A cabin charter is a shared gulet cruise: you book one cabin instead of the whole yacht and sail a fixed route with other guests and a professional crew. The price is per person and covers your cabin, three meals a day, afternoon tea and, on most routes, unlimited soft drinks, beer and wine. It lets you enjoy a Turkish blue cruise without renting a yacht or travelling as a large group.
All of our cabin charters currently depart from Turkey, from Fethiye, Marmaris or Bodrum, on 4-day and 8-day routes. One of them, the Aegean Island Hopper, crosses to the Greek islands of Kos, Symi and Rhodes. This guide explains how a cabin charter works, what each route offers, what it costs per person and what is included, and helps you decide between a cabin charter and a private gulet.
How a Cabin Charter Works
You join other guests aboard a traditional gulet. A captain and crew sail the boat and look after you, three home-cooked meals are served every day, and the route and departure date are fixed in advance. You pay per person, and the price covers the items listed in the inclusions section below.
- Fixed departures: Most cruises leave on a Saturday. The Fethiye to Marmaris Coastline Hop leaves on a Sunday. The season runs from April to October.
- Your own cabin: You book a single or double cabin. Prices are per person on a twin-share basis, and solo travellers can book a cabin for their own use. Ask us for the single supplement on your date.
- A planned route: Each day has a swim stop, lunch at anchor and an overnight stop in a bay or harbour. The captain has the final say on anchorages, so the order of stops can change with wind and sea conditions.
- Short sailing days: Cruising is usually no more than three or four hours a day, which leaves plenty of time for swimming, snorkelling and exploring ashore.
- Other guests: You meet the crew and your fellow travellers at the boarding briefing, and the first dinner is served on board. Ask us how many guests the gulet on your date carries and how its cabins are laid out.
Our Cabin Charter Routes
We offer eight cabin charters: six 8-day cruises and two 4-day cruises. The table shows the indicative price per person in a twin-share cabin in the cheapest month, April, and in the peak months of July and August.
| Route | Length | Departs | April | July–August |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Harbour Loop (Marmaris – Fethiye – Marmaris) | 8 days / 7 nights | Marmaris, Saturday | €500 | €750 |
| Gökova Gulf Voyage (Bodrum – Gökova – Bodrum) | 8 days / 7 nights | Bodrum, Saturday | €750 | €1,000 |
| Ancient Shores Voyage (Fethiye – Kekova – Fethiye) | 8 days / 7 nights | Fethiye, Saturday | €1,100 | €2,000 |
| Ekincik Bay Circuit (Fethiye – Ekincik – Fethiye) | 8 days / 7 nights | Fethiye, Saturday | €1,100 | €2,000 |
| Turquoise Coast Explorer (Fethiye – Marmaris – Fethiye) | 8 days / 7 nights | Fethiye, Saturday | €1,100 | €2,000 |
| Aegean Island Hopper (Bodrum – Kos – Symi – Rhodes – Bodrum) | 8 days / 7 nights | Bodrum, Saturday | €2,000 | €2,500 |
| Göcek Islands Getaway (Fethiye – Göcek Islands – Fethiye) | 4 days / 3 nights | Fethiye, Saturday | €515 | €670 |
| Coastline Hop (Fethiye – Marmaris) | 4 days / 3 nights | Fethiye, Sunday | €800 | €1,000 |
Rates are indicative and depend on the date and on availability, so ask us to confirm the price for your departure. The 4-day Göcek Islands Getaway is often scheduled at the start and end of the season.
Fethiye and Göcek: Five Routes
Five of our cruises start in Fethiye, so it is the easiest place to choose between a short and a long cruise. Boarding is in the afternoon, usually between 15:00 and 16:00, except on the Göcek Islands Getaway, which starts with check-in around 10:00. Most routes visit the Göcek bays.
Göcek Islands Getaway (4 days): The shortest route stays among the Göcek islands. You swim at Tarzan Bay, known for its rope swing, and at Aquarium Bay and Cleopatra's Bath, where ancient ruins lie in the water. You also stop at Bedri Rahmi Bay, where the painter carved fish into the rock in 1973, and anchor near Tersane Island and the Yassıca Islands.
Ancient Shores Voyage (8 days): This cruise follows the Lycian coast east of Fethiye. You pass Ölüdeniz, Gemiler Island with its Byzantine ruins and Kaş before reaching Kekova, where the remains of an ancient city lie half-submerged. There are rock-cut tombs above Üçağız and Simena, and a stop off Demre for the Church of St Nicholas and the Myra necropolis. The same coast appears on our private Fethiye – Kekova – Fethiye itinerary.
Ekincik Bay Circuit and Turquoise Coast Explorer (8 days): Both cruises sail west through the Göcek bays to Ekincik, where you can take an optional boat trip up the Dalyan River to the rock tombs and ruins of Kaunos and the mud baths. Both also visit Cennet (Paradise) Island, Cleopatra's Bath and Bedri Rahmi Bay. The Turquoise Coast Explorer continues to Marmaris before turning back, while the Ekincik Bay Circuit stays between Fethiye and Ekincik.
Coastline Hop (4 days): A one-way Sunday cruise from Fethiye to Marmaris via the Göcek islands, Ekincik Bay and Cennet Island. It suits guests who want to finish in Marmaris.
Marmaris: Twin Harbour Loop
Twin Harbour Loop (8 days): This is the only 8-day cruise that starts in Marmaris. The first night is spent at anchor in Cennet Bay. The route then visits Ekincik and the Dalyan River, Ağ Limanı and Tersane Island, Fethiye Bay, the Yassıca Islands and Baba Island. It returns past Kadırga and Kumlubük to Marmaris, where you disembark at 09:30 on the last day.
Bodrum: Gökova Gulf and the Greek Islands
Two cruises start in Bodrum. The gulet docks at 15:00 on departure day, and a welcome cocktail and a briefing on the week follow.
Gökova Gulf Voyage (8 days): A round trip into the Gökova Gulf. The stops include Orak Island, the fishing village of Çökertme, the Seven Islands and Löngöz Bay. You also visit the inlet known as the English Harbour, where British torpedo boats hid during the Second World War. The route ends with Cleopatra Island and Kara Ada, with its thermal springs and caves, before you disembark in Bodrum at 10:00 on day eight.
Aegean Island Hopper (8 days): The only cabin cruise that leaves Turkish waters. From Bodrum you sail to Kos, Symi and Rhodes, spend a full day in Rhodes, then return via Datça, Knidos and Karaada. Entrance fees for sites such as the Asclepeion, Knidos, the Lindos Acropolis and the Palace of the Grand Master are not included.
What Is Included in a Cabin Charter
On our routes the price per person includes:
- full-board accommodation in your cabin for the length of the cruise
- a welcome cocktail on arrival
- breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, plus afternoon tea and cake
- unlimited soft drinks, beer and wine (house wine on some routes)
- use of the on-board deck equipment
- crew service, fuel, water and yacht insurance
- on-board laundry service
- harbour dues, port taxes and anchorage fees
Not included:
- spirits and any other drinks, which you can buy at the on-board bar
- airport transfers
- land excursions and optional tours, such as the Dalyan River trip, which is paid locally
- entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites on the Aegean Island Hopper
- personal expenses and gratuities
The 4-day Göcek Islands Getaway is the exception on drinks: meals and afternoon tea are included, but all drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are bought from the on-board bar. Inclusions on a private charter work differently, and our guide to what is included in a gulet charter explains how.
Cabin Charter or Private Gulet Charter?
A cabin charter and a private charter are two ways of sailing the same coast. The main differences are who you sail with, who sets the route and how the price is calculated.
| Cabin charter | Private gulet charter | |
|---|---|---|
| What you book | One cabin | The whole yacht with its crew |
| Who you sail with | Other guests | Only your own group |
| Route and dates | Fixed route and departure day | Agreed with the captain, usually Saturday to Saturday |
| How the price works | Per person, about €500 to €2,500 for 8 days | Per yacht per week; in Turkey about €2,000 per guest in July and August on a full yacht, before food and VAT |
| Food and drink | Full board, with soft drinks, beer and wine on most routes | In Turkey, full board at €70 to €120 per person per day, with your own alcohol allowed |
| Where | Turkey, with Greek islands on one route | Turkey, Croatia, Greece, Italy and Montenegro |
A cabin charter suits solo travellers, couples and small groups who want a set price and a planned route. A private gulet suits groups and families who want their own itinerary and privacy. Our guide to private versus cabin gulet charter compares the two in more detail, and our guide to gulet charter prices shows what a private week costs in each country.
A Day on Board
Days follow an easy rhythm. After breakfast the gulet sails for a few hours to the next bay, you swim and have lunch at anchor, and afternoon tea and cake is served later in the day. In the evening you stay at anchor or in a harbour town, with dinner on board.
- Swimming and snorkelling: Most stops are for swimming. Bring your own mask and snorkel if you want to explore the coves.
- Time ashore: Harbour evenings and optional excursions, such as the Dalyan River, Kekova or Lindos on Rhodes, are paid locally.
- Food: Three home-cooked meals a day are served on board. Tell us about dietary requirements when you book so we can check them with the operator.
- Sleeping: You have your own cabin, and many guests also sleep on deck on warm nights. A light sleeping bag is useful for this. Most gulets do not run air conditioning at anchor, so ask for an air-conditioned cabin if you travel in July or August.
- On deck: Street shoes are not allowed on board. Go barefoot or wear soft deck shoes.
Who a Cabin Charter Suits
Solo travellers like the single cabin and the company at dinner, and couples and friends get a week at sea at a fraction of the cost of a private yacht. Children are welcome as long as an adult is with them throughout the cruise, and our guide to gulet charters for families answers the usual safety questions. If you have never sailed before, what to expect on a gulet charter explains how a day on board works.
If you have mobility concerns, tell us before you book so we can check boarding and cabin arrangements. If you want complete privacy or a route of your own, a private gulet is the better choice.
Practical Information
Getting there
Fethiye is under an hour from Dalaman Airport (DLM), and Marmaris is about 90 minutes from Dalaman by road. Bodrum is served by Milas–Bodrum Airport (BJV), around 35 to 40 minutes away. Airport transfers are not included, but we can help you arrange one.
Visas for the Greek islands
The Aegean Island Hopper calls at Kos, Symi and Rhodes. If your nationality needs a visa for Greece, you must hold a valid Schengen visa before you travel, as border visas are not issued. Passports are collected on board and the crew handles the formalities, so you do not usually go through passport control in person. Check the entry rules for your own passport.
What to pack
- a soft bag, as hard suitcases are difficult to stow in cabins
- light, breathable clothing, at least two swimsuits and a light jacket for the evenings
- sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent
- soft-soled shoes or sandals for the deck
- your own snorkel mask and any personal medication
- your own toiletries, such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, as these are not provided
Tipping
Tipping is not obligatory. If you wish to leave a gratuity, it is customary to give it to the captain, who shares it equally among the crew. In Turkey, guests typically tip 3% to 5% of the cruise cost.
When to go
Cruises run from April to October. June and September offer warm, comfortable weather and are the best all-round months. July and August are the hottest and most expensive, which suits keen swimmers. May and October are quieter and cooler. Our guide to the best time for a gulet charter in Turkey explains each month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cabin charter?
A cabin charter is a cruise on a shared gulet where you book a single or double cabin instead of the whole yacht. You sail a fixed route with other guests and a crew, and the price is per person.
How much does a cabin charter cost per person?
On our site, the 8-day cruises on the Turkish coast cost about €500 to €2,000 per person, depending on the route and the month. The 8-day Aegean Island Hopper costs €2,000 to €2,500, and the 4-day cruises cost about €515 to €1,000. Prices are for a twin-share cabin and are indicative, so ask us to confirm the rate for your date.
Can I book a cabin charter on my own?
Yes. You can book a single cabin for your own use. Prices are quoted per person on a twin-share basis, so ask us for the single supplement on your date.
Are drinks included in a cabin charter?
On most routes, unlimited soft drinks, beer and wine are included, and spirits and other drinks are paid at the on-board bar. On the 4-day Göcek Islands Getaway, no drinks are included.
Can children join a cabin charter?
Yes. Children are welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult throughout the cruise.
Is there air conditioning on board?
Many guests prefer to sleep on deck in the cooler night air. In July and August, an air-conditioned cabin can be more comfortable, and most gulets do not run air conditioning at anchor, so ask us when you enquire.
Do I need a visa for the Aegean Island Hopper?
It depends on your passport. If your nationality needs a visa for Greece, you must hold a valid Schengen visa before departure, because border visas are not issued. Check the entry rules for your own passport before you book.
Do you offer cabin charters in Croatia or Greece?
At the moment, all of our cabin charters depart from Turkey, and the Aegean Island Hopper is the only one that visits Greek islands. For Croatia, Greece and Italy, we offer private gulets: browse our yachts in Croatia and Greece.
Choose Your Cabin Charter
Browse all eight routes on our cabin charter page, then send us your preferred dates and the number of guests, and we will confirm availability and the exact price for your departure. If you would rather have a gulet to yourselves, see our private gulets in Turkey.
