ROMANCA

Romanca — Croatia Romanca belongs to a tradition that Croatia's coast has largely kept to itself: a wooden ship, built in the classic idiom, cruising the Dalmatian islands at a pace that suits them rather than fighting it. Timber underfoot, the smell of it warming through the morning — this is a different proposition from a white fibreglass hull, and those who know the region tend to seek it out deliberately. The generous sun deck is where the day settles. It is the yacht's largest single space, laid out for long, unhurried hours between anchorages, and it sets the tone for how time passes aboard. Below and aft, a sheltered dining area and a spacious interior saloon give the group somewhere to gather when the sun drops behind a headland or the meltemi makes itself felt. What genuinely distinguishes Romanca, though, is the crew. She has been family-owned and family-run for well over a decade — the same hands, the same standards, an owner's eye applied continuously rather than at intervals. That continuity shows in the condition of the ship and, more tellingly, in the service: attentive without being formal, led by a hostess and manager who runs the interior with real command of the detail. Guests are looked after by people who have a personal stake in the week going well, which is not something a charter operation can manufacture. For groups who want the islands, the swimming stops and the konoba dinners ashore, with a wooden ship and a family crew rather than an anonymous platform — Romanca is a considered choice.