 Behind every downturn lies opportunity, or so our Economics 101 professor told us.
While gulet charter bookings for 2017 in Turkey are sluggish, we still receive many repeat enquiries, as well as new ones having interest in cruising the Greek Dodecanese Islands. The other noteable forecast for 2017 is that there is a high interest in luxury villa rentals, property sales, and demand in gulet purchases all of which have remained steady, and some of which have actually increased over the past couple of seasons. When we receive property enquiries, we coordinate with Darren Edwards of Luxury Property Turkey, who has specialized in villa and property sales in Istanbul, Bodrum and Kalkan for 15 years. Gulet sales are through our own company, Bodrum Yacht Services. Drop us a line with any questions or queries! info@southerncrossbluecruising.com
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 So much good food, so few calories to spare! We've been chowing down this winter, with many ex-pat holiday celebrations, Christmas fairs, handicraft stalls and dining out. Among the most memorable meals were the incredible goat cheese with fried onions and the curry main courses at Sugar and Salt; the steaks at Musto, and by far the best pizza throughout the Eastern Mediterranean at Arka. Join our 1853 followers on our Southern Cross Blue Cruising facebook page for more culinary adventures, historical tidbits and of course, Blue Cruise adventures.  We recently had the (unplanned!) pleasure of taking a bus trip from Izmir to Bodrum on the Pamukkale bus line.
The intercity bus was an eye opener in every way. Leaving exactly on time, it was beautifully clean, with comfortable seats to rival business class on an airline. Monitors were located in the seat backs for movies and wi-fi was available for most of the journey (excluding tunnels!) Once under way there was a copious amount of free sandwiches and snacks, soft drinks, tea and coffee served by an immaculate steward. The bus driver was exemplary with perfectly smooth, safe driving all the way. Security/identity checkpoints were quick and efficient, with one gendarme officer announcing with a big grin to the entire bus ''AHH - YOU ARE FROM AUSTRALIA!'' The trip gave me time to observe the outstanding scenery that in the past, driving myself I had missed. All this for 40 TL (around 13 USD). Although our trip was only 3 hours I could comfortably do triple this time. All in all an experience I would recommend to any visitor to Turkey as an alternative/addition to air travel if you want to actually see something outside your destination.  Bodrum is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world - the Mausoleum of Halikarnassus. While little remains of the actual structure, the foundations are intact and there is active discussion about restituting the Mausoleum. According to an interview with Hurriyet Daily News, talks will begin in May to explore rebuilding a replica of this amazing structure.
With the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus just a short drive north of Bodrum, and the location of the Colossus of Rhodes being a popular visit during the Blue Cruise, a visit to the Aegean can cover three out of seven ancient wonders in one go.  Southern Cross Blue Cruising is pleased to announce our management and central agency services for 30 meter gulet Sea Horse.
We have moved our beloved Captain Emrah, Chef Mehmet and crew in their entireity (from our previous gulet Why Not) to Sea Horse. The owner has spared no expense in a winter 2017 refit, including a comfortable new aft deck bar and a general face lift throughout the yacht. Sea Horse accommodates 10 guests in 5 cabins, of which two are master, two are double and one is a twin. This gulet fits perfectly into the genre between deluxe and luxury, and our confidence in the dream crew is without hesitation. Sea Horse charters between 2500 and 3200 Euro per day, based out of Bodrum, Marmaris and Gocek as well as the Dodecanese Greek Islands.  At Southern Cross Blue Cruising, our hearts go out to recent victims of violence, and especially their families, all over the world.
While our gulet bookings are down relative to past seasons, we also have a very solid, stoic clientele base which have confirmed their gulet charters and blue cruises for the 2017 season. Southern Cross Timer has four confirmed bookings, and other popular gulets for 2017 include Artemis and Cemre Junior. Bareboat and catamaran bookings are also doing especially well and there are great deals available. Drop us a line with any questions or queries! info@southerncrossbluecruising.com 
 Jack Penrod's Nikki Beach's Torba venue is one of the most elite establishments on the Bodrum peninsula, and Southern Cross Blue Cruising had the privilege of enjoying a day at this unique beach club.
Access to the turquoise sea was via ladders off of a teak jetty with private cabanas, and there is also a pool with swim-up bar. Entertainment began mid-afternoon with live orchestra members blending in with the DJ's mix. The staff were particularly attentive and spoke excellent English. Bring your wallet, as a day at Nikki Beach isn't cheap, starting with three to four digit entry fees. Chairs, sunbeds and cabanas have different pricing for daily use, and the wine menu will offer an idea of the pricing. There was no shortage of designer labels, and the personalities and physiques that enjoy them. While Nikki Torba has closed for the winter, they'll be open again in 2017 with their summer schedule.  This privately owned sailing yacht lacks only a new owner. She's fully loaded with extra custom add-on packages, a bow thruster, integrated electronics, and many deck accessories.
Asking price is 215,000 Euro.  This 2012 trawler was built for global cruising across the seasons, and comes with internet access, multimedia systems, smart TV and surround system on the flybridge. There are 2 master cabins and 2 single with self contained Cruisair air conditioning.
The yacht is CE and Turkish Lloyd certified. Asking price is 1,400,00 EURO. For full details, email info@bodrumyachtservices.com |
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