Crewed yacht charters
A crewed charter is arguably the best way to see Greece or the Turkish coasts, since the majority of ancient Greek monuments and other archaeological sites can be found near or on the shores of these beautiful and historically important waters. 
Indeed, with a ferry or cruise ship it is impossible to visit these spots directly because these larger vessels are only able to dock at the commercial ports.
Yet, with a crewed charter on a 10-30 metres sail yacht or motorsailer you can drop anchor at precisely those exciting ports, secluded blue bays and anchorages with overlooking temples.
Further advantage is of course the total freedom: you decide where and when to go, and what to see. And the crew (captain, cook and hostess) serves only you!
Luxurious crewed charters are best experiences on the wooden traditional gulet motorsailers, which are predominantly found near the ports of Kos, Rhodes, Marmaris, Bodrum, Fethiye and Gocek. In Turkey these luxurious charters are often called blue cruises or blue voyages. The reliable gulet motorsailer companies will also be able to arrange flights and onshore excursions.
Regular sailing yachts such as Ocean Star, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey, Bavaria or Beneteau Oceanis yachts offer less luxury but are also less expensive and more readily available in the rest of Greece and Turkey. Many of the trustworthy yacht charter companies will also be able to charter you the larger megayachts and luxurious superyachts.
Crewed charter options
There is often confusion about the term Crewed Yacht Charter
since it is rather generic. The expression includes the charter forms listed briefly below:
- Skippered charters are the most basic crewed charters leaving out the hostesses and chef cooks. Only a skipper / captain is hired.
- Sailing instruction is a special case of a skippered charter, yet your captain is also an RYA or ASA approved instructor. The best sailing schools in Greece can be found near Athens.
- Fully crewed charters include deckhands or hostesses and chef cooks as well.
- Cabin charter, which are usually skippered charters on the regular sailing yachts but could be fully crewed on a gulet motorsailer cruise. Sometimes a cabin charter is referred to as a berth charter.
- Full charter or Private charter, which means that you rented the whole yacht and crew for yourself, as opposed to a cabin charter.
Budget charter
The perfect option for a tight budget would be a small (30-35 feet) regular sailing yacht with just a skipper 
who will also be your guide (no hostess or cook).
In fact such a cruise is much cheaper than travelling with ferries, the subsequent busses or taxis and spending the nights in hotels: in other words: island hopping
. Sleeping and preparing your own meals on board saves a lot of money.
Hiring a cook
Hiring a basic cook is not always necessary: there are lots of tavernas and restaurants even near secluded and remote anchorages! Yet, a real chef cook is certainly a big asset. While the local dishes are honest (delicious but simple), more delicate and gourmet cuisines are difficult to find onshore near remote bays and anchorages.
Find reliable companies for regular sailing yachts or
trustworthy gulet motorsailer companies.
