Boat rental usually involves renting a boat for a certain period of time. Rental periods vary depending on the season of rental. Here are the things you need to know when renting a boat:
When you search for a boat for a blue cruise, you come across gulets, motor yachts, catamarans and sailboats. The features of each boat are different from each other, and to summarize briefly, they are as follows:
It is generally a widely preferred boat type in the Mediterranean, especially on the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts of Turkey. Gulets are generally wooden built and have spacious interiors and large deck areas. They are generally between 15 and 38 m in length and are used as “sailing motor yachts”. In other words, when sailing conditions allow, you can travel not only by sailing but also by gulets. It is the most preferred boat type in terms of blue cruise tourism. Because in addition to comfortable travel and enjoying unique sea views, they often offer services including "crew and captain".
They are boats that are usually powered by internal combustion engines and usually do not have sails. Motor yachts come in a wide range of sizes and can serve different purposes, such as luxury, speed or seagoing comfort. These yachts can generally be used by private owners or offered to customers via rental. Motor yachts come in a variety of styles and features in terms of interior design and exterior aesthetics. This creates more options for users. Rentals can be made with or without crew.
It is a watercraft that usually has two hulls, placed side by side, and has a large deck area. Two parallel hulls provide greater stability compared to a single hull, making the catamaran more stable on the sea. Catamarans have sails and motors. Thanks to these features, they are popular as yachts and holiday boats. Because they offer a comfortable sea journey thanks to their spacious interior and stability. They are generally chartered without crew.
They are boats with one or more sails that generally move using sails. Sailing boats have minimum engine power and move with the thrust of the wind. It is usually made of fiberglass material. Its design is single-body. Nowadays it is used for various purposes such as recreational yachting, races, marine tourism or private use. It is generally rented without a crew by people with sailing experience.
These are the most preferred boat types for a blue cruise. When choosing a boat, the main issues to consider are your number of people, the route you will go, the crew status of the boat, rental fees, the type of boat, its size, comfort level and rental period.
How to Choose the Most Suitable Date?
The "Blue Voyage" season in Turkey starts in April and lasts until the first weeks of November. The months of April-May-October-November are called low season, and the months of June-July-August-September are called high season. When choosing a date for your blue cruise, you should take into consideration your transportation conditions, the weather conditions on the date you choose, and the density on the date you choose. You can also benefit from early booking discounts if you make a purchase at least 6 months before the date you choose. 3. Finding the Most Suitable Route!
The blue cruise route is generally determined depending on the customer's preferences, the type of boat rented, the starting and ending ports and the travel time.
Start-End Port; The port where the blue cruise will start determines the route of the trip. This port is usually determined by the boat location and the customer's preference. At the end port, the most suitable place is selected according to the route to be visited.
Customer Preferences; The places, bays and islands of interest to the customer are important factors in determining the route. Special bays, historical ruins or natural beauties are added according to the customer's taste.
Boat Type; Different boat types may be better suited to different routes. For example: While sailboats are preferred for windy routes, motor yachts can be preferred to go faster on long cruises.
Time of journey; Customers' blue cruise duration is also effective in determining the route. Longer tours may offer the opportunity to explore a wider region.
Weather and Sea Conditions; Weather and sea conditions are one of the important factors in determining the route. It must be taken into consideration for a safe and enjoyable travel. Customers determine the blue cruise route by bringing these factors together with the captain or tour organizer.
What Should Be Considered in the Boat Rental Budget?
When creating a boat rental budget for a blue tour, the following should be taken into consideration:
Boat Type and Size; The type, size and capacity of the boat you choose are important factors that determine the rental price.
Season and Demand; Tourist season and peak demand periods usually come with higher rental fees. Rental costs are generally lower during off-season or less popular periods.
Crew Service; Whether there will be a crew on the boat, the cost of this service and the expectations of the crew have an impact on the budget.
Rental Period; As the boat rental period increases, unit prices generally decrease. It is important to compare long-term rental, nightly or weekly rates.
Fuel and Port Fees; Fuel or port fees that may occur during the use of the boat may have an impact on the budget. It's important to plan your budget with these additional costs in mind.
Insurance; Insurance requirements are also important factors affecting the budget in boat rental transactions. Rented boats are always insured. However, getting personal travel insurance depends entirely on your preference.
Extras and Additional Services; Special requests, extras such as water sports equipment or special meal requests may increase the budget. It is important to identify additional services in advance.
What Should Be on the Boat for a Safe and Comfortable Blue Cruise?
1 - Sufficient capacity and beds according to the number of people should be one of the first points you pay attention to. In most boats, the beds are generally double and single bed capacity is low.
2 - WC and bathroom; It will be better for your comfort and hygiene if the boat you rent has its own WC and bathroom in the cabins.
3 - The location of the boat to be rented, in the marina or easy to reach, will help your holiday start more comfortably.
4 - The equipment of the boat to be rented (boat, water sports equipment, safety equipment, sound system, sailing system, etc.) and crew experience are important for the safety and comfort of your holiday.
5 - The points to be taken into consideration in terms of safety are that the boat to be rented has fire safety equipment, a sufficient number of life jackets, a life raft, and that the boat has land and sea survey certificates and insurance documents.
How is Eating and Drinking on the Boat?
There are two options for eating/drinking when chartering a blue cruise. In the first one, "food/drink" fee is included in the rental fee, and guests are served from a standard menu. Most of the time, water, soft drinks, tea and coffee are included in this system, and alcoholic beverages other than these are not included in the price. In the second option, food/beverage costs are not included in the rental fee. Food is provided by the guests and its organization is as follows;
Menu Planning; Food menus are planned before the tour and prepared "together with the customer", taking into account the customers' preferences, allergies or special requests. A food list is made together with the customers based on the approved menu. Shopping for food/beverage is made according to this list.
Yacht Organization; In most cases, on blue cruises, the boats are crewed. And this team serves the guests. The boat's cook prepares meals according to the menu and these meals are served by the crew.
Food Supply; If our guests wish, they can buy the products on the prepared food list and come to the boat, or our company can shop for them from well-known markets such as "Migros" and "Carrefour" and have them ready before the guests come to the boat. *Local Flavors; During the blue cruise, you can try local flavors of the regions on the route. The crew can provide guests with a local culinary experience by preparing regional dishes upon request. Or they can eat at different local restaurants in the bays.
Daily Meal Hours; Generally, meals are served daily in the form of 3 main meals and 1 meal at tea time. Guests decide the times of these meals together with the boat cook.
Beverage Service; In this concept, drinks are provided by the guests. At this point, guests' own preferences are important. Additionally, if there is a bartender service on the boat you rent, you can have cocktails prepared with the drinks you want.
Special requests; If customers have special food preferences, allergen conditions or dietary needs, the tour organizer and the boat kitchen team must be informed in advance. Thus, the boat staff can work to provide the most appropriate service.
Reservation and Payment For a final reservation, prepayment is made by bank transfer or EFT, 30%-45% of the tour price (varies depending on the boat). The remaining amount is paid on the tour starting day.
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