MAMA MARIJA

M/S Mama Marija — 47m — Croatia At 47 metres (155 ft) with a beam of 8.7 metres, Mama Marija was built for the 2018 season and sits in a category of her own along the Dalmatian coast: the scale and stability of a small ship, run with the attentiveness of a private yacht. She was conceived from the outset for island-hopping in Croatia, which is exactly where she is at her best — waking up in a different bay each morning, stepping ashore in Hvar or Vis without the queues, the transfers and the wasted hours that shore-based itineraries impose. Accommodation is arranged across 18 cabins for up to 42 guests. Eight of these offer a double bed for two, with the remaining cabins split into two further groups of five; detailed bed configurations are available on request, so layouts can be matched to the make-up of your group — an extended family, a group of friends travelling together, or a chartered week shared between several couples. Delivered new for 2018, she carries current-generation equipment throughout, and the practical side is properly covered: full navigation electronics, closed-circuit video surveillance, fire alarm and smoke detection, life rafts and tenders. Unremarkable details until they matter — and the mark of a vessel run to commercial standards rather than improvised. Her crew handles the itinerary, the anchorages and the daily rhythm on board, leaving guests to do very little beyond deciding which island comes next.