Unforgettable Croatia will launch the ‘Yacht Cruise Collection’, an innovative new style of boutique cruising for 2025 which follows bumper bookings this year, 20 per cent of which are Australian cruisers, its founder revealed to Travel Weekly today.
Yacht Cruise Collection is available for six sailings from June to September, departing from Split to Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik to Split, and Zadar to Dubrovnik.
With just 28 guests, the voyage aboard the 52-metre Alfa Mario mega-yacht will be one of the most intimate small ship cruises in the world. Built in 2021 and refitted in 2024, Alfa Mario’s intimate size with only 16 cabins allows it to hug the extensive Croatian coastline and its quite coves as it cruises.
“It’s effectively a 7-night luxury yacht cruise where we’ll have 28 onboard guests, so 20 per cent less guests that we’ve got on our normal cruises, on board the Alpha Mario, 170-foot yacht built in 2021 and refitted in 2024,” Unforgettable Travel Group founder and chief commercial officer Graham Carter said.
“The aim is to bring in some of the aspects that you would get in yachting so elevated dining experiences, swim stops with premium water sports and beach club access, healthier on-board lifestyle as well as yoga and fitness.”
Unforgettable Croatia has revealed that bookings through the trade increased by 24 per cent in 2024, as part of a record-breaking year for the luxury small-ship operator.
The Unforgettable Travel Group is a global luxury travel and cruising company with offices in the UK, US, Australia, Croatia, Greece and South Africa, and celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Turnover last year was $65 million with about 30 per cent year-on-year growth, Carter said.
It currently has five ships, mostly built in 2021, including the Yacht Cruise Collection’s Alfa Mario. A sixth ship – MS Aretis – is currently being built in Croatia, the first ship-build since in the country since Covid. The 36-guest MS Aretis will take the fleet a total of 2500 cabins, a 9 per cent year-on-year increase.
Unforgettable Croatia Yacht Cruise Collection’s Alfa Mario Master Cabin.
The group may well expand into new destinations, with existing and possibly leased ships and is set to rival other European cruise lines, given its increasing popularity.
Unforgettable Croatia offers a mix of overnight porting, cultural tours, winery visits and food tours, including a popular oyster harvesting tour. Plus, there are both inclusive onboard dining and a concierge who can arrange Michelin-starred or Michel-style dining at destinations chosen from their own restaurant guide. Add to that, an array of mild adventure tours to national parks, plus novel daily swims off the back of vessels in those quiet coves and there is a lot to like.
And more than 1300 of those guests booked via an agent. The demographic is predominantly 55-plus, but the age group drops to 35 years and upwards in the warmer weather. And Carter adds that around 70 per cent are new to cruise.
“In terms of how we trading for 2025, we’ve had a 10 per cent uplift in terms of capacity for the season, and to date, we are at 80 per cent occupancy for the season,” Carter told Travel Weekly. Booking for the 2026 season is now likely to open in February, one of the earliest of any of the Croatian offerings. Ports of call for the Split to Dubrovnik (and vice-versa) itinerary for example are Split, Trogir, Vis, Hvar, Korcula, Slano and Dubrovnik. And the Zadar to Dubrovnik route features Zadar, Sibenik, Vis, Hvar, Korcula, Slano and Dubrovnik.
The sundeck on Alfa Mario.
In Australia alone, revenue and bookings were both up almost 50 per cent for the 2024 season, with Australian travellers now accounting for 20 per cent of all guests onboard the luxury operator’s small ship Croatia cruises. The other cruisers consist mostly of Brits, Americans and New Zealanders.
An upswing in local bookings has coincided with the arrival of Melbourne-based Unforgettable Croatia European Travel Specialist Aurore Bertomeu.
“Everybody on board our cruise is English speaking, typically British, American, Australian and Kiwi,” said Carter via video call. “I think there’s always a really good camaraderie on board.
“You’ve got the Aussies and the Brits who always have good banter because of the ashes and rugby. You’ve got the Americans who are just fascinated by the Aussies and how much they travel. And I think it just creates a really nice atmosphere.”
As for Yacht Cruise Collection, Alfa Mario offers the opportunity for luxury group cruising without the $150,000 bill, with three different cabin suites on offer, plus a cinema, outdoor dining, jacuzzi, barbecue area and sundeck on the upper deck.
There is a beach club at the back of the ship, which features jets skis, SeaBobs, E-foils, kayaks and SUPs among the assortment of different water sports.
The beach club at the back of the vessel.
Fares include private airport transfers or private hotel to ship transfers, daily breakfast, daily three-course lunch, two evening meals over seven nights. Signature vessels have a drink with each of their dinners and lunches and all the excursions are included as is WiFi. They offer high-end amenities and merchandising board. The only charges are port fees of 17 euros and gratuities of 4-5 per cent.
“The increase in corporate bookings and charters is testament to the hard work that has gone into differentiating our product in an increasingly competitive landscape,” Carter said.
“Our luxury small-ship experience provides a unique way for businesses to come together in an inspiring and creative setting, away from the hustle and bustle of office life.”
Alfa Mario Salon.