The Vision

A private yacht. The Dalmatian coast. A week with people you actually want to talk to.

Connie and I have chartered a yacht — the MS Splendid — to take down the Croatian coast for seven nights, 22 to 29 May 2027. The contract is signed. The boat is booked. About 30 to 36 guests. Exclusive boat. No mega-cruise, no casino, no climbing wall, no herded tours, no cabin-share with strangers from a cruise line. If this isn't for you, no hard feelings.

We've sailed this coast, and we came home knowing we had to bring our people here. Late May is the season when the Adriatic turns that impossible shade of blue and the summer crowds haven't arrived yet. We'll anchor in quiet bays the big boats skip, swim straight off the back of the boat, walk the stone streets of walled towns at our own pace, and gather each evening for dinner and unhurried conversation.

Chuck and Connie host the whole thing personally. Informal talks and Q&A on history, geopolitics, culture, and faith — woven in, never lectured. No full-time cruise manager. No flag-and-path tours. Local guides only where they actually add something (Vis is the obvious one).

The Boat

MS Splendid. Chartered whole-boat. All ours.

We've signed the charter for the MS Splendid — a 38.5-metre motor yacht, designed and built in Croatia, 18 cabins and 38 berths. We've taken the entire vessel, with her Croatian crew, for the week. That's the whole point of a small ship: quiet bays the big boats skip, and a group you'll know by name within two days.

38.5 metres, built in Croatia in 2014 — a small cruise ship, not a mega-liner
18 cabins, 38 berths, and 18 bathrooms: every cabin is en suite
Mostly double-bed cabins; nine of them convert to twins, and a couple can take a third berth
Exclusive whole-boat charter with her Croatian crew — no strangers from a cruise line
About 30 to 36 of us aboard, on a boat built for 38
Air conditioning throughout, cabins included, plus daily cabin cleaning
Jacuzzi on the top deck beside the sunbeds; a bathing platform aft, straight into the sea
A large dining and bar area, and free unlimited Wi-Fi aboard
Half board — welcome dinner, daily buffet breakfast, and six three-course lunches
Wireless headsets for the guided walking tours ashore

Who This Is For

A busy, conservative group of Hot Zonians.

We'll have great conversation, and a small group you will know by name. Faith-friendly, not a church retreat. You do not have to share our faith to come.

Expect informal talks and Q&A with Chuck on history, geopolitics, culture, and faith, woven naturally into the week. Never lectured at. No full-time cruise manager herding you around a schedule. No flag-and-path tours. Local guides only where useful.

What you should expect instead: slow mornings, long lunches, swim stops in clear water, walled towns at your own pace, and golden-hour dinners on deck with people worth listening to.

The Route · Tentative Port List

Where we're headed.

We have a tentative port list. Captain and weather have the last word.

00Arrive

Fly into Dubrovnik (DBV). Sleep near a pickup point.

Come in a day early and take a hotel for the night before we sail, near one of our two coach pickups: the Hotel Astarea in Mlini, about 15 minutes from the airport, or Gruž port in Dubrovnik (hotels in Gruž and Lapad are closest). That night is not included — book it yourself, and give yourself the buffer.

01Sat 22 May

Overland to Omiš via Mostar and Kravice. Board in the afternoon.

One included group coach leaves early, around 7:30 a.m., from the Hotel Astarea in Mlini, then picks up at Gruž port in Dubrovnik about 20 minutes later (exact times to follow). It's a full day: about five hours of driving, broken up with stops at Mostar and the Kravice waterfalls. Check Bosnia off your list on the way. We reach the boat at Omiš — tucked into the mouth of the Cetina river gorge, 30 minutes down the coast from Split — in the afternoon. Welcome drink, welcome dinner, and our first night tied up in Omiš.

02Sun 23 May

Omiš to Hvar.

Out into the islands. Swim stops in clear water, then Hvar — lavender, stone, and one of the prettiest harbors on the Adriatic. Walk up to the fortress above town, or don't. It's your afternoon.

03Mon 24 May

Hvar to Vis.

The furthest inhabited island off this coast — closed to foreigners until 1989, a Yugoslav military island with the tunnels and bunkers still in it.

04Tue 25 May

A full day on Vis.

This is the stop we deliberately slowed down for. A local guide, the military tunnels, the harbor town of Komiža, and time to swim. The Blue Cave on Biševo is nearby for anyone who wants it.

05Wed 26 May

Vis to Korčula.

The walled town said to be Marco Polo's birthplace — a fishbone grid of stone lanes built to break the wind. Quiet bays along the way.

06Thu 27 May

Korčula to Mljet.

Forested national park, saltwater lakes, and an island monastery. Swim, walk, and rest.

07Fri 28 May

Mljet to Dubrovnik.

The last run down the coast into Dubrovnik, and a final night aboard tied up in the city.

08Sat 29 May

Disembark Dubrovnik, 09:00.

Off the boat by nine. Fly home from DBV — or keep going with us on the Montenegro add-on.

These are the ports we have asked for, and they are written into the charter — but they are not guaranteed. Croatian port slots get assigned the Friday before, so the captain, the weather, and berth availability have the last word. If a port can't be had, we find an alternative or anchor out.

How You Get There

Fly DBV. Board in Omiš. Disembark Dubrovnik.

Fly to Dubrovnik (DBV), and get in the day before. Book a hotel for the night before we sail near one of the two coach pickups: the Hotel Astarea in Mlini, about 15 minutes from the airport, or Gruž port in Dubrovnik. That night is not included. On the morning of Saturday 22 May there is one included group coach up to the ship: out around 7:30 a.m. from the Astarea and about 20 minutes later from Gruž (exact times to follow), with stops at Mostar and the Kravice waterfalls, into Omiš in the afternoon. Omiš sits 30 minutes down the coast from Split — Split itself has no berth for a ship our size, so Omiš is where we board and where we spend the first night.

Flying into Split instead? Some guests will fly straight to Split and make their own way to the quay at Omiš — about 30 minutes by road. If you do, you skip the group transfer, and its cost is not refunded.

Coming home: we disembark in Dubrovnik at 09:00 on Saturday 29 May. Guests who arrived via Split need to plan on flying out of DBV, or buying their own ride north. Don't book a flight that leaves before mid-morning.

Included

7-night exclusive whole-boat charter of the MS Splendid, with her Croatian crew
Cabin with private facilities and air conditioning (double occupancy unless a single is purchased)
Half board — welcome dinner, daily buffet breakfast, and six three-course lunches
Welcome drink, daily fresh fruit, and a water dispenser aboard
Daily cabin cleaning; linens and towels changed through the week
Free unlimited Wi-Fi aboard
Rooftop jacuzzi, sun-deck beds, and the rear swimming platform
Wireless headsets for guided walking tours ashore
One group transfer up to the ship on embarkation morning (Mostar / Kravice routing)
Hosted by Chuck and Connie
Selected basic entries and short visits where practical (e.g. the Vis local guide)
Coordination and logistical support from Hot Zone Tours

Not Included

International airfare
Alcohol and drinks — the bar is open 09:00–23:00, by consumption. Outside drinks may not be brought aboard.
Croatian tourist tax, roughly €60–75 per person for the week, payable aboard
Any hotel or ground stay on the front or back end — the Dubrovnik night before, extra nights after, and so on
Extra meals beyond half board
National park and cave entry fees where we go ashore (Mljet and the Biševo Blue Cave run roughly €40 and €28)
Gratuities for crew and cruise manager
Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
The optional Montenegro add-on ($895 per person sharing, booked separately)
Airport transfers outside the group coach

Availability

The ship is full.

Every cabin on the Splendid is spoken for. Cancellations do happen, though, and when one does, the waitlist hears first, in the order people joined.

Join the Waitlist →

No payment now. If a cabin opens up, we'll contact you before anyone else on the list behind you.

Already paid your deposit? Pay your balance.

Your balance is due by 14 February 2027. It's the trip price minus the $1,000 deposit you already paid:

$3,495 per person, double occupancy
$5,743 for a single cabin
$6,990 for a couple paying together

Pay Your Balance with Stripe →

Checkout opens at $3,495. Paying for a single cabin or for two people? Change the amount to your total before you pay.

Pay first, pick first. Cabins are chosen in the order balances are paid in full, by the time Stripe records your payment. Paying in installments is fine; your place counts from your last payment. The first six households paid in full get first pick of the six upper-deck cabins.

Refunds. Cancel by 15 January 2027 and you get everything back, deposit included. After that, payments are non-refundable, unless we fill your cabin from the waitlist, in which case we refund you. Travel insurance is strongly recommended, ideally with "cancel for any reason" cover.

Optional Add-On · Sat 29 – Mon 31 May 2027

Keep going: two nights in Montenegro.

When the ship docks in Dubrovnik, a small group carries on with us by road: the cliff monastery at Ostrog, the high lakes and forests of Durmitor, and the Bay of Kotor at Perast. Three days, two nights, and back in Dubrovnik by lunchtime Monday.

$895 per person sharing · single room +$150

The lake at Etno Selo Zminica, ringed by pine forest, in Durmitor, Montenegro

Black Lake (Crno Jezero) ringed by pine forest in Durmitor National Park, Montenegro

A shepherd's hut in a wildflower meadow above a valley in Durmitor, Montenegro

Chuck and Connie Holton on a hillside above the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

The Bay of Kotor seen from the mountainside, with boats crossing the water

Our Lady of the Rocks island church in the Bay of Kotor near Perast, Montenegro

Connie Holton on the Perast waterfront at sunset, Bay of Kotor

The waterfront town of Perast and its church at sunset on the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

01Sat 29 May

Dubrovnik to Trebinje, Ostrog and Durmitor.

Our minibus picks us up at the ship in Gruž port around 8:00 a.m. and crosses into Bosnia and Herzegovina for coffee and a stroll in Trebinje's old town. Then on into Montenegro and up to Ostrog Monastery, built into a cliff face 900 meters above the plain, where we spend about two hours and have lunch. In the afternoon we climb into the mountains of Durmitor. Dinner and the night at Etno Selo Zminica, a village of wooden cottages on a quiet mountain lake. We stayed there ourselves and loved it.

02Sun 30 May

Black Lake, the Tara bridge and Perast.

A morning walk around Black Lake with a local guide (about 3.5 km, easy walking), then the Đurđevića Tara bridge high over the Tara canyon, with an optional zipline for the brave. After lunch we drive down from the mountains to the Bay of Kotor and take a boat from Perast out to the island church of Our Lady of the Rocks. Dinner and the night at the Hunguest Sun Resort in Herceg Novi, on the bay.

03Mon 31 May

Back to Dubrovnik.

Breakfast and a free morning, then a short drive back across the border. We drop you at Dubrovnik airport or your hotel between about 11:00 and 12:30. Allow for the border: book a flight for mid-afternoon or later, or stay another night in Dubrovnik.

Included

Private minibus and driver for all three days
Two nights' lodging with breakfast, sharing a room (single room +$150)
Two dinners and three lunches
Local guides at Black Lake and Perast
Boat to Our Lady of the Rocks, the Durmitor national park fee, the Ostrog shuttle and the Tara bridge zipline
Montenegrin tourist tax
Hosted by Chuck and Connie

Not Included

Drinks and alcohol
Tips for the driver and guides
Donations at Ostrog Monastery
Your hotel in Dubrovnik on the night of 31 May, if you stay
Flights and travel insurance

Good to know

Passports. We cross three borders in three days: Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia to Montenegro, and Montenegro back into Croatia. US and EU citizens don't need a visa for either country. Bring your passport, not an ID card.

Dress for Ostrog. It is a working monastery. Shoulders and knees covered for everyone, so no shorts or tank tops. Women usually cover their heads inside the churches, so bring a scarf (wraps can also be borrowed there). No photos inside the cave churches.

Bring layers. The coast will be warm, 22 to 26°C (low 70s to high 70s °F), but Zminica sits at about 1,450 meters and nights there can drop to 3 to 8°C (high 30s to mid 40s °F). Wear good walking shoes for the stone steps at Ostrog.

Going on to Armenia? Our Armenia tour starts in Yerevan on Wednesday 2 June. Finish here on Monday, and you have all of Tuesday to fly from Dubrovnik to Yerevan.

The add-on runs with 8 or more guests, and we'll confirm it by 1 March 2027. Times and stops can shift with weather, border queues and road conditions.

Reserve your place

Deposit: $200 per person, fully refundable until 1 March 2027. Balance due: 1 March 2027. If the add-on doesn't run, you get every dollar back. You can also pay the whole amount now: $895 per person sharing, or $1,045 for a room to yourself. On the deposit form, choose sharing or single so we know which room to book.

Questions, or rather pay another way? Email info@holtonnews.com.

Questions

Frequently asked.

What does it cost?

$4,495 per person, double occupancy. Single occupancy in your own cabin is $6,743 — a 50% supplement ($4,495 + $2,248). Singles are limited. If you'd rather not pay the supplement, a same-sex share is possible; tell us on the form.

What are the exact dates?

Seven nights. We board at Omiš on the afternoon of Saturday 22 May 2027 and disembark in Dubrovnik by 09:00 on Saturday 29 May 2027. Those dates are in the signed charter.

Which boat is it?

The MS Splendid — a 38.5-metre motor yacht designed and built in Croatia in 2014, with 18 cabins and 38 berths. We've signed the charter for the whole vessel and her Croatian crew for the week, so there's no other group aboard.

What are the cabins like?

Eighteen cabins, every one with its own bathroom, and air conditioning throughout the ship. Most are double-bed cabins; nine of them convert to twin beds, and a couple can take a third berth. Tell us on the form what you need and we'll sort it when we assign cabins.

What's the refund policy?

Cancel by 15 January 2027 and you get everything back, deposit and balance. After 15 January, payments are non-refundable, because that's when our own non-refundable payments to the ship come due. The one exception: if we fill your cabin from the waitlist, we refund you. Travel insurance with "cancel for any reason" cover is a good idea.

How are cabins assigned?

In the order balances are paid in full. The Splendid has six cabins on the upper deck, four guest cabins on the main deck and eight on the lower deck, and everyone pays the same price, so the first households to pay in full choose first. Installments are fine; your place counts from your last payment.

Where should I fly?

Dubrovnik, Croatia (DBV), arriving the day before. Stay that night near one of the two coach pickups: the Hotel Astarea in Mlini, about 15 minutes from the airport, or Gruž port in Dubrovnik. The hotel isn't included. The next morning an included group coach leaves around 7:30 a.m. and takes us to the ship at Omiš, 30 minutes down the coast from Split, via Mostar and the Kravice waterfalls.

Can I fly into Split instead?

Yes — some guests will fly to Split and make their own way to the ship at Omiš, about 30 minutes down the coast, skipping the group transfer. Just know we disembark in Dubrovnik, so Split arrivals need to plan to fly out of DBV or buy their own ride north.

What meals are included?

Half board: a three-course welcome dinner on the first night, a buffet breakfast every morning, and six three-course lunches. Drinks and alcohol are not included — the bar aboard is open 09:00 to 23:00, charged by consumption, and outside drinks may not be brought aboard.

Is there Wi-Fi?

Yes — free unlimited Wi-Fi aboard is part of the charter. Coverage along the islands is what it is, but you'll be connected.

Are flights included?

No. International airfare is not included, and neither is any hotel or ground stay on the front or back end.

Where does the ship go?

One-way down the Dalmatian coast: Omiš, Hvar, two nights on Vis, then Korčula, Mljet, and into Dubrovnik. Those ports are written into the charter, but Croatian berths are assigned the Friday before, so the captain and the weather have the last word.

Is this a Christian trip?

It's faith-friendly and hosted by Christians, but it is not a church retreat. You don't have to share our faith to come.

What is the Montenegro add-on?

Two nights in Montenegro right after the cruise, Saturday 29 to Monday 31 May 2027: Ostrog Monastery, Durmitor National Park and the Bay of Kotor, back in Dubrovnik by lunchtime Monday. It's $895 per person sharing, plus $150 for a single room. It runs with 8 or more guests, and we'll confirm it by 1 March 2027. A $200 deposit holds your place and is fully refundable until 1 March; the balance is due by 1 March. See the full plan.

What physical ability is required?

Guests should be able to walk on docks, board boats, manage stairs, and walk moderate distances on uneven stone surfaces. The Montenegro add-on involves long drives on mountain roads, stone steps at Ostrog and an easy 3.5 km lake walk.

Do I need travel insurance?

Strongly recommended, and it may be required once your booking is confirmed.

How many spots are available?

None right now. The Splendid has 18 cabins, and every one is spoken for. Join the waitlist and you'll hear first if a cabin opens up.

Anything I should know about the ports?

One practical thing: in Croatian harbors ships moor side by side, so getting ashore sometimes means crossing another ship's deck. There's a gap to step over. The crew will give a hand to anyone who wants one.