Croatia - checking out procedure.....

Niall1975 said:
We paid €535 with vignette tourist tax etc on arrival but not sure how that broke down.

We have had a great time in Croatia and would recommend it to anyone. Very friendly and helpful people and we only paid in the national park which was Kn 175 including your ticket to use the ferries etc that are laid on. Otherwise we anchored in free bays, or went stern to a restaurant which were no more expensive than Greece.

The Marina's were more expensive but then it's a marina and not a town key.

Places like Hvar you just go to anchor on the small island across from it. Walk to the small marina and get the water taxi over. No need to pay extortionate prices unless you really have too.

We were just going to do the one summer however given there's so many places we haven't made it to we are now looking to return and see the rest of what we have missed.

Haven't seen any no neck looking types and prices are advertised on the menu so if your not happy move on.

Niall
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Well said, Niall. There are one or 2 downsides to cruising Croatia but IMHO overall its one of the best cruising areas in the Med whatever the naysayers say. We are currently enjoying our 4th season here and have no intention of going anywhere else
 
Deleted User said:
Well said, Niall. There are one or 2 downsides to cruising Croatia but IMHO overall its one of the best cruising areas in the Med whatever the naysayers say. We are currently enjoying our 4th season here and have no intention of going anywhere else
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It's a well organised country, which communicates clearly with its sailing visitors. The anchoring charges and buoy costs in popular areas (which many complain about) are all listed. You pay a small premium for that sort of service. You don't pay for that sort of service in Greece, so you get uncertainty. And more adventure.
 
Alexalchi: spot on! I've been sailing in Croatia for more than 20 years, from the days when the people on the islands would buy petrol off you because there was none to be had...
And as you say, the perception of the average Croatian trade operator is that charter yachties are walking banks. I, like many boat owners, have voted with my keel (as it were), taking my custom elsewhere. It's been a long time since I ate fish in Croatia: it's cheaper, fresher and better in Italy. I still remember the occasion when I was offered microwaved shellfish; it had the consistency of rubber. WHen I sent it back, the owner of the restaurant just laughed and shrugged his shoulders as though to say: 'well you caught me out, but most punters don't'. FYI, several lorries come through Trieste every week carrying scampi...for Croatia. Where are they from? Scotland!
 
Metabarca - when were you last in Croatia? I was there about 8 years ago and returned this Spring. We had a great time and the whole place is dramatically different to our previous visit. We had some spectacular meals. The young staff were generally delightful and spoke perfect English. Maybe you should return to the 777 islands and give them another chance

TudorSailor
 
Well, I was there up to last year (fairly regularly since 1980 - less the Yugoslavian civil war) and am with Alexalchi and Metabarca ... Rip-off Land. I deliberately kept away this year because I didn't trust them to not try to screw VAT out of me for my UK-registered, 'deemed VAT-paid' yacht as I had no documentation to prove she was in the EU in 1992. Not their business, I agree, but who knows how their mercenary minds work?

Yes, the food has improved but is still boringly limited - no doubt there are now restaurants ready to supply gourmet meals but not in my price range.

Where else in the world do you have to pay €535 just to sail into their waters? (see post #18 by Niall1975).
 
tudorsailor said:
Metabarca - when were you last in Croatia?
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Sailing: 3 years ago. But I live only 20 km from the border and with the exceptions below I (in common with many others who live here – Italians, Austrians and Slovenes) have always found Croatians surly and intent now on money grabbing. The fact that they change attitude a little – a little – when they see I'm a Brit and not an Italian in my Italian-registered boat/car makes me even madder (it's partly an inferiority complex they have because all the lovely towns on the coast were actually built under Venice (and Austria) and they're convinced Italy wants them back).
The exceptions are: the inhabitants of Istria (the original ones, not those who have moved in from the hinterland in the past 10 years), and: I went for a drive last year down to Trogir and then into Bosnia in May. At Trogir, we found young people running our hotel and, elsewhere, a restaurant, who were delightful and not awash with Balkan complexes.
It used to be cheap, friendly (away from officialdom) and basic. It's now expensive, unfriendly and crowded. But beautiful.
Have any of you seen the notice at Vis giving a history of the island? The Greeks, the Romans... the Croatians. Ha ha! No mention that it was Venetian for some 400 years, then British for a very few years (there's even a British cemetery), that there were two major sea battles fought there (GB v FR; Austria v Italy) in the 19th century. Nor that it was Austrian for 100 years, and that it was Tito's hideout in 1942-43 with a small airstrip used by the British too. Since Croatians played no part in all this (indeed, they weren't even there for some of the time), it's all been airbrushed out of their history. Which is a shame as it adds interest to the site as far as I'm concerned.
 
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We seem to have drifted a little from my original thread. However interesting comments on the past and current state of affairs in Croatia. We have cruised there this season having come up from Greece. Many people had said to us before we left that at least they'd get a reasoned overview of what cruising the area would be like. So for a (hopefully) reasoned overview, those who are interested can look at our blog here :- http://www.victoriashadow.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?id=122
arrow down to the bottom of the first page to see Croatian stuff. For those thinking of visiting we have also included a table of where we moored and anchored and costs (if any). I hope to get it to Jim's site when we return to the UK later in the year. We are flying back to Split, then Hvar and then sail south to Corfu to buy some Kelloggs Cornflakes!
 
We have just spent over 4 months sailing starting in Croatia in April, Montenegro (tivat marina is amazing) down to The Ionian, across to Sicily and Malta, Italy, Sardinia, Corsica and now in France. We can honestly say that the Croatian marinas we stayed in were by far the best we have experienced, fabulous facilities and good wifi etc, and the country is stunning! We did however have problems leaving Croatia, we were unaware of signing out and after 3 hours motoring to Montenegro the Croatian police (who had passed us that morning leaving Cavtat) were waiting at the border for us. We were escorted back to Cavtat, (another 3 hours!) fined £100 then had to go through the correct procedures, only to find the harbour master was off sick! So we had to wait until the following day to complete, just as a storm blew in leaving us stuck there for another 2 days. This was all before they entered the EU so I am unsure if that changes their rules?
 
Mad Pad said:
Delphinus,I don't think Portomontenegro would appreciate being called Tivat Marina!!
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Ooops maybe not, but I hope they would appreciate how many people I have recommended them too. It was probably the best marina we have visited in 4 months.
 
Do remember when checking in to Cavtat from Montenegro, that when they ask the name of your last port, that Porto Montenegro is the wrong answer.
They want you to use the word "Tivat"!

They do not make it easy when you offer Porto Montenegro by saying "ah yes "Tivat" that simply say "no that is not correct" to make you feel small. This officiousness seems to increase when a male uniformed customs man is showing off to his new female colleague! Other places in Croatia were much more easy going

TS
 
Tudor sailor I think they are wrong.A new port of entry was set up in Portomontenegro,and that is where customs,port police are.
They are not on the town quay in Tivat .
Apologies for being pedantic!!
 
Yes Mad Pad, you are right. I used the Customs at Porto Montenegro when I refueled with duty free fuel! However I think the stamp on the paperwork said Tivat. Anyhow, it is not worth trying to correct the Croatian customs man. He has the ships papers and a gun

TS
 
I checked out of Croatia at Cavtat and checked back in again a week later - it seemed to go very easily and pleasantly but they certainly did not hint that I did not need to. One change to their regulations, however, is that crews with UK passports do not now need to have a crew list whilst remaining in Croatia. You do, however, need one if you check out and intend to return. In fact, the Montenegan authorities wanted to see my Croatian papers and crew list.
 
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