MV La Belle de l'Adriatique: 195 guests, 47 crew, and the one CroisiEurope ship where seasickness is a real question
The MV La Belle de l'Adriatique is 110 m long and 12.30 m wide, has 4 decks, and carries 195 passengers with 47 crew. Built in 2007, refurbished in 2017, rated 5 anchors: 19 years of hull and 9 years since the last refit. She sails the Adriatic and the Mediterranean from Dubrovnik and Valletta, at 4.2 guests per crew member.
She is not a river boat, and that changes everything
CroisiEurope operates about fifty vessels. Only two are seagoing ships: this one and the MV La Belle des Océans. Everything an advisor usually says about river cruising stops applying here. This ship does not glide past a bank three metres away, it crosses the Adriatic overnight. There is swell on some evenings, and a guest prone to motion sickness needs to know that before booking rather than on day three. Her 12.30 m beam is wider than the 11.40 m Rhine standard and the 10.10 m of a Rhône boat, and only the MS Loire Princesse is broader at 15 m. That width gives her stability, but a 110 m hull is still a small ship at sea, where a mainstream ocean liner runs past 300 m.
Two itineraries, two regions, two very different flights
The Croatia and Montenegro cruise runs 8 days round trip from Dubrovnik: Mljet, Korcula, Sibenik, Trogir, Split, Hvar, Vis and Kotor. 8 ports in 8 days, including 4 islands large ships cannot reach. The Sicily and Southern Italy cruise runs 8 days and 6 ports, Valletta to Naples via Porto Empedocle, Trapani, Palermo and Salerno. Published next departures: 10 September 2026 for Croatia, 30 November 2026 for Sicily.
The flight is where the two differ. Naples is a non-stop flight from Montreal, on a seasonal service. Dubrovnik and Valletta require at least one connection, usually through Paris, Frankfurt or Rome. Anyone comparing the two programmes should count that transit day.
Choosing a cabin, and what CroisiEurope does not publish
Cabins are spread over four decks. Those on the upper and lifeboat decks have large picture windows; those on the main and lower decks have portholes only. The difference in daylight is substantial and on its own justifies moving up a category. Categories A, B and C differ by location, with C described by the operator as standard or slightly smaller.
Two figures are missing from the official page and we will not invent them: the number of cabins is not published, and neither is the presence of a lift. On a ship of 4 decks and 195 guests, that answer matters. Our advisors have it confirmed by the operator before booking a guest with reduced mobility.
On board
The restaurant is on the main deck, the lounge bar on the lifeboat deck, and the sun deck carries 2 jacuzzis and loungers. There is no pool, no spa, no gym and no laundry service, which weighs on an eight-day cruise. Every cabin has a television, a safe, reversible air conditioning, Wi-Fi and a bathroom with shower.
What the fare includes and what it does not
The CroisiEurope formula includes full board and drinks with meals and at the bar. Gratuities, the premium wine list and transfers are not included. Shore excursions vary by programme: some maritime packages include them, others do not. That is the first thing to verify, because ten ports left à la carte do not cost the same as ten ports included.
Who this ship is not for
Anyone who chose CroisiEurope precisely to avoid the open sea. Anyone who wants a balcony, a pool or a spa, because this ship has none. Anyone who needs a lift confirmed in writing before paying. And anyone who insists on a guaranteed ship name: CroisiEurope sells "or similar" and reassigns vessels between seasons. We check the assignment for your exact dates. See also the MS Michelangelo, which sails Italy but stays in the lagoon, and our CroisiEurope page.