Foods of Croatia and Cruising the Adriatic Sea onboard the M/S Lupus Mare

 

We enjoyed 7 days and nights on board the M/S Lupus Mare, sailing along the beautiful coastline of Croatia on the Adriatic Sea which was the perfect way for us to enjoy our first ever introductory cruise. 

The ship can normally accommodate 35 passengers, however on our cruise there were only 13 passengers, we were just lucky, and the weather was perfect as well. The ship's crew were also very attentive to detail and made us feel very special.

The weather conditions, the ship's crew, and the food can make or break a passenger's enjoyment of the cruising experience. Keeping healthy is also vital. Firstly, we had perfect weather conditions, so there was no rough sailing except for when we needed to venture into the open ocean on our longer sail back to Dubrovnik, but that was manageable, even for me. I'm not a great sailor, and this was my main concern about undertaking this voyage, however it wasn't until the last couple of days when we were approaching Split again, and there was  lot of water traffic causing some turbulence, that it was noticeably less smooth sailing.

The ship's crew were exemplary in every way, and are on the ship throughout the Summer tourist season, welcoming a new intake of passengers every week. Z was our Cruise Manager, and like a lot of Croatian names, his name, Zlatko, was difficult to pronounce properly, so he said to call him Z. He is a former International Basketball player in the International League playing for Italy, but returned to Croatia when his basketball career ended, and is now aged in his early 40's.  (Z, I hope that is all correct.) 

We're on a walking tour here with Z in Dubrovnik.

The Cruise Manager has a very important role on a ship. Ensuring the passengers are well informed on a daily basis and giving daily briefings at breakfast time each day, attending to any problems onboard that occur, ensuring the daily tours are well organised, spreading themselves around the passengers by dining with each table when possible, and a lot more. He also worked with the crew to take our luggage on board at the beginning of the cruise, and singlehandedly removed our luggage from the ship at the end of the cruise. Z also led most of our daily walking tours, and did an excellent job, always concerned for our comfort and safety, and provided so much interesting detail during the tours. His role was separate from the rest of the crew, but they all collaborated beautifully.

Z provided us with a list of ATMs not to be used anywhere in Croatia. 

The ones below are safe to use with a good exchange rate. The bank of Zagreb was easily found.

We were very fortunate to have a talented chef on board as well whom I met. It's not always the case and he prepares a different menu each week for guests. Breakfast was at 8 am each day, which was when Z outlined the sailing plan for the day. Breakfast catered for a variety of international tastes, ranging from locally sourced fresh fruits, nuts, cereals, preserved meats, cheeses, and hot dishes which always included eggs cooked differently each day, bacon, and small sausages (something of a Croatian specialty). Juices and coffee were on tap.

Lunch on board was always three delicious courses and here are some examples, after all this is primarily a food and travel blog. There was also a snack provided late in the day on the ship and then we ate dinner each evening on the island or wherever we were moored.

On our first day, we boarded the ship at Omis at 2pm, and were warmly welcomed by Z, our Cruise Director, and offered welcome alcoholic drinks and snacks. We then explored Omis later in the afternoon.

Day 1, onboard M/S Lupus Mare, at Omis near Split, Saturday May 23rd. 2026

I wasn't photographing all of the meals onboard the boat on our first day, but this first dinner onboard was delicious. Chicken  wrapped in bacon, with Mediterranean vegetables, and beautifully presented. 

Day 2, May 24th, Lunchtime, Vis, a former secluded Military enclave,  with a swim break beforehand near the Pakleni Islands.

A list of suggested restaurants for dinner in Vis provided by Z.

A beautiful setting for lunch on board with the Adriatic Sea in the background. 

Baked zucchini for appetiser

Seafood risotto for main with a black olive garnish

Croatian apple and cheese pie, delicious

After a 6 km afternoon walk around beautiful Vis, which has only been open to the public for 23 years, because of it's military role, we had worked up an appetite and chose a restaurant for dinner which lived up to our expectations for some delicious fresh Croatian food. Freshly caught fish grilled on the open fire for moi, so delicious, an absolutely amazing seafood and vegetable ravioli for Mr. HRK and Shannon, and dessert was lemon tart and tiramasu. We dined under fruiting cherry trees which were lit up to provide the perfect atmosphere. A complimentary glass of Croatian liqueur which was also used in the ravioli was a wonderful finale to the evening.

Konoba Bilka Restaurant

The Konoba Bilka was located in the less touristy part of town, which is always a good choice for dining.

  

We would definitely choose this restaurant to dine at again

Simply served and delicious vegetables also cooked over the open fire

Fish and vegetables being cooked outdoors over the coals

Freshly caught fish

A delicious vegetable and seafood ravioli ticked all the boxes

A beautiful atmosphere for dining, under the cherry trees. 

It was a Sunday afternoon when we began our walk, with an air of perfect peacefulness in Vis, despite the side by side berthing of yachts the whole length of the marina. By this stage when we were docked at the marina, we often had to walk cross two or three other ships to get to shore. 

We had to walk across this ship to come ashore.

Day 3, May 25th, Lunchtime, Island of Korcula

Napkin of the day

Locally caught fish for lunch

Z conducting a tour of the timeless charm of the old town of Korcula

Day 4, May 26th, Lunch, Dubrovnik

The napkin of the day

The entree was delicious, Baked eggplant (aubergine) stuffed with Mediterranean vegetables

Tuna served with sweet potato puree and asparagus

Brownie and ice-cream

Each morning, Luca the Saloon manager, could be found in the saloon (salon) folding napkins for the lunch tables. Every day there was a different design, all beautiful and it was always a shame to have to unfold them and destroy his amazing work. I never did get a lesson from him on how to fold napkins. Luca and Maya managed the saloon area beautifully and industriously, where we dined, and which contained the bar, nothing was ever too much trouble for them. 

Napkins folded by Luca in the shape of a ship.

These are photos of the ship's crew securing the ship to rocks on the coast, in preparation for the swim break before lunch. I think this was on our way back to Dubrovnik. The colour of the Adriatic Sea here is quite magical. It was a beautiful location to go swimming.

Day 5, Wednesday, May 27th. Captain's Dinner,  Pomena on Mljet Island

Famous for the Mljet National Park, and two saltwater lakes.

Wednesday evening on board was the Captain's Dinner, which is always a special event. Tables were decorated especially, the crew were in formal wear, the food was exceptional, and the Captain was dressed casually in a t-shirt and trousers because he can and he's a relaxed kind of guy. This isn't the kind of cruise where the captain dresses up in full Captains attire like on the Love Boat. Overnight Mljet.



A delicious entree of stuffed dates wrapped in bacon.

Steak and mushrooms served on truffle potato, very tasty

The steak was served with a cucumber salad similar to a tzatziki .

A delicious Lemon tart for dessert.

Pomena was a very laid back town with many smaller boats moored there, catered for by quite a few cafes and restaurants. The Pomena restaurant had live fish waiting to be chosen for dinner.

Lobster or crayfish

Day 6, Thursday May 28th, Hvar Island.

It's famous for it's Lavender farm in the hills which Shannon toured and met the King of Lavender. Who would have thought there is a King of Lavender. She had a great time, and this tour is to be recommended. This town struck me as somewhat of a party town, very vibrant, but still steeped in history and reputed as one of the sunniest towns in Croatia. Croatia is famous for it's donkeys, and I found this guy in the Tourist Information Office in Hvar.

Very old Olive Trees in Hvar

A delicious Lunch on board at Hvar. Chef excelled himself.

Beef Tartare which was delicious

Baked salmon served wrapped in parchment

Baked salmon served on Mediterranean vegetables

Perfect Creme Brulee

This is Hvar in the early evening, with the castle in the background. Note the line up of ships along  the wharf. We just shared a delicious platter of food with friends from the ship that evening for dinner.

Day 7, May 29th, departing for Omis and Split for the conclusion of our cruise

Following a very good Split City Tour, we continued our journey to Omis for an overnight stay on board at Omis.

Because of the Port Authority's advice, we were unable to dock at Split, and sailed to Omis.

Lavender products on sale

A beautiful sunset from the ship

Day 8

We savoured a farewell breakfast onboard at Omis, sadly said our goodbyes to the crew, and were then transferred by vehicle to our hotel in Split. We unloaded our luggage at the Cornaro Hotel, and started exploring Split.

I'm having fun with some Romans (students) at Diocletian's Palace in Split.

We enjoyed a delicious Octopus salad for lunch in the Diocletian's Palace area of Split on our last day.

The Cornaro Hotel, Split, Croatia

Our first experience with Croatian food was in Split at the well located Cornaro Hotel where we stayed for our first night, and where we had breakfast, included in the cost. Oh, what a magnificent breakfast, I think it is the best breakfast spread I have ever seen catering for every conceivable requirement. This is just a sample.

Delicious bread

These were very tasty, as was everything

When in Croatia, do as the Croatians do for breakfast

Dinner was at the Cornaro Hotel on our final night in Split.

Dinner on our last night in Croatia at the Cornaro Hotel, was a Croatian beef speciality, a slow cooked beef casserole, called Homemade Pasticada, served with homemade potato gnocchi. The Croatian wine paired perfectly with it.

Fresh grilled fish and Mediterranean vegetables pour moi, delicious

We ate a little of our dessert, but Mr. HRK was unwell, so we took most of the dessert back to our room for him. He loved it. What's not to love?

A chocolate fudge dessert

Lemon cheesecake

I hope you have enjoyed life onboard the M/S Lupus Mare through my eyes, particularly the Croatian food. What a beautiful country it is. I have already shared a lot more photos and stories on my facebook posts throughout our journey, so there is still more to share at a later date.

Warm wishes,

Pauline