ZAGREB, 11 March, 2021 - The Jadrolinija shipping company added the 54th vessel to its fleet on Thursday - a ferry with a capacity of 600 passengers and 140 vehicles, the company announced in a press release.

The Lošinj ferry, built by the Kraljevica shipyard, will operate between Lopar on the island of Rab and Valbiska on the island of Krk in the northern Adriatic.

The vessel is 97.85 metres long and 15 metres wide and develops a speed of 13 knots.

CEO David Sopta said that fleet development was the most important point in Jadrolinija's development strategy over the last four years. He added that renewing the fleet was necessary for the company to maintain its leading position in the Adriatic and to provide islanders with a more comfortable service. 

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February the 23rd, 2021 - The Croatian ferry Jadrolinija has duly noted the difficulties placed on international travel caused by the global pandemic, and as such as introduced a new and likely very welcome option for international passengers as hopes remain high for some form of tourist season this summer.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made travel, especially travel for leisure and tourism, almost impossible. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, leisure travel is currently illegal under lockdown rules, but those with a good reason can still make essential trips abroad. Here in Croatia, which has a much more favourable epidemiological picture, travelling around is a bit easier, but not for those who are arriving from abroad and aren't residents here.

As Morski writes, getting to experience tourism as it once was still seems very, very far away, the Croatian ferry Jadrolinija has made a very welcome alteration to the way they do business. The well known company, which transports countless locals and foreign visitors each and every year, with summer being their period of high demand, has introduced a brand new option for international passengers so that they may change their date of booking free of charge as the situation with the spread of the novel coronavirus and various restrictions remains very fluid.

The move will certainly save a lot of headache for what are usually already stressed out international passengers if and when they do manage to actually make it to Croatia when leisure and tourism flights to the country begin operations once again.

It will also work to instil a sense of confidence in the Croatian ferry Jadrolinija as a company among all those who hope to use its services as the warmer summer months approach and hopes for a better tourist season than that of 2020 grow.

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January 5, 2021 - Jadrolinija joined the Petrinja earthquake relief last week, offering free travel for people from earthquake-affected areas, humanitarian aid vehicles, voluntary fire brigades, and HGSS.

Jadrolinija has introduced free transport for humanitarian aid vehicles, voluntary fire brigades, HGSS, and people from earthquake-affected areas. The Port of Rijeka has donated its space for a collection center for donations from Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria counties.

About 150 vehicles and more than 260 people have been transported by Jadrolinija ferries and catamarans free of charge so far, reports HRT.

Travel for humanitarians will continue to be free. David Sopta, President of the Management Board of Jadrolinija, says that he will list all the people who come and that everything will be fine.

Jadrolinija employees and management will pay around HRK 500,000 into the state budget.

The Port of Rijeka gave the Red Cross its 2,000-square-meter space to form a collection center for humanitarian aid donations from Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria counties.

The director of the City Society of the Central Committee of Rijeka, Petra Šuljić, says that she is very grateful to them for that.

Volunteers and Red Cross staff regularly go to the affected areas. Mrs. Vesna returned from Petrinja. Full of impressions and emotions, she spoke about the people who have been left without their homes. Everyone works, everyone is on the move, but they are modest, says Vesna Vidović, director of the Red Cross of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

Help continues to arrive regularly, thanks to good people with big hearts, concludes HRT.

Recall, last week, Jadrolinija announced vehicles transporting humanitarian aid for the earthquake-stricken area, vehicles of services and volunteers who help, and people from the affected areas who travel to the islands are exempted from purchasing travel tickets. 

"Jadrolinija has decided to exempt the payment of travel tickets for vehicles participating in the transport of humanitarian aid, for vehicles of the Voluntary Fire Brigades (DVD), the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) and volunteers who go to help the earthquake-stricken area," the statement said.

All persons from the affected areas, who travel to the islands, receive free transport upon presenting an identity card. Jadrolinija reports that due to free transport records, it is necessary to submit the name of the organization, institution, association or name and surname, registration number, vehicle type, date of travel, and port of embarkation to the address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more on the Petrinja earthquake and to see how you can donate money, food, humanitarian, sanitary, and material aid, follow our dedicated section.

August 1, 2020 - In a year full of news, breaking news, twists, and turns, one thing has gone almost unnoticed in Croatia: it seems that we can finally purchase Jadrolinija tickets through a mobile application! 

It's been a while since Jadrolinija has had their mobile application, which was supposed to make it possible to purchase the tickets online and use them on your phone, without printing or waiting in lines. I say it was supposed to, because if you'd ever tried using it, you probably left it frustrated, angry, and still walking to their booth in the hope you'd still be able to purchase the Jadrolinija tickets in person. Ever since it was introduced, it was unpredictable (at best) or completely unusable (at its worst). I have downloaded it two years ago, tried using it, failed miserably, and just gave up on it, just like many other potential users. I've heard other first-hand experiences of people trying to purchase tickets over the app as late as June 15 this year and not succeeding - this is the story the famed Croatian photographer Jadran Lazić told me!

So, when I read in mid-July that they've issued a new version of the application, with numerous improvements, AND I needed to travel to an island and buy two ferry tickets for my trip, I decided to give it a try. I figured: it's not really much of a tourist season, I was going to travel on a "light" day, what was the worst thing that could happen? I could end up spending days arguing with them to get a refund, but nothing worse than that. I installed it, and while I don't remember what the old one looked like, this new one is (this is a personal opinion of a very demanding user who is not really interested in the appearance, but usability) - good. It's clean. It's easy to understand. The process is straightforward.

One of the things I appreciate is that it's really easy to get an invoice for your company direct from the application (although I didn't need it this time, I hate it when they make it complicated, and Jadrolinija has made it as simple as possible). You get transferred to the paywall, one of the most frequently-used ones in Croatia, enter your credit card details (if I really wanted to nit-pick, I could say that they might allow payment through PayPal as well, but let's not go there) and voilà, you get your tickets in minutes. You receive a .pdf file in your e-mail inbox, and you can access your purchased tickets through the app itself. Perfect. 

However, since this is 2020 and nothing goes as planned, even if you've purchased the tickets for tomorrow's trip, I had to cancel. I couldn't go, and I didn't want my Jadrolinija tickets to go to waste. After some time spent with my best friend, Google, I had all the answers: to get refunded for the tickets you purchased but won't be able to use, you need to contact the company at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., at least 6 hours before the scheduled time on the ticket, and you will be given a refund. Not a full refund, mind you, they keep 10% of the price of your ticket, but you still get 90% back.

And that's what I did, I sent the .pdfs for my tickets to the e-mail address, received the reply from Jadrolinija office within hours that the funds will be refunded to the credit card I used for the purchase. And refunded they were, although it took them a few days to do that. It should be a big deal, waiting for a couple of days, if you know everything will be OK in the end. 

While I have not tried this myself, it should also be possible to get the refund using the same route even if you purchased the Jadrolinija tickets in person, if you do it 6 hours before the scheduled departure. If you've tried that and it has or hasn't worked, please let us know so we can update this article with additional experiences. 

If you want to give the new app a go, you can download it from the AppStore or Google Play. 

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ZAGREB, July 24, 2020 - Transport Minister Oleg Butkovic said on Friday that the government would not give up from flag carriers, Croatia Airlines and Jadrolinija.

"We will not give up from our national airline company. We are searching for the best solutions to stabilise and retain Croatia Airlines. We are sharing the same destiny as other air companies in Europe and in the world. This is an occasion for us to solve together this problem at the European Union level, Butkovic said while coming to the first meeting of the inner cabinet after the 5th government was sworn in on late Thursday night.

We have Croatia Airlines and Jadrolinija (shipping company), they are hit by (the corona crisis), we have solutions and will make it, he added.

July 24, 2020 - National airline Croatia Airlines and leading Croatian passenger shipping company Jadrolinija have signed an agreement on business cooperation, on the basis of which they will try to improve Croatia's tourist offer further.

HRTurizam reports that this cooperation aims to benefit from the advantages that both companies undoubtedly have as important participants in the Croatian transport scene, and thus offer Croatian citizens and tourists a unified service in the future, which will make Croatia even more accessible and its destinations more accessible.

Thus, Croatia Airlines and Jadrolinija will jointly develop a platform through which passengers will be offered an intermodal transport service in the future, i.e., a combination of air and sea transport for travel from European airports to Croatian island destinations.

"The challenging environment in which we operate and everything that has additionally affected the entire Croatian and global economy in recent months poses new challenges to all of us that need to be readily and strategically addressed in order to create competitive advantages in the future," said Croatia Airlines CEO Jasmin Bajic and added:

“That is why we have decided to unite our forces with Jadrolinija, the leading passenger shipping company in the Republic of Croatia, whose ships complement our air fleet perfectly. Croatia Airlines connects Croatia with the world by air, Jadrolinija by sea, and together we can create additional benefits for passengers during their travels. We believe that our cooperation will achieve the expected goals and thus create even more satisfied passengers and tourists, making the Republic of Croatia even more attractive and accessible," said the President of the Croatia Airlines Management Board.

Jadrolinija is particularly pleased to join the business cooperation with Croatia Airlines in order to bring Croatian islands closer to passengers arriving by plane, said Jadrolinija's CEO David Sopta, adding that the number of passengers transported, which in  2019 was a record 12.5 million passengers, certainly represents an excellent potential for both companies in terms of offering new travel.

"The cooperation, which is currently based on mutual advertising, will soon enable passengers to purchase a joint ticket, i.e., the passenger will be able to buy one ticket with which they will be able to use the services of both Croatia Airlines and Jadrolinija. We believe that the partnership between Jadrolinija and Croatia Airlines, the Croatian Navy and Air Force, will very soon contribute to mutual successful business results," Sopta points out.

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July 12, 2020 — Croatia’s national ferry company Jadrolinija saw a significant drop in traffic over the first half of 2020.

In the first six months of this year, Jadrolinija's ships carried 52 percent of passengers and 62 percent fewer vehicles compared to the same period last year, and 42 percent of commercial revenues from ticket sales were generated, according to Index.

The national ferry firm predicts a 50 percent drop in traffic this year compared to last year, noting that it expected traffic by the end of the year will largely depend on the epidemiological situation.

Last year, Jadrolinija transported 12.5 million passengers and 3.2 million vehicles, generating a total revenue of HRK 977.8 million. Revenues from ticket sales for passengers and vehicles made up more than half of Jadrolinija's total revenues last year.

The company adjusted its operations to the crisis management method. It’s currently focused on preserving the health of employees and service users by following measures taken according to the instructions of the Civil Protection Directorate. 

All activities that are not necessary for operational functioning have been suspended, and activities related to securing additional sources of financing are being continuously undertaken.

Jadrolinija is introducing three newly-acquired ships into the fleet this year: the ship "Ugljan" on the line Zadar - Preko sailed in early July; "Faros" is expected in early August when it will take over the line Split - Hvar; and the ship "Lošinj" is in the shipyard in the phase of preparation and necessary equipment, in order to meet the regulations for obtaining a certificate and be able to sail in Croatia.

"Fleet renewal projects and planned investments have been postponed until the end of the year, and after the end of the season and the achieved results, together with the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, we will continue further necessary investments," the company said.

The resumption of traffic on the international line Zadar - Ancona was announced, and Jadrolinija confirmed that ships on that line will start operating in early August, given the Italian tourist market and the demand of Italian passengers, but also depending on the development of the human epidemic.

Jadrolinija emphasizes that all measures of the National Civil Protection Headquarters are being systematically implemented, including the obligation to wear protective masks, which has been in force since June 25.

"Our crews on ships adopted this measure at the beginning of the epidemic, and we are extremely concerned about following the instructions to protect the health of our employees and passengers. Information on the obligation to wear protective masks can be found on our website, and employees at points of sale when buying tickets warn passengers of this protective measure.”

Jadrolinija also says that the crew warns of the provisions when boarding passengers, and the obligation to wear masks is also emphasized through the loudspeaker, during the voyage.

“Jadrolinija also reminds its passengers of other measures to protect against the spread of coronavirus, such as staying in the vehicle on trips shorter than 60 minutes, buying tickets online or the mJadrolinija mobile application, maintaining hygiene and distance from other passengers and employees,” the company said.

ZAGREB, July 3, 2020 - The state-owned shipping company Jadrolinija on Friday put in operation a new ferry between Zadar and the nearby island of Ugljan, a project worth €3 million.

The ferry, made in Greece in 2009, can carry 650 passengers and 114 vehicles. It is the first of three such vessels that Jadrolinija plans to put in operation this year.

Jadrolinija has had very good business results in the last three years and has invested all its profit in upgrading its fleet as the company's strategic goal, CEO David Sopta said at a ceremony in Zadar's port of Gazenica.

Some 1.14 million passengers and 381,550 vehicles used this ferry line last year.

Jadrolinija's fleet includes 54 vessels now: 37 ferries for local lines, 10 fast passenger ships plus three large ferries used for international routes.

If there is one bone of contention or thorn in the side, if you will, of Croatia's many island inhabitants, it is that there are either issues with maritime transport to the mainland and back again, or that the prices are too high. Islanders do get island cards and often pay lower prices to use the services of let's say, Jadrolinija, but this doesn't stop the complaints.

As Morski writes on the 27th of May, 2020, we have only got a few days to go until entry into force of Jadrolinija's summer sailing schedule, which has further upset the already irritated Croatian islanders who have been in isolation, separated from the mainland for months now.

The sore point for the majority of the islanders is the fact that Jadrolinija's prices will remain the same as they were last year, which as we all know, was a record year for Croatian tourism. That ship soon sailed, however, (no pun intended), with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic which saw tourism across the globe grind to a very sudden halt. It isn't just the pockets of the islanders which have been hit, and this leaves them wondering just who will visit the central Dalmatian islands in such circumstances, when finances are tight?

HTV stated that Croatia's premier island of Hvar is empty. There are no yachts and no guests. The elite hotels that once boasted of their offers and their guests are closed.

Jadrolinija's summer sailing schedule should finally bring in a handful of guests from nearby markets, including domestic tourists, but the prices being the same as last year when Croatia enjoyed a record tourist year is unlikely to draw many people to the islands.

''I think the time has come for Jadrolinija to reconsider its prices and to help us simply get through this summer by reducing their prices to a level that would satisfy both them and us. Let it be 50 percent lower when compared to last year,'' said the president of the Hvar Craftsmen's Association, Katica Vucetic.

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April 27, 2020 - As the 2020 tourism season is in question, the Mayor of Supetar is looking to keep ferry prices fair for locals and potential tourists traveling between Split and Brac this year. 

Dalmacija Danas reports:

"Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the still questionable 2020 tourist season, on Friday, I sent a letter to the Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure and the Coastal Shipping Agency to delay the adoption of the seasonal price list for coastal shipping and to keep winter ferry fares throughout the 2020 business year, intending to create a more favorable framework for the arrival of tourists to the Croatian islands after the eventual cessation of the virus," Supetar Mayor Ivana Markovic said Sunday morning. 

Tourism, along with agriculture, fisheries, and crafts, is the most important economic branch on the Croatian islands, and every contribution we make to facilitating the arrival of tourists to the island is of crucial importance to us at this time, she noted.

"I believe that the islands, as beautiful and geographically isolated units, have always been an essential asset of Croatian tourism and that it will be even more this year if the epidemiological situation soon improves.

We ask the competent Ministry and the Agency to consider what has been requested seriously and to take all the necessary actions that could put this proposal into effect by May 29, 2020, when the winter tariffs for ferry fares expire.

The ticket price for a single individual to Brac by car ferry now costs 28,00 kn plus 124,00 kn if you're traveling with a vehicle (152,00 kn for one way), and after May 29, the summer prices should begin. This would mean that one ticket would cost 33,00 kn plus 154,00 kn to travel with a vehicle, i.e., 187,00 kn for one direction," says Marković.

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