Typical Blue Cruise scenery. YEP.
There are a lot of good vacations to be had. Beach resorts are good. Cities rich with history and culture, distinct architecture and culinary talent: great stuff. Adventure travel, seeking out the remote natural wonders of the world—also good!
But while I don't plan to stop traveling as far and as often as possible, there's one vacation that trumps the rest: the Blue Cruise. The Blue Cruise, or Blue Voyage, is the tradition of exploring the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey and Greece in a crewed wooden gulet.
"Sure, boats, cool," you're thinking.
No. Listen to me.
It involves so many elements of a perfect vacation that it makes other holidays look one-dimensional.
Now, since we read nothing on the Internet if it's not in the form of a list, and without the structure of a list I may just end up shouting incoherently about this, my most beloved holiday on Earth, without further ado:
10 Reasons a Blue Cruise is the BEST VACATION EVER
1. No obligations.
I mean this in a very literal sense, like you aren't even obligated to remember to eat. Once you board the boat, you can rest assured that everything will be taken care of until you disembark. Unlike, say, a city trip, where you might have to organize your time in order to get to the sights, find the best restaurants, or decode the public transportation system, you can experience all the pleasures of a Blue Cruise without lifting a finger in effort. You'll know when breakfast is ready; the crew will ring a bell. Each day will just unfold around you like the ever-changing landscape. This is especially gratifying because a Blue Cruise is typically a group vacation, and coordinating the needs and wishes of everyone on a group trip can take all the pleasure out of the trip itself. So grab your book, claim a sunbed, and you'll be on your way to the next cove.
Dibs on the sofa, and bring me some wine please
2. It's remarkably affordable.
This is the part, no matter how many times I explain it to my friends, that still surprises them when it comes time to break down the cost.
So let's break it down again. Let's say, for example, you choose a standard gulet with 5 cabins that costs 720 euros a night, and you round up 9 of your friends. For the 10 of you splitting the boat, it will cost 72 euros each. Meals are usually priced at about 30 euros per person per day, so that brings it to 102 euros per day, all meals included.
I'm using real prices in my break down, from this boat. And mid-season prices, not even the lowest.
Now, consider if you came over to the south of Turkey or Greece for the sun and the sea, but booked a hotel by the beach. You might find a decent hotel for 100 euros (likely you'll pay more), but once you add restaurants, activities and incidentals to the mix, it will end up costing you more than a private boat.
Another shot of the example boat from the cost break down. Any takers?
Of course, you don't have to take 10 friends to make it affordable. There are boats that sleep 4 guests that can be chartered for as low as 420 euros a night.
Naturally, if you are not totally constrained by budget, there are some magnificent boats to be had! But I find the affordability of the Blue Cruise a very salient detail, because it is all too often that people mistake my Instagram snaps of the sparkling Aegean as indicative of some kind of yachting lifestyle. Nope. Plan ahead and it is not out of reach. And whether you're on a standard, superior, or a deluxe boat, the other pleasures of the Blue Cruise remain unchanged.
I'm not knocking the deluxe boats...
3. The Turquoise Coast.
Oludeniz.
It's not for nothing that the Aegean and Mediterranean regions have played such a central role in the history of Western civilization—this place is awe-inspiring. The stretch of coastline you'll meander on a Blue Cruise is nothing short of spectacular. What's more, you'll be in remote and uninhabited corners of the coast that are otherwise unreachable, whether by land transport or commercial cruise ship. One secluded, deserted cove at a time, you'll wend your way past steep pine forests, rocky islets jutting from the waves, and sheer cliffs dropping into the sea.
The Gulf of Hisaronu
And the sea! There's nothing like plunging into the Aegean sea right after waking up in the morning. In each cove the water is a little different—sometimes a perfect turquoise, sometimes jade, sometimes clear to a sandy bottom, sometimes dark from the depth—but always pristine. Words and even pictures don't really do it justice, so I won't go on, but I will say this: it's one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world, and the view changes constantly on the boat. Needless to say, it never gets old.
Irresistible spot for a swim.
4. History and culture!
First of all, the Blue Cruise is a Turkish tradition, established by a group of artists and intellectuals in the mid-20th century. It was not invented by the tourism industry to draw foreigners to the region. So by taking a Blue Cruise you're already getting a taste of Turkish/Aegean culture, in a far more authentic way than if you rolled through on a giant cruise ship.
But it doesn't end there. From the fresh local ingredients used in your meals, to the hospitality of the crew, to the small fishing villages you'll visit along the way, you will experience the essence of Aegean culture.
View of the bay from the ruins of Loryma, now known as Bozukkale, "Broken Castle"
And seriously, you can't take two steps without tripping over an ancient city. Many civilizations have risen and fallen throughout Anatolia and Greece, and all have left remnants scattered throughout the region. Some sites, like Ephesus, attract visitors from around the world, but the ruins you will come across on a Blue Cruise are often desolate, unattended. You can freely climb the walls of the ancient city of Loryma to gaze at Rhodes in the distance, or hike to the deserted ruins of the city of Lydae. No matter which route you choose on Blue Cruise, you will discover some reminder of past civilizations, while enjoying the culture of the present one.
The amphitheater of Kaunos, at Dalyan. With some goats.
5. Solid, quality time spent with people you love.
We're sitting on noodles. The floaty bed is basically a table for drinks.
For me, a Blue Cruise presents the perfect opportunity to round up friends and family whom I never see enough of and trap them on a boat with me for a week. Yes, sometimes travel is about getting away from everyone and everything. But in this age when families and friendships often span continents, travel can also be about reconnecting. I think it's fair to say that most of us have people in our lives we wish we saw more often, and not just on the Facebook feed. And this is an infinitely better option than crashing on each other's couches—no one has to host, no one has to play guest. And you'll create more than enough memories to last you to the next reunion. Which brings us to the next point...
6. Anyone and everyone will enjoy a Blue Cruise.
As a youngish person with no kids, my travel plans don't usually involve googling "family-friendly." But here's the thing: there is genuinely no age at which a Blue Cruise isn't awesome. (Unless you're like 200, I don't know, or a week old. I can't speak for them.)
Here are some examples of groups for which a Blue Cruise would be a great, nay, perfect option:
An extended family with young kids, all the cousins and aunts and uncles.
A squad of 22-year-old recent college grads, pumped to celebrate graduation by chugging a beer on a noodle.
Our regular crew: a mixed bag of friends and siblings in their 20s and 30s.
A family with grown or almost-grown kids, enjoying what time remains before the nest empties.
Retirees.
In fact, many of the people you'll see on neighboring boats during a Blue Cruise will be retirees or retirement-age. Why? Because they know what's good. They don't mess around.
Cheers from Bozukkale!
7. The FOOD.
When eating on a Blue Cruise you may find yourself wondering, "How is this food so freaking good?"
"It came out of that tiny kitchen! It's not complicated, or even something I haven't had before! What is this sorcery?"
Grilling fish on the boat. In the moonlight.
I've thought about this over the years and I think it's a combination of things. First and foremost, fresh, local ingredients. It's become a cliche in recent years, like every grocery store in Brooklyn only sells fresh local produce grown out back in the alley. But now you're on a boat in the Aegean. "Fresh and local" is how they live.
Another thing: the crew is also eating the food they're serving you. They eat amazing Aegean cuisine (which involves abundant greens, vegetables, yogurt, fruit, and fish, alongside the other food groups) everyday in their regular lives. They don't want to eat mediocre food at work, so they won't be serving it to you.
A Turkish meze tray. *This was in a restaurant, not on a boat. Still, it was delicious.
Also, nothing works up an appetite like swimming and climbing around on rocks and soaking up the sun all day. By the time the bell rings for lunch, you will want to eat everything. This is not to say that there's not enough food or it's not served often enough! Every meal is absolutely satisfying. It's just something about being outside on the sea all day—everything tastes better.
Which brings me to the second part of Reason No. 7. This combination of delicious Aegean food, fresh air, and sea water is exceptionally invigorating. After every Blue Cruise I've taken, I've felt healthier than when I began. Believe me, I wasn't swimming to shore to run on the beach; it was through no effort on my part. Even our first Blue Cruise, when the average age skewed younger, and we drank more than is advisable, no hangover survived past the initial morning dive into the sea.
8. A complete escape from reality.
Nothing to watch tonight but the moon rising.
Earlier I mentioned that travel can (or should) sometimes be about reconnecting. For me, the perfect vacation involves both connecting and disconnecting. Reconnecting with family, or connecting with new friends, is an essential part of the travel experience. In the same vein, it often takes disconnecting—from social media, television, the 24 hour news cycle—to genuinely connect with those around us. The Blue Cruise makes this effortless. You'll find yourself in places that seem so removed from civilization, it's easy to let go of all the noise. It's easy to let your phone battery die for two days without realizing it. Of course, you can charter a boat that has WiFi and flat screens in every cabin, but I've never missed those things during a cruise. And I've enjoyed the times when we found ourselves outside the range of cell service, with nothing left to do but be together at the edge of the world.
9. Mediterranean hospitality.
I can't count the times I was completely blown away by the hospitality of the people I've met in Turkey. I say "Mediterranean" hospitality because I think it's the same in many other parts of the region, but my experience has mainly been focused in Turkey and the Aegean region in particular.
These people. Are so, so nice. They are so generous in sharing their culture, their customs, and SO MUCH of their food. (I have also been overfed too many times to count.)
On a Blue Cruise you will be taken care of so very, very well by your crew. They'll make you feel totally at home. We had such a great experience with our crew that we've come back to the same boat every year since, and I believe that this is quite common.
I'm not promising that everyone you meet on your travels throughout the entire Mediterranean region will be an actual angel, but chances are they will be warm and welcoming, and happy to have you.
10. The places you'll pass through.
Bodrum looking shiny.
Before you can embark on your Blue Cruise, you'll have to get to the boat. Conveniently, the boats are moored in gorgeous ports along the Turquoise Coast. You'll have to come through places like Bodrum, Fethiye, Marmaris, Gocek, or Bozburun on both the front and back ends of the cruise, and if you have to overnight there for one reason or another, it's just an added bonus.
Never change, Symi.
And let's not forget the other glittering cities and sights along the route! Rhodes medieval city is certainly something to behold, as is the utterly charming port of Symi. Oludeniz and Dalyan are two of many stops along the Turkish coast well worth a detour.
On a Blue Cruise you're not stuck next to the same hotel pool for a week—you're traveling. You can start in one port and end in another, even stop on an island in between. And the next time around, choose a different route, and explore even further.
I want this door in Rhodes. Top of my door wish list.
Now, if you are a person who loves traveling and also has any sense, you're mentally checking your calendar for vacation days and compiling a list of your best travel buddies. I've made it easy for you—just forward them this list. Then you can swing on over to our fleet and check out some boats. The only thing that might be stressful about a Blue Cruise is organizing the details, but for that part, we've got you covered.
Hurry up and jump in already.
