Vis

Excellent view from the gym of the yacht sailing into port. As the French all wake up late, I usually have the gym all to myself

By now, we had settled into a rhythm. Gym, breakfast, first ones off the ship, first ones back, lunch, nap, water activity or pool, afternoon tea, dinner, repeat. It turns out this is an excellent way to live.

Our port today was Vis — one of the most remote of Croatia's inhabited islands, sitting further out into the Adriatic than most, and for much of the twentieth century entirely off-limits to visitors as a Yugoslav military base. It only opened to tourism in 1989, which perhaps explains why it has retained a quiet, unhurried character that the more well-trodden islands have long since lost.

We had no agenda. We strolled, found the nearest patch of "beach" (more pebbles), and got in the water, which was cool and clear and exactly what was required. Nobody was rushing anywhere. There were no crowds, no tour groups, no particular sense that anyone was trying to sell us anything.

This is what we had come to appreciate most about being on a smaller ship — the ability to anchor at places like Vis rather than the obvious destinations. Quieter, less visited, genuinely charming. The Adriatic at its own pace rather than someone else's itinerary.

Vis

It really never got any busier than this

Krk

Frankopan Castle. Krk's medieval fortress

First things first: none of us knew how to pronounce Krk...For the record, it's approximately "Kirk" — the island, it turns out, is not named after a dramatic pause.

I had been quietly dreading today. I had once again been talked into getting back on a bike. Mal assured me this would be a much more relaxed ride, which should have immediately raised suspicions. Apparently "relaxed" meant 22 kilometres instead of 42, as though halving the distance magically transformed it into a leisurely pootle through the countryside.

To be fair, it was beautiful.

We cycled inland across the island beneath an unforgiving Croatian summer sun, passing dry stone walls, olive groves and sleepy little villages that looked as though they'd barely changed in decades. The scenery almost distracted me from the heat. Almost. Except Mal's phone overheated and shut down half way which meant we were directionless and baking. 

The best part? We were finished by mid-morning.

That left plenty of time for what has become one of my favourite cruise-day combinations: lunch back on the ship, an unapologetic afternoon nap, and a swim to cool off before dinner.

There are worse ways to spend an afternoon.

In fact, there are very few better ones.

Krk is bigger and prettier than Cres in our opinion

Lots of nice places to sit and eat and relax

All the islands are known for water activities

This was the ONLY photo I took while cycling

Back on the yacht to relax

Afternoon cocktail. Cheers!

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

From the Mountain to the Sea

Not a bad view from our dinner table. Piazza San Marco and the Doges Palace

The fab four had one last breakfast together before parting ways.

Our private transfer to Venice dropped Richard and Ali first at the airport for their London flight — Wimbledon awaited — before continuing on to the Venice Passenger Terminal with Mal and me. Our driver deserves a mention: the physical likeness of a grey, chubby Mario, but with the vocal energy of someone entirely German. Loud, affable, and excellent company.

This was an unexpected find in a Italian motorway rest stop. And it cost 35 euros!

Yummy cold coffee

Goodbye mountains! Even the rest stops were scenic

The transfer was comfortable and spacious

We arrived at the cruise terminal at 1:45pm to find it virtually empty. We were whisked aboard Club Med 2 with enough time to catch the tail end of lunch — which closed at 2pm — and just like that, the Dolomites were behind us and the Adriatic was ahead.

Club Med 2 is something of a legend in sailing circles. Launched in 1992, she is one of the world's largest sailing ships — a five-masted computer-controlled staysail schooner stretching 187 metres, carrying around 390 passengers with a crew of 220. We were on a seven-night voyage from Venice through the Croatian coast and into Montenegro, with stops at Cres, Krk, Vis, Dubrovnik, Mljet and Kotor before finishing in Bari. On paper, it sounded rather wonderful.

First impressions, in all honesty, were mixed. The yacht was not quite what the marketing photography had led me to expect. Better described as stylish than luxurious: older, but well-maintained, well-equipped, and decorated in a classy, relaxed French nautical aesthetic. Our cabin was the cheapest available and, to its credit, had genuinely clever and ample storage. First world problems duly noted.

The other adjustment was cultural. After a week of Italian warmth, the atmosphere aboard was markedly French — VERY French — hardly surprising given that approximately 95% of passengers were French-speaking. The staff, although collectively initially came across as aloof, were individually friendly. Some parts of the muster drill, for reasons best known to the organisers, were concluded entirely in French. One young officer, unprompted, translated the relevant parts for us — a small gesture, but a kind one. Meals and activities ran late across the board, which is worth knowing if you're an early riser or an early diner. And there was smokers everywhere...an asthmatic's worst nightmare.

The food, as one might hope from the French, was excellent — very much in the tradition of Club Med's ski resorts. The coffee, however, was terrible. 

For now, we would give it a chance and reserve judgement.

The Club Med 2 yacht

Some of the public spaces

Cozy and comfortable

Lots of space

Never hard to find an empty seat

Pools were small. There were 2 seawater pools

Gym was not bad for a small ship. We never saw anyone else in there

Our small but comfortable cabin

We were on the lowest passenger deck so only port holes for us!

Dresser

Bathroom

Toilet to one side

Shower to the right

Lots of storage

Bracelet which also acts as a key to the cabin

We made it just in time for lunch

Afternoon tea

The iced coffee was terrible...

Goodbye Venice!

Dining room was elegant. This was the Monte Carlo

Butter makes everything better

One of the best fish soups I've had

Veal rump

Strawberry and mascarpone

Sailing out of Venice

Magical with the sun setting