Off-season, 28 Sep to 31 Dec 2026: one sailing a day each way, at a time that depends on the weekday (Monday shown; other days are loaded separately)
Map – Rijeka–Cres Catamaran
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult, one way (off-season) | €5.70 |
| Child aged 3-12, one way | €3.70 |
| Child aged 1-3 (free ticket issued) | Free |
| Infant under 1 (no ticket) | Free |
| Island resident with island card | €4.40 |
| Adult, one way, summer season (29 May - 27 Sep 2026) | €9.20 |
Prices come from the fare table printed on page two of Jadrolinija's 2026 line 9308 timetable, for the Rijeka – Cres leg. The off-season price applies 1 January to 28 May and 28 September to 31 December 2026, the season price 29 May to 27 September; the island-resident and child prices do not change during the year. A ticket costs the same in both directions and includes port dues and VAT. Jadrolinija's departure search for October 2026 shows the same 5.70 EUR for anyone over 12. The resident fare needs a valid Croatian island card. A pet travelling in a special box pays half the normal fare where the vessel has room for boxes. The table gives no price for bicycles. All fares in euros (EUR).
The fast boat from Rijeka to Cres is Jadrolinija's catamaran line 9308, a state-run route that links Rijeka with Cres town, Martinšćica, Unije, Susak, Ilovik and Mali Lošinj. Cres is the first stop out of Rijeka, and the 2026 timetable gives 1 hour 20 minutes for that leg in either direction; Jadrolinija quotes about four and a half hours for the whole line. In October 2026 its departure search lists the catamaran Ružica on the route.
The day's pattern starts on the islands, not in the city. The boat leaves Mali Lošinj for Rijeka in the morning and heads back to Mali Lošinj in the afternoon, so there is one sailing a day from Cres to Rijeka in the morning and one from Rijeka to Cres in the afternoon. That means a same-day return trip from Rijeka to Cres is not possible by catamaran. In the off-season, 28 September to 31 December 2026, the morning departure from Cres moves from day to day because the boat calls at a different set of islands each day, and on Fridays and Sundays the afternoon boat leaves Rijeka an hour and a half later than on other days. There is no sailing on 25 December.
A one-way adult ticket between Rijeka and Cres costs 5.70 EUR in the off-season and cost 9.20 EUR during the summer season (29 May to 27 September); children aged 3 to 12 pay 3.70 EUR. The lower island fare of 4.40 EUR is only for holders of a Croatian island card. According to Jadrolinija, a ticket on this line guarantees you the departure you chose. You can buy it from Jadrolinija's online shop, at its office on the Rijeka breakwater (Riječki lukobran; weekdays 08:00 to 15:00, ticket machine daily 07:00 to 22:00) or at the Turist biro agency in Cres, Cons 10.
This is a foot-passenger service. If you have a hire car, you need one of Jadrolinija's car ferries instead: Brestova to Porozina from the Istrian side, or Valbiska on Krk to Merag. If a catamaran sailing is cancelled, the timetable says the next morning's boat to Rijeka will also call at Susak and Unije.
- Get to the port in good time: on car ferries vehicle boarding closes before departure, and queues build in summer.
- Check the operator's notices on the day — bora and jugo winds and breakdowns change or cancel sailings.
- Buy your ticket in advance where the operator allows it; vehicle space is limited on some routes.