The Love Boat

Easter Monday 21st April 2025

On waking on Easter Monday, we wondered, would we be able to check out today, would we be able to find any gluten bloody free food and most importantly maybe,  would we be able to find the boat...

Surprisingly, Paul had received a message from the Flight Centre person who had responded to Paul's enquiry on Easter Sunday or Monday, I get confused. But anyway amazingly he replied with the details on where to find the boat. Panic averted.

So we had a happier breakfast than expected, even with no gluten free specific food. (You can't have everything (if you are Coeliac)). We had a final walk of our neighbourhood, such a good location.

View from our balcony. GREAT LOCATION!

Once we checked out at 11am, with still no one at reception, we had till 2pm to board the cruise ship. We thought of walking to the boat but given the logistics of 4 suitcases and one disabled person, no wheelchair, we decided on a taxi instead.

We hoped we would be able to find the boat and there she was, first boat on the dock,  the Lady Eleganza.

Good news: We found the boat!

Bad news: We were advised we would not be able to board until 3pm at the earliest...

But they did agree to store our two big suitcases. Yeah..

So we had at this stage about 3.5 hours to kill. What to do? We had a long lunch, walked a bit, shopped at the local market, walked a bit more, found a bar and drank very slowly for a while, ordered food taking a long time to eat very little, walked some more and eventually gave up and went back to the boat.

We were not the only people there early. Older people arrive early for everything.

We were let on at about 2.30ish. A win.

Our cabin

Us on board finally. It was windy.

some of the deck

Hot tub unfortunately freezing. Yet to be heated.

We spent the afternoon unpacking everything. The cabins are well appointed but small. After strolling the decks and lounges, we met more of our fellow travellers before gathering for the safety meeting etc.

Good news: the captain has done this before

More good news: a few people had cancelled so there were only 26 passengers on board instead of 39.

And then dinner, duck al'orange or something like that following an entree of salmon. All very good. 

But no Gluten bloody free bread or dessert for me as it had not yet been delivered to the boat.

Dessert for the normal was a caramel cake of some sort. I paid little attention. 

I was so happy to get a plate of fresh fruit with a very nice raspberry coulis until i discovered that the 'fresh' raspberries were old and mouldy. This left a very bad taste in my mouth both literally and otherwise.

It is a bit sad that the only food photo I took was of a mouldy raspberry as everything else was excellent. And of course, wine, beer and cocktails flowed freely (literally).

After dinner there was music with a traditional Croatian group of musicians. They were very good especially the person playing the tambura, a stringed instrument with a beautiful tone and range. And a nice mix of traditional Croatian folk music and more modern tunes for our particularly Australian audience, ie Walzing Matilda and Downunder.

We left as soon as the music ended. It had been a busy, successful but stressful day.

Tomorrow we do a walking tour of Split and leave for Brac.