Croatia & Slovenia Tour Package

;

20 August - 14 September 2018

The ‘jewel in the crown’ The Adriatic Sea beckons us for a truly remarkable, escorted tour of Croatia and Slovenia. Starting in Venice and ending in “the pearl of the Adriatic” Dubrovnik, we experience the music, colour and culture of this magnificent region.

$16,985 NZD Includes lower deck cabins on ship

Single in hotels and lower deck cabin

- ADD $6,296 NZD

Single in hotels and upper deck cabin

- ADD $6,696 NZD

For upper deck cabins

- ADD $400 NZD

Initial Deposit On Booking

$2,000 NZD

Second Deposit Due 11 February 2018

$3,000 NZD

Final Balance Due 12 May 2018

Croatia & Slovenia - Cruising the Adriatic

With sparkling seas of sapphire, rich coral buildings and a history steeped in both tragedy and triumph, we journey through Slovenia by land and Croatia by land and sea. Our exclusive luxury small ship charter ensures we enjoy the best of everything, complete with the Operatunity ‘feel’ provided by Jess, Bonnie and our travel manager Sonja. Rich with music from our own private concert in the Postojna Caves, to operas in Venice, to folklore concerts to concerts on board, we travel through magnificent lakes and mountains, glistening seas, wondrous castles and churches and quaint, charming villages. If this region is the ‘jewel in the crown of the Adriatic’ our tour is surely the finest white Diamond!
(4 nights - stopovers return including early check in) ~ Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel
We begin and end our tour with flights to and from Dubai on Emirates. As we arrive into Dubai early in the morning we have arranged another night’s accommodation so we can go to our rooms immediately. On return we arrive into Dubai late at night so we will again have access to our rooms immediately. Please note that on return, we will leave Dubrovnik for a short flight to Zagreb, before flying Emirates to Dubai.
(3 nights) ~ Hotel Ca’ Dei Conti
City of love, iconic buildings, San Marco Square, palazzi and canals.
HIGHLIGHTS in Venice include:
- Opera performance at the newly restored La Fenice Opera House, one of the most famous opera houses in the world.
- Speed boat ride entrance to Venice.
- Dinner at local restaurant followed by a Gondola ride with serenade from our handsome Gondolier, we hope!
- Morning guided sightseeing tour including reserved entrances to Doges Palace and San Marco Basilica.
- Venetian mask making demonstration and a chance for us to make our own mask!
- La Traviata (to be confirmed), set in the beautiful Palazzo Barbarigo Minotti!
- Time to stroll and enjoy the beauty of this most romantic of cities.
(2 nights) ~ Hotel Golf
A Slovenian resort town in the foothills of the Julian Alps, is set along the glacial Lake Bled.
Coach from Venice to Bled via Trieste and a visit to Miramare Castle near Trieste.
HIGHLIGHTS in Bled include:
- Gorgeous drive through countryside of Slovenia.
- Gala Slovenian evening programme with wine tasting in the wine cellar, accompanied by accordion music, dinner with local folklore performance.
- Pletna boat ride to the St. Mary’s Island located on the Lake (Church visit included).
- Tour of Bled and a custard cake tasting!
(3 nights) ~ Remisens Hotel Admiral
An elegant tourist destination, lies at the foot of Učka mountain, with the longest tradition of tourism in Croatia.
Transfer to Opatija via the Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle.
One of the highlights of the trip: a private concert presented by Bonnie and Jess in the Postojna Caves with drinks and nibbles and a private special train to transport us within the caves.
HIGHLIGHTS in Opatija include:
- Guided Opatija walking tour including Villa Angiolina with The Croatian Museum of Tourism, Juraj Šporer Arts Pavilion with different exhibitions situated next to Abbey and Angiolina Park.
- Chocolate tasting - watch you don’t leave Jess behind when you leave - she loves chocolate!
- Rest of the day is free to enjoy a walk along the promenade of Lungo Mare.
- Folk dance ensemble with live music, performed by traditional Opatija folk dancers in traditional costumes.
- Visit Pula amphitheatre and a local family owned olive oil farm for a tour and tasting before a tour of Rovinj.
(2 nights) ~ Hotel Cornaro
A 1700 year old city and a UNESCO world heritage site, with the magnificent Diocletian palace, once inhabited by the Roman emperor.
Split via Zadar for a walking tour, including the Sea Organ, Roman Forum, dating back to 1st century AD, St. Donatus, dated to the 9th century and the Zadar Cathedral.
HIGHLIGHTS in Split include:
- Split guided walking tour includes the massive substructures of Diocletian’s Palace, the Cathedral (one of the smallest in the world) and Jupiter’s Temple.
- Visit to Trogirs old town, with its mix of Renaissance buildings.
- Split to Markaska tour including swim, visit town of Omis, and a walk around Makarska Riviera.
(7 night private chartered cruise)
Avangard is a state of the art, deluxe class, small ship with only 18 cabins. Her maiden voyage was in May 2017 so she is brand new!
Avangard is for our exclusive use for our seven night cruise down the Adriatic Coast. This allows us to enjoy our own special flavour, our own destinations and including several concerts from Bonnie and Jess as well as music groups we will bring onboard, especially to entertain us. Being a small ship it also allows us to enjoy the smaller ports and coastal villages.
HIGHLIGHTS on the Avangard include:
- Concerts provided by Bonnie and Jess and local artists on board.
- Welcome meet & greet cocktail party and dinner on board.
STARI GRAD/ HVAR:
- Brač Island with swimming at the most famous beach in Dalmatia – Zlatni Rat near Bol.
- The jet-set island Hvar with lunch on board at the Pakleni Islands. Hvar is the longest and sunniest island in the Adriatic known for lavish lavender fields and breathtaking beauty.
- A short presentation of lavender products and a tour of the town’s historical landmarks.
- Free evening to enjoy the abundance of entertainment around this beautiful bay.
HVAR - VIS:
- Cruise to the island of Hvar.
- Hvar sightseeing tour late afternoon (Cathedral theatre, Monastery Benedictine convent).
- Croatian wine and appetiser tasting.
- Cruise towards the small island of Biševo to visit the famous Blue Cave.
- Island of Vis, once a strategic naval Yugoslav base and closed to the public.
VIS - KORČULA ISLAND:
- Korčula Island, the birthplace of Marco Polo.
- Lunch in one of the secluded bays en route.
- Korčula guided walking tour.
- Excursion to small village near Korčula for typical Dalmatian dinner.
MLJET:
- Island of Mljet with a stroll to the famous salt lakes in the Mljet National Park.
- Boat ride to the St Mary Isle to visit an ancient Benedictine monastery dating back to the 12th Century.
SLANO - STON:
- Visit to Slano, a peaceful fishermen’s village and Ston, once fortified small village with medieval ramparts.
- Visit to oyster farm to learn more about oysters and tasting this delicious treat.
- Captain’s dinner with entertainment.
DUBROVNIK (on cruise):
- Cruise to Dubrovnik.
- Guided walking tour of this magical town ending with the cable car from the Old Town to Srđ mountain to enjoy scenic views of the Walls and Elaphiti Islands.
(3 nights) (land component) ~ Hotel Excelsior
Dubrovnik’s proud and turbulent history goes back to 6th century and this magnificent city is known as “the pearl of the Adriatic”.
HIGHLIGHTS in Dubrovnik include:
- Glorious hotel with views over the sea and village!
- A full day tour to Montenegro, Croatia’s neighbouring country, visiting the UNESCO site of Kotor town, alongside the nearby by “Our Lady of the Rocks Islet”.
- Visit to Lokrum Islet near the Old Town.
- Full free day to wander, relax and swim in this beautiful area.
- A special folklore performance followed by farewell group dinner in a local restaurant.

Book Now

Croatia and Slovenia Operatunity 2018.pdf.page 1

Download Brochure

This trip includes

Return airfares, Auckland - Dubai - Venice // Dubrovnik - Zagreb - Dubai - Auckland on Emirates, including taxes.
An extensive fully guided 25 day tour including Slovenia by land and Croatia by land and sea. Inclusive of all musical and cultural events.
Music content includes 2 operas: La Fenice, Venice and La Traviata, Musica Palazzo, Venice; exclusive private concert with Bonnie and Jess, Postojna Caves, folklore concerts at Opatija, Bled and Dubrovnik plus concerts onboard by Bonnie, Jess and local artists.
7 nights exclusive charter on five star small ship Avangard, from Split to Dubrovnik, including music and special events.
Accommodation in 4 or 5 star hotels in Venice (3 nights), Bled (2 nights), Opatija (3 nights), Split (2 nights), Dubrovnik (3 nights), 4 nights (includes early check in) Dubai stopovers.
Numerous tours with special flavours including guided tours of Venice, Bled, Split, Dubrovnik, Trieste, Montenegro, plus all shore excursions on cruise, Diocletian Palace tour, church tours, castles, wine, chocolate, custard and olive oil tastings, Venetian mask making and gondola ride.
All tours, boat cruises, coach transfers included as listed on itinerary plus reserved entrance and entrance fees to all sights and sites as listed in itinerary.
All breakfasts, 10 dinners and 8 lunches, 1 morning tea, tips, porterage and taxes included.
Limited to 32 people. Escorted by tenor Bonaventure Allan Moetaua, violinist Jessica Hindin and our travel manager, Sonja.
Important Information
• For further information please ring our office or visit our website.
• All trips are subject to change but any changes will be of equal or greater value.
• All deposits are refundable up until final payment date minus any costs that the company has incurred.
• Please refer to our terms and conditions on our booking form.
• While we carefully plan our trips to be well paced, all travellers need to possess a certain level of fitness. Some trips are more arduous and carry an advisory note in the itinerary that a specific level of fitness is required.
• Operatunity Travel requires all travellers to obtain comprehensive travel insurance.
Please be sure to ring our office if you require any information or clarification about insurance or any questions regarding travelling with Operatunity Travel.
All our trips are specifically designed for our core market but this trip does contain travel challenges, either because of the region visited or the walking distances or uneven surfaces that arise at some sites. We do advise that you and your doctor evaluate your level of fitness before you consider booking this tour.

PLACES WE STAY

Avangard (Katarina Line) is a five star small ship with only 18 cabins. Her maiden voyage was in May 2017 so she is brand new!
Avangard is ours exclusively for our seven night cruise down the Adriatic Coast. This allows us to enjoy our own special flavour, our own destinations and include several concerts from Bonnie and Jess as well as music groups we will bring onboard, especially to entertain us.

Hotel Ca’ Dei Conti is a romantic, elegant hotel set in the heart of Venice, built in the 18th century and situated around the corner from St Marks Square.

The Hotel Golf is situated in a beautiful park full of old trees in the very heart of Bled. Boasting magnificent views of Lake Bled, Bled Castle and the Julian Alps, we enjoy lake view rooms at this hotel. Remisens Hotel Admiral, Opatija is a four star hotel, set right next to the sea, just above the Opatija Seaside Promenade. We enjoy sea view rooms at this hotel.

Hotel Cornaro in Split is an award winning hotel situated in an excellent central city location complimenting its ancient history surroundings and interior elegance.

Hotel Excelsior, Dubrovnik is located in a spectacular seaside setting overlooking both the Adriatic and the ancient Old Town. Combined with flawless service and an illustrious history of royal and celebrity guests, this five-star hotel is an iconic landmark. (Seaside rooms with balconies!)

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Opera performance at the newly restored La Fenice Opera House, one of the most famous opera houses in the world.

La Traviata (to be confirmed), set in the beautiful Palazzo Barbarigo Minotto!

Gala Slovenian evening programme with wine tasting in the wine cellar, accompanied by accordion music, dinner with local folklore performance.

Folk dance ensemble with live music, performed by traditional Opatija folk dancers in traditional costumes.

Concerts provided by Bonnie and Jess and local artists on board.

A special folklore performance followed by farewell group dinner in a local restaurant.

Travel Insurance

Every customer is required to take out insurance for all international travel when taking a trip with Operatunity Ltd.

DOMESTIC INSURANCE
Insurance for Domestic travel is currently available from many companies. Insurance for New Zealand trips is entirely at your discretion. Please email our office for our current recommendation if you wish our advice.

INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE
Insurance for International travel is currently available from many companies. For our trips overseas it is a requirement that proof of cover be sent to our office some time before departure from NZ. We can not accept travellers who hold no cover for international travel as per our term and conditions.
Please email our office for our current recommendation if you wish our advice. Email travelbookings@operatunity.co.nz Phone 0508 886 489

MOBILITY

Operatunity provides group senior travel and with this in mind we plan trips to suit our target market. But not every trip is created equal in terms of mobility. We want to give you the best possible experience but that will only be achieved if you are able to enjoy everything that our trips have to offer.
Most of our long haul trips require a better level of mobility. We will look after everyone as well as we possibly can, but we cannot look after one at the expense of the rest of the group. We also cannot have one person slowing the rest of group to the point where the group is not able to enjoy every experience we are able to provide.
With this in mind we have put a mobility clause into every trip. Under each explanation here I have popped a statement. Ask yourself if this is ‘you’, when booking on a trip.

None of the following mobility clauses preclude you from ordering a wheelchair at the airport if required.

1. GENTLE TOUR This tour will suit most people, even with a stick or a walker, but sorry not someone in a wheelchair. The activity level is gently paced, but you still need to be able to get on and off buses easily. There will be walking, but not a lot. “I love travelling, but at a gentle pace. I like to avoid stairs or too much activity, but I am able to get on and off buses easily.”

2. EASY TOUR This tour will suit people with a stick, but not a walker. You will be required to walk to get from place to place and stand in museums, but it is designed to be an easy tour with lots of times to rest, travel on a coach and walk easy leisurely distances. ”Walking is fine. I can get on and off a coach. I am happy to stand for an hour or two in museums and galleries and gently stroll through places of interest. I am happy to climb the odd set of stairs.”

3. MODERATE WALKING TOUR This tour requires a better level of fitness with no wheelchairs or walkers. Generally, there may be times when we can’t get the coach close. In some of our Pacific Island tours we will need you to transfer onto a tender and walk on soft sand. We also will have much longer flights and long walks through airports. “I like walking at a moderate pace. I love to keep my days full and experience everything the tour has to offer. Stairs, tender transfers and cobblestones don’t bother me.”

4. EXPLORING TOUR This is still a moderately paced tour, but you will be required to walk longer distances, walk on cobblestones and stand in museums. To really get the best out of this tour you need to be able to stand or walk for a couple of hours comfortably, be it at a leisurely pace. “I like to spend most of the day exploring. Whether walking historic neighbourhoods on cobblestones at a moderate pace or out and about on a coach, I want my days full. Stairs don’t bother me and I am keen to see and do as much as I can with the odd day off to recuperate.”

Operatunity is a company specialising in music lovers tours to the senior market. Each trip has been especially planned to include music and arts experiences and has a level of friendliness and care which cannot be found anywhere else! Our trips are packed with features not found anywhere else
Yes we have lots of people who travel on their own. We endeavour to match you up with someone who lives close to you or is close in age to you. Often you will get a chance to meet with your matchup or ring them before you leave on your trip. You also may prefer to travel solo and pay the single supplement price. We travel as a happy band so there will be lots of chances to meet people. You will find fellow music lovers and those with other similar interests. In fact those like the nicer things of life so you will travel with like-minded people. It is also important to remember that our singers are our escorts so you will see at least a couple of familiar faces as you leave.
If you live outside of Auckland, we can arrange travel and accommodation on your way to meet up with our group. We have access and can book domestic airfares in conjunction with Air New Zealand international airfares. Plus we can book your pre and post tour accommodation if required.
It is compulsory for our international trips and highly recommended for our domestic tours.
No as most airlines offer various special meals and any restaurants we visit are happy to accommodate special dietary requirements.
We seek to accommodate the needs of guests with disabilities whenever possible. However in most cases we are unable to take customers with walkers, wheelchairs or other mobility issues. Certain trips may be unsuitable due to walking or limited availability of accommodation with disabled facilities. We cannot be responsible for the care of customers suffering from significant cognitive illness (such as dementia). We ask such customers to consult with your doctor to obtain medical clearance. Guests needing assistance mustbe accompanied by an able companion who will be available to assist them and assume full responsibility for their wellbeing.
We ask that you can walk at least 100 metres unaided and be able to get on and off buses with little or no assistance. We cater for a senior market but it is important that you do not jeopardise the enjoyment of others by requiring more care and holding up the rest of the group. Talk to our office or staff at concerts and any advisory notes for individual trips to get a better idea of your suitability for each trip.
We stay at 4 and 5 star character hotels, avoiding package, tourist or big hotel chains. We choose hotels with a more personal feel often with historic content or hotels of beauty and character, centrally located or in parks, by the water, or with beautiful gardens.
Breakfast is included daily, and many dinners and lunches are also included as per our itinerary.
There are no hidden costs. Included in the trip are tips, taxes, porterage, breakfast, meals where specified, inclusions listed in the itinerary, entry fees where listed in the itinerary, concert/show tickets where listed in the itinerary, tour escorts and local specialised guides.
Some of our trips sell out very quickly and we recommend you make your booking as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.
We will ask you to pay an initial deposit when making your booking. We will then follow up for a second deposit and then a final balance payment prior to travel.
All deposits up until final payment are refundable minus an administration fee of up to $500 plus any non-recoverable costs the company may incur.
After final deposit refunds are unlikely and the refund becomes an insurance claim.
Our numbers vary from destination to destination, please contact our office for further information. We have a minimum number required to operate a tour. Should minimum numbers not be met, a full refund will be made.
For international trips, all guests must have a valid passport that does not expire earlier than at least 6 months beyond their intended stay.
Music is a key element in making our experiences special. There are special experiences and events every day, such as themed dinners, impromptu concerts, music, art tours with art experts and garden tours with garden experts.
Most hotels now have internet connection and all hotels have telephones in the room or at reception. If using your mobile telephone check calling and text rates, and disable data roaming before leaving New Zealand. Consider purchasing a prepaid SIM card. And you can keep in touch using social media such as Facebook. We have a copy of your next of kin details in case of emergency and we are also happy to help out with texts, phone calls and emails if you can’t get in touch with your family and need to while away. We are also happy to help out with getting your phones, ipads and cameras to work if needed while away.
We spend less time travelling between regions, allowing more time to enjoy experiences when you arrive. We avoid one night stops and “conveyor belt” travel, so you really can capture the local colour and vitality of the region. Our trips are planned so that there is a balance of included activities and free time for you to relax or do some exploring on your own.
Contact Operatunity Travel
Phone toll free: 0508 886 489
Mail your booking form to PO BOX 132 150, Sylvia Park, Auckland 1644
Email: travel@operatunity.co.nz
Phone toll free: 0508 886 489
Email: travelbookings@operatunity.co.nz