June 10, 2020 — A luxury cruise set to tour Game of Thrones filming locations in Croatia was postponed to August, with a few changes nodding to life with the coronavirus.
The cellars where Daenerys Targaryen keeps her dragons are actually the walls of Diocletian's Palace in Split. The ancient city of Mereen where that ruler freed slaves is Klis, and the iconic scene in which Khaleesi bathes her Missandechi was filmed in the village of Žrnovica.
This is only a small part of the history of the "Game of Thrones" written in Croatia, which was to become one of the backbones of our film tourism. Foreigners were among the first to recognize this, in the Cruise Croatia agency, with offices in London, San Francisco and Split.
Last year, more than 30,000 people applied for their contest in which the prize was a luxury themed "Game of Thrones" cruise on the route Split - Dubrovnik.
If it weren't for the coronavirus, the first ship would have set sail now. Cruise Croatia didn't give up on the plan, so the first, and probably the only luxury cruiser, will set off on GOT in mid-August, according to Jutarnji List.
“Last year, the last season of that globally popular series ended, so it seemed to us that it was an ideal opportunity to launch this cruise on one of our smaller ships. We made a prize game that got a lot of world media attention. We managed to fill four ships,” Graham Carter, director of Cruise Croatia, told the paper, adding that the ship that sails these tours has a capacity of 38 people.
Luxury cruise prices range from about €1,800 per person, depending on the boat you choose. However, the coronavirus disrupted the agency's plans, which is why part of the tour was postponed to next year.
“There was a plan for the first two tours to go in June and early July, but we switched them to 2021,” Carter said. “However, we have an appointment in mid-August and we are not giving up on it for now.”
The seven-day journey begins in Split, where after boarding the ship, a tour of Diocletian's Palace follows. The first day includes visits to Klis and Žrnovica, then returns to the boat to hang out with other fans of "Game of Thrones". The next day includes Šibenik, and the third day Vis.
The tour then hits Hvar, Korcula, Mljet and then to Slano. Trsteno Arboretrum is toured as the backdrop of the "palace garden" in Kings Landing, and as the crown of the trip and the final destination is going to Dubrovnik, also known as Kings Landing to the show’s fans. Visitors can expect a detailed tour and a special GoT party.
“It will all culminate just by circling around Lokrum at sunset on one of the traditional ships used to film the series. After that, we take the guests to a secret building, where a themed party will take place,” Carter said
Most of the cruise’s guests come from the US, UK and Canada.
This seven-night cruise takes place on the MS Adriatic Sun Ship, just under 50 meters long with 19 guest cabins. The fact that it is a boutique cruise with a small number of guests is in favor of this agency when it comes to the current situation with the coronavirus.
The staff has been on board all summer, and that the islands that are visited have mostly gone through a corona crisis without a single case of an infected person.
For added safety, common areas on board will be disinfected every half hour to hour, guests will have their temperatures measured, and the crew will include medical staff.
The price of the cruise includes tickets for all the attractions that are visited and even transportation from the airport to the boat. The bar offers unlimited water, tea and coffee, fresh fruit and breakfast, and breakfast is served daily.
The on-board menu is a combination of Croatian and Mediterranean cuisine, including sea bass and lamb, but also Croatian dishes such as pasticada, buzara or soparnik.
The director explained the strategy related to themed cruises. Cruise Croatia includes a wine, yoga and bike cruise.
“The most popular times for cruising on small boats in Croatia are June, early July and September,” Carter said. “During these months, our regular tours on the route Split - Dubrovnik usually sell out. May, August and October are a bit less popular, which is why we are launching specialized cruises in these months, which clients come to because it is a special experience.”
