Pearls of Dalmatia

Great trip overall. Especially enjoyed fellow travelers , guides and crew. Some areas fir improvement : good nothing to write home about. Fresher food is suggested. Guide and captain pivoted well when weather changed but had hoped for more off boat swimming versus in harbor hanging out. Bikes very well maintained. We asked about helmets but did not get clear answer do brought our own - a pain. Boat was great.

Guides, crew, views, food, island towns and villages, route planning, light courteous vehicular traffic, all contributed to a superlative experience. The bikes provided were excellent. The e-bikes were so speedy up the frequent long uphill climbs! Fit individuals on traditional bikes played catch-up.

we enjoyed every aspect of this trip
the only part I would question or criticize is the below deck berths : so appreciated the piped in air...at first was afraid of potential asphyxiation - ? where is this air coming from ?...by 7:30 in morning & with some clothes on I was way too warm & had to leave..other passengers said same...how will it be in warmer weather ?

from moment we arrived and greeted by Annie from sister boat we knew we were in good hands

Enjoyed riding and visiting the islands, they were just beautiful. The crew of the Romantica were very attentive and friendly. The food was fantastic at every meal.

Srdan was a great guide. He grew up in Split and had spent a lot of time on the islands visiting grandparents. So he knew all the spots we visited very well. The ride on Korcula was the hardest, but the most spectacular. The sweeping coastal views were great. The rides were very doable with e-bikes, but certainly more challenging if not using an e-bike. Expect a lot of hills, some of which are long and steep. The typical route is up and over to the other side vs. around the exterior of the island. Chances to swim in the Adriatic sea were also great. Croatia doesn't tend to have sandy beaches, but the water is very clean and clear. Beautiful.

We did miss one of the rides on Hvar, due to a weather issue, but were able to do the afternoon ride on the other side of the island. With our guide's knowledge of the islands, he was able to add an extra ride on Brac for us.

Our cabin was above the water line which allowed better airing and easy drying of biking gear on the lines outside. Cabins are small but efficient. Breakfasts were typical European breakfasts and excellent. Would have preferred the ability to make a packed lunch (like we did on the Moselle River trip). Some of our lunches were supplied (instead of dinner) but were dinner sized. A bit too heavy for me, but that might be a Canadian thing. Usually I have a lighter lunch and a bigger dinner. One suggestion, for the operators, would be to add a coffee and tea machine as a complimentary feature. Warm water does not make great tea. Overall this was an excellent trip and I'd recommend it.

Wow! Hands down, one of our best vacations ever!! Everything was memorable . . . gorgeous landscapes (new eye candy every day!), beautiful weather (Sept. 20 - 27) - 70's and sunny, challenging exercise, exquisite meals, dipping in the crystal clear Adriatic . . . and, best of all, getting to know our terrific guides, Romantica staff, and travel mates from all around the globe (Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Canada, and the U.S.).
My husband (70) and I (64) love to bike ride, but we weren't quite sure what to expect on this trip in regards to elevation. The rides were tough, but so rewarding when finishing. I rode a regular bike 4 out of the 6 days; My husband rode a regular bike 5 out of the 6 days - it was so great that extra e-bikes were available so we had a choice on the most difficult days. Only 3 riders (out of the 26) rode regular bikes all 6 days.
We love adventure and active vacations . . . this trip was the best!!

Beautiful sites but people need to know that even with E-bikes, it was challenging due to hills. Only complaint was due to noise level , dining experience on board was unpleasant

When weather prevented our captain from sailing to two planned islands on the itinerary, it was Srdan (our guide) who had to revise plans for the day. He did a great job working on the fly!
We had a lovely group of travelers that knew how to have a good time!
The chefs have to be challenged preparing the amount of meals in a confined area. Breakfast was pretty standard every day, with an added boiled egg, scrambled eggs or French toast thrown in as an extra treat. They made an effort to present attractive meals.
It was disappointing not to be able to receive a cup of hot water for tea before bed, and wine is not available by the glass - only bottle.
For the shower you may want to pack a bar of soap. There is only a liquid soap dispenser at the sink.
We read the previous reviews suggesting an eBike. We are very happy we followed this suggestion. One day the ride had an elevation gain of 3K feet and another close to 2K feet.
Overall, we loved this boat/bike tour. Croatia is beautiful and discovering the islands was so much fun!

We had a wonderful time in Croatia staying on the Romantica and biking and touring the Islands! The food was delicious and the crew and guides did a fantastic job!
I recommend renting electric bikes because it is very hilly. But if you are up for a challenge the hybrid bikes are for you! Enjoy!

The guides were wonderful. We had a mix of regular bikers and power assist. Every bike trip provided us with amazing views, an opportunity to see a new island every day to experience the people, culture and cuisine. Since the temperature was 90+ degrees every day, I would recommend not going on regular bike for the months of July and August. The accommodations and food on the boat were comfortable and plentiful. We met many nice people and appreciated that the boat only had 28 guests onboard. The guides and captain provided us with ample opportunities to swim, relax and enjoy one another. Croatia is a wonderful country. We loved the geography, people, culture, and the relaxed atmosphere. Being on the bike/boat provided us with the opportunity to explore the country away from the massive crowds that we were in the major cities.

The guides were amazing! The trip was so well organized. Due to weather they had to make a quick decision to change our route and it went effortlessly. The food on the boat wasn’t very good - I suggest giving people some options rather than plating and serving. The bathrooms only have a porthole so they lacked ventilation and were very stuffy. The staff worked extremely hard. We made wonderful friends from all over the world. All in all we had a marvelous vacation!

Top trip of a lifetime … cycling guides Tara and Filip were fun, skilled, delightful; boat crew including bar master Goldie were attentive and professional; the meals were plentiful and yummy; the boat and bikes well maintained and comfortable. But mostly … exploring the breathtaking islands by cycle, meeting locals, dropping anchor to swim, the history and architecture, sailing the Dalmatian Adriatic, our fellow travelers — all of it was beyond beyond.

Best scenery , around every corner of the ride, was an Oooo and Ahhhh moment. An amazing way to see the Croatian Islands, and discover so much more than the often spoken about Dubrovnik and Split destinations. Cycling along scenic olive groves or amidst grapevines, and then the overwhelming views from atop our hilly climbs. Accompanied with our stays in the little ports of the islands.

While an avid cyclist, the climbs on the hills had me switch quickly over to an Ebike. As many others mentioned, the majority choose Ebikes, only 3 people muscled through without them on this ride. Hence I suggest the Ebike for a more enjoyable experience and vacation. Bikes were in good condition, and our lower cabin room while small, was more than comfortable.

The guides, Luka and Matt were great -KUDOS to them both ensuring we had a pleasant trip and more importantly muscling all the bikes on and off the boat every day. Remember this is a guided tour, hence no need for a daily route map is needed, though one is sent out via WhatsApp. (Fortunately the person I was with had it updated on their phone- so we could join the daily posts). We would have liked a bit more detailing of the rides the night before, or greater details of the days ride ahead so we could keep fresh in our minds, as apposed to during little stops. The hardworking boat crew were also friendly and the captain played his accordion during the captains dinner to everyone’s delight.

Two of the rides were a full day, though the others were partial days, allowing to enjoy the relaxing boat ride to our next port or bonus swims right off the boat into the Adriatic. Equally a surprise are the 3 guided tours, Split, Dubrovnik and Korkula, which we did not expect and very informative.

Make sure to bring cash or have a way to access cash as many places are cash only & will also be required for paying the drink tally at the end and any gratuities you wish to leave (2 envelopes are left on each riders bed- 1 for the crew and 1 for the guides to leave at one’s own discretion).

A bit of advice concerning the added water charge would be adding a water station and to suggest bringing a reusable water bottle ( or offer to sell a logo’d one), this would be more eco friendly as well, considering I know that on average I went through 3-5plastic water bottles a day. A complimentary self serve Coffee or a tea station would be an easy addition to the boats services. Equally mixing up the breakfast offerings would be appreciated, as by the 3rd day, the daily offering, yogurt, cereal and 2 meats, ham and salami with a cheese and bread became lackluster even with scrambled eggs being offered every other day. Otherwise the food was plentiful and enjoyable.

The communication with Tripsite was great, we have used them before and will continue to praise them to all our friends

Finally our fellow riders on the boat were all great, and many we still connect with.  SHOW MORE 

This is a delightful area to visit; the history of the walled cities along with the coastline, warm climate and great ride leaders made for an enjoyable trip. The climbs can be a bit challenging but e-bikes are available and they were the bikes of choice by 95% of the travelers. If you haven’t seen the “Pearls of Dalmatia”, you need to add it to your list or make it your next ride.

I had a great trip and meet some really fun new friends. Our upper level stateroom was pretty standard, small but comfortable. Itinerary was great and our guides were very accommodating, making a special stop at an olive mill per the request of a couple of our passengers. E-bikes were in good operating order and were a must for all but one person on our trip. We did a lot of uphill climbs, one was really steep, the rest just long and steady uphill. Probably due to the terrain/hills, most rides were on the shorter side (less than 20 miles for the day). Food was plentiful, but poor quality, vegetable soup without any trace of vegetables, thin chicken cutlets that were over cooked, and a main course of pasta daily. I ended up stopping at a grocery for snacks to bring onboard.

Our guides Ana and Bubi were most memorable; they were excellent and made us feel safe and informed. Ana is a gifted leader who always had a smile on her face.

The meals were nutritious and tasty; the portions were large ( often larger than needed). The crew and cooks worked very hard to make us comfortable and taken care of. The boat was clean and well maintained despite being older than the Harmonia.

The boat could’ve used chairs at the upstairs table so we could sit together there. One bench was good, but chairs are needed. Perhaps a wifi booster could be added in the captain’s helm so rooms at the front of the boat could stay connected.

Just returned form a Pearls of Dalmatia on board the Romantica. I am very disappointed. The food we were served was less than acceptable. Vegetable soup without any vegetables (none, zero), chicken noodle soup with no chicken or noodles, thin chicken filet (2 nights) that would have been fine had they not been over cooked (think shoe leather), a lot, lot of pasta. Coffee & tea were complimentary with breakfast only, any other time, lunch, dinner or in between, there was a surcharge. However, there was plenty of bottled drinking water..good thing as you pay cash on board $60 euros per person for water.

Guides were friendly, stateroom was standard bike & barge size & layout. I would have preferred more riding, but what we did was good, certainly challenging. Bikes were in good working order.