What's Included in a Gulet Charter — And What's Not

The single most-misunderstood thing about Turkish gulet pricing is what the headline number actually buys you. Some quotes are "boat only" — the hull and the captain, with everything else billed separately. Others are "all-inclusive" with food, drinks, even house wine baked in. The same charter at the same price can mean two very different total holiday costs depending on which side of that line the operator quotes from.

This is the complete inclusion / exclusion list. The Turkish industry has converged on rough conventions, but every captain has variations — ask explicitly when you compare quotes.

The fast answer

A standard private Turkish gulet charter at "weekly base rate" includes:

• The vessel
• Captain and 2–4 crew
• Bedding, towels, basic toiletries
• Generator fuel
• Snorkel gear, kayaks/paddleboards (vessel-dependent)
• Standard port and anchorage fees on the quoted route
• Insurance for the vessel itself

It does not include:

• Food (typically €55–€95 per person per day for half-board)
• Drinks (sold from on-board bar, or BYO)
• Engine fuel (€1,500–€3,000 per week)
• Port fees outside the quoted route (€100–€250 per night ashore)
• Greek-island transit log fees (€250–€500 per crossing)
• Gratuity (5–10% of charter rate, cash, end of week)
• Travel insurance for guests
• Flights and airport transfers

The total realised cost is typically 1.4× to 1.6× the headline charter rate once everything is added.

What "included" actually means, line by line

The vessel

The boat itself, kept in good repair, with all standard safety equipment (life raft, jackets, fire extinguishers, EPIRB, VHF, GPS). Standard rigging and sails for sailing gulets, working engines for all. The captain is responsible for any mechanical issues during the charter; you do not pay for breakdowns.

Captain and crew

A full crew sized for the boat. Typical sizing:

• 3-cabin gulet (6 guests): captain + cook (2 crew)
• 4-cabin gulet (8 guests): captain + cook + deckhand (3 crew)
• 6-cabin gulet (12 guests): captain + cook + hostess + deckhand (4 crew)
• 8-cabin gulet (16 guests): as above plus engineer (5 crew)

Crew quarters are separate from guest cabins, usually in the bow or on a lower deck. You pay for nothing related to crew — wages, their food, their accommodation, their travel to and from the boat are all included in the base rate.

Bedding, towels, basic toiletries

Linen on every cabin, bath towels (typically 2 per guest per week, swapped mid-week), beach towels (1 per guest, kept the week). Soap and shampoo dispensed in cabins. Hair conditioner usually present; high-end vessels carry branded toiletries.

What is not included: sunscreen, after-sun, personal care items. Bring your own.

Generator fuel and water

The boat's generator runs the AC, lights, and refrigeration. Fuel for the generator is included; you do not see it on the bill. The boat carries 2,000–6,000 litres of fresh water; replenishment at marinas is included on the quoted route.

What is not always included: AC overnight at anchor. Some captains include this routinely, others charge a small surcharge if you want the generator running 22:00–06:00. Ask at booking.

Snorkel gear, water toys

Snorkel masks and fins for all guests. Most boats carry 1–2 paddleboards and 1–2 kayaks. Higher-end boats add a tender for water-skiing and beach drops. Inflatable water toys (banana boat, towables) are usually not included; ask if you want them.

Port fees on the quoted route

The captain has filed an itinerary with the booking. Marinas and anchorages on that itinerary have their fees included. Standard overnight anchorage fees (most Turkish bays charge €5–€15) and the home-port marina nights are baked in.

What is not included: town quays where you choose to stop for dinner ashore. Kalkan, Kaş, Datça town and Greek-island town quays charge €100–€250 per night; this is paid separately or added at the end of the week.

What you pay separately, in detail

Food and drinks

The most variable line item. Three common arrangements:

Half-board (most common): breakfast and lunch on board, soft drinks included, dinner ashore at your own expense or paid separately on the boat. Cost: €55–€85 per person per day for the food side.

Full-board: all three meals on board, soft drinks included, sometimes house wine. Cost: €75–€110 per person per day. Lower total cost than half-board if you would otherwise eat ashore for all dinners.

Boat only: no food included; you provision yourself or arrange with the captain to do a market run. Less common; usually only on smaller monohull bareboat charters.

The food itself: fresh local produce, bread bought daily ashore, fish bought from local fishermen, Turkish-Mediterranean cuisine adapted to dietary requirements if mentioned at booking. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free are routine on most boats.

Alcohol is rarely included even in "full-board" packages. Most captains let you bring your own duty-free wine, beer, and spirits on board (BYO is standard); some sell from the boat at near-supermarket prices. The captain has discretion to refuse outside alcohol on shorter cabin charters; private charters almost always permit it.

Engine fuel

Charged at end of week at receipt cost from fuel stations along the route. Captains keep all receipts and present them on disembarkation.

Typical weekly fuel:

• Light motoring + good wind for sail: €800–€1,500
• Average mixed motoring/sailing: €1,500–€2,500
• Heavy motoring (long crossings, light wind): €2,500–€3,500
• Greek-crossing routes with extra distance: €3,000–€4,500

This is the line item that catches first-time charterers. Budget €2,000 as a default; you can recoup unspent if the captain manages fuel well.

Port fees outside the quoted route

If you decide mid-week to overnight in a harbour town (Kalkan, Kaş, Datça, Symi, Kos), the marina charges that night separately. Captains either pay on the boat's account and add to your bill, or have you pay directly. €100–€250 per night for most ports.

You can avoid these by anchoring in the bay outside town and tendering in for dinner.

Greek-island transit log

Crossings between Turkish and Greek waters require a transit log entry per direction. €250–€500 per crossing covers the documentation and customs paperwork. The captain handles the actual paperwork; you provide passports.

A typical "Bodrum + Symi for 3 nights" itinerary has 2 crossings = €500–€1,000 in transit log fees. Worth knowing about before you ask for a Greek mix.

Gratuity (the most-asked-about line)

The Turkish charter convention is 5–10% of the base charter rate, in cash, given to the captain at the end of the trip to distribute to the crew. Captain typically takes a slightly larger share, then splits the remainder among crew.

On a €15,000 charter, that is €750–€1,500 in cash. On a €30,000 charter, €1,500–€3,000.

When to lean low (5%): the service was perfunctory but adequate. When to lean high (10%): the service was attentive, the cook exceptional, the captain genuinely flexible. When to push higher (12–15%): a multi-day specific request handled brilliantly, unusual generosity from the crew.

Cash, end of week, in EUR. Some guests split between captain and crew separately; the more common practice is to give the lump sum to the captain.

The hidden costs people forget

These bite first-time charterers most:

• On-board bar drinks — even if you BYO most of your alcohol, you'll buy from the boat occasionally. Budget €100–€300 per week per couple.
• Excursion fees — Olympos chimera (€15 per person), Kekova glass-bottom boat side trip (€20), Pamukkale day trip from the marina (€100+). Optional, but routine.
• Marina dinner ashore — Bodrum, Kaş, Kalkan harbour-front dinners run €30–€60 per person at the better restaurants.
• Crew tips for shore-side help — small tips (€5–€20) for taxi drivers, marina staff, fish-restaurant servers add up.

Things that are surprisingly included

Some captains include things you might not expect:

• Airport transfer — high-end and pro-tier captains often arrange free pickup from BJV, DLM, or AYT to the marina. Always ask.
• Welcome dinner ashore — some captains host a welcome meal at a partner restaurant for first-time guests.
• Coffee, tea, water — included on virtually every Turkish gulet, always full-time, no charge.
• Fishing gear — hand lines and basic rods are standard on most boats; the captain or deckhand will help you.
• Wifi — increasingly included via on-board Starlink or 4G routers. Older boats may charge for usage; newer ones include it.

How to read a quote

Use these five questions every time:

1. Is food included? If yes, half-board or full-board?
2. Is engine fuel a separate line? Most quotes will say "fuel not included" — confirm.
3. What port fees are included? "Standard route" or "all marinas"?
4. Are alcohol and drinks listed? "Soft drinks included" usually means juice, water, sodas — not alcohol.
5. What is the deposit and balance schedule? Standard is 25% deposit, balance 30 days before departure. Anything more aggressive is a yellow flag.

Confirm in writing before paying the deposit. The reputable captains in our directory are happy to put it all in an itemised quote.

FAQ

Are tips really mandatory? Not strictly mandatory but expected, unmistakably. The crew does not earn well in base wage; tips form 25–35% of total annual income for most. Skipping the tip on a successful charter is socially read as a complaint and is rare.

Can I tip in card? Some captains accept; most prefer cash because distribution to deckhands and cooks is easier. EUR is universally accepted.

Is alcohol really not included? On private charters, traditionally no; the captain lets you bring your own and there is no markup on duty-free spirits brought aboard. On all-inclusive cabin charters some packages include beer and house wine; ask at booking.

What about the captain's food? Always included. You never pay for crew meals.

Is fuel always extra? On private charter, yes. On most cabin charter, no — fuel is baked into the per-person rate because the route is fixed.

Can I get a totally all-inclusive quote? Yes — ask for "all-inclusive including alcohol" and the captain will quote a higher base rate that folds in everything except port fees in optional towns and gratuity. Many guests prefer this for predictability.

Is travel insurance included? No, never. Travel insurance covers guests' personal items, medical events, and trip cancellation. Buy this separately from any reputable insurer.

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