Blue cruises can be whatever you want them to be. Discover the outstanding natural beauty of Turkey, find peace in isolated coves, snorkel among the sea life in crystal clear waters, visit remarkable ancient ruins, buy local produce in charming island-towns or live it up in the region’s best night spots. You can even combine your boat holiday with yoga, trekking and diving. Take a look at our suggested routes to see what our trips have to offer.

The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey are stunning; thousands of sapphire coves are nestled among lush green vegetation. The geography and the seclusion are what make it such a great destination for boat holiday. Avoid the crammed hotels, packed pools and built-up coastline and enjoy your own space and your own patch of the azure Turkish sea.

Your gulet will be staffed by a captain, a cook and usually one or more stewards, depending on the size of the boat. Food and drink is prepared and served by the crew allowing you to take full advantage of holidaying! Do nothing, do everything, it’s up to you. 

Yachts abide by the safety standard designed by the Turkish authorities and International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

No. Gulets are crewed so just sit back and enjoy the journey.

The captain calls for emergency health unit and they send a sea ambulance ASAP.

Yes it is. All tours operated by Gulet Escapes are protected wither via ATOL or via Travel Vault. Check T&Cs for more details and claims procedure.

You must ensure that you have sufficient insurance to cover all aspects of your holiday such as personal accident, health, injury and cancellation. Guests are fully responsible for any costs that may incur to them or anyone in their party as a result of inadequate insurance cover.

Croatia Holidays

EU nationals do not need a visa.

Greece is part of the Schengen visa program which allows free travel between member states (though is subject to change).

Visitors should check entry requirements with their consulate before travelling.

- USA

- Australia

 

Greece Holidays

EU nationals do not need a visa.

Croatia is not part of the Schengen visa program but allows free leisure travel for a lot of visitors.

Visitors should check entry requirements with their consulate before travelling.

- USA

- Australia

 

Montenegro Holidays

Visas are not required for citizens of most European countries, Turkey, Israel, Singapore, South Korea, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. In most cases this allows a stay of up to 90 days.

Visitors should check entry requirements with their consulate before travelling.

- USA

- Australia

 

Turkey Holidays

Visitors to Turkey are now required to get an electronic visa before travelling. Visit the Republic of Turkey e-visa system to apply online.

Visas cost $20 (US) and can be paid for by Mastercard or Visa (credit or debit). Visitors will need to purchase visas for all those travelling including children.

PLEASE NOTE: As of 2014, visas can no longer be purchased on arrival in Turkey and must be organised beforehand.

No. Although this is the general view, it’s no longer correct. Over the past 10-20 years the popularity of boat holidays and of Turkey as a holiday destination has increased. This means there are now more yachts on offer for a wide range of prices and the industry has become more efficient so prices are lower. Food and drink is organised and paid for before travelling so once you’re on the boat you’re likely to spend very little or nothing at all.

Once you’ve decided on yacht, food and drink, and optional extras like airport transfers, we sign a yacht charter contract. Within seven days of signing this, a 40% deposit is required. The remaining balance should be paid 10 weeks before start date of the holiday. If you are booking less than 10 weeks before the start date, the full balance will be due within seven days of signing the yacht charter contract.

We can arrange your flights or you can book your own flights. We’re more than happy to assist you with any questions you may have.  Please find more details on the Flights & Transfers page.

We’re fully ATOL protected, so your holiday is protected if you book with us.

Yes. This is an optional service we provide. At your request we can provide transfers to and from your arrival airport to your departure port.

Our head office is based in London, UK, and we have a professional team that carries out our operations in Turkey.

A boat holiday is whatever you want it to be. You decide the route and can have as much or as little action as you want. You can lie in the sun reading, explore historical sites, spend all day in the sea, go on nature walks, visit local towns, the list goes on. We also offer tailored tours, such as yoga and hiking. See our routes to find the perfect option, or let us know what you’re after and we can recommend the best route for you.

Yes. Cabin charter might not be suitable for children below 12, but for private charters it is workable. If you want to bring a child or baby please contact us first so we can talk to our captains and ensure the best options. Your safety and comfort is our priority.

Gulets generally have lots of steep steps and narrow passages, as well as a narrow gangway for alighting the vessel. Depending on your disability, it may not be suitable. Contact us to discuss beforehand to make sure you have best options

Gulets generally have lots of steep steps and narrow passages, as well as a narrow gangway for alighting the vessel. Contact us to discuss beforehand to make sure you have best options.

Yes. See our range of beautiful hotels and villas.

Yes. Choose from one of our land excursions to extend your stay in Turkey. If none of our special tours appeal, let us know what you want to see and we can organise it.

Pack lightly and ideally with a foldaway bag as some cabins have limited storage space. If you’re planning on walking or taking excursions, take comfortable shoes (ideally not sandals) as some of the terrain is rocky even in tourist spots. Flip flop or slippers are advised for walking around on board as sometimes the floor can get very hot! While you might spend all day, every day in your swimming gear, it can get chillie at night so be sure to bring some warm clothing as well.

Most boats have facilities such as board games and snorkelling equipment but feel free to bring your own. Snorkelling gear varies in numbers and quality, and is often for adults only. Sea shoes are also a great idea if you want to explore the shallows. You can pick up snorkelling gear, fishing equipment, etc., at all the base ports.

No.

Gulets are wooden, Mediterranean pleasure boats, usually with 2 or 3 masts. Because they’re specifically designed for blue cruise holidays, they usually provide more deck space than most motor yachts, and thanks to the big capacity of their fuel and water tanks they are great for long voyages. Gulets generally motor sail but, when weather conditions are right, they can open their sails.

We have three categories of boat: Standard, Luxury and Exclusive and cabin sizes are usually proportional to these classifications. Standard cabins are usually 10-12 sq m, but a big master cabin can be up to 50-60 sq m. Designers do their best to create spaces but Gulets are designed to maximise outdoor, shared spaces. If you look at pictures on our yacht pages, you can get a good idea of what rooms look like and if you have a question about a specific boat please contact us.

Almost all of our boats have air conditioning. In most standard and some luxury class boats, air conditioning can only be used for up to 4 hours a day in order to conserve energy. In most luxury and all exclusive class boats, there is no limitation on air conditioning use. Thanks to the cool sea breeze, our guests rarely find the need for air conditioning.

Gulets are designed for holidaying and so they maximise outdoor, shared spaces such as the dining area and sunbathing areas on deck. That being said, they aim to provide comfortable, if not always spacious, sleeping facilities and we haven’t received a comfort related complaint to date.

All of our gulets are crewed. The crew consists of captain, chef and, depending on the size of the boat, one or more stewards. Crew numbers range from 3- 8 depending on the boat. All of our boats have separate crew quarters so you have privacy.

We have three categories of boat: Standard, Luxury and Exclusive. We use some of the following criteria to decide on the class: year of build, deck space, total area, cabin size and comfort, cabin, deck and saloon decor, level of luxury, number and experience of crew, services provided (incl. facilities), luxury facilities such as jacuzzi or LCD TV.

All boats have phone / laptop charging facilities. Some boats have wifi and some offer a laptop connected to the internet for shared use, but some boats are not connected. Depending on your route you’re generally close to shore so you can usually pick up phone and 3G signals.

Boats usually anchor calm waters and do short sails but rarely there might be longer sails and windy weather, which might lead to seasickness. If you’re prone to seasickness think about your route and try to avoid long journeys over open water, such as trips to the Greek Islands. Also, bear in mind that smaller boats will rock more than larger boats. All of our boats have seasickness pills on board but numbers might be limited. If you think you’re likely to get sick be sure to purchase seasickness pills before you set sail.

Our boats tour the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts and the Greek Islands. We have some boats that can go as far as Croatia. Motor yachts and Exclusive gulets generally have a larger sailing area. Have a look at out our suggested routes.

It’s up to you. If you want to be at sea for the whole route, choose a route that visits bays and coves. If you want to walk and see things, choose a route that visits harbours and sites of interest. For instance, Bodrum – Gokova route is more sea-based. While routes that involve the Greek Islands, Fethiye and Antalya have more port stops. Have a look at out our suggested routes to find out more.

Yes. You can plan the whole route yourself or give us a list of places you want to see and we can tailor-make a route just for you. Have a look at our suggested routes to see what’s on offer and to get a sense of where places are and the distances that can be covered in a week.

Generally, no. But rarely this can be organised. During peak season, blue cruises go from Saturday to Saturday and need to stay within the harbour to refuel, restock and clean. This means travelling from one port to another on a handover day is generally not possible. However, in low season it might be possible. Please contact us to find out more.

There are a number of catering options on boat tours. Have a look at food and drink to see what options are on offer and find out more about the Turkish cuisine.

Yes we can. Let us know your dietary requirements and we can discuss with our chefs and captains.