Mama Marija | Croatia

Boat

Completed in April 2018, M/S Mama Marija is a 47-metre steel small cruise ship, including her two-metre swimming platform, with an 8.70-metre beam. Two 386 hp engines provide a published cruising speed of 9 knots and a 12-knot maximum. The vessel carries three generators, 10,000 litres of fuel and 55,000 litres of fresh water. Its technical list records 18 guest cabins and seven crew members.

The vessel's scale is suited to Croatia's island harbours, narrow approaches and sheltered coves. Days combine coastal navigation with meals, swimming and guided heritage visits; nights are generally spent alongside, so guests can dine independently and explore historic centres on foot. Safety equipment published by the operator includes video surveillance, navigation systems, smoke and fire detection, life rafts, life jackets and an onboard announcement system.

Her upper-deck air-conditioned restaurant, bar and lounge open toward a covered aft terrace. High above, a partly shaded 390 m² sun deck offers loungers and a rooftop Jacuzzi with broad coastal views. The stern swimming platform has two handrail ladders and two deck showers, making scheduled swim stops simpler, while public toilets are positioned close to the bathing area.

Food service follows a small-ship rhythm: buffet breakfast every day, six three-course lunches, a welcome dinner and a Captain's Dinner on the standard weekly program. Menus mix Mediterranean, international and Croatian cooking. Dietary requirements should be declared before travel; the galley can make reasonable arrangements but cannot promise a completely allergen-free environment.

Cabin

The 18 guest cabins are arranged on standard and main decks, away from the crew quarters. Each has a private shower and toilet, individual air-conditioning and continuous fresh-air ventilation. Standard rooms use portholes; main-deck rooms pair a cabin window with a bathroom porthole. Double and twin requests should be made at booking, because exact layouts and any additional bed are tied to a specific cabin.

Published in-room equipment includes satellite LCD television, radio, safe, work surface, chair, mirror, bedside lights, hair dryer, 220 V outlets, wardrobe and under-bed luggage space. Each cabin also carries a life jacket and connects to the fire-alarm and cruise-manager announcement systems.

Daily cleaning is included. Bath towels are normally changed every second day and bed linen in the middle of the week. There is no passenger laundry service. Cabin size, stair access, window type, third-bed availability and solo-use supplement vary by category; confirm the exact room rather than relying on a generic photograph.

Diving and Water Activities

M/S Mama Marija is not a scuba-diving liveaboard. The operator does not advertise cylinders, compressors, a dive deck, equipment storage, dive guides, certification checks or organised dives. Scuba diving, rental equipment and dive insurance are therefore not included.

A certified guest who wants to dive would need to use an independent licensed shore centre during a sufficiently long port call. Transport, equipment and payment would be separate. Because weather, harbour congestion and the captain can change timing, no dive should be booked until Ambassador Travel confirms in writing that it fits the ship's schedule. The vessel will not wait for an unauthorised shore activity.

Guided snorkelling and loan equipment are not published inclusions either. Guests wishing to bring a mask and snorkel should ask about storage and local rules. The ship's tender is controlled by the crew and is not a general-purpose passenger boat.

The included marine activity is recreational swimming, when conditions permit. The captain selects safe bays and controls access from the stern platform and ladders. Deck showers allow guests to rinse afterward. Jumping overboard during navigation is prohibited. The Biševo Blue Cave visit uses a local excursion boat and is sightseeing—not cave diving or free swimming; entry can be cancelled by waves.

Other Information

The following separation reflects the operator's published 2026 vessel itineraries and general conditions. The confirmation for the selected sailing remains authoritative.

Published as included:

• Seven nights in the confirmed cabin category
• English-speaking cruise manager and the published crew complement
• Daily buffet breakfast, six three-course lunches, welcome dinner and Captain's Dinner
• Complimentary fresh fruit and a drinking-water dispenser; tea/coffee is included only where the final confirmation states it
• Guided English-language tours named in the final itinerary, with wireless headsets
• Mljet National Park and Biševo Blue Cave admission on the published 2026 program; cave admission is refunded when waves close it
• Daily cabin cleaning, bath-towel changes every second day, midweek linen change and a beach towel
• Wi-Fi, public decks, rooftop Jacuzzi and scheduled swim stops when conditions allow

Published as excluded or payable separately:

• Port and tourist taxes: the published 2026 amount is €50 per person per week, payable onboard in cash
• Optional Vis Island tour and, northbound, optional Ston excursion
• Private transfers unless a specific scheduled port connection is stated
• Flights, hotels, travel insurance and visas
• Most dinners, bar purchases and drinks outside the listed water or tea/coffee service
• Gratuities; the FAQ suggests 5–7% of fare for crew and 2–3% for the cruise manager
• Laundry, scuba diving, dive equipment, guided snorkelling and independent excursions
• Solo-use supplements, cabin upgrades and personal purchases

Practical booking notes:

• Published season: mainly April to October; weekly cruises normally depart on Saturday
• Duration: eight days/seven nights, one way rather than a return to the embarkation port
• Cabins: normally ready from 14:00; late arrival must be reported in advance
• Language: English is the official onboard and guiding language
• Wi-Fi: cellular and therefore variable between islands; not suitable for guaranteed streaming or remote work
• Food and drink: outside supplies are generally prohibited except authorised medical, infant or special-diet items
• Health: no onboard doctor or medical centre; travel and medical insurance are strongly recommended
• Accessibility: no adapted cabins; published terms say wheelchairs cannot embark and strollers are unsuitable
• Changes: route, port and even assigned vessel may change for weather, safety, port works or charter conditions

Mama Marija sails a one-way Croatia itinerary between Trogir/Split and Dubrovnik, visiting Brač, Vis, Biševo, Hvar, Korčula, Mljet and Slano. The 2026 program uses Trogir for several embarkations because of Split port works, often with a scheduled coach from Split. The berth and transfer time must be reconfirmed.

Trogir/Split to Dubrovnik – Eight Days

Day 1 – Trogir: A scheduled coach may leave Split's main bus station for Trogir, while independent arrivals go directly to the ship. Cabins are generally ready from 14:00. A guided Trogir walk is followed by the welcome meeting and dinner.

Day 2 – Split and Milna: The ship visits Split for a guided walk through Diocletian's Palace, then sails with lunch and a possible swim to Milna on Brač. The sheltered stone harbour is free to explore in the evening.

Day 3 – Bol and Vis: Guests have time around Bol and Zlatni Rat before lunch and the crossing to Vis. An optional paid island tour may continue to Komiža; otherwise Vis Town is explored independently.

Day 4 – Biševo and Hvar: Blue Cave is attempted by local boat only when the entrance is safe. After lunch and a possible bay stop, an English-speaking guide introduces Hvar before a free evening.

Day 5 – Korčula: The ship reaches Korčula after a scenic passage. A guided old-town walk is included, while dinner and the remainder of the evening are independent.

Day 6 – Mljet and Slano: Mljet's lakes and St Mary islet form the natural highlight. Lunch is served before continuing to Slano, where the Captain's Dinner takes place onboard.

Day 7 – Dubrovnik: Sailing past the Elaphiti Islands leads to Dubrovnik. Lunch, a transfer and guided Old Town walk are followed by free time inside the walls and an overnight in Gruž.

Day 8 – Dubrovnik: Breakfast concludes the cruise; onward transport is separate unless expressly confirmed.

Dubrovnik to Trogir/Split – Eight Days

Day 1 – Dubrovnik: Board in Gruž, normally from 14:00, then meet the cruise manager and fellow guests over the welcome dinner.

Day 2 – Dubrovnik and Slano: A guided coach-and-walking visit covers the Old Town. After lunch underway, the ship reaches Slano; Ston can be offered as an extra-cost excursion.

Day 3 – Mljet and Korčula: The program visits Mljet National Park before sailing to Korčula for an included historical walk and independent dinner.

Day 4 – Vis: A swimming opportunity and lunch punctuate the voyage to Vis. The paid island tour is optional and timing-dependent.

Day 5 – Blue Cave and Hvar: Weather decides Blue Cave access. Hvar follows after a bay stop and lunch, with a guided town visit and free evening.

Day 6 – Bol and Brač: Time around Zlatni Rat precedes lunch and a second Brač harbour. Captain's Dinner is served in the evening; some departures list live music.

Day 7 – Split and Trogir: Guided visits introduce Diocletian's Palace and Trogir's UNESCO-listed centre. Revised port arrangements may change the order or final berth.

Day 8 – Trogir/Split: Disembark after breakfast. Use the published common transfer if offered, noting that it is not an airport shuttle.

Cruise Rhythm and Time Ashore

Life aboard Mama Marija is built around daylight cruising rather than long open-sea passages. Breakfast is followed by a port visit or navigation; lunch is served onboard on six days, often while moving to the next island. When timing, weather and traffic agree, the captain anchors in a protected bay for swimming. Arrival later in the day leaves a guided introduction and free evening ashore. Because only the welcome and Captain's dinners are normally included, the itinerary deliberately leaves room for local restaurants.

Swim stops are opportunities rather than guaranteed appointments. The captain chooses the place and duration, and may cancel access for wind, current, vessel traffic or a late port clearance. Blue Cave is even more weather-sensitive: guests transfer to a local boat, and the entrance can close after the ship has already reached Biševo. Comfortable walking shoes, sun protection and a light layer are more useful than specialist marine gear.

Choosing a Direction and Planning Connections

Both directions cover the central Dalmatian highlights, but their atmosphere develops differently. Southbound sailings build toward the dramatic arrival at Dubrovnik's walls; northbound journeys begin with Dubrovnik, then finish among the Roman layers of Split and the medieval lanes of Trogir or the Cetina scenery around Omiš. The best direction is usually the one that matches flight and hotel plans.

These cruises are one way. Dubrovnik and Split/Trogir are several hours apart by road, so a return flight from the embarkation city requires an independent transfer or an extra night. A published common coach between Split and Trogir/Omiš is a port-arrangement service, not automatically an airport transfer. Avoid tight same-day flights until the final disembarkation place and time are confirmed.

The route suits guests comfortable with gangways, stairs, uneven stone streets and occasional movement across neighbouring vessels moored side by side. City walks can include steps and summer heat. Travellers with mobility or medical needs should review the full route with the operator before paying a deposit, because the published conditions state that no adapted cabin is available and wheelchairs cannot embark.

Important Itinerary Notes

• This is a leisure and cultural cruise, not a dive safari.
• Swimming stops, Blue Cave access and small-boat movements depend on weather and the captain.
• Most dinners are free and paid ashore.
• The Vis and Ston tours are optional extras.
• These are one-way routes; arrival and departure transport must be planned from different cities.
• Split port works may shift embarkation or disembarkation to Trogir or Omiš.
• Guests must return by the announced time; the ship cannot wait for private activities.
• The captain may alter the sequence for safety and the operator may substitute a vessel under its terms.