CroisiEurope : my experience of a cruise on the Adriatic Sea

From May 1st to 8th, I embarked on a CroisiEurope ship that stopped over in four countries in the Adriatic Sea: Croatia, Greece, Albania and Montenegro.

This original itinerary aboard the MV La belle de l’Adriatique made me discover charming European cities with archaeological remains and extraordinary landscapes.

I visited in particular:

• Dubrovnik, known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic
• the island of Corfu
• three ports in Albania: Saranda, Vlorë and Durrës
• then Montenegro, with Stari Bar and the mouths of Kotor.

Here’s how to go to Croatia with your points and an overview of my discoveries through this 7-night sailing trip from Croatia.

The next departures for this cruise with CroisiEurope will be from September 11 to 18, 2022 and from September 25 to October 2, 2022. The average best price is around $1,063 CAD when looking on Google Flight :

There are several possible routes to Dubrovnik, including one or two stopovers. We chose tickets with the shortest stopovers during our research, less than 5 hours.

You’ll need between 70,000 and 80,000 Aeroplan points. The fare is fixed when using a Star Alliance partner but dynamic on Air Canada. Sometimes it is more optimal to use Aeroplan points, and in other situations, it will make more sense to pay in cash.

A valuation calculation will need to be performed to determine whether or not it is beneficial to use this program. So the best credit card for maintaining such flexibility is the American Express Cobalt^® Card, because it lets you quickly accumulate Membership Rewards points. Depending on the situation, you can use these points as cash back or transfer them to Aeroplan.

Once at your destination, it may be interesting to look for a rental depending on the length of your stay and not on a cruise. Airbnb or VRBO are good alternatives to hotels if you plan to stay more than a few days.

In Croatia, we were treated to a guided city tour of Dubrovnik, a city known for its old town surrounded by massive stone walls dating back to the 16th century. Paved with limestone, the pedestrian street Stradun (or Placa) is lined with stores and restaurants.

In the old town, filled with narrow streets and delightful architecture, we visited the Dominican monastery, the cathedral and the Rector’s Palace, the most important building in the Republic of Dubrovnik for several centuries. Today, it houses the Dubrovnik History Museum, a must-see site in the city.

Remember also that Dubrovnik was the central filming location for the fictional city of Game of Thrones, the famous TV series distributed by HBO. I am such a fan. I must admit that I felt a certain thrill when our guide showed us the exact location of the shooting of the famous scene of the walk of shame!

It is said that the island of Corfu is a natural mosaic of cultures: from the Venetians to the English, through the French, the Russians and the Greeks, several peoples have left their mark. The island is characterized by its steep mountains, many beaches and resorts.

We visited its old town during our visit, where you can feel the Greek atmosphere, with its ochre and yellow facades.

We were also supposed to visit the Achilleion, a symbolic place of the island and palace of Empress Sissi, but unfortunately, it was closed for restoration. Therefore, the visit was replaced by the Mon Repos Palace, built in 1831 and recognized as the birthplace of Prince Phillip II, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

This CroisiEurope cruise included three days spent in Albania, a country that deserves to be visited for its beautiful coastal landscapes, numerous castles and archaeological sites.

First stop: the port of Saranda. Between the sea and the hills of olive groves, the town of Saranda is located on a horseshoe-shaped bay bordered by beaches and a promenade.

The road to the tourist sites is simply magnificent from this port city. A must-see is the ancient site of Butrint, which dates back to the 6th century BC. Overlooking the hill, the acropolis allows us to appreciate the site’s strategic position. You can admire the ruins of the thermal baths and the Byzantine church.

I also loved the visit to the medieval city of Gjirokastra, an ancient Ottoman town. The highlight of this tourist attraction is the visit to the citadel, which offers an impressive view of the Drinos valley. In the old town, you can admire authentic houses and cobbled streets with various patterns in black, white and pink colours.

From the port of Vlorë, we visited the most significant archaeological site in Albania: Apollonia, a city founded in 588 BC by Greek settlers. The site extends around two hills of about 100 m in altitude. There is a museum, a medieval church, and a restaurant on site. The site being in the middle of nature, remember to take your mosquito repellent.

Another exciting visit: Berat, a real “city-museum” with its houses climbing up the side of the hill where the Berat castle dating from the 13th century stands. UNESCO lists the historic center of Berat as one of the best preserved Ottoman cities.

From this industrial port, we head for Tirana, the capital of Albania, a bustling city, a symbol of an overthrown dictatorship. I enjoyed my time at the National Historical Museum, the largest museum in Albania, which traces all periods of the country’s history.

It is also worth seeing in the capital: Skanderbeg Square, the heart of the city and its oldest building, the Et’hem Bey mosque.

Here is a surprising discovery: Montenegro, with its rugged mountains, medieval villages and narrow beaches on the Adriatic coast.
Reminiscent of Croatia, Montenegro has the good fortune to be a less crowded destination (therefore less crowded beaches) but with equally remarkable landscapes and sea views.

From the port of Stari Bar, we saw a 2,000-year-old olive tree and visited the ancient city of Bar, with its high walls and various superbly preserved remains. Arm yourself with good walking shoes, because the climb to the old city of Bar is worth the effort! At the top, the view of Mount Rumija is breathtaking.

Another highlight in Montenegro is our sailing in the Kotor Mouths, lined with beautiful panoramas, coastal churches and pretty fortified towns like Kotor and Herceg Novi.

I enjoyed the experience on board this human-sized boat. Renovated in 2017, the MV La Belle de l’Adriatique has 99 cabins arranged across the 4 decks: upper deck, boat deck, main deck and lower deck.

On this ship, which only accommodates 197 passengers and 47 crew members, you won’t find a wide variety of restaurants or stores, but it doesn’t matter. Here on board, you’ll be treated to tasty dishes, most of them of French inspiration and very friendly entertainment.

On CroisiEurope ships, the menu prepared by the chef is part of the experience. I enjoyed it from morning till night.

As part of this cruise on the Adriatic Sea, we were treated to an Albanian-themed evening, including a traditional dinner followed by a folkloric dance show.

The restaurant serves all meals on the main deck during the cruise. Like the lounge/bar, it was designed to accommodate all passengers.

The lounge/bar welcomes guests on the boat deck during lively evenings. On the upper deck, there is also the Pianoramabar, another pleasant, more intimate space that can accommodate 40 people. You can relax and enjoy a cocktail while listening to a piano piece.

The vast sun deck is ideal for relaxation, with two Jacuzzis and deckchairs, where you can relax while enjoying the landscape.

Cabins on the upper and boat decks have large windows, while those on the main and lower decks have portholes.

In the cabins, you will find the following amenities: television, safe, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a bathroom with a shower, a hair dryer and a selection of bath products.
The cabins are relatively standard without being particularly luxurious. On the other hand, everything is designed to put comfort first.

As a reminder, CroisiEurope is a company that specializes in river and coastal cruises. Each year, the company welcomes nearly 200,000 passengers (of which 100,000 are loyal customers) of its 55 human-sized ships on Europe’s rivers, seas, and canals and in Asia and Africa.

CroisiEurope accepts Canadian credit cards: American Express, Mastercard, and Visa. You could, for example, use one of these credit cards and apply your travel points to your cruise booking with CroisiEurope:

• National Bank World Elite Mastercard
• Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card
• American Express Cobalt^® Card

Given that this is a European company, our advice is to pay with a card with no foreign currency conversion fees such as the HSBC World Elite^® Mastercard^®.