The truth about Turkish gulet cruise unraveled
This post is an honest opinion of the gulet cruise concept, and if you wish to learn about the pros and cons of this type of holiday – keep reading. But, before going in-depth, I would like to introduce myself.
My name is Mitja and I have started the Goolets company with my wife 16 years ago. Ever since I have personally inspected more than 500 gulets, yachts, motor sailors, and mini cruisers and cruised on well over 30 yachts for my own holidays.
Our main Emphasis has always been on one thing: THE CLIENT! We take care of everything – in a smart way.
So how do we do it?
For your holidays, we start with finding you a vessel and the crew. Priorities include your group's size, age, budget, and the goal of your holiday.
Then your route, activities, and food & drink preferences are taken care of by our 24/7 customer support team.
Lastly, we prepare and organize all necessary stuff for the embarkation day, so that you never have to worry about a thing!
Onboard gulet Nautilus
Now let’s talk about the vessels! We have 5 different types of vessels in our fleet and gulets are one of them.
I will now present you the how the best valued and most booked ones look like:
TOP gulet charter recommendations for 2022
Most wanted gulets in Croatia
(some still have a few weeks available for 2022)
Alessandro I
Alessandro is a luxury 40-meter gulet with 5 cabins and 6 crew members. The luxurious saloon’s large panoramic windows invite all the sunlight you could want and ensure you miss none of the passing scenery. The vast deck area provides all the sun, or shade if you prefer, on-demand on both fore and aft decks, and dining possibilities.
Learn more about Alessandro I
Vivere
Vivere is one of the best value for money 6-cabin gulets in Croatia. It has more spacious cabins than most gulets of her length. On the outside, there’s an under the shaded aft deck where you can enjoy dining in the open fresh air.
Learn more about Vivere
Nautilus
Nautilus is one of the rarest 8 cabins gulets with a jacuzzi on deck in Croatia. She has a huge deck that is perfect for large groups. You will be delighted with the service of four friendly crew members, who are always more than happy to help you. We shouldn’t neglect the chef’s culinary skills with a cooking stove.
Learn more about NautilusFew examples of best value gulets in Turkey
Mare Nostrum
Mare Nostrum elegant lines raise the standards of a luxury cruise. Her interior is gorgeous and in warm colours filled with elegant details, which gives an overall classy interior feel. It is a great choice for family or friends.
Learn more about Mare Nostrum
Kayhan 11
The luxury gulet Kayhan 11 has 34 meters generous outdoor deck spaces ideal for a large group to enjoy the cruising holiday. Gulet is very well constructed and also offers a comprehensive sailing system ready to amaze all passionate sailing enthusiasts.
Learn more about Kayhan 11
Maske 2
Motor sailing yacht Maske 2 with steel hull offers a joyful sailing experience on the Turkish coast, where experience captain could take you to all secluded bays where you can relax and enjoy away from heavy crowds.
Learn more about Maske 2Gulet cruise pros
Some of the reasons why gulet cruises are the best possible way of spending your holidays
1. Every day you check different locations
Yes, you’ve read that right, with gulet cruise holidays you get the chance of waking up each day at a different destination which allows you to see most of the country in the shortest period of time and you make the most out of your holiday. If you prefer staying at one place and can’t imagine your holidays without a hotel then by all means a gulet cruise is not for you.
2. You have a Captain
Captain of gulets have many years of experience, they are very professional but friendly and open for communications and any questions you might have you can ask them. The captain is also responsible to show you all the amazing places and hidden gems.
3. You have a Chef
Your personal Chef is responsible for your food on board. He will make sure your food is not only delicious but also pleasing to the eye. You can expect only the freshest food of local quality.
4. You have sailors & hostesses & waiters
Nothing would be completed without these members, they make sure you do not have to clean or help out in navigation. These crew members will go the extra mile to secure that you don’t miss a thing and that you feel comfortable during the whole cruise.
5. Early booking can have many benefits
- Best Offers
- Satisfaction rates
- Flexibility with planning
- Saving money
- With early booking for 2022, you will have a wide selection of gulets to choose from, since all the best gulets are still available!
- According to our statistics, clients who booked early had reported having the biggest satisfaction.
- When booking »Early« you have more than enough time to plan, ask as many questions as you have, seek advice and recommendations, and I will gladly assist you.
- You can get an amazing discount, have a bigger selection of gulets available and in the end, satisfaction will be higher too.
6. Sea is always zero meters away from your room
While cruising on gulets one big advantage is that you can take a swim just about any time you desire! It is always around you and it is an ideal way to refresh or have fun.
7. You can escape the crowds
If you are generally not a big fan of large crowds of tourists or you during your week want to escape for a day or two, your Captain can take you to crowd fewer spots where you can relax and recharge your batteries.
8. Everything during the cruise is flexible
Everything can be communicated just keep in mind that there are sometimes situations where some things can’t be changed, for example in case of bad weather conditions.
9. Everything can be tailored according to your wishes in advance
We will listen to your wishes, preferences, and requirements and make sure those things are understood by your crew too. The crew onboard will try to do almost anything in order for the cruise will be perfect.
10. There are many different gulet standards to choose from – from Standard – Super Deluxe
This depends on your budget, group structure, wishes, and type of vacation. We will make sure to match you with the best potential gulets that could suit you perfectly.
11. You get to see places approachable only by ships
The main goal of gulet vacations is to have a unique holidays experience that you will cherish for the rest of your life.
Gulet cruise cons
1. It is not cheap
Hotel holidays, renting a house or a sailing yacht will probably come cheaper. On a gulet cruise, you can expect the prices to start at around € 600 to € 800 per person per week for standard type gulets. You can get good – quite comfortable vessels for prices around € 1.000 per person per week, while some luxury gulets can come for the price of around € 2.000 per person per week.
2. Cabins and bathrooms on ships cannot compare to hotel rooms
On a gulet, cabins are generally for sleeping only. Bathrooms are meant for a quick shower and for basic needs during the cruise. The reason why this is like so is simply that you spend 90% of the time on deck. If a hotel room is the best part of your holidays – then book a hotel – do not go on a gulet cruise (only if you can spend € 2.000 per person per week or more).
3. It is an adventure. You are going on a ship
Sometimes you can have bad weather and nobody can do anything about it. You will cruise from place to place. You will check amazing places. You will move around. If you are a person that does not like a good adventure – stay home. Gulets are safe (we easily cruised with my 2 years old son) – but if you like the stability of a hotel room – go to the hotel.
4. You need to organize a group (unless if it is cabin charter)
The hardest part of having a gulet cruise holiday is to organize a group. Different people have different expectations and this can be frustrating to some. You need to be a “leadership” type of person to go into this organization and you need to start planning early to avoid unhappy friends or family. This is not so hard if you plan in the correct way and we can help you with that.
5. If it is cabin charter – you do not know which nationalities will cruise with you – if you are not sociable…100% not for you!
You can only book a cabin and join other people on board. This means you will share your table and your deck space with total strangers. If you have a problem with this – then either get your own group, book a gulet for 2 or 4 people only or perhaps choose some different holidays.
6. Some sailing is possible (not on all gulets) – but gulets are not sailing yachts by default
If you are a passionate sailor then you better tell this to your “booking agent” in advance – and state it a minimum 2 times – as most of the gulets have none or poor sailing capabilities. There are exceptions of course – but you have to ask for this in advance so we can check if those types of gulets are still available in our offer and that you don’t get disappointed.
7. If you get a lousy crew on your gulet – you will have a lousy holidays experience
The crew makes a minimum of 50% of your experience. If you have a captain who does not know how to speak English a chef who likes to drink and sailors who do not know their job your experience will be not as you might expect. The quality of the crew is more important than the quality of the gulet. Mark my word about this.
8. Self Service food is not an option as on huge cruise liners for example
Gulets have limited space, so you will not have dinner like on huge cruise liners or in hotels. You state your food preferences before you arrive on a gulet and chef follows your wishes during the cruise. Food is the best part on a cruise – but SELF SERVICE is not an option.
I would recommend gulets to
Families with small children, families with teenagers, middle-aged couples looking for relaxation, party groups, mixed groups of all ages and active seniors looking for an unforgettable mix of active and relaxing tailormade cruise holidays.
Gulet Cruise Review – Final thoughts
For me personally – gulet cruises are the best possible way of spending your holidays. Nowhere else you have such a great combination of things you can see, stuff you can do, all organized in such a comfortable way, you truly do not have to move a finger.
But beware!
If you do not plan properly. If you book a gulet that is not the best fit for your group or EVEN WORSE – IF YOU ARE NOT A GULET CRUISE TYPE OF PERSON – then it can all turn into a disaster!
Gulet Cruise person is not a classic tourist. “Gulet Cruiser” is a person that loves a good adventure, likes to enjoy in food, hates to stay in 1 place all the time and is a person who prefers EPIC LOCATIONS over hotel pools. Gulet Cruisers are BON VIVANTS who enjoy life and everything beautiful around them.
If you are planning to go on a gulet holiday in 2022 start planning early by filling out this inquiry because soon there will be only a few available weeks left.
