Compared to hiring a motor yacht, gulets are a whole lot different. With motor yachts you generally know what exactly you are chartering. Whereas in gulets it’s not exactly as such. There are so many kinds of gulets. Unlike motor yachts where most have brand names, gulet do not. They come in all various sizes, standards, prices, crews, designs and comfort levels.
The first thing that you should focus on, when deciding to book a gulet holiday is budget. If how much you are willing to spend on your trip is known, then a gulet is “fitted” according to this – along with a few other criteria – but budget comes first.
There is a limit to the value of a discount in gulet rentals. How much you can get the price dropped depends on the owner of the boat as well as the agent. While the boat owner may have a rock bottom or a lowest standard price, the agent may have the negotiating power to get the price as close to that “standard price” without compromising services and facility standards existent on the gulet.
But if the discount does go any lower than what is realistically possible, then there is no choice but a bit of compromise. Logically this goes for any other type of holiday – as there are expenses that need to be met in order to provide satisfactory or higher level standards for your gulet cruise.
About Gulets and Cruises
You may have already had a few good gulet holiday experiences. Maybe at one time you may have even had the “rock bottom” price. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it can happen again. This depends on circumstances at the time. It could be that it was a last minute booking and the gulet owner did not wish to leave that booking week empty for his/her boat.
Going back to the pricing and compromise. Hypothetically if you were to book a gulet with a capacity of 12 for 750 Euros with meals included per day, you can expect a few minor inadequacies. But the services provided by the local (very local) crew, possibly a family run business will be there with the care and attention to make you feel comfortable. This is more important than say, the little inadequacies. That local crew will do their utmost to make you happy and cook the best local meals for you and your guests. They may not speak very good English, but will try their best to communicate and cater to your needs and requirements. The cabins will be basic and maybe slightly smaller. But the linen and towels will be clean, as will the boat.
On the other hand, if you pay a bit more, you can expect a different level of standards on a gulet as well as a more highly service qualified, non-family crew on board. There is a big difference from paying 1,000 Euros a day to 1,500 Euros a day to 2,500 Euros a day or higher – on a private gulet charter. The saying “you get what you pay for” is true. The “without compromise” means that the local crew will do their best to serve you and your guests, the boat will be clean, as well you will see all the beautiful destinations available for your trip.
However there may or may not be some areas lacking… which really shouldn’t affect your holiday. You are out at sea, and there to relax and have fun. Gulets will be gulets. Locals will be locals… and everything is put together – tailored for you, with the exception of some standards based on budget, availability, time of year, and preferences.
In the end, a gulet charter agent is there to help, provide you with answers to all of your questions, also provide you with as much information as possible to help you understand your trip. So the more questions you ask, the more information you read, the better you will understand the honest parts of gulet cruises.
Lastly, not all cruises can be perfect – no matter how hard an agent or crew tries. If during your gulet cruise you have issues and concerns that do not please you and are not a part of your agreement, it is best to mention them to either the crew or your agent at the time and not leave it to the end of the trip. It is easier to deal with an issue while it is fresh. This way prevents the issue from continuing and also helps to deal with it promptly.