BLUE CRUISES GENERAL INFO

General Rules for Weekly Blue Cruises:

-This is not an exclusively gay cruise. Potential of gay tourism in Turkey is not so big for frequent gay cruises, unfortunately. We organize this cruise in cooperation with other non-gay boat operators or boat owners, but we choose the gay friendly ones as much as possible. Therefore it is a coincidence if there will be other gay or lesbian clients joining the same cruise, same day with you. Other participants comes from various travel agencies and are mostly western tourists.
-  Captain and the staff organizes the meal times based on general desire of the participants as much as the daily program allows.
-  The captain can make changes with the route because of weather conditions, technical problems and for the safety of the guests.
-  Although the captains may be flexible to make his guests happy, principally no changes are made in the itinerary for the personal preferences of the participants.
-  It is not allowed to bring drinks to the boat from outside, which are provided with reasonable prices. This is the same for all gullet cruises in Turkey.
-  The cabins will be cleaned during breakfast time. There will also be a general cleaning in the mid week.. Unless there is a special situation, the bed sheets are used weekly.
- The yacht remains insured by the owner during your charter, however we advise all charterers to consider cancellation and curtailment insurance. You may also consider Personal Accident or Medical Insurance plus Personal Effects Insurance, which is generally not included in the Charter Fee

Yacht Standards.

-  The cruise yacht are traditional wooden Gullets, built in the South Western Aegean region. Their size may be 17-30 meters, with 4-10 cabin capacities. All yachts have life jackets and life boats.
-  In accordance with the capacity of the guests, the yachts have a dinner table, sun beds, awning for shadowing and a lounge.
-  There will be enough number of basic fishing and snorkeling equipments and pallets for the guests' use. -  There will be water tanks, refrigerators and deep freezes for the meals and drinks.
-  The cabins can accommodate 2 guests. There are usually one double bed in them. Please ask for single bed availability, specifically
-  Every cabin has private shower and WC, porthole, a small wardrobe, bed sheets, blanket, towels and 2 pillows.
-  There will be minimum 2, maximum 5 staff, depending on the size/capacity of the boats.
-  12 V and 24 V electric system is available on boats. 220 V supply can be available while anchored at the harbors.
-  The yachts are insurance. Personal travel insurance is additionally recommended
We will need to know the following information before making you an offer:
Blue Cruise or Blue Voyage

What is Blue Cruise

Blue Cruise ("Mavi Yolculuk" in Turkish) is a term used for recreational boating tours along Turkey's spectacular southwestern coasts, with connotations in tourism and literature. The term was first introduced into the Turkish literature by a handful of Turkish writers of fame. These writers were Cevat Sakir Kabaagacli -alias The Fisherman of Halicarnassus, Bedri Rahmi and Sabahattin Eyuboglu as well as his large and prominent circle of family and friends, especially artists, Azra Erhat, the translator into Turkish of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and others united around the literary revue "Yeni Ufuklar" (New Horizons) in the 1950s and especially as of the 1960s.

"Blue Cruise" became a byword within Turkey's tourism industry and the tours defined within the term are among the most popular leisure and tourism concepts in Turkey. The term itself is derived from the title of a celebrated 1957 book (re-edited after further tours, for the first time in 1962 and then in 1979) by Azra Erhat.

A full Blue Cruise is generally admitted to start in Dydima, or even Kusadasi, although the tours are often launched with departure from Bodrum, and they usually come to an end with Antalya as the final port of destination. In general parlance, the term may also be used to refer to shorter tours as well, as long as they take place along southwestern Turkey's shores.

The Blue Voyage offers the best possible escape on the water: a means of forgetting the rigors of everyday life for a while and just letting go of time. On a week or two week cruise, travelers sail along the Southwest Turkish coast, through crystal clear waters frequented by schools of dolphins and into quiet bays, the harbors of small, picturesque villages and many a historic port.

Wherever you may come from, and however old you may be, after a week or two afloat in this scenic wonderland, you will become of one heart with the beauty and serenity of nature. Both body and mind will revel in this healthy, happy environment.

What alternatives exist in blue cruising ?
For the type of Blue Voyage we offer, you don't have to hold a skipper's license, nor do you need to be an avid sailor. For private charters we provide you with a traditional wooden yacht with crew. If you cannot get a group together so as to take your own yacht, you still have the opportunity to join one of our weekly cabin charter cruises. You might even like to go for something racier, like a standard-sized bareboat with an English-speaking skipper.
Most of our yachts are of the traditional wooden variety, built either in Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye or the western Black Sea region.

Which season is best?

Between the end of July and the beginning of September, Turkey is extra busy with the height of summer bringing thousands to the coastal regions. July and August days are long and hot and the nights are warm. June, the beginning of July and all of September offer a better combination, with warm days and cool evenings. The water in September can be especially warm in places. The months of May and October offer excellent sailing conditions and the opportunity to go trekking or fishing.

How do we spend the time?
During the day, we cruise for a few hours and sail if the wind allows. Closer to lunch or dinner, we approach the land and drop anchor in a solitary bay, alongside a small village or off an island. At every stop, and there will be at least two per day, there is the opportunity to swim, fish, snorkel, windsurf, sunbathe, take a trip ashore or just read under the shade of the sun awning. The accent is on relaxation and recreation.
Your friendly, attentive crew will consist of a captain, a cook and either one or two seamen. Their job is to ensure that you are comfortable, well fed and entertained.

What about Scuba diving?
We offer diving tours for people who wish to explore the depths off the coast in the company of an experienced dive master. Bring your friends and make a group or join an organized tour.

What shall we bring?
Our guests are advised that they will be spending most of their time in a bathing suit so it is a good idea to bring at least two! For land trips, a pair of long, light trousers and a shirt are advisable. Evenings may be cool, certainly during the earlier and later months of the year, so you are best to bring a pullover and a windbreaker.
We also suggest you pack your beach towel, plenty of suncream, snorkels/flippers/goggles if you plan on doing lots of snorkeling and a sleeping bag if you are planning to sleep on deck.

Bed linen and towels for use in the cabins are provided by us and you should expect a set of sheets during the hot summer months and a bottom sheet and a pique (thick cotton sheet) during the spring and autumn months.
Your Turkish crew may not have a thorough knowledge of English, so you might be advised to take a small traveler's dictionary along with you for the cruise. Besides being understood more easily, it is also a great way of picking up a few words of Turkish.

We suggest you bring your belongings in a collapsible bag, rather than a suitcase, as bags are much easier to stow away, and also serve to limit how much you pack! You may like to bring a light day pack for excursions ashore.
One final word of advice: normal street shoes are definitely not acceptable on board a yacht... we suggest you to bring soft-soled shoes for getting around on deck.

During the Blue Voyage, the places you visit are the wealth of civilizations. Any cruising ground that you choose is rich with historic sites, ancient cities and unique rock tombs. Only Blue Voyage will give you the chance to discover countless hidden coves, undiscovered bays, sun drenched sandy beaches and isolated villages, the private beach of Cleopatra, Oludeniz, the rock tombs of Kaunos, the eternal fires of mount Olympos, Myria rock tombs, the archeological remains of ancient civilizations, that had also remained under sea. The experience of seeing breathtaking panoramic views of a sea which flows into shades of green and blue or the sun slipping down towering mountains and slowly disappearing into a golden hazed sea can only be described as priceless. During Blue Voyage you can go beyond the ordinary. Most of us live in large cities where the city lights dull the brightness of the stars. On the Blue Voyage you can see the stars very clearly. If your Blue Voyage coincides with the full moon, it is exceptionally beautiful in these parts.
 
When there is no moon, you are in for another treat, Phosphor scene. It is the phenomenon created by tiny creatures invisible to human eye. In the pitch dark when moving in the water, it glitters when, for example you are rowing. At the point where the oar touches the surface of the water, there will be circles of light. The drops of water splashing from the oars will drop on the surface of the sea like a shower of stars.

Swimming on a pitch dark night is an incredible experience, like a narcissistic pleasure. Now imagine you will be lying on the deck and alone with stars while the sea is quite choppy with in the gulf or imagine visiting fishermen's villages isolated by the bay during the day.

Click here for variety of regular blue cruises we offer

Click here for the map of the blue cruise destinations in southwestern Turkey


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