Sailing in Croatia with Medsailors

I have mentioned before that my friend and I went to Croatia last summer, as a graduation treat. I have heard of this kind of holiday from a girl that writes the blog The Londoner. The Yacht Week offers a week-long exploration of Croatia (and other countries) on a yacht, with other like minded people. Sun, clear waters, booze, parties, and generally a hell of a good time. You can book a whole yacht with your friends, or if you need some more people on your boat, you can find someone on specifically set up Facebook pages. We tried to do that for a little while, but we all know how facebook stalking and the assumptions you make about strangers can influence your thinking. We never found a perfect yacht crew and by that point, my friend suggested another company.
Medsailors.

They pretty much offer the same thing as the Yacht Week:

A week on a yacht, eight people on a yacht plus skipper, parties, wine tasting, amazing sunsets, etc...

Their prices are much more transparent than the ones from the Yacht Week, because with Medsailors, you can simply book a cabin or a bed. You do not need to fill a yacht with eight people. This was a great thing for us, because it was just me and my friend.

Route 

We chose the Discovery route, which leaves from Split and goes back there at the end of the week. There is another route called Voyager, where there is more sailing involved. Here you leave from Split but end up in Dubrovnik. 

Prices

The prices for the week include most of the basics:

• Seven days’ accommodation on board your own yacht
• Breakfast and lunch prepared fresh every day
• No extra charges: bring your own drinks on board
• Drinking water supplied by MedSailors
• Learn how to sail with your qualified skipper
• Hire your own yacht with friends or book as a solo traveller or couple
• Paddleboards free of charge
• Discounted day trips, scooter and car hire

Depending on the date, they range from £414 to £515. What is not included is the following:

• £60pP for a pre departure tax (including petrol etc)
• all the dinners you eat (mostly around 100kunas and upwards)
• any kinds of snacks (and you want snacks, cause swimming makes you hungry!)
• tip for the skipper
• transportation to or from the departure port (you don't really leave from Split, but Trogir, a whole different part)

Depending on when you book, you start by paying a £100 deposit per person. The rest of the money is due around 6 weeks before the departure. 

Other costs

I think I spent quite a lot of money on the whole trip. Denise and I arrived in Split a day before departure and had two more days in Split after we went off board (fun story: we were 100% sure that the trip ended on Saturday, but actually it already ended on Friday. Obviously we didn't book any accommodation for that haha). Medsailors recommends about 250-300kunas for each day as an allowance. I would say that is about right if you are modest in drinks and don't buy any souvenirs or other fun things. The places you visit are not really as cheap as the rest of Croatia can be. They are quite touristy and depending on your season, crowded. That didn't bother me though. A lot of the swimming spots we visite were secluded and super beautiful and because you were on a boat most of the time, it felt like a special take on Croatia that most of the tourists don't experience on the mainland/islands.  

You also have to think about getting there and back. We took a super long bus from Munich to Split (14h, such fun) for about 70€. Flying is obviously much faster and nicer, and the airport of Split is connected well enough for you to get the places you need to. I would recommend staying in Trogir the night before you leave, because it is really convenient for going on board. Trogir is small but quite cute, so not that bad in general. I flew home with Germanwings, directly from Split to Hanover and it also cost about 70€. There are not that many routes available from that airport, so that is something to think about as well. 

The boats

Living on a yacht for a week is cool, in theory. In reality it means that you have to get used to the weird bathroom system on board or train yourself only to go when you are on land. We did the latter, haha. You dock every day around afternoon/early evening time, and most nights you are staying in the marina, which means you can get on to land via a plank. Two nights we anchored in a bay and had to take a little motor boat to land. 

The boat itself has a downstairs inside area with 4 bedrooms with either two bunkbeds or one bigger mattress. It also has two bathrooms with a toilet and a shower and a kitchen with a sitting area. Upstairs there is another sitting area and the deck where you can sunbathe. The size was just fine, although you do spend most of your time on deck and not downstairs. Walking around on deck is seriously not as fun as it looks like and most of the time I was scared of falling of, haha. 

Seasickness?

Seasickness was a serious concern for me beforehand. I have been on a variety of boats and ships before and most of the time, I got seasick. I cannot stand the motions and it just messes with my tummy. THANK GOODNESS this didn't happen in Croatia. Almost all of the time the sea was veeeeery calm and it was all smooth sailing (haha). I did have these chewing gums against motion sickness with me and I took them whenever I was below deck. This is where is really hits you and it gets to your head. Weirdly it is fine when you are sleeping haha, but walking around below deck is horribly when you are moving. 

The worst combination is obviously being hungover and below deck, so I don't even wanna mention that. Being hungover and on the upper deck is still horrible and gets you laughed at, but at least there is a fresh breeze. Jumping in the water is also a kind of cure for a hangover, let me tell ya. The sea is like a magical hangover cure. 

Generally I wouldn't worry about being seasick. It's mostly smooth and more fun that anything else. 

The people

Your crew is like your family. You eat and sleep together and if they are annoying, I can imagine that it can ruin a part of your trip. We were ridiculously lucky and ended up with six of the sweetest Australian boys, that gave us the best room on the boat, let us play our music if we wanted, and shared everything from shoes and sunscren to drinks with us. In the beginning, everyone had their own water bottle labelled with their name on it. By the end we all just drank from the same one, haha. It was great because everyone was respectful of each other and we became friends in no time. The skipper is supposed to be a helpful companion during that week, providing you with recommendations for restaurants and places to go etc. We did not really get that part because our skipper was brandnew to Medsailors and has never sailed that route before. It was annoying at times, but looking back on it, it doesn't change my feelings about the week.

The program

Medsailors has put together a great route that makes for a great week on board. Every evening there is an (optional) program, such as a dinner or a wine tasting or just a recommended bar with free shots (haha). I think we went to every dinner they organised and it was nice hanging out with the other Medsailor people. Especially the wine tasting on the second night is awesome, it takes place at a beautiful vineyard with fun donkeys and dogs-  an unforgettable evening and a great night to bond with your new friends (see the picture above). My favorite day was the on in Vis. The island is absolutely beautiful and you are parked right in the middle of town. We rented scooters and a really old green VW Beatle. The island is really small so driving to the other side doesn't take that long. The road there is windy and very hilly. You make your way slowly up to the top of the hill and can see the bay and the water and it is just glorious. We drove back just when the sun was about to set and it was the most beautiful drive.

Booking & Safety

You book the whole trip online and can access your booking afterwards through their portal. The booking process was straightforward and when we called their customer service, they provided great service as well. Online you can add in your passenger details, as in your dietary requirements and emergency details etc. During the week there is a guest service manager with your flotilla, who you can always approach about anything. All the skippers generally know each other quite well, so it's like having a nice family for the week (although they do get very competitive when it comes to sailing).

Learning to sail 

I was quite excited for learning how to sail. During the week the water was so smooth that we only put up the sail once, all other times we just had the motor on. The other things such as dropping the anchor and helping the skipper mostly were done by the boys. I know, girlpower etc, but the boys were really eager and I was a little scared of falling over board. Even walking over the plank was scary for me haha (especially when you are a little tipsy, oh lord).

I would recommend this trip to EVERYONE who likes the sea and a good time. Medsailors offers these trips in Croatia, Greece and Turkey. I definitely want to try the Greece route next time, or do the Croatia Voyager route. The best thing about this holiday is that it caters to all kinds of people. If you want to chill and just tan, you can do that. If you want to party every night, go ahead. If you go on a boat with your boyfriend/girlfriend, that is fine too. The Medsailors people try and match you with like-minded people, which is why you have to answer one or two questions when you book the trip. If I remember correctly it is something like "do you want to party a lot, a little or not at all" and your age group. So technically you cannot go wrong with this holiday- although I would recommend being between the age of 20-35, otherwise it would be a little weird. Maybe leave you parents at home for this one. 

If you are not convinced, I have two more things to add:

1. YOU CAN SEE DOLPHINS (I spotted them about two or three times)

2. These pictures are not lying. I promise everything will be even more beautiful in reality.

If you are not convinced now I don't know what's wrong with you.

(all pictures from https://www.instagram.com/medsailors/)

Recap of 2015

Ahhh 2015. You know that feeling when you already know that a year is going to be special? For the past 4 years I knew that this was gonna be the year I graduate from university. I knew that I also had to make a decision about what to do after I graduate. Scary! If this year wasn't about making big changes, I don't know what year was!

So let's see:

• I wrote my dissertation!
• I graduated from University
• I got accepted into my dream master programme at BCU
• Spent the most amazing week on a yacht in Croatia
• I worked at the Fringe, this time as a supervisor
• Moved to Birmingham

THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE 

 

That day, all I wanted to do was cry of happiness. The ceremony was beautiful, the Scottish weather was at its freaking BEST, all my people, THE ATMOSPHERE- this day was the reason I wanted to study in Scotland. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. 

THE HOLIDAY

Croatia man! For one week we were island hopping and loving life on a yacht with six Aussies (who could easily be in a boyband, I mean look at them!). Truly the most beautiful, peaceful and fun week I have ever (?!) had. 

THE MOVE

Now the move to Birmingham is a big part of this year. Not the happiest time and definately not the easiest. I miss Scotland all the time and I didn't think it was gonna be this hard to get used to another city on the same island. However, what ultimately counts is that I am studying my dream MA, which was the best decision, and I don't regret moving here. 

And now 2016- I think this is scarier than all the years before. I am going to be done with my MA, and actually starting the real life in the real world. Where people have jobs and stuff. BLURGH!

Happy new year guys!

 

Hello, it's me. (+reader survey!)

Well here we are, I am back! I never intended to take a break but I guess it just happened. After my last post I flew to Edinburgh and worked at the Edinburgh Fringe as a box office supervisor. You might remember that I worked there for the past two years as an assistant and this year I actually had my own team. It was the funnest year of Fringe so far- I had the loveliest people on my team, my co-supervsisor was a friend from last year, and all the staff in our venue was amazing. Very little sleep, so much socialising and having fun, I kinda wish it never ended.

my amazing Fringe team

My real adventure started after the Fringe though. In September, I moved down to Birmingham in England. My friend and flatmate from Edinburgh moved down there with me and after weeks of homelessness, we moved in to a typical English house. We now live there with five other people and we finally have double-gazed windows (for non UK peepz- this is a big deal)! 

I started my MA in Film Distribution and Marketing at Birmingham City University and I am really happy with it. After learning about the course about two years ago, I was obssessed with getting my MA and to think that it's finally here is insane. And now we already broke off for Christmas. Time just flies by! The program includes a visit to the Cannes Film Festival in May (or should I say placement, we actually get to work there!) and a three month internship in the summer while we write our dissertation. I am so excited for those two things, finally some real experience in the film industry!

my Uni in Birmingham

Now enough talking about the past, I want to talk about what is going to happen to this lovely online space. For this, I would love to hear your opinion! I have inserted a little survey below, and I would be ever so grateful if you could leave some answers. None of them are required, so you can only answer the ones you like (or only leave a comment at the last one). All answers are anonymous, so don't worry about admitting your secretest secrets. Other than that I want to start this blog properly in the New Year. Personally I want to write a few column-like posts and a few "opinion"-pieces. My general aim for the blog hasn't changed though. I always wanted to write this blog for people that want to do similar things- live abroad, travel, study in the UK etc... to give advice and show people how life is like in the UK (or wherever). And that is still where I am heading I think. SO yes, enough chitchat.

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Thanks for reading,thanks for sticking with me... and bring on the new year!

BIRTHDAY shenanigans #3

Last but not least, the final part of my birthday- the parteeeey. I made dinner, we had drinks and continued drinking and eventually went to a club. The flat looks pathetic at the moment, most of our stuff is gone or in boxes and  everything just looks really plain. So sad!

 

all of the peeepzzz

      

unwrapping all the boxes that Julia gave me

BIRTHDAY shenanigans #1

I guess I am officially 25 now.
So let's see what happened on my birthday. Obviously, we had to start with breakfast. Not just any, but a really naughty one at The Pantry in Stockbridge. I highly recommend it, the food is super good. 

one friend

two friends :D

ma nommy breakfast

ain't no breakfast without Haggis!

beautiful part of town

super cute tea cups

and then someone brought this over! WHAT?! haha

6 favorite Oscar moments

1. Arquette's acceptance speech

After watching 'Medium' for years, I really do like her and it was good to see her on the big screen for once!!!! I am all for acceptance speeches that go beyond 'thank you mommy and the academy', and this is one of the good ones from this year.  How can you not like her? And Meryl Streep's reaction haha, amazing. U go girl!

2. Legend's acceptance speech

Goosebumps! Standing ovations and crying is a tough combi 

  

3. Chris Pine crying

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This is pretty much a follow up of the previous moment,  BUT OMG HE IS SO PRECIOUS!!!!! THAT KILLED ME. Beautiful men crying this beautifully... Can't handle this shizzle.

4. The dresses obviously 

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5. Anna Kendrick 

I remember watching 'Up in the Air' and thinking that she must really be going somewhere...  And I never ever thought that this will be it..  It absolutely amazes me to see someone to become so successful within only a few years....  And the whole singing thing, jeeez why is she so talented?!

6. Graham Moore's acceptance speech

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I wanted to only share five moments, but how can I chose? This was gorgeous and so heartbreaking. Generally, I thought Neil Patrick Harris held back quite a lot (although I loved his first joke), and Sean Penn is such a (racist?) weirdo, but I love the excitement and the show! And obviously we took this opportunity to make loads of food and lapse into a food coma. Yay!

Livin' da vida loca. On a Yacht.

via x

I remember around 2 years ago, I (repeatedly) stumbled across the blog of  'The Londoner'. It was definitely one of the winter months and I was freezing in my room in Edinburgh, while starring at her pictures of the Yacht Week. (You pretty much spend a week on a yacht, sail around either Croatia/Greece/Turkey, while you tan and party all the time) I remember being overwhelmed with this growling sense of jealousy, but at the same time I also had this tingly inspiring giggly feeling in my tummy because I knew I was gonna do this, one day. When the time is right-

Well I guess the time came!

 

I think we both freaked out when we watched the promo video for the Yacht Week, bursted into a hysterical laughing fit because we were both so excited. Long story short, we did some more research and decided to go with a different company. It's quite a posh adventure, that Yacht Week thing and we were not sure if that was quite 'us'. So we went with MedSailor, another company offering holidays on yachts with a more "down to earth" approach and chose the Croatia route. Now here we are, deposit is paid and now we are counting down the weeks. Our post graduation treat!

via x

WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!!!!!! I have been meaning to go to Croatia for years and why not explore it on a yacht? Haha!

Let's start fresh.

Numbers wise, my 2014 consisted of: 8 books (plus all of the Harry Potter series), 86 films, uncountable hours of TV series, 13 flights, 3 concerts or so, 112 new friends according to Facebook, account balance 0£€¥,  money spent on priceless moments: a lot, but who cares.

Let's start fresh, right now.

Right now I am sitting at a Manchester airport hotel. I will spent five more hours in this lovely lobby thanks to RyanAir, who decided to delay my flight for five hours due to winds (although every other flight left on time!). So we had to go to another airport, fly from there, arrive in Manchester way too late to get a train somewhere or do anything, really. So checking into a hotel was the only thing I could do. And because I don't want to pay another 100£ for a train up to Edinburgh, I will be taking the bus like other poor students. Which will get me in to Edinburgh around 28hours later than plannes. BLURGH!!!!!

But hey, it could be worse. So to make this post a bit more cheerful, here are four things I'm slightly obsessed with at the moment.

1. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I've only discovered this while researching for my dissertation,  and   started watching it hesitantly but I'm already on episode 50 finished. I just can't stop.  Some episodes are slightly cringy but a lot of them are really good. And Lydia Bennett is my spirit animal.  Forever. What it is, you ask? A transmedia adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.Totally contemporary with vlogs and shit.  

2. My new teeth.  OK this is silly but I finally went to the ever-so-feared dentist and got my stupid teeth fixed (after eating two gummy bears my teeth started hurting so much I had to stop. Oops- definitely a sign to go to the dentist ASAP!). So I'm brushing and flossing the shit out of them now so cavities will not be in my vocabulary anymore.  I swear. 

3. My dissertation.  I'm still not sure what my angle is and how exactly I am going to write what I have in mind, but I every day I am thankful that I can write about film and other fun things. (Did I mention I am writing about the Hunger Games films? )

4. Studying Abroad. When I was hanging out at the airport yesterday, I overheard a few people talking about studying abroad (did I join in? Naaah ah, I am the creeper pretending to read haha) in the UK. In a way this is why I started this blog- I wanted to share all my experiences with people who might want to do the same thing. When I was thinking about working at camp in America, it was seriously difficult to find a proper review from someone. Same with studying abroad. And I mean proper reviews that inspire you and help you with those annoying questions of funding etc, written by someone relatable. So someone that inspired me and reminded me to write more about this is my friend Ilinca, who appeared in this video recently (Sorry, it's in German).
Isn't she cute?

PS: #5 of this list will forever go to Taylor Swift. I remember giving a presentation about her brand image about two years ago. Jesus, that presentation would be totally different today, wouldn't it? I find her incredibly fascinating and she is growing in to some role model, man.

2015.

I have no idea why it is so hard for me (and has been for the past two months or so) to write this effing blog post. Now that it is almost 2015, I might as well make this part of my new years resolution. These past years I have tried to stay away from those, but tumblr and Pinterest make that hard for you with all these pretty and inspiring pictures. Ugh (it's like I'm the bird that can't stay away from these shiny things).
Anyway, so turning this blog around is definitely on it. As well as crazy important things such as my dissertation and figuring out this post-graduation life thing.
For the next few days though- hanging out with my friends, denying that dissertation, eating too much and staying in pyjamas. Something like that.


So see ya next year, with full steam ahead!