The National Geographic Orion sets a new course along the Dalmatian Coast.
I am not a cruise person. I don’t refer to ships as “vessels,” I confuse the bow and the stern, and I’m prone to seasickness. So when my husband and I signed up for National Geographic Orion’s new eight day expedition along the Dalmatian Coast and Montenegro, I figured “expedition” was marketing lingo.
I figured wrong.
This truly was an expedition: a voyage designed for exploration.
First, our 53-cabin ship was relatively small by cruise standards, which meant our arrival at a port didn’t send shockwaves through the town. In fact, we often anchored a short distance from our destination and rode inflatable zodiacs to shore. Once there, we were met by local guides and ushered to activities big-boat cruisers don’t experience.
Take the Croatian island of Korčula, for example. Known for its walled historic city with polished limestone streets, Venetian-style architecture and terracotta rooftops, it’s often referred to as “Little Dubrovnik.” When we arrived, hundreds of tourists roamed the plazas and alleyways. Instead of elbowing our way in, we joined a group that drove a few minutes inland to Žrnovo where nary another visitor was seen. Our guide walked us around the charming village, showing us where her mother-in-law lives (“let’s please not knock,” she laughed) and urging us to pick some local mint before leading us to a tasting at Tasovac, a family-owned winery perched on the hillside. After, we returned to the historic city and entered a small theater where we watched an all-local troupe perform a traditional sword dance. By the time that concluded, historic Korcula wasn’t as clogged, and we enjoyed an evening wandering the medieval streets.
There were so many special experiences like that. In the small Croatian fishing village of Komiža (a primary filming location for Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again), we kayaked to a remote beach and swam in the cerulean sea. In the Montenegrin city of Kotor, we traveled by speedboat to explore a submarine tunnel built by the Yugoslavian navy. And in the well-known and exquisitely beautiful Croatian city of Dubrovnik, we met up with oystermen in the neighboring town of Ston to learn about their trade and enjoy a freshly shucked lunch.
The newly launched voyage is one of more than 100 itineraries offered by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions. Lindblad was founded by Lars-Eric Lindblad, considered the father of ecotourism. In 2004, the luxury brand joined with National Geographic, which sends its experts on board to give talks and accompany guests on excursions. During our trip, we were joined by two renowned Nat Geo photographers: Massimo Bassano, who has shot for the company since 1990, and Jeff Mauritzen, whose work has appeared in dozens of National Geographic books. It was incredibly cool to get their photography pointers, even though my camera was simply my iPhone.
After eight days aboard the Orion, I’m still not ready to say I’m a cruise person. What I will say is I’m an expedition person. And the rich cultures of Croatia and Montenegro offer a stunning entre into this kind of exploration.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPEDITIONS
nationalgeographic.com/expeditions
@natgeoexpeditions
STORY: Allison Entrekin
