About Us
We appreciate your concerns about passing over quite a lot of money when you may know very little or nothing about us. We would much rather you feel at ease before buying, so here are a few details about the company. Dalmatian Coast Cruises was formed in October 2006 but we were in the same business four years before that, operating in Croatia under the name Dalmatinska Obala d.o.o. (which means Dalmatian Coast Ltd in Croatian). Since moving to the UK the business has gone from strength to strength, even during the 2008 World financial crisis, and from our estimation we are the most successful luxury charter business in Croatia. We want to extend this success to other countries, such as Greece, Turkey plus the Seychelles, and we are currently building a new web site that will include all these countries, as well as Croatia, so we hope to be around in this business for a very long time! If you have any specific questions about the operation of the company, please don't hesitate to contact us by email.
Getting to Croatia
Flight information
Split, Dubrovnik and Zadar airports take direct flights from Europe and connecting flights from Zagreb. Please see below for more info.
Concerning the planning of your flights, there are quite a few budget airlines now flying into Croatia. Most of these operate only between European cities, but if you are coming from outside Europe, you should still be able to take advantage of their cheap prices if you schedule your flights carefully. If you didn't already know, budget airlines flights never appear in general flight search engines. You will have to book directly with the airline.
Please go to the web sites of each airline to see the other available routes, some of which may be more suitable for you. Please note, these budget flights will often book very quickly, so early reservation is recommeded. Apart from the budget airlines there are regular flights by most of the big carriers into Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar from most major European cities.
Booking flights is often much easier to arrange, and cheaper, if your arrival and departure airport in Croatia are the same. If your cruise is scheduled to start and finish in the same town (say, Dubrovnik to Dubrovnik or Split to Split) this is fine, but what if your cruise starts and finishes in different towns? You could get a connecting flight between the two towns but a cheaper alternative is go by bus. The journey between Split and Dubrovnik, for example, is quite long (about 4.5 hours) but the scenery along the way is really quite magnificent and is an excursion in itself. If this idea interests you, here is some information about bus routes and timetables:
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TRAVELLING BY FERRY
From Ancona in Italy to Split and then to Zadar, Dubrovnik or any of the large Dalmatian islands. For ferry times please go to Jadrolinija’s site.
transportation by coach/bus
The bus service offers cheaper alternative for long distance travel across Croatia. In almost every larger town, there is a coach/bus station (Autobusna Stanica) where tickets are sold and timetables are clearly displayed. A very comprehensive coach/bus network connects all parts of the country, and there are regular international coach/bus services connecting Croatia with all neighbouring countries, including Switzerland, France, Germany and Slovakia. In Dubrovnik the main bus terminal is located in Gruz where both local and international buses arrive.
DUBROVNIK MAIN COACH/BUS TERMINAL
Put Republike 19. Tel: +385 20 357 088 or +385 20 357 020
The web site for the coach/bus terminal is in Croatian, so we have decided not published it here. However, most of the staff speak very good English, so don't hesitate to give them a call if you would like further information. The following are some coach/bus timetables we have got from the Croatian web site (we will try to keep this up-to-date but please call the Dubrovnik Coach/Bus Terminal to confirm departure times, just to be sure).
INTERCITY COACH/BUS TIMES
from Dubrovnik to Split or Zadar:
SPLIT: approximate trip duration - 4.5 h
5h00, 5h30, 6h00, 8h00, 9h00, 10h15, 11h00, 13h00, 15h30, 16h30, 17h30, 18h00, 19h00, 19h45, 21h00
ZADAR: approximate trip duration - 8 h
5h30, 6h00, 8h00, 11h00, 13h00, 15h30, 16h30, 18h00, 19h00, 19h45, 21h00
from Split or Zadar towns to Dubrovnik:
From SPLIT: approximate trip duration - 4.5 h
3h20, 3h30, 4h15, 5h00, 6h15, 6h40, 7h00, 8h00, 8h30, 10h00, 13h00, 13h30, 14h 00, 14h30, 15h00, 16h15, 17h15 (some lines are not direct. They depart from other towns and only stop in Split to pick up passengers)
From ZADAR: approximate trip duration - 8 h
3h10, 6h00, 10h00, 12h45, 13h45
PRIVATE COACH/BUS COMPANIES
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The state owned coach/bus services referred to above don't at the moment offer booking online, but there are few private coach/bus companies that offer this, such as ARRIVA. Give them a try:)
Some Vacation FAQ:
Entry Documents A passport or some other form of valid national identification is required. There is no limit to the length of stay for EU citizens, and non-EU citizens may stay up to three months. Vehicle papers required are: driving licence, the vehicle registration booklet, and an international motor vehicle insurance certificate (a green card). Customs There is no duty to pay on personal things. Other items such as a radio, telephone, sporting and professional equipment, can be freely brought into the country as long as they are declared at the frontier. Money Since the 1st January 2023 the official currency of Croatia is the EURO. Other currencies can be exchanged in banks, official exchange offices and post offices at the current exchange rate. All major credit cards can be used to pay for goods and services. Registering your stay Owners of accommodation in areas of tourism are required to register a paying guest with the local tourist office of their respective village, town or city. The tourist office is then required to issue a written residence permit for each registered guest. Most holiday insurance companies require this permit before they can deal with any claim, so, if you haven't received this document, you must ask your host for one. Tourists pay a fee for each day of their stay. Children up to 12 years are not required to pay a fee, and children between the ages of 12 and 18 pay 50% of the fee. The fee is really very small, and shouldn’t be considered as a major holiday expense. Health Services During their stay tourists have a right to health care in the Public Health Centres (Dom zadravija), out-patients clinics and hospitals. The charges are nominal and correspond to those paid by Croatian citizens. Visitors from the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Poland, Hungary and Great Britain need only to bring their passports with them. Tourists from other countries, for example, Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, should be in possession of the proper form in addition to their passports. Slovenian guests can use their health cards. Nautical tourism The owner or driver of a boat over three metres in length and with a motor over 4kw must, immediately after entering Croatian territorial waters, register their arrival with the nearest appropriate port authority, in so far as they intend on travelling along the coastline and to the islands. The boat owner/driver is required to register all people on board with the appropriate tourist office so that the compulsory residence fee can be paid. Nautical vessels arriving to the coast by way of land can be registered with any port authority. Diving in Croatia No matter where you dive in Croatia, you must have a permit issued by the Croatian Ministry of Education and Sport, or contact the nearest harbour master’s office or police department. Most commonly asked questions: How long does it take to get there? By air: From the US there are very few, if any, direct flights to Croatia, so you will first need to fly to a city in Europe London to Split - 2 hrs London to Zagreb - 2 hrs London to Dubrovnik - 2 hrs Zagreb to Split or Dubrovnik - 1/2 hr By car: at least two days from the north of France (8 hrs per day) plus an extra day if you plan to go to the south of Croatia. Or you can drive to Italy and catch a ferry to Croatia from Ancona, Bari, Cesenatico, Pesaro, Pescara, Trieste or Venice. Is it a safe country? Yes. Croatia has probably one of the lowest crime rates of any country in Europe. I was once chastised, nicely, by a neighbour for locking my door each time I left my house, which says it all. That said, it would be wise to take normal precautions for protecting your private belongings while you are there. What language is spoken? Croatian, of course, but most Croatians speak very good German and English, and many speak Italian well too.
Booking Conditions
Reserving Your Cruise
You may book online by making a request by clicking "Contact us" in the top menu. Once you have submitted this reservation request, one of our travel consultants will contact you within one business day to discuss your requirements. When you are in agreement with the price, route and other details of the cruise, we shall send you an invoice by e-mail for the initial 50% deposit if you book in the same year as your cruise or 30% if you book the year before (so long as it is not less than 6 months before your cruise). The deposit can be paid either by bank transfer or by credit card (this is via PayPal's secure payment system - you don't need a PayPal account for this). To secure your reservation, the deposit must be paid within 5 business days. When your deposit has cleared we shall send you a confirmation e-mail along with a receipt.
You are required to make your own travel arrangements, including the purchase of your own air tickets and ferry tickets, etc. Airlines often sell out their best fares many months in advance so early reservation is advised. Please see section 'Getting to Croatia' section for travel information about flights, ferries and buses. For your travel insurance please check out World Nomads, one of the most respected and widely used providers of online travel insurance.
Please note, no entrance visa is required for entry into Croatia for European, US or Australian citizens. For citizens of other countries you will need to check the visa situation with your Ministry of Foreign Affairs (at the time of writing, we know that South African citizens, for instance, currently require a visa for entry into Croatia).
PAYMENT & CANCELLATION FEE SCHEDULES
Payment Schedule if booking the same year as your cruise
At time of reservation: 50%
At least 60 days prior to departure: the balance of 50%
Prices are quoted in euros and all payments must be made in euros whether by bank transfer or credit card via PayPal. Please note that there is a 2% surcharge for paying by PayPal (this is roughly half what PayPal charges us).
Payment Schedule if booking the year before your cruise
(but not if less than 6 months before your cruise)
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At time of reservation: 20%
At least 90 days prior to departure: 30%
At least 30 days prior to departure: the balance of 50%
Prices are quoted in euros and all payments must be made in euros whether by bank transfer or credit card via PayPal.
Pricing
The full passenger capacity of the boats which feature on this site can vary. The published prices are for the cruise per week. If you are chartering the whole boat (as opposed to cabin charter) there is no reduction in prices for groups smaller than the full capacity of the boat. Naturally, the more paying guests there are in your group the more the cost of the cruise can be shared among you.
Cancellation fee schedule I (in the absence of a Covid-19 pandemic)
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If it becomes necessary for you to cancel your cruise we will endeavour to re-book it. If we are successful, we will refund all monies paid to us less a €250 cancellation fee. If we are unable to re-book your cruise, the following fees will apply, computed as of the date of receipt of your written cancellation notice.
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91 days or more prior to departure: 0% penalty, if the CHARTERER agrees to opt for a credit note for the sum/s he/she has already paid towards a rescheduled charter (subject to availability) on the same boat later in the same year as the original charter or in the following year.
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91 days or more prior to departure without rescheduling: 20% or €250, whichever is the greater.
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90 days or less prior to departure: 30%
60 days or less prior to departure: 50%
30 days or less prior to departure: 100%
Rates are based on group participation and no partial refunds will be given for unused cruise arrangements for any reason whatsoever. We highly recommend that all clients purchase cruise cancellation insurance.
If, for whatever reason, a cruise is cancelled by the boat owner, he/she will endeavour to find a replacement boat of equal size and quality. If the boat owner fails to find a replacement boat, all sums paid to Dalmatian Coast Cruises for the cancelled cruise will be refunded in full which shall release Dalmatian Coast Cruises from any further liability. If a cruise is cancelled due to circumstances beyond the control of Dalmatian Coast Cruises (such as flight cancellation or force majeure, including acts of God, war, industrial dispute, earthquake, flooding, etc.), we will try our best to refund you the portion of the price which we have not already advanced to our suppliers. We can not undertake any legal action on your behalf to recover sums from third parties. We highly recommend you to purchase cruise cancellation insurance to cover you for such eventualities.
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Dalmatian Coast Cruises is not responsible for expenses incurred by cruise members in preparing for a cancelled cruise (e.g., nonrefundable advance purchase of air tickets, visa fees, inoculations, equipment, etc.) or for any additional arrangements should any cruise member disembark prior to the scheduled disembarkation date.
Cancellation fee schedule II (in the event of another Covid-19 pandemic)
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Situations relating to Covid-19 in which the CHARTERER is entitled to a total refund of sum/s he/she has already paid, or, alternatively, the CHARTERER can opt for a credit note for the sum/s he/she has already paid towards a rescheduled charter (subject to availability) on the same boat later in the same year as the original charter or in the following year.
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1. In case restrictions from Croatian Government would be in place on borders and the CHARTERER or any member of his/her group will not be allowed to enter Croatia on the dates agreed in the signed charter agreement.
2. In case restrictions from the Government of the CHARTERER's country would be in place and the CHARTERER or any member of his/her group will not be allowed to leave his/her country on the dates agreed in the signed charter agreement.
3. If there will be mandatory quarantine required when entering Croatia.
4. If there will be mandatory quarantine required when returning to the CHARTERER's own country.
NB. In all cases the CHARTERER is required to cancel at least 30 days before his/her charter, otherwise the normal cancellation schedule (I) above applies.
Limitation of Liability
These paragraphs define our responsibility with respect to our cruises. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. Payment of your deposit represents your acceptance of the following terms and conditions:
Dalmatian Coast Cruises gives notice that extra services & equipment not included in its charter or cruise price, such as transportation, restaurant reservations, Jet-ski hire, kayak hire, scuba diving excursions and other services, are purchased from various independent suppliers who are not affiliated with Dalmatian Coast Cruises in any way. Although it endeavours to choose the best suppliers available, Dalmatian Coast Cruises has no right to control their operations and therefore makes these arrangements upon the express condition that Dalmatian Coast Cruises, and its own agents and employees, shall not be liable for any delay, mishap, inconvenience, expense, irregularity, bodily injury or death to person, or damage to property occasioned through the conduct or default of any company or individual engaged in providing these services. Each of these passenger conveyance companies, tour companies, hotels, restaurants, etc., is subject to the laws of the state or country where the service is provided.
Dalmatian Coast Cruises shall not be liable for: (a) expenses such as additional hotel nights and meals not specified in the individual cruise itineraries that may be required either en route, prior to, or following a cruise, when caused by individual clients' travel arrangements, by airline scheduling or airline schedule changes, cancelled flights, missed flight connections, or by other factors not under Dalmatian Coast Cruises’ control; (b) expenses incurred in recovering luggage lost by airlines, belongings left behind on a cruise, or in shipping purchases or other goods home from abroad; (c) bodily injury or property damage for any reason, including but not limited to acts of God, weather, quarantines, strikes, civil disturbance, theft, default, detention, annoyance, changes in government regulations, terrorism, war, or failure of conveyance to arrive or depart as scheduled, etc., over which Dalmatian Coast Cruises has no control.
Dalmatian Coast Cruises reserves the right to take photographic or film records of any of our cruises, and may use any such records for promotional and/or commercial purposes.
Dalmatian Coast Cruises reserves the right to decline, to accept or to restrain from further participation any person it judges to be incapable of meeting the rigours and requirements of participating in the activities, or any person whose actions or deportment impede cruise operation or the rights, welfare, or enjoyment of other cruise members. A refund based on cost of the unused portion of the cruise is the limit of Dalmatian Coast Cruises’ responsibility in such a case.
Cruise Member’s Responsibility
Cruise members have the responsibility to decide whether the cruise is appropriate to their abilities and interests. Cruise members are held responsible for being in sufficient good health to undertake the cruise. Cruise members are responsible for preparing for the cruise by studying the itinerary and pre-departure information sent by Dalmatian Coast Cruises and for bringing the appropriate clothing and equipment as advised therein. If children are taken on board, cruise members shall be fully responsible for their safety, conduct and entertainment.
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LEGAL JURISDICTION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
United Kingdom law shall apply to these terms, notwithstslanong the jurisdiction where you are based. You irrevocably agree that the courts of the United Kingdom shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute which may arise out of, under, or in connection with these Terms and for those purposes irrevocably submit all disputes to the jurisdiction of United Kingdom courts. The place of performance shall be the United Kingdom.
How to pay for your cruise
After submitting the form we shall immediately check availability and will get back to you within one business day. If the boat confirms availability we shall confirm your reservation and will send you an invoice for the initial deposit, along with instructions on how to pay, which can be either by bank transfer or by credit card.
Conditions of Payment
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To secure your reservation you are required to pay 25%-50% (amount depends on the boat) of the charter price within 5 business days. The balance is payable, at the latest, 60 days before the start of your cruise. You are required to make your own travel arrangements, including the purchase of your air or/and ferry tickets. Airlines often sell out their best fares many months in advance so early reservation is advised. Please see our Getting to Croatia page for recommendations concerning travel to Croatia. For your travel insurance please check out World Nomads (see link below), a highly respected and widely used provider of online travel insurance. Dalmatian Coast Cruises has a strict code of practice to protect you from abusive use of the information you have provided in this form. Please read our Privacy Policy Statement to see how we use this information. Use of this form for unsolicited commercial emails is strictly prohibited. Please read the website Terms & Conditions before sending your enquiry. Clicking the send button signifies your acceptance of our booking terms.
Travel Insurance
For your travel insurance, we recommend World Nomads Online Travel Insurance, who provide a very comprehensive service for very little cost. They are a highly respected company, used by many of the big names in travel, such as Lonely Planet, Intrepid Travel and Hostelbookers, just to name a few. Their policies include cover for cruise cancellation, medical care, loss of baggage, etc., and you can take out extra cover for your valuables such as iPODs, cameras, jewellery, etc. Their online application form is very simple to use and they will give you a quote within a few minutes, with no obligation. They accept most of the major credit cards. Please click on the image below to get your quote:
Privacy policy
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For each visitor to our Web site, our Web server does not record any personal details other than those volunteered by the consumer in our online forms. On these forms you may be asked for personal information such as your name and address, your e-mail address, and your land, fax and mobile telephone numbers. This information is only used by us in relation to your order or in relation to your request for information about our services. Cookies are used on the forms only to remember the fields you have filled in, so that they will be filled in automatically if you return to the form at a later date.
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No information we hold about you is communicated to a third party without first asking your express permission. There are only two instances when we may wish to communicate your personal details to a third party:
1. When a customer asks us for references from previous customers, in which case we shall always ask for the express permission from the previous customer before sending their name and contact details to the prospective customer.
2. When we wish to publish a customer’s testimonial on our Web site, in which case we shall always ask for the express permission from the customer before publishing their testimonial online. Testimonials will be published online only with the customer’s name and country of origin. No contact details will be provided whatsoever.
On occasions, we may write to alert customers to new offers and changes to prices or other specifications of specific services they have previously asked about. If you do not want to receive e-mails from us in the future, please let us know by sending us an e-mail with your request.
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Upon request, by e-mail, we will provide site visitors with access to all information (including proprietary information) that we maintain about them, transaction information (e.g., dates on which customers made purchases, amounts and types of purchases) that we maintain about them, communications that the consumer/visitor has directed to our site (e.g., e-mails, customer enquiries), contact information (e.g., name, address, phone number) that we maintain about them, and a description of information that we maintain about them. Upon request, by e-mail, we also offer visitors the ability to have inaccuracies corrected in contact information, transaction information, and communications that the consumer/visitor has directed to the site.
At no time do we ask for your credit card details, as payment by credit card can be only through PayPal's secure payment server.