fast catamaran from Italy-Croatia
 

Has anyone taken this catamaran from Ancona to Split? Are the seas usually fairly calm? Will be doing this route the end of August with a friend who gets seasick. Am I making a mistake? Thanks---

The last week of August last year I took the overnight Jadrolinja (sp?) ferry from Ancona to Split and returned after 10 days in Croatia. I was quite aprehensive as I had never done an overnight ferry before and had been seasick twice on boats in the US. I was pleased I had no difficulty whatsoever. I even managed to get decent sleep in both directions. The sea was calm on my trip in both directions. While I wasn't on the cat, I would imagine the experience would be similar. I did take the Croatian cat round trip Split/Hvar and again experienced no problems. Have a wonderful trip! Croatia is extraordinary! I can't wait to return.

Also, catamarans do not run in bad weather--the sea has to be relatively calm for them to operate, so for this reason a catamaran is much safer than a ferry for the person prone to seasickness.

The overnight ships between Ancona and Split are much bigger than the catamaran, so in any sea conditions, will give a smoother trip. The speed of the catamaran means that any motion will be worse than on a slower ship.
However, in August the Adriatic is unlikely to be very rough. If someone is worrying about seasickness three months before travelling, they'll be sick from nervousness when they actually travel.

Thanks all---knowing the sea is relatively calm is sufficient so we'll stick with the catamaran giving us some extra time in Venice.

The overnight ship would actually give you more time for sightseeing in Venezia or Croatia. The crossing is overnight so you spend the trip asleep in bed: you're in Italy one day and in Croatia the next. The catamaran leaves Ancona at 1100 which is too early to get a train from Venezia, and gets to Split at 1530, so you'll spend most of the day travelling.

thanks, will check into it again....I just figured we could get into Ancona in the evening, stay over and leave on the 11am without rushing. I had read yu need to be at the ferry more than an hour ahead which would make catching a later afternoon train from Venice pretty rushed. Your thoughts? Thanks---

I found you absolutely need to be at the ferry port more than an hour before the ferry departs. The port is not within walking distance from the train station. Being a solo traveler and trying to conserve money, I took a bus down to the port area. Then I had trouble finding the correct port. I even asked a policeman who was of no assistance whatsoever. If I did it again, I would definately take a cab. Secondly, I had purchased my ticket from the US on-line and had to first pick up the ticket. There was a line for that. Not too bad, but a line. Then you must go through passport control in another building with the hords of other passengers. It was a zoo! Bear in mind this was the last week of August last year. The ferry was overflowing with people. Lots of Italian young people who had purchased deck passage. There were bodies everywhere and a party on the deck all night. I bought a cabin ticket thank goodness. On my return trip from Croatia back to Italy in September, the ferry was only half full. I would allow 2 hours from train arrival to ferry departure if you take a cab from the train station. Now, about the Jadrolinja (sp?)ferry....if you are looking for luxury, take a different ferry company. Jadrolinja is the Croatia state owned line. The ferries I was on looked as if they had been built during Tito's reign. Carpets were thread bear. Food on board was abismal. But, as I said in my previous post, I did get good sleep and arrived in Split first thing the following morning. I hope this helps.

I don't know what the cat there is like, but my experience of a fast cat across the English Channel, in only a slight swell, was awful. I normally never get sea sick, no matter how rough it gets, but there was something about the motion of the cat that had everyone, including me, more than a little green around the gills. The noise didn't help either - nor the fact that you couldn't get out into fresh air. I take the tunnel now to cross the Channel.:)

Well, thanks all---I think I just need to do the fast catarmaran and take something for seasickness beforehand. I think we will giv up too much time In Venice to get to Ancona in time. I hope it won't be as bad as my boat ride to Kangaroo Island which left me green for sure. I'll report back after the trip!