The truth about gulet cruises uncovered

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 started the Goolets company with my wife over 20 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 – so they can just relax and have the best gulet cruise experience.

How do we do it?

We begin with finding you a vessel and the crew. Priorities include your group's size, age, budget, and the goal of your holiday.

Then the route, activities, food, and drink preferences are taken care of by our 24/7 customer support team. 

Lastly, we prepare and organize all necessities for the embarkation day, so that you never have to worry about a thing!

My favorite best-value gulets in Turkey

1. Every day you check different locations

Yes, you’ve read that right. With gulet cruise holidays you get the chance to wake up each day at a different location allowing you to see and make the most out of your holiday in the shortest period of time.

2. You have a Captain

Gulets' captains have many years of experience. They are very professional, friendly, and open to any questions you might have. The captain is also responsible for showing you all the amazing places and hidden gems.

3. You have a Chef

Your Chef is responsible for your food on board. He makes sure your food is not only delicious but also pleasing to the eye. You can expect only the freshest and local food.

4. You have sailors, hostesses & waiters

Nothing would be completed without these members. They ensure you do not have to clean or help out in navigation. These crew members will go the extra mile to guarantee that you don’t miss a thing and that you feel comfortable during the whole gulet cruise.

5. Early bookings have many benefits

• Best offers
• Satisfaction rates
• Flexibility with planning
• Saving money

• With early bookings, 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. The sea is always zero meters away from your cabin

During your gulet cruise, 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 and have fun.

7. You can escape the crowds

If you are not a big fan of large crowds of tourists or during your week you want to escape for a day or two, your Captain can take you to crowd-free spots where you can relax and recharge your batteries.

8. Everything during the gulet cruise is flexible

Everything can be arranged, but just keep in mind that sometimes there are situations where some things can’t be done. For example, in case of bad weather conditions, for the safety of everyone onboard, you have to listen to the captain.

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 for the gulet cruise to be perfect.

10. There are many different gulet types to choose from – from Standard to 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 suits you perfectly.

11. You get to see places approachable only by boats

The main goal of gulet cruises is to have a unique holiday experience that you will cherish for the rest of your life.

1. It is not cheap

Hotel holidays and renting a house or a sailing yacht will probably be cheaper. For a gulet cruise, you can expect the prices to start at around € 20,000 per week, for up to 12 guests. For more luxury vessels, the prices increase to € 100,000 per week per group or more.

2. Cabins and bathrooms on gulets cannot compare to hotel rooms

On a gulet, cabins are generally for sleeping only. Bathrooms are built for a quick shower and basic needs during the gulet cruise. The reason is simply because you spend 90% of the time on deck.

3. It is an adventure. You are going on a boat

Sometimes, the weather is bad, 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 gather your group 

The hardest part of choosing a gulet cruise holiday is to gather your group. Different people have different expectations and this can be frustrating to some. You need to be a “leadership” type of person to do this 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. 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 twice – 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.

6. If you get a lousy crew on your gulet – you will have a lousy holiday 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.

7. Self-service food is not an option like on huge cruise liners

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 the chef follows your wishes during the gulet cruise. Food is the best part of 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 tailor-made gulet cruise holidays.

Gulet Cruise Review – Final thoughts

For me personally – gulet cruises are the best possible way of spending your holidays. Nowhere else do you have such a great combination of things to see, and stuff to 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, and book a gulet that does not best fit your group or EVEN WORSE – IF YOU ARE NOT A GULET CRUISE TYPE OF PERSON – then it can all turn into a disaster!

A "Gulet Cruise" person is not a classic tourist. A “Gulet Cruiser” is a person who loves a good adventure, likes to enjoy 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 the near future, start planning early because soon there will be only a few available weeks left. This is especially true for the best European country to visit in 2025 winner - Croatia.