The weather held and our moning call at Dubrovnik was a sunny affair. This is only a short port stop, from 0700 to 13.00 hrs., as it is such a long distance to Venice. I am always in a great hurry to leave because of that, while the guests are in no hurry at all to come back. So it was also this time, all our buses pulled up next to the ship in the last 45 minutes and that meant that it was a long row lining up waiting to be processed by security.

The summer season is slowly starting and that could be seen by the fact that each call we coming to Dubrovnik there will be more and more cruise ships. During our first call we were all by ourselves, during the second call there was one, during the third call there are four. At the fourth call again four, but now the first mega liner has arrived. Fifth call: four ships (including one mega liner) and at the sixth and our final call, five other ships including two mega liners and two big ships, altogether bringing ashore an estimated 12000 guests, not counting crew. During that last call we have the advantage that we are docked, so the transportation of the guests is at least not that inconvenient but it will be a busy day within the walls of the old town.

Another sign that summer is coming is the abundance of sailing boats around the coast. On the way from Dubrovnik to Venice we sail for part of our journey between the islands of the Croatian Coast. Those are fairly sheltered waters and thus a great area for sailing. That means for us sailboat dodging. Although sailboats also have to comply with the rules of the road, this does not always happen. Sometimes the sailboat skipper has no or just rudimentary knowledge about the rules, sometimes the occupants are too occupied with sailing to pay proper attention to their surroundings and sometimes there is too much of a party going on, on board. Thus we keep a close eye on all of them, including those who are keeping a distance, as you never know what might happen the next five minutes. I always hope that the skipper apart from knowing his Rules of the Road also applies common sense and simply stays away from commercial traffic. A 25 feet sailing boat is much more maneuverable then a 1000 feet tanker, so why insist of having the right of way, even if you have it.

Arrival Venice will be the end of yet another cruise. A few of our guests are staying for next cruise, when we sail the Eastern part of the Mediterranean. Quite a few of those leaving the ship will spend some time in Venice before flying home. Holland America offers pre and post cruise packages and I think they are money well spent. You have flown all the way over to Europe anyway, so you might as well get the most out of Venice while you are there.