The Pearl of the Adriatic

Yes, those beauties may be the PearlS of the Adriatic, but today we are speaking about Dubrovnik.

We arrive at 9 AM and I understand it is a gorgeous port to see as the ship arrives. This is a “tender” port. No, it isn’t sore, but apparently our ship is too large to dock there so we will anchor in the cove and a “tender” boat will pull up to our side to take us ashore. Sometimes they use a tender from the port, sometimes the ship lowers some of its lifeboats to use as tenders.

Love Me Tender

Dubrovnik is situated on the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, and became an important Mediterranean sea power from the 13th century onwards. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. Damaged again in the 1990s by armed conflict, it is now the focus of a major restoration programme co-ordinated by UNESCO.

There are many options for Dubrovnik, though it is really quite small. It looks gorgeous, is filled with history, and has one of the Top Ten Beaches in the world, Banje Beach. By all accounts it is an easy port to do on your own. However, if you want to tour outside of Dubrovnik it is recommended to use one of the ship’s excursions to be certain you have time to take the tender in order to be on the ship by 4:30 PM which is “closing time” for our 5 PM sailing to Corfu.

The Old City Wall

Porta Pila - The Gate to the City

In all my reading about the port, it seems that everyone is charmed by its beauty and its people, and that most first time visitors really do nothing more than climb the old city walls, pop into the Church of St. Blaise, explore the monestary and museums, grab some of the freshest seafood in the world for lunch, shop a little, and then head to a beach if there's still time.

Shopping at Street Market in Purple Dress

Crystal Clear Sea at Banje Beach

Banje Beach, #3 on the Best Beaches in the World List (Marie Claire Magazine)

Of course, there are other things to do like taking a ferry to Lokrum, the small island just off the shore of the city, which houses a monastery, a fort with great views of Dubrovnik, botanical gardens, a natural history museum, and nudist beaches for those of you who like to swim in your birthday suits. Legend has it that Richard the Lionhearted was shipwrecked on Lokrum when he was returning from the Crusades. It is said that in gratitude he donated the money to build the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin in Dubrovnik.

Lokrum Island

Or visit Sponza Palace, a late Gothic and early Renaissance style building, it has some impressive stone carvings. Go inside the Roman Baroque style Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin to see numerous art objects and priceless Renaissance paintings.

Check out the cruise line’s shore excursions for Dubrovnik at Royal Caribbean Explorations.

Tonight is most likely a Formal Night, so we can get dolled up in the new dresses we bought in Venice.

Mickey Johansson, Uschi Weiss, Helga Cruz, Courtenay Biel, and Quentin Witherspoon

Dang, we clean up good.