Cres

Cres

I had wondered how much movement to expect from a ship considerably smaller than the ocean liners we're accustomed to. The answer, pleasingly, was none. Gliding out of Venice and down the Croatian coast felt more like crossing a very large, very flat lake. A good start.

Breakfast aboard doesn't begin until 7:30am, which meant the ship before that hour was essentially a ghost town — all polished surfaces and nobody on them. We didn't mind. We dropped anchor at Cres and were on the tender by 8:30am, which on a smaller ship means simply walking on rather than queuing for the better part of an eternity. Another point in the small-ship column: we were able to dock right at the town itself, which larger vessels can't manage. We were first off and first back.

Cres is tiny. Charming, but tiny. It rewarded a quiet morning wander rather than any great ambitions, which suited us perfectly.

Back on board, we discovered the nautical hall — Club Med 2's water sports offering, which turns out to be surprisingly comprehensive: windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, snorkelling, water skiing, wakeboarding. We booked in for snorkelling, which was genuinely fun. The Adriatic in July is a very pleasant temperature.

The rest of the afternoon was spent horizontal. The nap situation was finally resolved.

Sunrise from the top deck

This was how flat it was...the ship was still moving

1st sight of land

On the first tender! Or "Beachers" as the crew called them

Literally the first to step on Cres

Ye olde city gate

Maze like old town

Main Square

Clock tower

St Mary the Great Church

Franciscus Patricius - defender of Platoism agains Aristotleism. We didn't even know those were a thing...

Club Med 2 anchored. The open section at the back was the nautical haul

Small space but comprehensive offering

Lunch as always was excellent

So many things included but everything was oh so late!

Yoga program (above) and fitness program

Cocktail time! Again included

An example of the pre-dinner appetisers served from 7:15pm

Cold food offerings for dinner were pre-prepared

The options were plentiful and plated beautifully

Strawberry shortcake

Chocolate tart

Hot options had one for display and was prepared fresh as required

Once again there was something for different tastes