A cabin charter is when you just rent a cabin on a Turkish yacht or gulet—much like a hotel room—rather than charter the entire gulet for a Blue Voyage.
Unless you come to Turkey with a group of friends big enough to fill the whole yacht, you'll arrange a cabin charter through one of my recommended travel agencies, especially Bodrum Tour, which can arrange cabin charters for a few nights as well as one week whole-yacht charters.
Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye are the chief yacht charter ports. Here are some important yacht charter and cabin charter tips.
Pros & Cons
The advantages of cabin charter are apparent: less expensive than a full charter, the opportunity to meet and get to know other travelers.
The dangers are not so apparent. Here they are:
—Incongenial group: you like politeness, peace and quiet, but you end up sharing a small boat with a loud, hard-drinking, party-loving crowd. Or vice-versa.
—Your group might be congenial, but you'll never find out because no one else on the yacht speaks your language, and they're always talking to one another, not to you.
—On full charter, the yacht is yours: go, stop, tarry, step ashore, take a swim or dine when you want. Supply any special food or drink you like. On cabin charter, the boat sticks to the program unless everyone wants to change it.
—Yachts and crews assigned to cabin charter are thought by many to be less appealing than those assigned to full charter. You may pay less for your cruise, but you may also get less than your money's worth.
Bodrum Tour gives multiple quotes for some of our favorite charters. The owners do an excellent job advocating for your best interest with each crew and captain. Fresh produce is handpicked and the smaller details (which often can end up making the biggest difference), are meticulously checked and prepared before departure.
If you'd like to have an excellent archeological tour along with your cabin, British archeologist Peter Sommer organizes several full yacht charters each summer, and passengers self-select: nearly all speak English and want an educational as well as an enjoyable experience, because they choose to sail this ancient ruins-strewn coast with a bona fide archeologist. If your schedule fits Peter's, this is the way to go. More...
Here are examples of cabin charter trips from Fethiye.
All meals are included on these trips, but you buy or bring your own drinks.
Yachts can be equipped with water sports gear: sailboards, kneeboards, kayaks, etc.
—by Tom Brosnahan
Fill out the form below for more information, and be sure to mention Turkey Travel Planner to receive a discount!
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