The Small Cruise Ship Collection Booking Conditions
Please read the following booking conditions carefully as, together with your confirmation invoice and the information in the brochure and on our website (www. small-cruise-ships.com), they set out the terms and conditions of the contract between the client (“you” and “your”) and Wild Earth Travel UK Limited, trading as The Small Cruise Ship Collection with registered office address at 11-13 Maylord Street, Hereford, Herefordshire, England, HR1 2DS, company number 09329563 (“we”, “us” and “our”) in relation to your holiday, including any cruise, hotel stay and any other element of your holiday that you book with us. In addition, conditions of carriage of the cruise operator and any other third party supplier will also apply (copy available at the time of booking or on request from us, see Section “Supplier’s Conditions”).
1. Your Contract
All holidays advertised in our brochure and website are subject to availability. For all bookings, no contract will exist between you and us until we have confirmed the contract by issuing our confirmation invoice which includes details of your holiday, itinerary, deposit paid and balance due. Your contract is between us and each person over 18 years of age who is listed in the booking confirmation. By making the booking with us, the person that makes the booking on behalf of his/her party (the “lead name”), is deemed to have accepted these booking conditions on behalf of all of the persons listed on the confirmation invoice and warrants that he/she is authorised on behalf of those persons to enter into the contract.
2. Your Booking
Depending on the holiday you wish to book, there may be a minimum age for persons travelling (we will advise you when you book). The lead name on a booking, must always be a minimum age of 18 and must provide full name and date of birth as per the details in the passports of the persons travelling in that booking. The lead name is responsible for payment of the total booking price, including any insurance premiums and subsequent cancellation or amendment charges that may be payable. He or she also agrees to provide accurate and full information to the remainder of the travelling party in relation to the booking, including any changes thereto. Cruise operators may stipulate minimum passenger ages for bookings and for cabins so please make the appropriate enquiries with us before you book. Most cruise operators will refuse permission for children aged 6 months or less (in some cases 12 months or less) to board the ship. Neither we nor the cruise operator shall have any liability for any consequences of such a refusal.
3. Insurance And medical expenses
All booked clients must obtain travel insurance to cover personal injury, medical expenses, third party risk, baggage loss, damage, cancellation and curtailment of travel and medical evacuation and repatriation. Evacuation costs from the Antarctic Peninsula can be more than $US100,000 plus medical costs, so if you are travelling to the Antarctic, please choose your insurance company carefully. Any cost or expense which is reasonably incurred by us for or on your behalf in respect of any form of medical or similar treatment, hotel, transportation, repatriation or any other expense shall be repayable by you to us, whether or not such sum is covered by your insurance. We reserve the right to take any action that we consider appropriate to recover any such cost or expense.
4. Prices
We reserve the right to vary particulars and prices shown in our brochure and on our website at any time after the date of publication. Prices, discounts, supplements and special offers advertised in the brochure or elsewhere may be withdrawn or changed. Prices may go up or down. We may only amend the price of your holiday after issuing your confirmation invoice in accordance with Section headed Surcharges. Prices for flight-inclusive holidays will include the amount which we are required to pay to the Civil Aviation Authority as part of the ATOL Protection Contribution (“APC”). If you choose to cancel you flight the APC will not be refundable in any circumstances.
5. Payment
All fares are payable in pounds sterling, as listed in our brochure and on our website .A deposit of 20-30% with a minimum of £300 (Depending on the cruise) will be required to make a booking with us or occasionally up to 100% to access an early booking discount. Payment of your deposit does not mean that you have a contract with us – a contract only exists when we issue the confirmation invoice (see Section 1 above). We will generally require payment of the balance 100 days before your departure date although in some cases we may require this to be paid earlier depending on the particular cruise and this will be advised when you book and confirmed in your booking confirmation. If you do not pay the balance by the due date we have the right to treat your booking as cancelled and keep your deposit. Payment must be made bycheque, bank transfer, debit or credit card.
Flights usually have to be paid in full in advance, and some other services (hotels, transfers etc) may also have to be paid in full in advance.
6. Method of payment
We accept most debit and credit cards - Some cards (Corporate cards or cards issued outside of the UK) may incur a handling fee. The handling fee will be equal to the fee charged for the payment for that card transaction, which will be advised at the time of payment of your payment - There is no fee for deposits. This fee is non-refundable. You can pay by bank transfer - our bank details are on our invoices or can be provided by our office. We also accept cheques provided that cleared funds are received by us by the balance due date. We reserve the right to cancel tickets after issue if payment is declined or incorrect cardholder details and billing information have been supplied to us.
7. Financial protection
We are a member of the Travel Trust Association (“TTA”) and all monies that you pay to us in respect of your holiday will be deposited into a bank account designated to hold your money on trust until your holiday with us has completed. The Travel Protection Plan covers every service which you have booked from a travel company whether it be for transport, accommodation, entertainment or recreation. It involves two aspects, firstly the Trust account operated for your benefit. The money may only be released from the Trust to pay for the services which you have booked. Secondly, there is further protection from a guarantee, the TTA will guarantee the financial obligation of its members to repay such sum to you for up to a maximum anyone passenger of £11,000. So if you paid £2,000 we guarantee we will reimburse the loss of the £2,000, where it is not available for you from the Trust account.
Therefore, the Trust Account plus the guarantee will ensure that all the money which you have paid is safely protected and available to reimburse the money paid. When you make a booking, you will be supplied with a guarantee certificate – you can see the terms of our guarantee at www.Traveltrust.co.uk/guarantee
The terms of the TTA guarantee can be found on the TTA website www.traveltrust.co.uk/guarantee. All the flight-inclusive holidays provided by us are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the travel services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances, the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL Scheme (or against your credit card issuer, where applicable). If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme. Payments made to our agents in respect of flight-inclusive holidays are held by the agent on behalf and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust at all times, but subject to the agent’s obligation to pay it to us for so long as we do not fail. If we fail, any money held at that time by the agent or subsequently accepted from the consumer by their agent, is and continues to be held by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation to pay that money to us.
8. Special requests
If you have a special request for anything that is not included in the travel arrangements that you book through us, please advise us when you book and we will pass this information on to the companies we work with. Our note of your request on your confirmation invoice/receipt only confirms that we have received it and does not guarantee that we, the cruise operator or other relevant supplier, can meet with your request. We must emphasise that verbal confirmations of special requests cannot be taken as a guarantee that they will be met e.g. special meal types on flights, or hotel room or cruise cabin number requests. We will not pay compensation for failing to meet a special request unless we have confirmed separately in writing that it is definitely available.
9. Twin shares
Cruise passengers travelling on their own but not wishing to pay a single supplement may sometimes be asked to share a twin or triple cabin with passengers of the same sex (subject to availability). Should the operator provide hotel accommodation, this will be on the same share basis. If a booking is accepted on this basis but we are unable to accommodate you in a twin share, then a cabin with sole occupancy will be provided, or a double for a triple share, and no single supplement will be payable.
10. Fitness for travel
You must inform us before you book if you have any health impairments, medical conditions, disabilities or mobility problems that might affect your ability to proceed with travel. We may require you to complete a medical questionnaire, provide a doctor’s certificate or such other documentation relating to such disability, medical/mobility problem or condition or fitness to travel as we or our suppliers consider necessary before any booking can be made. We reserve the right to decline any booking if we consider that the holiday you want to book would not be appropriate for you taking into account any such health or medical conditions, disability or mobility problems (see also Section 11 below). In addition, you may not be permitted to participate in certain activities or programs either on board the ship or onshore at ports of call if to do so would create a risk of harm to yourself or any other person. You acknowledge that medical care while on a cruise ship may be limited or delayed and that the ship may travel to destinations where medical care is unavailable. We and our third party cruise operators reserve the right to refuse passage if, in our opinion, you or any member of your party is unfit for travel or in a condition which may constitute a danger to yourself or themselves or others on board. We cannot be held responsible if you fail to tell us about a special needs/requirements that will affect your holiday experience and this means we will not compensate you if an incident does occur.
11. Disabled travellers and passengers with reduced mobility
Some of our trips may not be suitable for disabled or passengers with reduced mobility. Please discuss your specific needs with us before you book. In addition, due to the small size of the majority of the cruise ships we offer and the safety constraints of the ships, as well as certain international safety requirements, shipbuilding requirements and/or applicable regulations, we may not be able to accommodate mobility impaired persons or persons with severely impaired sight and/or hearing. If you use a wheelchair and the third party operator of your cruise confirms to us that a wheelchair can be accommodated on board the ship, you must furnish your own standard size wheelchair and be accompanied by a travelling companion fit and able to assist you. For convenience and comfort collapsible wheelchairs are strongly recommended. Standard cabins on cruise ships are not designed to be barrier free and wheelchair accessible. Cruise ships’ wheelchairs, if supplied, are for emergency use only]. We and our third party cruise operators reserve the right to refuse passage to you if you fail to notify us and our third party cruise operators of such disabilities or need for assistance.
12. Pregnancy
You must advise us before booking if anyone in your party is pregnant and you must advise us at any time after booking if you become aware that anyone in your party is pregnant. Ships may not have adequate medical facilities for childbirth on board and generally ships will not carry you if you have entered or passed a certain week of pregnancy at any point in your cruise and in some cases, may not agree to carry you. All pregnant women who travel with us must produce a doctor’s or midwife’s letter stating that mother and baby are in good health, fit to travel and that the pregnancy is not high-risk. The letter must also include the estimated date of delivery (EDD) as calculated from both the last menstrual period (LMP) and ultrasound if this has been performed. We cannot accept a booking or subsequently carry you unless you comply with this section. If you are pregnant and made a booking (or made a booking on behalf of a pregnant passenger) before it could reasonably have been known that you or the passenger would not be able to join the cruise, if we can obtain a refund or part refund of the cruise element of your booking from the cruise operator, we will pass this onto you, but we shall otherwise have no liability whatsoever to you, to provide a refund of other arrangements you have booked with us (such as flights or accommodation). We and our third party cruise operators expressly reserve the right to refuse passage on board to you if you appear to be in an advanced state of pregnancy and we shall not have any liability whatsoever in respect of either such refusal and/or your carriage.
13. Surcharges – Price increases After Booking
After you have booked, the price of your cruise holiday may change due to changes in transportation costs, including the cost of fuel, dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports and exchange rates. However there will be no change within 30 days of your departure. We will absorb and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your holiday, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges, and you will be charged for the amount over and above that. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your cruise holiday, you will have the option of accepting a change to another holiday if we are able to offer one (if this is of equivalent or higher quality you will not have to pay more but if it is of lower quality you will be refunded the difference in price), or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all monies paid, except for any amendment charges. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on the amended confirmation invoice. We will consider refunding insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy. Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your holiday cost, then any refund due will be paid to you. However, please note that holidays are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your cruise holiday due to contractual and other protection in place.
14. Changes made By us or Cancellation By us Before travel
We try to avoid making changes to your holiday once you have booked but from time to time we may have to and we will tell you as soon as possible. If the change we make significantly alters an essential term of your contract or if we cancel your holiday, you will have the following rights: either to take an alternative holiday of equivalent or closely similar standard and price if we can offer you one; or take a less expensive holiday if we can offer you one, in which case we will refund the difference in price; or if you prefer, you can cancel your holiday and we will attempt to recoup your funds from the cruise operator, except for any amendment charges, the cost of insurance we have taken out on your behalf to provide financial security for your booking, any flight booking fees paid and a £40 per person administration fee. You must advise us of the option you want to take as soon as possible.
We will not recompense you for any arrangements not booked by The Small Cruise Ship Collection, including but not limited to, flights, hotels, transfers and travel insurance.
15. Changes requested by you
If you want to change any of the travel arrangements you have booked, we will try to help you, however this is always subject to availability and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do this. Whilst accommodation changes may be possible, changes to your cruise or other transport will not usually be permitted by the cruise or other transport operator. Flights booked with us are usually non-refundable and non-changeable. Changes such as name changes, destination and date changes can be treated by suppliers as a cancellation and rebooking and so these could incur a cost of up to 100% of the ticket price, which we would pass on to you. In addition to any difference in price for the changed arrangements, you must also pay an amount to cover our administration costs. Our administration charges are currently £40 for each person on the booking and for each item that you want to change. Also note that the transport provider may refuse to issue replacement tickets for lost or stolen tickets and new tickets may have to be purchased by you. The cost of the new ticket may be greater than the cost of the original ticket.
16. Cancellation By you
You are entitled to cancel your holiday at any time by notice to us in writing. Cancellation charges will apply and will vary depending on how much notice you give us. Cancellation before 100 days prior to your cruise will mean loss of deposit. If you notify us less than 100 days before your departure date, 100% of the price for your holiday will usually be due as a cancellation charge. Flights are non-refundable irrespective of when you notify us. We will apply charges from the date we receive the notice from you. If you do cancel, you must still pay any insurance premiums and administration charges, which arose before the cancellation.
17. Changes made after travel
If, after your departure, a significant part of your holiday cannot be provided, you will be offered a suitable alternative if possible. If it is not possible to offer you a suitable alternative or, for good reasons, you do not accept the alternative arrangements, we will return you to the place of your departure. If appropriate, we will also pay you compensation, unless your return has been due to any circumstances listed in the Section “Circumstances Beyond Our Control”. The amount of compensation will be reasonable, taking account of all the circumstances.
18. Circumstances Beyond our Control
Except where we say differently elsewhere in these conditions, we cannot pay any compensation, reimburse expenses, or cover losses for any amount or otherwise accept responsibility if, as a result of circumstances beyond our control, we have to change your cruise holiday after departure, or we, or our suppliers, cannot supply your holiday, as we, or they, had agreed, or you suffer any loss or damage of any description. When we refer to circumstances beyond our control, we mean any event that we, or the supplier in question, could not foresee or avoid, even after taking all reasonable care. Such circumstances will usually include, but are not limited to, war, terrorist activity, civil unrest, industrial dispute, disease and bad weather (actual or threatened). Cruise ships are also at liberty to deviate from the advertised route and to call (or omit to call) at any port or place to tow and assist vessels and to offer or render assistance to preserve life or property or for any other reason or purpose which in the judgment of the Master of the ship (whether alone or acting on advice from others) is reasonable including, but not limited to, weather conditions, operational matters, the medical condition of anyone on board or the safety, comfort or convenience of passengers. Such deviation shall not give rise to any liability on our part and shall not represent a significant change to the holiday.
19. Contagious or infectious diseases Affecting your Cruise
The cruise operator may refuse to embark or may disembark at any port or place any customer who, in the opinion of the ship’s Master, ship’s medical personnel or other authorised ship’s officer, might be excluded from landing by Immigration or other Governmental Authorities at the destination or who may be suffering from contagious or infectious disease or whose presence, in the opinion of the Master, may be detrimental to the comfort or safety of other customers or the crew. In such cases you shall not be entitled to any refund of the cruise holiday cost or compensation of any kind. Additionally, we will have no liability for any costs or expenses you incur as a result. In cases of quarantine of the ship involving your detention, you must bear all risk and expense thereby caused and will be charged for food and accommodation during the period of detention, payable day by day, if maintained on board the ship, and for all other quarantine fees and expenses assessed or incurred by you.
20. Our liability to you
a. Our obligations and those of our suppliers providing your holiday included in your contract with us, are to take reasonable skill and care to arrange for the provision of your holiday and, where we or our supplier is actually providing the service or facilities forming part of your holiday, to provide them with reasonable skill and care. Compliance with any applicable regulatory requirements will be proper performance of our, and our suppliers’, obligations. However, reasonable skill and care does not necessarily mean compliance with each and every local law and regulation, particularly where these impose absolute obligations. You must show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make any claim.
b. Subject to Sections 20a) & 20c), should any part of your holiday not be as described in the relevant brochure, on our websites or elsewhere by us (as applicable to your method of booking) we will have liability to you and we will, subject to Sections 20d), 20e) & 20h), pay you reasonable compensation. The maximum we will pay you in any circumstances is twice the price of the holiday. This maximum will only be payable when every aspect of your holiday has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit from your holiday. Any sums received by you from suppliers will be deducted from any sum paid to you as compensation by us. We don’t limit our liability in relation to any personal injury or death as a result of an activity forming part of your holiday (excluding Overseas Booked Excursions see Section entitled “Excursions”) due to our failure to use reasonable skill and care.
c. Notwithstanding other paragraphs in this Section 20, we shall not be liable to the extent that the cause of the failure in your holiday or any death or personal injury you may suffer is not due to any fault on our part or that of our servants, agents or suppliers because it is either attributable to you, or attributable to someone unconnected with the cruise holiday and is unforeseeable or unavoidable; or because the failure is due to unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, or due to an event which neither we, nor our servants, agents or suppliers could have foreseen or forestalled.
d. International Conventions in respect of international air travel include the Warsaw Convention 1929 (including as amended by the Hague Protocol 1955 and by any additional Montreal Protocols of 1975 and 1999 or otherwise) or the Montreal Convention 1999 (for international travel by air and/or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country, which the EC Regulations on Air Carrier Liability No 889/2002 for national and international travel by air has given effect to). Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or is based on any flight arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the aircraft concerned) provided by any air carrier where we have arranged the flight as part of our contract, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or part of claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is limited to the most the carrier concerned would have to pay under the International Convention or Regulations which applies to the flight in question. Please note: for all such claims (including those involving death or personal injury) where the carrier is not obliged to make any payment to you under the applicable International Convention or Regulation (including where the claim is not notified or issued in accordance with the time limits stipulated) we are similarly not obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money that you have received or are entitled to receive from the airline for the complaint or claim in question. Please note that strict time limits apply for notifying loss, damage or delay of luggage to the airline. Any proceedings in respect of any claim (including one for personal injury or death) must be brought within 2 years of the date stipulated in the applicable Convention or Regulation.
e. Carriage of passengers and their luggage by sea is governed by the Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and Their Luggage by Sea 1974 (as amended) (“the Athens Convention”) and this applies to the cruise element of your holiday as well as the process of getting on or off the ship concerned. You can get copies of this Convention if you ask us. The Athens Convention is expressly incorporated into these booking conditions and our liability for death or personal injury or for loss of or damage to luggage arising out of carriage by sea shall be determined accordingly. In most cases, the Athens Convention limits the carrier’s liability for death or personal injury or loss of or damage to luggage and makes special provision for valuables. It presumes that luggage has been delivered undamaged to you unless you give us or the cruise operator written notice: (i) in the case of apparent damage, before or at the time of disembarkation or redelivery of luggage; (ii) in the case of damage which is not apparent or of loss, within 15 days from the date of disembarkation or redelivery or from the time when such redelivery should have taken place. Any damages payable by us up to the Athens Convention limits shall be reduced in proportion to any contributory negligence by you and by the maximum amount deductible as specified in Article 8 (4) of the Athens Convention.
f. All carriage (by land, air and sea) is subject to the terms and conditions of carriage of the actual carrier (which may be our third party cruise supplier or their subcontractor). Such terms may limit or exclude liability, are expressly incorporated into these booking conditions and also form the terms and conditions of separate contracts between you and the particular carrier as contained in the carrier’s ticket which is provided to you before your scheduled departure date. You can get copies of the relevant terms and conditions if you ask us.
g. Notwithstanding that the cruise is performed on a cruise ship not owned by us, it is agreed that we shall at all times nevertheless be deemed a ship owner for the purposes of the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims 1976 (as amended by the Protocol of 1996 or otherwise and as in force in any relevant jurisdiction from time to time), and so are entitled to limit our liability under its terms.
h. You must assist us in recovering from any third party any sum which may compensate us for any sums we pay you. In particular, you are obliged to assign to us any rights that you may have against any other person whose acts or omissions have caused or contributed to our legal liability to pay you compensation. You must also provide us with all assistance we may reasonably require. Finally, you must follow the procedures for the notification of complaints set out in the clause below entitled “If You Have A Complaint”.
i. If you or any member of your party suffers during your holiday any difficulty through misadventure as a result of any activity which does not form part of your contracted holiday arrangements, we will offer you prompt assistance. All assistance (financial or otherwise) is subject to our reasonable discretion and a maximum total cost to ourselves of £1,000 per booking and is subject to you notifying us that you require such assistance within 30 days of the incident. If you are entitled to have any costs and expenses arising from such an incident met by or from any insurance policy or if you obtain a costs order against anyone in relation to the incident, you must repay to us the costs and expenses we spend in assisting you.
j. Other than as set out above, we shall have no legal liability whatsoever to you for any loss, damage, personal injury or death which you suffer arising directly or indirectly from any aspect of your cruise holiday.
21. delay to or Cancellation of flight
Notwithstanding Section 20, where a flight is cancelled or delayed. or boarding denied by the carrier in circumstances which would entitle you to compensation under the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004, you must claim the appropriate sums under those Regulations from the air carrier. Any sums received constitute the full amount of your entitlement to compensation for all matters flowing from the carrier’s actions and which fall within the scope of the Regulations. If for any reason you do not claim against the carrier and make a claim for compensation from us, you must, at the time of payment of any compensation to you, make a complete assignment to us of the rights you have against the carrier in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment.
22. Baggage
The amount of compensation that the ship operator or we will pay for any loss or damage to luggage is limited in accordance with the Athens Convention listed in the above and below sections on ‘Our Liability to You’. For claims for missing or damaged baggage you must follow the rules on the back or your ticket or contained within the carrier’s conditions of carriage.
23. Suppliers’ Conditions
Our third party cruise operators and other suppliers may have their own booking conditions and conditions of carriage and you will be bound by these, so far as the relevant supplier is concerned. The suppliers’ conditions will also apply to your contract with us, and in the event of any conflict between the suppliers’ conditions and our conditions, the suppliers’ conditions will prevail, save to the extent that any term in the suppliers’ conditions is deemed to be invalid or unenforceable, in which event our conditions will prevail. Some of our suppliers’ conditions may limit or exclude liability on the part of the relevant operator and, by virtue of their application to your contract with us, may also limit or exclude our liability to you, and are often subject to International Conventions. Where relevant, copies of such conditions are available on request from our office or on the website of the relevant operator.
24. Ticketing
Your tickets and any other documents relating to your booking will be sent to the address which you give us at the time of booking, or may be delivered by e-mail in the form of an e-ticket if you supplied an e-mail address at the time of booking. Provided you have paid the total cost of the travel arrangements, we will endeavour to dispatch your tickets to you at least 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the holiday you have booked with us. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU CHECK ALL DETAILS OF YOUR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS BEFORE LEAVING THE UK. IF THERE ARE ANY INACCURACIES OR YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUERY PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY.
25. Travel timings
All means of transportation including your cruise are subject to weather conditions and the need for constant maintenance and the ability of passengers to check in on time. There is no guarantee that transport will depart at the times stated on any itinerary or tickets which you receive. All timings are estimates only, and we do not have any liability to you for any delay, which may arise, or for any schedule alterations. It is your responsibility to ensure that you reconfirm the departure date and times of all flights at least 72 hours before departure. This is particularly important in respect of subsequent journeys after you have left the UK.
26. Embarkation And Check-in
To comply with Government and security requirements, cruise ship operators will require you to register your details with them in advance of travel and may also ask you to complete an online check-in process. We will include details of advance registration and online check-in procedures (as applicable to each cruise operator) on your confirmation invoice or with your tickets where known but it is your responsibility to check the relevant cruise operator’s registration and check in process. Failure to submit the requested information accurately and in full may result in delays at the cruise terminal and you may be denied boarding onto the cruise ship. We accept no responsibility for such consequences. Please also note carefully information regarding embarkation times and departure times of your cruise ship. You are advised to be on board the ship a minimum of 2 hours before the departure time (in some cases 1 hour before departure time is permitted at ports of call but check with the cruise operator first).
27. Own travel Arrangements
Customers who make their own travel arrangements take responsibility for those arrangements and we shall have no liability in respect of those arrangements. It is your responsibility to ensure that you arrive at the port of embarkation for a ship on time. If you do not arrive to embark on time at any port or place then we shall have no liability in respect of the consequences. In respect of cruises, the cruise operators shall not be obliged to delay or deviate from the intended itinerary and you must bear any and all costs arising as a result. Costs associated with transportation to rejoin the cruise ship such as, but not limited to, Government fees, visa fees, subsistence, lodging, air fare, launch fare, car hire or agency fees shall be borne by you. If you fail to check in on time, the airline is entitled to refuse to allow you to board the flight. We cannot accept responsibility if such a situation arises and, whilst we endeavour to assist you in making alternative travel arrangements, any cost or loss incurred as a result will be your responsibility. If you fail to check in at all for your flight from the UK, we retain the right to cancel any other arrangements you have booked with us. No refund can be made for any unused arrangements.
28. Gratuities And service
Charges Cruise operators’ policies regarding on board gratuities and/ or service charges for the services provided by their staff vary. Most cruise operators apply one or more of the following policies: gratuities or service charges may be left to your discretion; a daily charge may be automatically added to your on board account which can be removed on request; a charge may be included in the price of our cruise holidays, which you pay in advance of travel. Where this applies it may be possible to ask for the charge to be removed and added to your on board ship account. Some cruise operators may apply a compulsory daily service charge to your on board account but do not expect you to tip at all during the cruise. Whichever scheme the cruise operator uses, you will be required to abide by their gratuity/service charge policy and must settle your account in full before disembarking the ship at the end of your cruise. Where we are made aware of a cruise operators policy on gratuities or service charges details will be provided either at the time of booking, on our invoices or with the cruise operators tickets.
29. Travel Advice
For up to date UK Government health and travel advice (including passport and visa requirements) please contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Unit. The FCO may have issued information about your holiday destination. You are advised to check this information on the FCO website: visit www.fco.gov.uk. Alternatively call 0845 8502829.
30. Passports And visas (British Citizens) And health requirements
It is your responsibility to ensure that you and all those travelling with you have a valid passport and any necessary visa and that you have obtained any necessary vaccinations to gain entry to any country you are visiting. It can often take some time to obtain a passport or visa therefore you should apply well in advance. In peak periods it is advisable to allow at least 4 weeks. General information on passport and visa requirements for British Citizens is available through our website or within the details sent to you. However, passport and visa regulations and health requirements can change at any time, therefore, we recommend that you check passport/ visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country you intend to visit and that you consult your GP or the Foreign Office (www.fco.gov.uk) regarding health requirements or visit websites such as www.nathnac.org and www.hpa.org.uk for information. We will have no liability to you if you or any member of your party travel without the correct passport and visa or without the necessary vaccinations, and you will have to pay to us any costs which we incur through helping you because of any such failure on your part.
31. Your responsibility
We want all our customers to have an enjoyable and carefree trip. But you must remember that you are responsible for your actions and the effect they may have on others. If we (or another person in authority) believe your actions could upset other customers, our suppliers or our own staff, or put them in danger, your holiday/travel arrangements may be ended and this could mean we or our suppliers may either ask you to leave your booked accommodation, or prevent you from boarding the ship. Our suppliers will deny boarding or impose additional conditions of carriage on any passenger who, for example, is intoxicated and/or disruptive on board ship. If this happens, we will not pay compensation, make refunds, or cover any expenses you suffer as a result. If your behaviour or the behaviour of any members of your travelling party causes any ship to be diverted we and/or the carrier will hold you and those members jointly and individually liable for all costs incurred as a result of that diversion. We cannot accept liability for the behaviour of others in your accommodation or cruise ship, or for any facilities/services withdrawn as a result of their action.
32. Your safety And security
We expect at all times that you conduct yourself in a proper manner and with due regard for the health, safety, comfort, enjoyment and general well-being of all persons both on board the cruise ship and involved in the provision of any service or facility forming part of the cruise or any Excursion (including Overseas Booked Excursions or Pre-booked Excursions), and, by booking with us, you expressly agree to this. If it appears that your conduct, behaviour or health is such as to be a breach of this requirement or your behaviour, health or conduct is likely to endanger your own health or safety or that of any other passenger or crew or may make you likely to be refused permission to go ashore at any port or may make us liable for the costs of any medical treatment and/or maintenance and support and/or repatriation, then we and our third party cruise suppliers and/or the cruise ship’s Master shall have the right to take any one or more of the following measures as may appear to be reasonable and appropriate in the particular circumstances – 1. refuse to embark or to disembark you at any port or other place of call; 2. disembark you; 3. transfer you to another berth; 4. confine you to a particular stateroom or to the cruise ship’s medical centre (if applicable); 5. through the cruise ship’s doctor (if applicable) and/or his staff, administer any drug, medicine or other substance of a similar nature, or admit and/or confine you to a hospital or any similar institution at any port as the cruise ship’s doctor may consider necessary. In the event of any action taken pursuant to this section of the Booking Conditions, neither you nor (at our and our third party cruise supplier’s discretion) any other person travelling with you (whether or not under the same booking) shall be entitled to make a claim against us for any loss or expense incurred as a result of such action, whether for a full or partial refund of the price or for any other form of compensation or for the cost of returning to the UK or to any other place or for any other form of loss or expense whatsoever. Where you are repatriated pursuant to this section at our expense, we reserve the right to recover our costs.
33. Excursions
Excursions include, but are not restricted to, any sightseeing trips, events or other tours. Some excursions may be included in the price of your cruise and so form part of your cruise holiday package contract with us. Some excursions may not be included in the price of your cruise holiday and may be pre-bookable with us and paid for in advance of your holiday for an additional payment (“Pre-booked Excursions”). Some excursions can either be booked and/ or paid for on cruise ships (“Overseas Booked Excursions”). All excursions are supplied by third party suppliers and are subject to the section entitled “Suppliers’ Conditions” above. We accept, subject to the Sections entitled “Suppliers’ Conditions” and “Our Liability to You” above, responsibility for Pre-booked Excursions. However, Overseas Booked Excursions do not form part of your booking with us and are not governed by the Package Travel, Package Holiday and Package Tours Regulations 1992. We do not have any responsibility or liability whatsoever for anything which may go wrong on an Overseas Booked Excursion. We, our servants, employees or agents are acting, depending upon the actual Overseas Booked Excursion, either as agents for the relevant Overseas Booked Excursion supplier or as agent for you. In any event the contract for any Overseas Booked Excursion is between you and the Overseas Booked Excursion provider. It is your responsibility to note carefully any conditions of contract contained in any Overseas Booked Excursion, literature, ticket or receipt you are given. For Overseas Booked Excursions you may be subject to the laws of the country in which you take your excursion and may be required to bring any disputes or claims before the courts of that country also.
34. Guides And wildlife sightings
We reserve the right to substitute any named guide, guest lecturer or other escort with an alternative qualified person and this will be deemed a significant change to your holiday. It is not possible to guarantee any wildlife sightings.
35. Complaints
If you have a problem during your holiday, please inform the cruise operator or other relevant supplier as well as The Small Cruise Ship Collection, who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please follow this up within 28 days of your return home by writing to The Small Cruise Ship Collection at 11-13 Maylord Street, Hereford, Herefordshire, England, HR1 2DS or email us at info@small-cruise-ships. com giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. It is strongly recommended that you communicate any complaint to the supplier of the services as well as to our representative without delay and complete a report form at the time. If you fail to follow this simple procedure we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint whilst you were in resort and this may affect your rights under this contract.
36. Data protection
By making a booking with us, you agree we may use and disclose the information you provide for the following purposes: to enable us to process your booking (which will include passing your information to third party suppliers, such as hoteliers and airlines, and may involve sending your information to countries that do not have an equal level of privacy legislation to that in the UK); for market research and analysis purposes; for improving customer service; for the detection and prevention of fraud or other crime (which may include providing your information to organisations such as Banks and credit card companies); for compliance with legal requirements (which will include passing your information to public authorities such as customs and immigration) and for marketing contact by means of post or telephone to provide you with offers, products and services from The Small Cruise Ship Collection. If you have booked with us via our website, or if you have chosen for us to contact you by e-mail, we will communicate with you using the e-mail address you have provided to supply you with your travel documentation. We are entitled to assume that the e-mail address you have provided is correct and that you understand and accept the risks associated with using this form of communication. Please note that you may still need to contact us by post or via our call centre as required by our booking conditions. If you wish to make a data subject access request for a copy of any personal data we hold on you, please write to: The Small Cruise Ship Collection, 11-13 Maylord Street, Hereford, Herefordshire, England, HR1 2DS, or email us at [email protected]. If you wish to opt out of receiving marketing communications from us, please advise one of our sales consultants or make the appropriate opt out choices on the website when you book.
37. Law And jurisdiction
Your contract will be governed by English law and any disputes will be dealt with in the courts of England and Wales. If you live in Northern Ireland or Scotland, the courts of Northern Ireland or Scotland (as appropriate), can deal with any disputes.
Enjoyed the cruise. Food was good considering the size of the kitchen. Seating was a bit cramped.
We were "below stairs" and again the room was basic but spacious.
Having said all this the cruise was not expensive.
We thought the port fees should have been included in the price and tipping caused a lot of discussion. . Most people found it excessive especially those countries that don't tip. Liz B
Thanks for your message. We really enjoyed our trip on the Rembrandt Van Rijn and I think we’d give the overall holiday experience 8-9/10. We’d definitely recommend this trip to other people.
The plusses: everyone looked after us very well before departure and on the boat. The crew on board, and Jan and Chloe the guides, were excellent. Cabin space was quite small but as expected, and kept spotless by the team, as were all the other parts of the boat.
The food was plentiful and quite varied, and considering the facilities available, at a good standard. The bar was also well stocked!
The trips ashore were well planned and varied, and let us see some interesting parts of North Norway we wouldn’t otherwise have seen. Jan and Chloe gave us information about the day in good time to prepare, and also gave us excellent talks about the area and the wildlife, and they also had a number of documentaries to show us most evenings too. They couldn’t have been nicer to be around either.
We had two brilliant days with Orcas and Sperm whales and three fantastic Aurora evenings too, so that was beyond our wildest dreams, and we’ve got some great pictures for posterity. All the fellow passengers were friendly, and the number was just right (I think around 20?).
Minor minuses only: due to COVID we had to wear a mask on board for the entire time, except when eating or drinking, but that was beyond anyone’s control.
We probably didn’t read the “small print” carefully enough before booking, as there was more time out on the open sea, rather than in the calmer and more sheltered fjords, than we’d anticipated, and for several days we had very rough seas (force ten gales one day!) so we had to retire to our bunks with sea sickness tablets on several days. That was purely because the captain and Jan had to take us out to try and track down whales, so there was obviously a possibility of rough seas as a result.
Overall, a very enjoyable experience, and worth the money, and we’re delighted to have booked with you for this holiday.
Very well organized, run by professionals, comfortable, great food and facilities, great staff and beautiful sights.
We stayed on in Split for three nights which partly explains this belated reply. We would do it again which really says it all. In fact we are interested, not now but maybe in twelve months time, in a similar cruise if it was between Venice and Split. The northern half of the Croatian coast. We think we were lucky to have one of the best cabins (4) and we wouldn’t want any less comfort than that.
We liked the Diamond very much.The small but hard working crew were terrific. Our timing was good as the vast crowds around Dubrovnik and Split in July and August had eased and the weather was hot but not too hot. Most of our fellow guests were Canadian who are friendly and good mannered. We didn’t think the food was very good apart from breakfast. We longed for a salad bowl. Despite the advertisement that there was a fresh water fountain on the boat they were rather mean in handing out half litre because titles which we thought was penny pinching.
The concept of the 499 ton boat really appeals to us. We wouldn’t take a cruise on the ordinary leviathan. We loved Croatia and think we saw the best of it. We had a splendid holiday.
Robin
Thank you for your feedback Robin. The Water cooler should have been in operation, and water is free on these cruises in Croatia from 2020 onwards. Powell Ettinger, The Small Cruise Ship Collection
The small size of the sailing ship and the wonderful character of the crew made this a wonderful week packed with once in a lifetime views, excursions and food. I enjoyed it very much. I hope to do it again. Linda M
I’m just writing on behalf of Angela and myself to repeat our thanks for everything related to the cruise around Montenegro last week. We had really great service from you and your colleagues and we are particularly grateful that you both honoured our payments from 2020, without asking for a supplement, and also give us a cabin each as this boat only had double cabins. This was really generous of you and much appreciated, thank you. It was a really beautiful and spacious boat - the cabin and bathroom were so wonderfully large and there was lots of deck space for all activities. We were lucky being only eight passengers, so we were rather spoilt! We were also very lucky with the weather and so could enjoy the trip around the beautiful coastline and also the times ashore. The sea was rather too cold for me to do much swimming but others, tougher than I, did have a great time in the water in the sun.
We also want to repeat our thanks to the crew of four. They were all really professional and excellent at their jobs and also so very obliging - nothing was too much trouble. they were all such nice people and it was a pleasure for us to have them as our crew. I know that Boban is now on his last week’s cruise with the gulet and is leaving to run his own business, so please can you be sure to pass on our thanks to the crew before he leaves finally.
Anyway we were very glad indeed to have finally made it to Montenegro for this cruise - at the fourth attempt! It was worth the wait!
Best wishes
Sheila
A truly wonderful experience
We took a 7 night round trip cruise from Split on the Avangarde. It was an absolute delight. We were thoroughly looked after from the moment we arrived in the boat to the final transfer to our hotel at the end. The crew and tour manager were extremely good at what they do and showed great humor. The food was outstanding and cabins much for luxurious than I could have imagined for a small boat. There was a great balance between free time and organised excursions. I cannot recommend this cruise highly enough. Katherine A
It was a fantastic holiday I was travelling alone, but it didn't feel like that once I arrived the crew were great our meals were delicious there wasn't anything you could fault. Travelling on board a ship this size you meet and make friends easier and have a great time together.also you get to see of this beautiful country while having a great time. Tina L
A superb cruise from Split to Dubrovnik and back on Seagull. We had challenging weather to start with but the crew did everything to make sure we still had an amazing time .
Ship and cabin were comfortable and spotless, food delicious and we will treasure the memories of the Dalmatian Coast forever. Thank you . CM
I just wanted to drop a line to say what a fantastic trip we had on Kapetan Bota. We could not fault any aspect of our trip – the boat exceeded our expectations; the food was abundant and delicious and the crew was excellent. Kapetan Bota: Saturday, 23 September to Saturday, 30 September. JP
I thought it was a wonderful experience.
Very impressed by how Croatia presents itself to tourists.
There is a feeling of high quality and low ‘ tut’.
The boat was perfect although the fact that 18 guests ( instead of 40) clearly made for a more intimate and personalised experience with the crew.
The boat ( My Way) was great .
Our Captain Ante ( and owner) was very personable and in the events where he was at lunch or dinner - spoke extremely well and warmly promoted Croatia and hospitality .
My travel companion Heather had been allocated a cabin below deck ( although she had specifically asked for one with deck access) the captain was consulted - and she was immediately given a deck room which was good - as there was clearly available space .
The quality and quantity of food was outstanding… if a bit too much for small appetites . A 4 course lunch seems over the top , and def made us eat less for dinner in a local port . However - it was very conducive to drilling down into those friendships that happen in close quarters !
I will def recommend this mode of travel in Croatia to friends in Oz …. And will direct them to My Way and Small Cruise Ships.
Helen G
We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, all the ports and the food. The cabins were very average. Rene U
Just back from my week on board Elysium , I have to say, it was really great. Lovely atmosphere throughout, the crew was friendly and accommodating, nothing was too much trouble, and they all spoke English which made a change for me struggling to speak French or Turkish!!!
Great crew, fantastic food and the MV Myra was a very good layout. Would highly recommend. Brian D
I can't thank Small Cruise Ship Collection enough for their assistance in arranging my first Hurtigruten voyage along the coast of Norway in October, 2019. Although the ship's mechanical issues saw me returning home just a few days into the voyage, Small Cruise Ship Collection helped me quickly rebook the trip, using Hurtigruten's full refund and discount offer for my future booking. I just returned from a most amazing experience in Norway, and I thank Caroline of Small Cruise Ship Collection, in particular, for such superb assistance.
Dear Caroline, just writing to say the Croatian cruise aboard “ Admiral” was absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t fault it. The boat was immaculate, the crew so helpful and good fun, only 26 guests on board - a mixture of young and old but everyone blended in. Zoran our boat manager was an absolute gem and definitely made the cruise for me. He is so passionate about his country and so knowledgeable. His talks were a delight to listen to. The weather was fantastic the whole week and swimming off the boat was a delight. I could go and on! I will definitely be booking another cruise with your company hopefully to Alaska with my husband this time.
Thank you once again for all your help in making this a memorable trip.
Kind regards, Eileen .
A week in paradise on a luxury small ship. We were upgraded to a fabulous ship called Black Swan on a similar circuit from Split to Split in Croatia. The boat was amazing with everything you could wish for on board. The crew of 8 were very professional but at the same time friendly and chatty. The captain and his wife owned the boat and were also friendly with us all. The captains dinner was excellent with 2 live musicians.
We saw beautiful totally unspoilt islands,small fishing villages, ancient palaces and visited towns full of interesting history, all with a guide and "whisper" ear phones so we could all hear perfectly. We had plenty of free time in ports where we could go sightseeing, shopping or find a nice restaurant or bar. Our guide even arranged for us to do an exclusive 4 x 4 safari buggy tour in Dubrovnik that was not on this boats schedule but on our original one.
The food was really excellent, the boat kept immaculately clean at all times.
I particularly enjoyed the opportunity for swim stops or a tender ride to a deserted beach, even though it was October and late season. Something you do not get to do on a huge impersonal cruise ship!
At night in port the boats always raft up next to one another and its fun to go from boat to boat checking out what they all look like. We were not disturbed by this at all and the gaps between the various boats were not a problem to us, but could be to a disabled person.
I would recommend this type of holiday to anyone.... its so relaxing compared to a huge cruise ship and with only 36 people on board the guide makes sure from the very first evening that we all get to talk to one another and great friendships were formed. Our travelling companions nationalities were Americans, New Zealanders and Australians and we were the only 2 from Europe which we loved.
Everything went more than smoothly and I had a fantastic time on a fantastic ship with a fantastic crew. The scenery and wildlife (and weather) were stunning and I was so happy I waited for the right time to go (adding the Falklands and South Georgia was also definitely the right decision - what incredible places). Thank you for all your valuable support and patience!
Tim S
We really enjoyed our Split-Split Croatia cruise
The ten of us had an amazing time and quite possibly one of the best holidays I have experienced. RS
Hello Caroline, I'm sssooooo sorry to be so late in sending comments about our Small Ship Fantazija cruise from Split to Dubrovnik. The whole trip to celebrate our Golden Wedding was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS from beginning to end. Fantazija was a perfect size ,plenty of room to relax and have fun with all the guests. Our cabin was just lovely- Cabin 7 with access to the walkway. Everything clean, tidy, beautiful bedding and towels. A lovely bottle of wine from you for our anniversary- so kind.
We couldn't have had a better group of travellers- we bonded from the first meeting. We sailed early each morning before a hearty breakfast of various items- mmmmm tasty!! Each swim spot was amazing. Each port of call after lunch was wonderful. The arranged tours and trips were well organised and we were delighted with them all especially the visits to the Oyster Farm and the Wine Cellar.. A slight disappointment was not having complimentary tea or coffee during the day. Many ,many thanks for all your excellent arrangements. We cannot speak highly enough of our first Small Ship Cruise, a fabulous holiday to celebrate our special Golden Anniversary. Diolch o galon,thank you so much, H & D
Great holiday
We had a lovely week on the Esperanza . The guests all got in great and Ivana was a wonderful hostess.
Positives : Guests and the amazing Dalmnation coast
Negatives: Agritourism visit was nothing special and wine was borderline awful. Most guests felt this was something of a wasted evening in the middle of nowhere.
Food on the boat in particular fruit at breakfast and salads at lunch and dinner could have been more plentiful .
But all in all ... Great !
Thank you Conor I
I thoroughly enjoyed my recent Croatian cruise on board Moonlight. Everything was of a very high standard - the ship, the cabin, the crew, the destinations, the on board guide and the local guides, the meals... I can't fault anything. It was an outstanding trip and we were fortunate in having such congenial fellow passengers. Bernadine R
"A most amazing week spend on a beautiful boat. We cannot speak too highly of the attentiveness and professionalism of Captain Tok and his crew, the wonderful food, the amazing scenery, and overall cleanliness and comfort of the the boat……… Our every need was catered for, and everything seems to be done without disturbing the peace and tranquillity we were there to enjoy. Our trip was made even more memorable by our lovely fellow passengers! We bonded very quickly, and are in fact talking of another Gulet cruise together sometime in the future. The booking process was smooth and straight forward and the pre- departure material provided was useful and relevant. It was also good to have the representative from the cruise line meet with us prior to departure and on our return. To sum up, a truly memorable and wonderful experience. Thank you.
Julie and Joelle
We have all had the most amazing holiday on board Avangard! Returning to Split by 9am was no problem at all, in fact we docked at around 8.15am
Everything was perfect; the Ship, our cabins, Crew, the food and a brilliant tour manager (Aida).
Powell, thank you for your recommendation of Hotel Perisil, it was great, despite the early morning bells at 6am! Many thanks to, for all your help in answering our many questions before departure!
Stellar experience start to finish!! Thank you!
Thank you Caroline for all the effort you put into me boarding, cruising and experiencing this fabulous region. I am slowly making my way home, with a short period in Norway but the Jewels cruise was such a stupendous cruise. Thank you for all your assistance in making this happen
Wow, I certainly made a great decision to book the Croatia cruise. It was wonderful and I shall certainly recommend to friends. M B-C
We really enjoyed the cruise, thanks!
Hazel
Just know you did a magnificent job for us. When one gets a 10+ on a scale of 5, it would be hard to drop back down! I have you on speed dial. We hope to travel again via your expertise in arranging the details. Hopefully we will be ready to book another trip thru you again. Now, back to reality and no more triple desserts! Thank you for everything.
Our Montenegro boat tour was the best experience we ever have on all accounts: affordability, convenience, attitude, iteniary, services, crew, communication, weather, sea temperature, boat
We never were bored on the boat. And especially the opportunity to swim in clean, warm , pristine sea water made the tour very special for us. So, we would like to make another tour with you in the end of August -first week of September 2025.
SK
We have just returned from a fabulous seven day cruise around the islands of northern Croatia. Departing and returning to Opatija. The cruise was magical as we cruised, visited and swam in isolated and sheltered coves around the islands.
With 24 travellers joining us from many corners of the world, the opportunity to make new friends during our cruise was made very easy.
Our tour guide, Josephine, was outstanding as were the crew and their captain. She had a comprehensive knowledge of the villages and islands we visited.
Having such an intimate knowledge of the coastline and the islands allowed the captain to show us some beautiful areas that you would not be able to reach without a boat such as our cruiser, Olmissum allowed.
The food was excellent and the opportunity to visit colorectal the villages we stopped at overnight adding so much to our experience.
We can highly recommend The small cruise company and the offerings they provided for our Croatian escape.
Peter L
The cruise on Pape Prvi from Split
The cruise on Pape Prvi from Split - Dubrovnik and back was wonderful experience: family owed boat with great food, friendly hosts, clean; well informed and nice guide from Katarina tours; great choices of places to dock (and see), good balance between history, culture and nature. The sunny and warm weather was a surprise plus, also the group consisted of very pleasant people (not a single "professional" complainer). Dream vacation! Daniela P
It was out of this world met some Brilliant people who spoilt Alan for his birthday.
The weather was gorgeous, the scenery was amazing. We have travelled a lot but this is def no 1 on our list. Zoran our leader was an absolute star. One of the nice things is that the walks etc only cost 10 euro so we didn't have loads to pay and our guides were so informative about the islands. Even the drinks on board were reasonabIe. I have sent the details to about 5 of our friends.
AL
Just know you did a magnificent job for us. When one gets a 10+ on a scale of 5, it would be hard to drop back down! I have you on speed dial. We hope to travel again via your expertise in arranging the details. Hopefully we will be ready to book another trip thru you again. Now, back to reality and no more triple desserts! Thank you for everything.
The ship’s complement of passengers and crew were outstanding, the quality and variety of cuisine was exceptional, and the weather was glorious! So the wait proved very worthwhile, so thank you for your help in the arrangements. DB
We had yet another flawless experience with Small Cruise Ships. Thank you so much. I've been recommending you guys like crazy! Mrs P
Dear Caroline,
Thank you so much for organising our cruise on MV Katarina.
The ship is wonderful along with Ivan the Captain the crew and Tour manager Stan.
Itinerary was perfect.
We could not have wished for a better holiday.
Five Stars *****
Best regards,
Simon
The small boat (36 passengers) cruise in Prince William Sound in Alaska was amazing. The expedition leader had experience to be flexible with the itinerary so we saw had some wonderful experiences, despite quite some rain. The crew were friendly and professional, and we all had a great time.
Just a quick email to say a very big thank you from Bruce & myself for the wonderful week we had on board MS Nikola. I knew it would be special, but had no idea just how special! The gulet is superb, the crew were out of this world, the weather was perfect, & the company just brilliant… there is no way we could have improved on any aspect of our trip whatsoever. I didn’t know that Bruce had mentioned it was our honeymoon; the crew went above & beyond in terms of making it memorable for us, as did the other 3 couples on the gulet! Although the week at sea fell into the middle of our honeymoon (as we were in Kos & Bodrum either side of the cruise, & both of those were special too), it was by far the highlight of it… neither of us wanted our time on board to end. Having read some of the comments in the gulet’s guest book, we could see just how special it is; and the current crew (capt Ramazan, chef Tekin & 1st mate Hassan) are deservedly well-loved by all.
I’d also like to say a really big thank you too to Small Cruise Ships for letting us join the Nikola, because of course we shouldn’t have been on it at all, having booked to join the Myra. She was alongside us in port so we had chance to see her also; another beautiful gulet indeed. But we both quickly realised that we’d been incredibly lucky to be swapped onto the Nikola… it’s a truly fantastic itinerary & there really wasn’t a minute we didn’t enjoy. (…possibly with the exception of me dropping my mobile phone – or rather the special photos on it – onto the Eastern Aegean seabed! Ramazan was amazing, and gave us some lovely photos of us he’d taken, which of course more than made up for the loss )
I also hope this is useful from a feedback point of view; do let me know if you’d like me to write something more articulately! We decided there & then in Bodrum we’d start saving on our return, because without any doubt whatsoever we wish to sail with the Nikola & crew again next year, wherever she’s going…
The cruise from Dubrovnik to Split on the boat Vapor was excellent in every way; the cabin was comfortable and clean. The crew were very helpful, courteous and efficient. The islands we visited were interesting and well-chosen and our tour director was really excellent; he had a delightful combination of knowledge and humor. I would happily do it all again. Sue Z
A... was excellent too with her communication with organising the pick up and then drop off after the cruise. I hope her lovely cocker spaniels ear infection has settled down.
The cruise was everything and even more. The food was delicious, fresh and the menu had alot of lovely local cuisine.
The crew were great . Barish , the captain was friendly and informative, and Ralay (?) was very polite.
It was great that we were able to get over to the The Lady of the Rocks church ( that wasnt on the itinerary but we asked if we could) . Thank you . HS
Overall an excellent way of exploring the Croatian coast. The crew and guide were first rate. The cabins were comfortable and slightly larger than expected. The itinerary with the swim stops worked well. Jonathan W
I would like to tell you that the assistance I received, prior to sailing, with Nicola and Caroline, was impeccable. Nicola bent over backwards to make my dream trip come to fruition and when Caroline had to take over, she was equally efficient!
The crew on the Kapetan Bota were also exemplary!! Our bartenders worked so hard and made us so happy, I can’t say enough wonderful things about them. Also, our Cruise Manager, Nina, was absolutely fantastic! Her knowledge, her attention to detail and her ability to make us all feel so special, was amazing!
We much enjoyed our trip on the Kapatan Sevket. Our comments are
Excellent service by the four staff.
The Chef did a superb job in the variety and quality of his dishes at all meals. He catered very well for my wife's vegetarian diet.
The itinerary was very good and the Captain rearranged the itinerary to suit the weather. The weather on the whole was good except for a storm one night with torrential rain but the crew coped well with the situation.
The only negative was we only had a half day actually "under sail". For those of us who had experience of sailing we reckon we could have had another whole day "under sail" . We were left with the impression the crew preferred motoring! We trust you will take this as constructive comment.
Wonderful experience
We cruised on the MS Diamond in September from Dubrovnik to Split and it was 7 days of swimming, laughter and relaxing unlike any other cruise we have taken. The cruise director Paul, Bruno and Ivan the two bartenders and waiters were wonderful, always smiling and couldn’t do enough for you. The rest of the small crew were also wonderful. Our cruise had a total of 38 passengers and everyone was friendly and we all enjoyed each other’s company. The Diamond was very comfortable with areas to just relax and the swimming everyday in small coves in the clearest water we have ever experienced and that’s says a lot as we live in Hawaii. I have thought of our cruise everyday since our return and would love to do it again Roger F
Lovely trip, great staff, very comfortable cabins, good swimming opportunities, and a great way of meeting interesting and diverse people from all parts of the world. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommendable.
Overview. For me this was a most unusual trip as all other trips I’ve done have been on land. It was a most enjoyable experience and I did and saw more than I had expected to. And I learnt a lot, too, mainly about the differences between the islands, the antiquity of the flat, eastern islands against the relatively new mountainous western islands. But also about the history of the country, not only in the colonial period but also about its initial association with Guinea-Bissau immediately after independence.
The Boat The staff were all great. Attentive and caring, always ready with a towel and a drink on the return from an excursion, always ensuring that water glasses were kept full at mealtimes. And always engaging and fun. The bedrooms were kept spotlessly clean and always done discretely when the occupier wasn’t around. I was also very happy with the food. There was a good variety and plenty of it. The buffet style allowed for different dietary requirements to be accommodated. On one occasion I tracked down the cook to commend him on the meal.
The Guide Jacob is a most pleasant person. Very aware of his responsibilities to ensure the safety of all, both on the boat and to those who accompanied him on excursions. He made sure that everyone on board was well and that their needs were being met. On excursions he always found a good spot to have lunch.
The Itinerary I understand that the itinerary had to be changed due to tidal movements on Fogo but the replacement of that island with Sao Nikolau was good. In fact, Sao Nikolau turned out to be my favourite on the trip
The Excursions I discovered that in every case the cost of the excursions was higher than had been shown in the brochure sent to me just shortly before I set off for the trip but no explanation was given for that increase without notice.
Boa Vista Fortunately others on the excursion in Boa Vista were keen to sit in the sun on the back of the truck and had no desire to rotate. That suited me well. It might be useful to highlight that those not keen on extensive exposure to the sun should think hard about booking this excursion unless an inside seat can be assured. Despite that I enjoyed what we were shown on Boa Vista. However, better tours were to come on the mountainous islands, particularly Sao Nikolau and Sao Antao.
Sao Nikolau and Sao Antao These were excellent excursions both consisting of wonderful, grand mountains and magnificent views over valleys. As mentioned above, Sao Nikolau really hit the spot for me.
It was one of the most unforgettable experiences to be on PARADIS for a week and we have met the most amazing people during our holiday! Thank you so much!
EVR
This was our second trip that we booked with The Small Cruise Ship Company. We love both the Croatia Cruise and the Turkey/Greece Cruise. I would highly recommend this company! Diane B
My wife and I enjoyed the Croatian Cruise on board the Meridijan 100%. The crew could not have been better and the food was perfect. We will go on other trips in other places. Thank you. Larry snd Sun S
Yes, we did enjoy our Croatian cruise. The boat manager did a wonderful job, despite her youth! She often had to re-arrange our programme because of the Captain having received instructions about where we could moor and the impact of the weather. We had one very wet and rough day (when my friend was sea-sick!) but most of the weather was fine, with a gentle breeze to avoid getting too hot. Dubrovnik was a great disappointment for me, being over-run with tourists, even so late in the season. I would think it would be better to have a guided walk in the afternoon, rather than the morning, when there were so many others that it was difficult to keep with your own group. Unfortunately, the walls were beyond our ability, but we had a taxi up to the mountains where the cable-car started, stopping at various viewing points, and then back via the new bridge to our boat. I could recommend that. We had spare time on the last day, owing to our late flight, and the cruise manager suggested we took the boat to Lokrum, a nearby island, and this gave us great views of the walls, etc. The island is kept for wild-life, and we had to share our sandwiches with the peacocks! Going out we did not see anything of Split, as the programme had been changed, and the guided walk in Split happened before we arrived at 7 p.m. instead of the next morning.
The end of the cruise was not good for us, but in no way the fault of the cruise firm. My friend lost her handbag when we got to the airport and she thought she had left it in the taxi, but it could not be found so the official at the airport found us accommodation for the night, and next morning the handbag was found on the boat, and returned to us, and then we had to pay for another flight back to the U.K. It was all a nightmare for us, but we must say the Croatians were very helpful and took great care of us.
Going back to the boat cruise, we would have much preferred evening meals instead of the dinner at lunch time. We only had two, one the day we arrived, and then the captain's dinner. In the evening we did not want another dinner, and were rather at a loss to find something to do, as it was getting dark by 7.30 p.m. There is no menu for meals, but when I saw the size of the galley, I was not surprised, and the chef did well to prepare nearly 40 meals for us, plus more for the crew. All the crew were pleasant and helpful, especially getting us on and off the boat safely. We thought the wine and drinks were VERY expensive, so did not drink much on the boat, and the allowance of 1/2 a litre of water per day was not very generous if it is very hot. Then tax was added to the bill as well. We thought they were expecting very large tips, and we had to reduce them to a more reasonable level. We were also stung very high charges when using the ATM in Gruz port and at the airport, which I have never experienced before in other countries. However, we still enjoyed the experience. And Vicky was very helpful when we made the booking.
The cruise on M/V Meridian was superb. The crew were friendly without being over familiar, the food was excellent and the chefs went to great lengths to cater for the two Coeliacs on board. Both were able to relax and enjoy the cruise all the more. We were lucky with the weather and our fellow passengers were great company. Marina the guide was outstanding. The scenery and slightly quieter nights stops on the Split to Opatija route suited us very well. Once we had managed to confirm our booking and get the Small Cruise Ship Collection office to understand what we were looking for everything worked very well. We would book through Small Cruise Ship Collection again when we are next looking for that type of holiday.
Just wanted to say that we had a great trip and we were impressed with the crew and ship.
Chris H
Excellent week cruise, all arranged for you
Everything was great; good variety of stops, Excellent food, Lovely staff
10/10 !
Our trip to Croatia was absolutely amazing! We loved the Olimp and their crew. The islands were beautiful. Lori P
Our week on the boat was great fun:
The scenery was stunning with glaciers, waterfalls, mountains and forests,
It was exciting to be able to hike in a small group in the pristine wild forests, climbing over fallen trees and bushwacking through the undergrowth. - our wellingtons were essential
Our guides were very knowledgeable about the flora, fauna, and history.and also very conscious of the need to protect our environment
We loved the kayaking, and were very aware of all the efforts by the crew to keep us all safe and also to have an enjoyable experience.
The sightings of marine wild life was exciting (whales, seals, otters etc)
The food on the boat was exceptionally good and varied and all the staff were very helpful and friendly.
The crew took lots of photos of all the activities and wild life sightings which they shared with us when we got home.
RG
I believe we received excellent information and support from you and the booking gal.
We thoroughly enjoyed this ship…the beauty and simplicity of the interior was a fit for us. The size and number of passengers also “a fit”. Passengers originated from a variety of countries and it was interesting to observe how common language contributed to them finding each other and sharing the experience.
The ship is amazing….the exploration component plus the fact that it is Hybrid made the cruise even more interesting. We had great weather and visited quaint settings. The change in the itinerary with the necessity of shortening the cruise was unfortunate…the support & options that we passengers received were appropriate but the preference would have been to have the cruise be the length that was marketed. The exploration team worked very hard in planning outings and the execution of same was always excellent. It was however, difficult to plan other activities (spa appointments etc.) around the shore opportunities because they were never able to confirm the next day’s activities until 8 PM the night before. The short duration of the cruise may have contributed to this pattern but it made it difficult for passengers to plan.
We appreciated the credit “perk” but since we need “nothing” were delighted to have the option of being able to donate to not only the crew but also the scientific foundation. If a cruise was to be part of our future we would definitely explore what the schedule/itinerary would be with this ship and its sister ship.
In closing, I would like to share a complement about the following wait staff: Jerome (maitre de) was consistently pleasant, personalized seating and efficient. The wait staff team of: Lucky, Jigs and Mark offered us consistent excellent dining service.
Jigs was extraordinary and we SO appreciated his very high and consistent service to us…he is a real asset to that crew. All in all, it was a successful vacation...
CB
Hi Susi, we travelled on Vapor on 31 Aug until the 6 Sept from Split to Dubronik. The crew were very helpful and friendly. The food was good and Stan our cruise manager was fantastic. His knowledge of the area was exceptional. We really enjoyed our cruise. The islands are amazing. I would recommend this cruise to our friends. Thanks.
Reliving a trip is always a joy, but even more so on this adventure. We were constantly reminded of just how wonderful it was. Your careful planning, your efforts to provide the best possible experience, your thoughtful suggestions along the way and your prompt responses to our many questions came flooding back to us as we relived each day of this trip. I just wanted to tell you one more time, THANK YOU for all you did to make this trip so absolutely perfect. MH
Hi Ali Had a great week. Now at the hotel. Thank you for all your efforts. Everything has gone to plan brilliantly. Back to the UK tomorrow!!
CG & KG
"We were pleasantly surprised with many items. The downstairs cabins were very spacious and the food was a big surprise as the website showed a buffet and it was so much more and very gourmet. Our crew was incredible and went out of their way to add to the fun. AND the other guests that cruised with us....they have become lifelong friends from other countries. THANK YOU!!!"
Debra and Daryl
We cruised on MS Markan on 11th October. The Captain and crew were superb and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. We have never used small ships before but we will only look at them in the future. The cruise was fabulous. AB
We had a wonderful time and loved the ship and all the stops. Look forward to another cruise in the area......thanks so much for your help!
Our only question was in previous documentation, it was stated beer and wine were included during lunch. However, none of our drinks were included.
Look forward to why the discrepancy.....but simply loved everything else; ship, staff, captain, and director! Donna Z
An excellent island hopping cruise experience
An excellent way to experience the interesting islands of Croatia. Travelling with 38 like-minded people made the cruise a wonderful experience. The crew were very professional and extremely hardworking. The breakfast and lunch offerings were more than ample. Having the opportunity to eat dinner on the islands at the restaurants provided us with time to mingle with the locals, walk around the amazing towns and provide incomes locally. Jen A
Fabulous cruise, thoroughly enjoyable experience. Captain and crew were lovely.
Small Cruise Ship Collection were most helpful throughout
Small quibbles:
Would have liked much more sailing instead of motoring.
Would have preferred an extra day/night in Greece instead of early return to Turkey.
Cabins were hot at night (in October!)
I am a 40 year veteran of the travel industry and have reviewed everything from Ritz-Carlton hotels to grass huts in the Cambodian jungle. The whole experience on The Nautilus was exceptional.
Accommodation, crew, itinerary, food, guide (Ayida) were faultless. We had two days of " mixed" weather that did not detract from the overall experience in any way. Takes a lot to impress me - this trip did. Thankyou M and B
Thanks for organising the Coatia trip, we had a great time
We had an excellent time on the cruise but felt that the courier tried to fill the days with too much and her manner and English left a lot to be admired. The ship and crew were wonderful but we did not have enough time to enjoy it all. The inter-Island transport could have been better. RR
It was the one of the best I have ever done , the food was great, never had such great food and I mean it, and if I ever want just a holiday , and not seeing something specific, I will give it thought.
Someone had gone to great detail with the cabins, just great.
JC
Our cruise with your company was wonderful....the boat was spotless at all times. Some one has taking their time to ensure the boat is well maintained. The staff was incredible, thoughtful, courteous, helpful, but above all the service was beyond expectations.
One problem, I can never cruise in a large ship again!!!! I would only be disappointed by the quality of food and experience.
great experience..thank you very much.
Paula and Tom
Our week on the boat was great fun:
The scenery was stunning with glaciers, waterfalls, mountains and forests,
It was exciting to be able to hike in a small group in the pristine wild forests, climbing over fallen trees and bushwacking through the undergrowth. - our wellingtons were essential
Our guides were very knowledgeable about the flora, fauna, and history.and also very conscious of the need to protect our environment
We loved the kayaking, and were very aware of all the efforts by the crew to keep us all safe and also to have an enjoyable experience.
The sightings of marine wild life was exciting (whales, seals, otters etc)
The food on the boat was exceptionally good and varied and all the staff were very helpful and friendly.
The crew took lots of photos of all the activities and wild life sightings which they shared with us when we got home.
The Ave Maria was a pretty boat. Three separate outdoor conversation areas were nice to relax in. The cabins were nice and roomy. The cruise director Stan was very friendly and informative throughout the day and on the excursions on shore.
The server and bartender were nice, but not the most friendly. I am sure they get tired of new people each week. Food was good. Just one comment - more fresh vegetables with meals would be great.
Overall, the week was very enjoyable. Linda M
I have to say we had a fabulous time on board and the staff were wonderful , delighted with our cabin, the food was great , we loved our fine dining , we met some great people , and we loved the ship , also lucky as it wasn’t full capacity so we had so much space , although some excursions were cancelled, we booked as many as possible on board , so we saw lots of amazing things , I have already recommend this cruise to someone, as we throughly enjoyed ourselves
The only thing , the hotel in Bergen was nice but our room was very tired, and needed to be upgraded , the breakfast was excellent though
Considering all the problems before the departure, we thought the staff reacted really well and appreciate the effort they all went to for the flight up to Trondheim , I felt very sorry for the others who came back down to Bergen by coach
Everyone was extremely helpful and it was very memorable, we were also lucky to see the Northern lights on several occasions , we were extremely lucky last year in Sweden at the ice hotel as we saw them every night , but I was delighted for people on our trip that it was a new experience
MT
Just know you did a magnificent job for us. When one gets a 10+ on a scale of 5, it would be hard to drop back down! I have you on speed dial. We hope to travel again via your expertise in arranging the details. Hopefully we will be ready to book another trip thru you again. Now, back to reality and no more triple desserts! Thank you for everything.
Morning Andrew Just thought l would drop you an email to let you know how awful .. it was that the cruise only lasted a week. It was absolutely fantastic, totally exceeded our expectations. There were only 28 passengers on board and everyone got on with each other. The food was beautiful. The staff were courteous and couldn’t do enough for you and our hostess Minja was excellent going above and beyond. The included excursions were very well organised too. So thank you for much for organising our trip. Thank you again Julie and David
We booked a 2 week cruise in Alaska through the Small Cruise Ship Collection. The Small Cruise Ship Collection we’re efficient and helpful, answering any queries promptly. The cruise itself was fantastic, everything we hoped for and more. Alison M
We did very much enjoy our 8 days on the Moonlight from Opatija. A real jewel and everyone and everyone were so fine.
Long story short, we found ourselves unexpectedly with an "unplanned" week after a trip to Greece. After a short google search, we kept finding the Small Cruise Ship Collection and we went further. Beth Parry contracted us, and she was amazingly polite and helpful as we planned this unexpected part of our trip.
My wife and agreed that the cruise may have been the best vacation our family of four have every had.
The dollar is strong against the Turkish Lyra, but the yacht was absolutely immaculate. Every day, the Captain asked us what we wanted to do, and we planned the itinerary at breakfast. We saw many ancient sites accessible only by boat, we visited charming sea-side towns, but our children most enjoyed the swimming, tubing, paddle-boarding, pretty much everything. The food was delicious and it seemed like the stewards took care of our every need. It was a remarkable journey to Turkey.
Mark C
Hello, I have returned from a small cruise ship holiday in Croatia. Not the one my friend I planned but due to cancellation we were put on another boat going to the southern islands, but still had our three days extra seeing lakes etc.
Everything went to plan hotels, boat, transport connections etc were all there for us . We also had an added extra on a transfer by taxi from Split to Zagreb on our last we shared a taxi with 'Katarina' and her family. What an unexpected pleasure.
We want to thank you all for a wonderful holiday even though at the beginning it seemed doomed.
We shall be back
Regards Margaret B
We selected this trip as we wanted a “small boat cruise” around Alaska’s Inside Passage. Not all 20 cabins were occupied and there were only 33 passengers in total – just us from UK, 7 Australians and 4 Kiwis with the rest from US (so all English-speaking). Perhaps the style of trip meant that all seemed of a similar outlook and the group got on well together.
Alaskan Dream seem to be an environmentally-aware company with a good local reputation and are very welcome in the communities they visit. The small size of the boat means that they can access areas and ports unavailable to larger ships. The crew are generally long-serving with the company, competent and approachable. This particular voyage had an on-board naturalist/guide from the start, with a second joining part way through. There is at least one “off boat” opportunity every day.
Cabins are compact but comfortable with ample storage space. We were in the lowest grade; the next one up seemed to have no more amenities, just slightly bigger (although they are on the same level as public spaces). The “shoilet” takes some practice but is actually extremely practical and functional (better than facilities in other boats of a similar size that we have experienced). Rain gear (jackets, trousers and boots) are available for use. Meals were, without exception, excellent; hot drinks and water were always available.
The itinerary is flexible so we were able to take advantage of an unexpected permit to stay in Glacier Bay for an extra day. It also meant that potential wildlife sightings could be pursued and this was done on several occasions. There is also various interactions with each local community that we visited.
We would unreservedly recommend this trip but be warned that it is not a “cruise” – evening entertainment is limited to some short wildlife talks. But if your priorities are exciting wildlife and stunning scenery with an insight into local culture, you should seriously consider this.
Anne H
The cruise from Dubrovnik to Split on Vapor was excellent in every way; the cabin was comfortable and clean. The crew were very helpful, courteous and efficient. The islands we visited were interesting and well-chosen and our tour director was really excellent; he had a delightful combination of knowledge and humor. I would happily do it all again. Susan