New for 2014 from AdventureSmith Explorations - Week-Long Cruises Along Unspoiled Dalmatian Coast Aboard 50-Suite Corinthian from May through October

Aficionados of small ship cruising can now partake without excursion fee add-ons the culture and landscape of a coastline that has escaped the machinery of mass tourism -- the Dalmatian coast embracing Croatia and Montenegro.

Expedition small ship cruise expert AdventureSmith Explorations announces 8-day/7-night cruises in 2014 on the luxurious 50-suite Corinthian beginning May 1 and continuing weekly through end October from Venice to Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik to Venice. See here.

“We choose to respect the regions we visit. This stunning coastline is best appreciated when accessed from the sea. But it matters a lot upon which ship you cruise. This is not an area for today’s mega-sized cruise ships. The small islands and ancient villages just can’t accommodate large crowds of tourists,” underscores Todd Smith, AdventureSmith Explorations director and visionary founder. Conservation and sustainable travel are important tenets to this award-winning company.

The rate is from $4,890 per person double (single and triple occupancy rates are available as well as share options). This includes suite accommodation (all suites face outside providing views of sea and  landscape); on-board meals including house wine and beer served with lunch and dinner; welcome and farewell cocktail receptions; all tours and excursions; enrichment program of lectures and private classical music concerts on some departures; comprehensive pre-departure materials; transfers and baggage handling abroad on designated arrival and departure dates; gratuities to porters, guides and drivers; and the services of a professional Travel Dynamics International tour staff.

Feeling more like a private yacht than a cruise ship, Corinthian offers expansive open deck areas, a gym, spa, library (with Internet access), beauty salon, two lodges, a sun deck with Jacuzzi and outdoor café. An elegant dining area accommodates all guests in open, unassigned seating. An elevator serves all decks. A resident physician attends a well-equipped infirmary. Sixty-five seasoned officers and crew attend to details.  The ship is equipped with retractable fin stabilizers and a fleet of Zodiac inflatable crafts for forays ashore.

Examples of 12^th century architecture, the Palace of Diocletian built in AD 295-305 in Split, stately homes along the palm-lined harbor of Vis Town in the Hvar and Vis Islands, the old Turkish houses of Mostar, the home of Marco Polo in Korcula, and the port town of Kotor, one of the most striking and best-preserved towns along the Adriatic coast and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of several visited on this journey), are visited between Venice and Dubrovnik. Optional extensions at additional fees include Venice,Dubrovnik, and Sarajevo.

In addition to guided in-depth excursions included in the cruise rate, the yacht remains in many of the ports until late evening, offering opportunities to explore narrow lanes, sample native fare and libations, meet the locals and shop. At no additional cost guests may pedal and paddle thanks to the ship’s own fleet of bikes and kayaks, and swimming takes place from the swimming platform on the ship’s stern.

Every cruise will have an expert on board to explore this region. These include professors from, among others,Dartmouth College and Purdue University, a former diplomat who speaks Serbo-Croatian and a principal with Heritage Consulting Services. Their lectures will be woven into themed cruises on specified departures: Photography, Gastronomy, Gardens & Botany, Classical Chamber Music, Arts & Architecture and Contemporary Events & History.

AdventureSmith Explorations also offers small ship cruising to other enticing destinations in the Mediterranean including Greece and its islands, Turkey, Italy, Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast. See here.