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Europe
Tel: +44 7768 508350
USA
Tel: +1 646 623 5533
Turkey
Tel: +90 532 272 8068 |
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| Q. |
What does Odysseus Cruising do? |
| A. |
It is a company of five international partners who own a British-flagged gulet which offers holidays sailing and cruising down the Turkish coast. We offer special interest escorted tours as well as whole boat charters for family and friends, corporate and institutional groups.
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| Q. |
How much experience does Odysseus Cruising have in this field? |
| A. |
We have twenty one years experience of providing holidays exploring the Turkish coastline and its classical sites by boat.
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| Q. |
What is a gulet? |
| A. |
It is a traditional style of timber boat designed for sailing and cruising known technically as a two-masted gaff-rigged sloop. Ours is named ‘Odysseus’.
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| Q. |
What is ‘M/S Odysseus’ and how is she equipped? |
| A. |
‘Odysseus’ is a British-flagged and managed classic luxury gulet designed in detail by its owners. It has a professional, trained crew of four, a Captain, a Chef, a Steward and a sailor, all registered mariners. It is equipped with modern facilities and is fully air-conditioned, including the saloon, but it is traditionally designed and built, and restored with lots of mahogany, brass, leather and marble.
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| Q. |
How many cabins does ‘Odysseus’ have? |
| A. |
She has five: two twins and three doubles, all with ensuite bathrooms with modern fittings. Most of the charters are unescorted so the boat can accommodate ten passengers. When groups are escorted, the boat will hold eight passengers. The crew’s quarters are separate.
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| Q. |
Do you have large beds on board ‘Odysseus’? |
| A. |
We have two singles that are 7 foot long and 1 double bed that is 7ft 8 inches long.
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| Q. |
What holiday options do you offer? |
| A. |
A range of special interest escorted holidays commonly seven nights in length, but also of ten and fourteen nights’ length, by arrangement. Swimming, snorkelling and kayaking is possible at rest points on each trip.
These include:
Architecture/History tours led by Odysseus Cruising partner, architect and classical history expert Dargan Bullivant AA Dip (Hons) ARIBA with talks and site visits. Please refer to Architecture/History under the Holidays section of the website for details.
Family holidays for parents and children aged 6-16. Supervised swimming and kayaking. Please refer to the Family holidays itinerary for details. Windsurfing can be prebooked. The equipment can be hired on a daily or a one week at certain locations by prior appointment.
Learn about Turkish cooking on board with our masterchef (ingredients, recipes and demonstrations) escorted by an Odysseus Cruising partner who is an ex-restauranteur. Please refer to Turkish cooking under the Holidays section of the website for details.
Sailing to the Opera in the best preserved Roman theatre at Aspendus, with visits to major sites Perge, Side and Phaselis (June and July only). Please refer to Sailing to the Opera under the Holiday section of the website for details.
Maximum Sailing in The Bays of Fethiye or Gökova. Odysseus is sailed by the crew with 4 sails (200+ metres) – peace, rest, relaxation and fun. Odysseus Cruising was the winner of the 2005 Bodrum Cup for sailing. Please refer to Maximum Sailing under the Holiday section of the website for details.
Corporate or executive working/holidays. Itineraries are designed to order.
Tailor-made holidays to do whatever you like, to follow whatever itinerary you prefer, for groups of families and friends.
Eight escorted tours by sea and land in collaboration with Peten Travels, Istanbul, a leader in escorted cultural tours. Please refer to the Holidays section of the website for details.
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| Q. |
What other added-on options can customers book with Odysseus Cruising to do before you go home? |
| A. |
A number of special holidays can be organised by arrangement, such as interior travels in Turkey.
Three day visit to Cappadocia through Odysseus Cruising’s collaboration with Peten Travels. Contact us by telephone or email for details.
A further three days in Istanbul through Odysseus Cruising’s collaboration with Peten Travels, This includes a tour option and/or an hotel only option.
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| Q. |
What other special holidays do you offer? |
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The great cities on the Aegean shore:
Ephesus, Miletus, Priene, Heracleia and Didyma (the largest temple of the ancient world).Offshore Greek islands (the Dodecanese).
Cruise to North Cyprus including visits to the ancient sites there. |
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| Q. |
How has the Odysseus Cruising holiday experience been developed in the last five years? |
| A. |
Five years ago we switched to offering luxury holidays with a higher standard of cruising and sailing to meet the needs of our expanding customer base. We continue to develop our holiday options further to provide more varied and stimulating experiences for a range of types of customer. In 2000 we upgraded ‘Odysseus’, enlarging the cabins and creating a well-designed, comfortable saloon and a modern kitchen and bar. In the winter of 2005, after winning the Bodrum Cup (five days of competitive sailing against boats in our class (18-23 metres; ‘Odysseus’ is 23 metres/75 feet), we fitted the boat with over 200 square metres (2318 square feet) of professionally designed sails with modern controls. As we are British flagged ‘Odysseus’ is also fully equipped with International Standard safety equipment.
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| Q. |
What are the notable features of cruising the Turkish coast by gulet? |
| A. |
Gulets have been built at Bodrum and on a lesser scale elsewhere on the coast for some time but started to be used for their present purpose as holiday craft as tourism developed in the area about twenty five years ago. The routes down the coast became known as ‘The Blue Cruise’ due the vivid azure blue colour of the sea. The coast here is particularly beautiful with many capes, gulfs, bays and creeks which offer a very varied scenery of noble limestone cliffs and pine covered areas of volcanic origin. Development is concentrated at a few points but mostly the coast is beautiful and wild. It has some remarkable ancient sites from Ancient Greek, Rome and Early Christian times. Most have never been built on since ancient times but they are now being actively excavated, exciting great interest currently. The sea is crystal clear and mostly calm
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| Q. |
Apart from visits to historic sites, do some Odysseus Cruising holidays offer walking? |
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Yes, hiking in historic and beautiful areas is an option by arrangement.
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| Q. |
What other facilities are available to visit on shore during rest times? |
| A. |
Depending on the holiday option chosen, customers can visit busy ports, for instance, Bodrum, or quiet fishing villages such as Kalkan and Kas. The larger centres have nightclubs, but all offer a range of restaurants and beach bars. Shopping trips for pottery, leather, handcrafts and jewellery can be added to itineraries if required.
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| Q. |
Which parts of the coast does Odysseus Cruising tour? |
| A. |
Mostly two areas: the Carian shore: Bodrum to Gocek (near Fethiye) and back, and The Lycian shore: Gocek to Antalya and back. However from time to time and usually by request we tour from Bodrum to Ephesus, and from Antalya to Girne in Northern Cyprus. Within these zones variants are possible depending on customer requests. For further details see specific itineraries and maps.
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| Q. |
Do you visit the Greek islands on ‘Odysseus’? |
| A. |
Yes, if it is requested and after full discussion with you as to the route that interests you most. There are twelve Greek islands just off the shore of Turkey and they are all very different, but Symi is, in our view, the most attractive. It is a truly memorable event to visit this island. As with all Greek islands, the authorities make a small extra port entry charge.
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| Q. |
Is Turkey safe? |
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In twenty one years of operation we have never encountered trouble. Turkish people are particularly kind and friendly. Turkey is a secular country with increasingly modern services.
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| Q. |
Who are Odysseus Cruising’s customers? |
| A. |
Odysseus Cruising customers are a discerning, internationally minded group of people from many countries – UK, USA, Spain and Turkey in particular - who enjoy a completely relaxing holiday with first class cuisine and service with some sailing, swimming and kayaking. Some appreciate having an escort on board taking them on tours of the ancient sites and giving talks on history and architecture; others come in groups of family and friends, and/or to develop their specialist interest in cooking or sailing, or to enjoy a specific walk, such as ‘The Lycian Way’ and other land excursions, or to visit the opera or ballet at Aspendus (June and July trips only).
Others prefer to take it easy and enjoy the ambience of the Turkish coast. Business customers want to take advantage of Odysseus Cruising’s tailor-made services for corporate hospitality and/or reward holidays. Some customers combine a week on ‘Odysseus’ with a week in a villa, or a week travelling overland with a guide, or a week touring or visiting Istanbul, which can be arranged by us.
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| Q. |
What do customers do on board ‘Odysseus’? |
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Read, relax, converse, play games and swim in the clear blue warm waters (from June to October). There are two kayaks, one double and single on board, several goggles and flippers of various sizes, and the tender boat with outboard motor and seaman is available for exploration of beaches, rocks and to visit ancient sites near the beach. Our Turkish meals, wine and other drinks are of high quality and plentiful, and after a lazy lunch a snooze on the sunbeds (there are ten) is very popular before afternoon tea is served.
In the evening there are games available and on escorted tours, talks on history, archaeology and architecture are often given. Windsurfing equipment is also bookable. Corporate customers often combine work sessions with leisure activities and visits. We will listen to your needs and tailor-make itineraries to your specific requirements.
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| Q. |
What do Odysseus Cruising customers eat and drink? |
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A full answer is given in the Cuisine section of our website. Our meals are much admired as we have a gourmet chef on board who cooks a wide variety of dishes including seafood. Turkish produce is very fresh and of high quality, and fish and lobsters are bought during the trip. Drinks stocked are mostly local: wine, beer, gin, vodka, raki and a range of fruit and soft drinks. Freshly squeezed orange juice is served at breakfast and we have developed a select range of ‘Odysseus’ cocktails for the evening: Calypso’s Revenge, The Byzantine Bomb and Penelope’s Passion (no prizes for guessing what they are).
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| Q. |
What to bring on an Odysseus Cruising holiday? |
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Apart from whatever makes you comfortable, high sun factor sun creams, after-sun balm, sunglasses, sun hats, shorts, swimming costumes, shirts (long sleeved in hot weather), comfortable shoes and soft luggage for easy storage are essential. For holidays including hikes ashore and trips to ancient sites, walking shoes are vital. Some smart casual clothes for evenings on board or ashore are worth packing. Bathrooms are well supplied with towels and for swimming, but bring mosquito repellents for the hot high summer months and your personal medication, if applicable, as it may be difficult to buy locally. We do have a well-stocked medicine cabinet.
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| Q. |
What safety equipment does ‘Odysseus’ have on board? |
| A. |
‘Odysseus’ is equipped to European safety standards with two 8 person life-rafts, plenty of lifejackets (including children’s sizes), horseshoe and lifebuoys. There are smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in all cabins, saloon and engine room; man overboard lifting tackle, dan buoy and regulation flares; modern radar and the latest marine radio and GPS systems. It is very unusual to find this high level of equipment on a Turkish gulet.
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| Q. |
What are Odysseus Cruising’s holiday prices, what do they include and what deposit do you ask for? |
| A. |
Each holiday described in the Holidays section of the website gives full prices in sterling and dollars. These prices are inclusive of all costs, except airfares. The Prices and Reservation section of the website provides further details of our booking procedure.
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