Important things to consider for booking a Luxury Gulet Charter?
What makes a gulet a luxury vessel? When can an agent advertise a gulet as a vessel suited for a luxury gulet charter? We will explore this issue in this post.
This is a BIG ISSUE in the gulet market and also a very sensitive one.
There are two main reasons why this is the case
- Every gulet owner is always extremely proud of his gulet and every owner is 100% sure his gulet is the best and most luxury one in the market. As owners normally do not go out inspecting a lot of other gulets to get a good idea about the entire picture, this can make the owner believe their vessel is better than it truly is.
- There is no official categorization for gulets.
These two reasons alone put a lot of added pressure on agencies. If an agency says the gulet is a ship perfect for luxury gulet charter, then this is the absolute expert truth.
There are hundreds of “gulet cruise agencies” in the market and quite honestly, every agency uses their own category descriptions.
Some agencies have three different categories which are luxury, deluxe and VIP
Some agencies have seven different categories for luxury gulet charters.
This are generally economy, standard, superior, luxury, deluxe, super deluxe and VIP.
Agencies also have different categories for different countries. For example, several years ago in Croatia, agencies had three categories:
- B category
- A category
- A+ category
So imagine this situation: a client is searching for luxury gulet charters and sends an inquiry to three separate agencies.
They all offer the client the same gulet, however, the descriptions would be:
- Deluxe gulet XY
- Standard gulet XY
- Superior gulet XY
So the same gulet, but three different categories! This can become quite confusing and it gets even better! The fact is agencies are not in an easy position as the quality of the gulet never depends only on quality and size – NEVER!
To be honest gulet size, age and size of cabins are perhaps only factors 4 or 5 when it comes to luxury factors of the gulet.
It took us some years to see the huge importance of other factors that play a much more significant part.
So what are the other factors?
Factors that are more important than size, when the gulet was built, and how spacious the cabins are? I will explain it step by step. This is crucial stuff when it comes to renting a luxury gulet!
1. Categorically the most important thing – the crew!
The crew on board your gulet is what will make your holiday incredible instead of just`okay.´ When clients return to the same gulet the following year, they never come because there was a nice Jacuzzi in the master cabin, they return because of the crew!
They come back because the owner or captain showed them places they could not imagine they would ever see. They come back because they made great connections and because crew gave them an experience of a lifetime.
The best gulets have the same crew for many years, and this makes the biggest difference!
2. The second most important thing is… food!
A gulet can be very average, however, if they serve and prepare amazing food, you will remember it forever. A lot of the time clients wish to book a more luxury gulet, and save money on food.
However, this is very bad decision it´s much better to book a gulet of lower quality and take the superb food menu. Luxury gulet charters mean great food.
It means it will have an experienced chef that will make wonders and it means a gulet owner will not save money on food. This is especially important!
3. Gulet maintenance is vital!
People do not realize how important gulet maintenance is to contribute to a fantastic gulet experience. Some gulets were built in 1990 and they still look brand new!
There are standard, smaller gulets where the owner made incredible investments and changed the gulet into a superb luxury vessel! Some owners change all bed linens, mattresses and all sorts of things almost on a yearly basis.
On the other hand, you can have “luxury gulets” built 5 years ago and have owners that did not invest a single euro inside the gulet from this point! This means the gulets are often found in a terrible condition.
4. Importance of owner imagination and effort
Sometimes you do not need to have a luxury gulet to make special things for guests. Some gulet owners have an incredible imagination and surprise clients on a daily basis.
From special birthday celebrations, inviting guests to their homes (owners or captains), making an incredible captains´dinner, organizing live music on the gulet and much, much more… a lot of the time clients leave the gulet with tears in their eyes – because they are going home and because they were so happy!
This stuff can get truly emotional.
5. The size of the gulet and cabins
Don’t get me wrong a 37 meter-long gulet with four cabins, seven crew, and Jacuzzi in every cabin is a different story compared to a 25-meter gulet with six cabins gulets and three crew members.
Size also matters. But when you get to choose between a gulet that is a bit smaller and not as luxurious but with a great crew, food, is superbly maintained and had a great gulet owner compared with a bigger gulet that has not got as good a crew and food…the choice should be easy.
A gulet with good crew and food should win every time!
And if you now think that the crew and food are important – multiply this feeling by four and you get a realistic combination!
When it comes to luxury gulet charter – ask your agency for advice. If your agency states the gulet you see is a luxury gulet, ask them why. Ask them about the crew and the food they serve on the board. Do not only look at (LOA) and “year built” information also look at agency advice.
For a better feeling about luxury gulets and Luxury gulet cruises, check out this page.
If you would just like to get the best offers for luxury gulets, please get in touch.
