Deluxe Cruise Divine Dalmatia; Dubrovnik Round-Trip 7nts

Route: Dubrovnik - Slano - Mljet - Makarska - Pucisca - Split - Bol - Hvar - Korcula - Dubrovnik

Most round-trip cruises in Croatia start in Split. This one starts and finishes in Dubrovnik, which makes it the easy choice if you are flying in and out of the south and do not want to spend a day travelling up the coast and back.

It also takes in more of central Dalmatia than a typical week. After an afternoon start you sail to the fishing village of Slano and head inland for a heritage dinner at Smokovljani, where the meal comes from the farm's own olive, fig and vegetable groves. Mljet follows, with a swim in the salt lakes of the National Park and the boat to the island monastery. Makarska, under the Biokovo mountains, hosts the Captain's Dinner.

Day four takes you to Pucisca on Brac, home of the white stone used across the Adriatic, for a visit to one of Europe's last stonemasonry schools, then on to Split for a guided walk through Diocletian's Palace. The next day calls at Zlatni Rat beach at Bol before a guided walk in Hvar. Korcula, the walled town of Marco Polo, has a guided tour and an optional village dinner, and the last day returns to Dubrovnik for a guided walk, the cable car up Mount Srd and an evening performance by the Lindo Folklore Ensemble.

You travel on a Deluxe Superior ship with air-conditioned ensuite cabins on the Upper, Main and Lower Decks and a sun deck jacuzzi. Breakfast and lunch are daily, plus a Welcome Dinner, the Smokovljani dinner and the Captain's Dinner, along with wine and olive oil tastings. Mljet park entry, the cable car, the folklore show and airport transfers are all included. Departures are few each year, so it suits travellers who plan early.