-Rijeka line ''The holiday begins aboard the ship'' which sailed to destinations on Korcula, Peljesac, Mljet and the Dubrovnik Riviera. With the introduction of subsidies on return tickets with discounts for longer stays at the destination (for example, 30 percent cheaper tickets for stays of five days and longer), high quality promotion and high security/safety standards when boarding at ports, we'd ensure the arrival of 2 -3 thousand guests a week in that southern Croatian county.

If we design a promotional tourist package with accommodation service providers that would make every fifth day a tourist spends in their destination free of charge, we would offer them a related service of subsidised boat tickets and additional overnight stays, which would extend guests' stays within their respective destinations and as such achieve higher consumption,'' they suggest from the aforementioned Dubrovnik initiative.

For more on maritime travel in 2021, make sure to check out our dedicated section.

April the 16th, 2021 - The Croatian Jadrolinija ferry company is obtaining yet another used vessel to add to its fleet. To briefly recall, many were unhappy with Jadrolinija's insistence on purchasing only used vessels instead of new ones, but the company has stated that their way limits red tape and is better.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes, as mentioned above, the last in a series of public debates, especially in the circles of Croatian shipowners and shipbuilders, about Jadrolinija's policy to modernise its fleet with used ships instead of building new ones, still hasn't gone away.

A public procurement of a Ro-Ro passenger ship with an open deck for transporting vehicles, up to 50 metres long and 17 metres wide, with a capacity for transporting at least 200 passengers and 35 cars, and not older than 20 years was recently announced by the Croatian Jadrolinija ferry company. This is a smaller ship for which Jadrolinija has pointed out an estimated value of 5.7 million kuna, and they will collect bids until May the 7th, 2021.

In addition to the best price for the final decision, of course, if there are more offers, the points that the age of the ship will bring are also important, more points is equal to a smaller number of years.

The tender documentation only shows that the delivery will be carried out within a maximum of 60 days from the conclusion of the sales contract, and on which line the ship is currently planned to be sailed, the Croatian Jadrolinija shipping enterprise otherwise hasn't provided any details or answered any questions as to whether it will supplement the fleet with this ''new'' vessel or if it will replace some of the smaller smaller ships that will then retire.

With their latest fleet "reinforcement", the Losinj ferry, which was bought in Russia at the end of last year and refurbished in Kraljevica, and was built in 2010, the national shipping fleet has been rejuvenated and its average age currently stands at approximately 28.5 years.

The most important step expected in the further renewal of the Croatian Jadrolinija's fleet is the replacement of the legendary ferry Lastovo, the oldest in the fleet, for which a project was prepared and construction is expected, and local shipyards they hoped to get the job.

However, according to the latest information, for the successor of Lastovo, which is significantly larger than the vessel for which a tender has since been announced, the search will be organised on the used boat market.

The position of the company's management hasn't deviated from its initial opinion even after all criticism that the design and construction process takes a long time, at least three years, and that the market can find quality and tested ships that meet the ever higher environmental standards set at European Union (EU) level.

For more on maritime transport in Croatia, including prices, tickets and all important 2021 updates, check out our dedicated section.

April the 3rd, 2021 - The Croatian ferry company Jadrolinija has joined in with a European Union (EU) project called E-Chain, which deals with the advancement of ticket sale processes and much more.

As Morski writes, the Croatian ferry company Jadrolinija has announced its participation in the aforementioned European Union project, created in cooperation with Interrg Italy - Croatia, E-Chain (Enhanced Connectivity and Harmonisation of data for the Adriatic Intermodal Network).

The Interreg E-Chain ​​project represents cooperation between Italy and Croatia and brings together ten partners from across both Croatia and Italy. The leading partner of the project is the Municipality of Ancona, and the other partners are Amateurs of Interestate S.R.L., Brusutti S.R.L., G.M.T. S.P.A., the University of Trieste, Prosoft d.o.o., the Croatian ferry company Jadrolinija, the City of Split, Rathmann d.o.o. and the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Maritime Studies.

This means that this project seeks to develop innovative software (the E - Chain platform) for the management of intermodal transport services in port areas that would integrate passenger carriers into one interconnected network.

Such a network would improve the ticketing system through the integration of several passenger carriers, enable the improvement of the quality of service for passengers, speed up the transfer of travel-related information, and also work to open up more new marketing tools and collaborations.

E-Chain will test and develop these services at selected pilot locations - in Venice, Ancona and in Split.

The Croatian ferry company Jadrolinija is a partner in this project as a shipping company that has been connecting the Italian and Croatian coastlines for many years now, and this is an opportunity to improve the service even more.

The duration of the project is 30 months; from January the 1st, 2019 to June the 30th, 2021. The total project budget for the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Rijeka stands at 181,942.60 euros, while the total value of the project is 2,307,748.45 euros. The project is otherwise being co-financed from the Interreg program V-A Italy Croatia 2014 - 2020.

For more on Croatia's participation in various EU projects, follow our lifestyle section.

March the 19th, 2021 - The Croatian ferry Jadrolinija is continuing its search for used vessels, and not brand new ones, across the globe. This move has resulted in irritation for some, including the competent ministry.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes, last week, the well known Croatian ferry Jadrolinija strengthened its fleet with the new ship, Losinj, and according to unofficial announcements, the purchase of another large vessel is now in its final phase, which, according to sources from that shipping company, should be a worthy replacement for the temporary Lastovo ship.

However, in both cases, as in all procurements which have taken place by the book over recent years, these are purchases from the second-hand ship market, which completely deviates from the previously proclaimed policy of rejuvenating the Croatian ferry Jadrolinija's fleet with new vessels, and the state's desire as the shipping company's owner for such projects to also open up opportunities for activating enfeebled Croatian shipyards.

The Losinj ferry, which transports passengers along the Lopar-Valbiska line, was built back in 2010 in Greece and sailed in the area of ​​Greece and the Black Sea until now. With its accession, Jadrolinija's fleet now numbers 54 ships, and its average age has been slightly improved, to 28.5 years.

The Jadrolinija Management Board hasn't answered any questions about the procurement of a new ferry that would replace the Lastovo vessel. This case was added to by the fact that the Novo Lastovo project was obtained on two occasions through tenders, for the first time from the Polish company Remontowa Marine Design & Consulting, and a little over a year ago with a new one for a slightly smaller ship, which was designed by the Split-based company Classis.

With all of that being said, it needs to be stated that the Croatian ferry Jadrolinija is not going to be the one to have anything to do with the constrction of Novo Lastovo, for which domestic shipbuilders were very interested at the time. At Poslovni's request, the company's management board, headed by David Sopta, provided an interesting explanation as why the purchase of used ships is a better solution for Jadrolinija than buying new ones would be.

“The construction of new ships consists of several long phases and a whole process, from design development to construction, it all takes a minimum of three years. Therefore, the choice to buy used ships is not only more economical, but has a great advantage due to the speed of project implementation and the introduction of those purchased ships into the fleet," reads the response from the Croatian ferry Jadrolinija, with special emphasis placed on used ships with proven maritime capabilities, and the fact that their procurement ensures operational stability.

They also state that Jadrolinija is always looking for ships of a "younger" age and compliance with all international standards, but also the needs of each respective line.

"If a potential used vessel fits into the defined strategic goals of the company, is economically viable and with its capacity and speed of navigation and can meet all technical, economic and other regulatory requirements, but also ensure increased service quality and the rejuvenation of the fleet, then Jadrolinija decides to invest," they repeated from Jadrolinija.

The Croatian ferry Jadrolinija's vessels are otherwise very regularly maintained at annual overhauls at various Croatian shipyards and must pass the very strict controls of the Croatian Shipping Register, but also meet all current international environmental standards. As a confirmation of quality in the company, they stated that they won tenders on the liberalised EU market.

The oldest vessel in operation in their fleet is the motor boat Tiat, built back in 1955 in Brodosplit, sailing on the line Sibenik-Zlarin-Prvic Luka-Sepurine-Vodice. Premuda is a couple of years younger, which sails in the waters of Mali Losinj, followed by Postira from 1963, which sails in the waters surrounding Dubrovnik.

Another old ferry is the already mentioned Lastovo, built in 1969, operating on the line Split-Vela Luka-Ubli. The famous Marco Polo is also considered old for inter-Adriatic traffic on the Split-Ancona line, it was built in 1973, and the youngest ferries were built in 2014 - Brac, Kornati, Krk and Mljet, while the oldest catamaran is Karolina (Vis-Split) from 1989, and the youngest of them, which is also the youngest ship in the entire fleet, is the catamaran Jelena, which connects Lastovo, Korcula, Hvar and Split - it was built in 2018.

The Croatian ferry Jadrolinija doesn't actually communicate publicly about its procurement plans in this and the coming years. It has recently been announced that despite that, it is in communication with the relevant Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure regarding the preparation of projects that could require applications for access to money from the Recovery and Resilience Fund.

These would be ships requiring renewable energy sources. If they are allocated funds for such projects, they will turn to a greener future in accordance with the strategic direction of the EU.

When asked about these projects, the Croatian ferry Jadrolinija received only a principled position on how to consider and apply for certain EU projects in order to find money for the further development of their fleet, and that in the last couple of years, in cooperation with the relevant ministry, they've been looking for ways to prepare and develop EU shipbuilding projects, and that these would exclusively involve ships powered by alternative fuels.

In recent years, Maritime Affair's Minister Oleg Butkovic has expressed his great dissatisfaction and publicly criticised the policy of procurement of ships practiced by Jadrolinija, and has openly advocated for the construction of new ones. He hasn't yet commented on the latest purchases of used vessels.

The construction of new ships would also mean the possibility of new jobs in Rijeka, as well as for other shipbuilders, such as Brodosplit, and possibly the new Uljanik 1856, which has been struggling since long before the current coronavirus crisis struck the country.

"Croatian shipyards continuously show that they can build ships that meet customer requirements and they do have the capacity to do so, and we're convinced that they will apply for a tender for new ships if Jadrolinija decides to announce it," said Coric.

The Croatian ferry Jadrolinija, on the other hand, still isn't hiding that the investments it makes in its fleet are based on the purchase of used ships, for which they continuously monitor the situation across the global market.

"Along with fast ships, we want to renew the fleet in the segment of ships for remote islands, ferries for local 'short lines', but also to replace the oldest ships in the fleet," said the company, whose catamarans carry over 900,000 passengers per year.

The pace of this fleet renewal, they added, is dictated by both time and market trends, and on the other hand additional pressure regularly comes from competition that is intensively renewing its fleets.

"We're on the lookout for the best opportunity on the market to find ships that match the lines maintained by Jadrolinija, including the specifics of our ports and the required capacities on each line," they said, concluding that due to the pandemic and the dependence of their business on tourism, activities for some new projects remain under consideration only.

For more, follow our business section.