Blue Cruise
 

We are considering intergrating a gulet cruise into our Turkey trip -- but want to go for only 3 nights. I read on TTP about Aegean Yacht Services -- but if I read correctly -- they only do 7 night cruises. I don't want to go for a whole 7 nights -- time is limited.

Anyone have any recent suggestions of any other reputable cruises services and/or personal experiences? Alot of the postings regarding Blue Cruises are pretty old postings.

Thanks. The trip is for September.

Hi hedgepath

You can find 4 days GULET tour too.

Sinan akdeniz

Hiya Hedgepath:

I have been noticing your Turkey posts lately- welcome to the Fodor's September in Turkey Club! What are your dates?

My husband and I have a trip planned that sounds very similar to yours - Istanbul-Cappadocia-Med Coast-Aegean/Ephesus. We are going to be in Turkey the 10th-22nd or 25th. Amyknyc is going to be in Istanbut and Cappadocia the same time we are. Wj1 and Susan in Toronto are also planning Sept trips - I might be forgetting a couple of folks too.

I have had the same problem with the gulets so far - not finding (on line anyway) much info about 3 or 4 day cruises. I would be tough for us to find the time for it, but we are still considering the possiblity.

Yes, it does seem that September is going to be a busy time in Turkey! We'll all probably end up criss-crossing each other's paths at some point. We're arriving in Istanbul on September 4 and leaving on September 24. I thought about a gulet cruise - we were in Fethiye and Kalkan for a few days in September 2000 and people seemed to love them, but we've decided not to take one.

We are now planning to see Ephesus, which originally we weren't going to see. Now I'm trying to decide whether to spend 3 nights or 4 in Cappodocia. Such a lot of decisions!

I'm also planning to take a 1/2 day cooking class in Istanbul when we go back at the end of the trip. I figure that we'll have seen so many sights, that it'll be fun to do something different by that point.

Happy planning!

Hi again, we are currently holding Frequent Flyer reservations for arrival in Istanbul on 9/13 (tues.) leaving Istanbul back home on 9/26 (mon.). We have to leave on Monday, to spend the night in Paris in order to get our flight the next day. I am still overwhelmed with were to go exactly and have been in contact with a couple of agencies that TTP suggested. We do not want guides and really I only consulted them for transfers within Turkey. So far, I want to do Istanbul 2 nights, Cappadocia 2 nights, Ephesus (Secluk)1 or 2 nights (not sure) and then a blue voyage -- or a nice mediterranean stay for 4 nights and then back to Istanbul for at least 1 night. I have left myself a couple of days to play with that I quite don't know what to do with -- since our plans are so up in the air. Do you Septemberites have any suggestions? I sometimes feel like throwing in the planning towel and just booking a "tour" -- but it goes against my travelling nature. Help!! I am 42 and hubby is 46 -- if that makes a diff.

Thanks.

Hegepath, like you I am a constant planner so it is hard to be spontaneous. But when we were in Marmaris in late May, we walked along the docks and saw dozens of available boats for blue voyages. We talked with a few owners. It was out of season (which I think your dates would be as well) and they were willing to negotiate for anything. It would have been easy to charter one of the smaller boats just for the two of us for a couple of nights if we wanted. And the rates for a whole boat and three man crew were no more for the two of us that some of the package rates we'd seen for shared boats. At dinner we talked with a couple who had done just that -- I think 3 nights that they negotiated with an owner of a boat for and they were raving. One of the advantages of this arrangement is they will show you the boat and you meet the crew. If you can get up your nerve to arrive without plans, I think you can do an exciting voyage. We, unfortunately didn't have the opening in our schedule to do that, but wished we had. We never had wanted to do a full 7 days which is why we never booked one in advance.

Hi Hedgepath - if I am reading your schedule right - you will be in Cappadocia the 15th and 16 th of Sept. I am thinking we will have to have a Fodors GTG, as that is exactly when Amyknyc and spouse and I (43) and my spouse (48) will be there. Amy even mentioned possibly going together to get a guide for a day or two while there. Let us know is you are interested in joining us. Can't say for sure it will work out, but it might.

Susan - let us know when you put your schedule togther - 20 days - wow! Maybe we will see you too?

I think at some point we will have to start a September in Turkey thread to keep us all straight.

Happy, this is our itinerary so far -

We leave Toronto Toronto on Saturday, September 3 and arrive in Istanbul on Sunday. We're planning to stay 2 nights, then fly to Kayseri to stay in Goreme for 3 nights. We'll take a bus to Konya for 1 night (September 9) and then bus to Antalya the next day. I think we'll stay in Antalya 2 nights. We plan to stay in Olimpos for 4 nights (beach time mostly) and then take go back to Antalya to take a bus to Pammukale on September 16. I think we'll stay overnight there, then take a bus Selcuk for 3 nights. We'll fly back to Istanbul via Izmir on Tuesday, September 20. We'll have 4 nights there and fly back to Toronto very early on the Saturday morning.

So it looks like we'll miss the rest of the Fodors people in Cappodocia, but if there are any other points where we cross, it would be great to get together. I know we don't want to be on the move all the time (that's why we're planning on 4 nights in Olimpos) and originally I wasn't even planning to go to Ephesus. But who knows if we'll ever get back there? Just so much to see!

Hedgepath, if you pick up May's issue of food and wine magazine they have a nice article on Blue Cruise called Sailing Through Byzantium. They have restaurant, hotel, and charter information listed at the end.

Trish, is that issue out yet? I checked and could only find April. I'd love to check it out.

Hi Susan:

Sorry to say the only time I think I would be in the same area you are in would be the last night we are spending in Istanbul before our 5:50 am flight.

Your schedule looks great though, I know you have seen parts of Turkey before. I am jealous of your 4 days of beach/down time! We have not planned for any of that at all.

Hedgepath - have you found any onfo on shorter gulets yet? What are you going for hotels - I am having trouble with the Med coast &/or Aegean portions of our trip.

Hello September Turkeyfodorites: I still have not been able to get to far with my final plans. I want to cut back on flying back and forth to Istanbul for everything. I have opted against the Gulet cruise. Can someone give me their opinion on how to get around transportation wise for what we want to do.

We want 3-4 nights Istanbul (either 2 in the begining and 2 last nights); 2 nights Cappadocia; 2 nights Ephesus (Secluk) and 4-5 nights Kalkan.?

Happy -- I have not done much Kalkan hotel research yet b/c I don't have any dates to work with. Can someone please try to tell me the most time efficient and less stressful way to get to all the places we are trying to go to? Susan In Toronto -- do you have any suggestions seeing that you have travelled in Turkey before?

Thanks. whedgepath

Hi Hedgepath, We took a 4 day blue cruise from Antalya to Kas with Pasha Tours. Not luxurious, we slept on the sun mats on deck, because the cabins were too hot, but it looks like they did that on the luxe Food & Wine gulet too! They also had a 3 day, I think. Its the most fun I have ever had and we made a strange group. There were 4 Americans, 5 Germans and our Captain, cook and crewmate, who BTW only spoke Turkish and French. We had a blast, and would do it again in a minute. Check their web site, pashatours.com. Susanintoronto, where is your cooking clas and where did you find it? Goodluck,and have fun.

How to get around? We flew Turkish Air from Istanbul to Cappodocia, and otherwise we drove -- south to Antalya, along the coast and up to Kusadasi where we turned in the car (we went on to Samos and other islands from there).

Driving in Turkey is so easy and so wonderful. I've never seen a place with so little traffic (we're not talking about driving in Istanbul, however). I can't imagine trying to do what you're talking about with public transportation. You'll really want a car for those days in Kalkan. Is there a reason you don't want to drive?

Zwho, the cooking class is offered by the Hotel Sarnic in Istanbul. (Apparently there is also a Sarnic restaurant, but I don't they are connected.) I found the hotel on the Turkey Travel Planner website. Looks like it might be fun!

Can anyone tell me the range of what one should expect to pay for a gulet in August?
Also, I am traveling with two children ages 8 anad 12. Any thoughts on how the gulet experience would be for kids? I am also trying to go for 3 nights. Thanks.

Hi there from Sunny very Hot Cappadocia ;-)

You can get gulets for 3 days. One thing to decide is weather to charter the boat private or join to a regular tour and just hire a cabin. You can do :
Antalya-Kas, Kas - Fethiye, Fethiye-Fethiye, Fethiye-Gocek, gocek-Gocek, Marmaris-Marmaris, Bodrum-Bodrum and few more....

August is the bussiest month for Gulets and most pricy month. Cabin charter : one can get anywhere between 190 Euro per person to 400 Euro. type of boat, period, quality of the yacht, air conditioning, extra equipment and leisure equipments are all the factors for price.

You may usually end up with young party goers on cabin cahrter on sout east ( Antalya to fethiye )

If you are having the budget charter the boat on your own so you are your own boss. Food is perpared to your wish, you can sleep as much or as less, no need to bother or be bothered by neighbours :-)) etc.

Private charter could start from 700 Usd. day, 1500 to 2500 for nice ones and above up to 10.000 extra luxury boats are sailing.
Gulet Cruise in Med. or Aegean coasts are dreamy. No wonder why royal family is having cruise in Turkey !
Have fun and good sailings

Murat

You can find Fethiye-Olympos or Olympos-Fethiye 3 nights 4 days Boat Crise

We're also headed to Turkey in September! Leaving Atlanta 9-13, arrive Istanbul 9-14. Four nights Istanbul, fly to Izmir drive or bus to Kusadasi, 3-4 nights there(see Ephesus and relax on the beach ), then on to Greece for 2 days islands, 2 days Athens, then fly home. At least that's our current thought--haven't booked hotels yet.