Hi Shamus,
Just looking at doing the same ourselves, it will be our 5th gulet cruise and we would highly recommend them. We are looking at Thomas cooke or bluecruise.com. We enjoyed the trip we did with Anatolian Sky as well. The deluxe gulets are a bit more comfortable with wider cabins and beds and this is a must when it's really hot. September is a cooler time to go. The budget gulets seem reluctant to stop in any harbours (presumably because they have to pay to moor) they just moor up in secluded bays each night. We prefer the Fethiye to Kas coast line as its very pretty.

The problem we are having is that they all seem to start and stop on Mondays. This sometimes means having to take Tuesday off when you get back which makes it difficult for work.

Good luck

I have just completed the booking with Thomas Cook! We are going on 15th Sepember. All inclusive Deluxe gulet, we've booked for the Aqua Route which goes to Kalkan and Kas and back to Fethiye. For the second week we are staying at Club Letoonia in Fethiye which is also All inclusive. The price was £2333 including an annual travel insurance for the two of us.

The first holiday I ever went on to Turkey was a gulet cruise, that was about 19 years ago now

We had the best time ever, I absolutely loved it. I think it was a Thomsons cruise, I know it wasn't a deluxe one, I don't think they had many deluxe ones back then, but it was great fun even though the cabins were a bit squashed. I didn't spend that much time in the cabin and even slept on deck some of the time as it was so hot. We stopped at very secluded bays at night, which as wonderful, so quiet and peacful, all the clear skies and stars...

We sailed from Bodrum and spent the second week in Fethiye.

I went again on a different cruise two years after and the cabins were abit bigger that time, we spent the second week in Gumbet that time. That was when Gumbet was a small quiet resort with a few bars!

I would definitely recommend it, it is great fun, the food was wonderful and you get to see some lovely places. I would love to go again but we will to wait till our girls are older.

I don't know the best companies to book with I'm afraid, I think if we went we would get flights and book a cruise separately but only because my husband has contacts. I think most of the big companies do gulet cruises.

I would say that June or September would be a good time to go, July and August are very hot and it gets very hot in the cabins. There also wasn't much room in the cabins so don't take loads of luggage, most people just wore shorts in the evenings anyway and you don't wear shoes on the boat.

Kedi

I too have been on a gulet holiday 5 times now but I can only recommend bluecruise.com as the other times have either been with singles companies or private charter. It's such a fab holiday. I don't mind budget gulets at all but then I've always had a cabin to myself. The singles companies use cheaper vessels. My experience has been different to Dadooronron's as the budget gulets have always moored in port at least once during the week. Personally I wish they wouldn't as I have no desire whatsoever to go off into town when I'm on a gulet holiday - although other passengers often do. Last time we privately chartered and only visited ports for stocking up and fuel in the morning for an hour or two - as per our request.

If you are worried about the other passengers then please don't. I have never had a problem with getting on with anyone else whether that be singles or couples, british or turkish. We have always been of a similar kind of disposition and frame of mind I guess.

Oh and another thing - even on the cheaper holidays, you will be amazed at how good the food is.

What I really ment to say regarding gulet crusing was that, its nice to go ashore once now and again for a sort time. On the Fethiye to Kas route you pass kekova which is a beautiful village with sunken ruins and a castle on the top of a hill. It was a fishing village but has now become a popular stop off for yachting types with several restaurants and craft stalls, you can only reach this place by boat. Also once the captain on our Anatolian sky gulet took us ashore to watch turkey play football. Just for a couple of hours but it made the evening.

I agree that staying in the harbour of say Marmaris or Fethiye is no fun as its much hotter than out at sea and very noisy. Most evenings on the gulets are spent moored up in secluded bays. Its quite dark as the generators on board don't produce a lot of power. We all chat a bit and sometimes get round to playing a game of something but everyone seems to end up going to bed by 10.00 - 10.30 at the latest.

Wendy

Don't think I've ever been to bed that early on a gulet! 12ish is quite normal but often it's been 1-2am. Often the crew have had us up dancing turkish style (music has to be turned off at midnight due to consideration for any other boats in the vicinity), my first trip we were dancing every night. Other times we play games or chat.

Our gulet cruise was a bit like that too, the crew even put loads of floating candles in the water one night so we could swim

I recall one night we were boogying to 80s music and we all started doing the dance to Prince Charming (Adam and the Ants). That and Walk Like an Egyptian. The crew looked most bemused at these strange british dances.

One time the cabin boy crew member was kitted out in full turkish belly dancing gear by one of the passengers, make up, long wig, the lot and put on a great show for us.

Hi, I'm new to this forum. Well new to posting on it - I've been reading it for ages!!

Anyway, I'd just like to agree with all those saying how wonderful a gulet holiday is. I've been on two and am planning on doing another one in June. I've only ever been on a standard gulet but haven't felt at all hard done by because of it! The holiday is what you make it - and I love the fact that the only decision you have to make during the day is whether to sit at the front or back of the boat (sorry not nautical terms I know!). The quality of food came as a wonderful surprise as well. On my first gulet I looked at how small the kitchen was and thought how can anyone cook for up to 14 people in there?!! We were also really lucky that the Captain was such good fun and willing to be flexible about his route, suggesting some really lovely, quiet bays - often away from the flotilla of gulets doing the same route. Don't get me wrong I like the company of other gulets and to visit a busy port but sometimes it's nice to get away from them occasionally! I think the crew are a really important part of making the holiday what it is. I've spoken to someone who was unlucky enough to have a very lazy captain who was only prepared to do what he wanted and when (it was towards the end of the season so perhaps he'd had enough by then!) - but he did just enough to warrant being paid. However she's still willing to give it another go (with another captain and boat!)

SandC: we had the crew up dancing a few nights as well! The first gulet I went on we were all Brits and enjoyed a party and a drink. I went on the same boat the next time but with a mixture of nationalities and I'm pleased to say it's not just us that like to party!! Btw, which singles company did you go with?

I've been with Friendship Travel twice and TravelOne once. Whilst I'm not at all bothered about having a luxury gulet (although when I went with a boyfriend it was much better that we did - we had a double bed plus single - just that bit more room and air conditioning which although only switched on whilst moored up around 6-7pm meant that it cooled the cabin down quite a bit for showering, changing) the TravelOne gulet I went on in 2007 was one that they used to use all through the season and it was very ropey compared to any others I had been on. It was in a poor state of repair and it was only June. Also the captain didn't like us to play our music - bit of a misery! I think they have listened to feedback though and now their brochure doesn't state that they have this dedicated gulet. I know that both companies use Rota Yachting and you never know which boat you are going to get until you get there.

I like the basic living though, if you want luxury, go on a cruise. There are some beautiful luxury ones for charter though - to me again if you want that sort of standard you can get a cabin cruiser or something. Gulets are meant to be 'back to nature'.

There was a turkish girl (living in England) travelling alone when I went with BlueCruise but the single supplement was £30 per night so it worked out very expensive - moreso than using a singles company.

I haven't decided what I am doing yet this year. Either a week in Ovacik/Hisaronu and gulet with Friendship Travel or a week in Dalyan and gulet with TravelOne or even a week in Oludeniz and gulet with Solatair or go mad and have a fortnight in Corfu with Solos. Then again I don't really want to to euro zone but seem to be ending up in Turkey every year!