Unique Sailing Cruises in Kotor bay/Montenegrin coast and into Albania .

Boat vs. Cabin charter

Complete boat charter

This can be a small or large group, or even 2 or three families… either way, the boat is yours for the week.
The guests choose where and when to go! (In agreement with the manager.)
What type of food & times to eat! (In agreement with the manager.)
Configuration: All separate, Full board or All Inc. (In agreement with the manager.) See Pricing.

Cabin Charter

Normally small groups, couples or singles sharing the boat… can be very nice when you’re happy to meet new people, who soon become new friends. The captain decides where and when to go and the chef will decide what type of food & when to eat.
Configuration: All Inc.

Please consider when booking a cabin charter that there is a minimum number of guests  to make the charter viable. We will en-devour to comply with the dates you wish for but some flexibility would be appreciated.

The destinations will be similar and the food is the same quality. We do have preferred times for serving the meals and the chef will be happy if you can fit with those.

Included / Excluded

INCLUDED in your gulet charter when sailing in Montenegro/Croatia

• The services of an experienced crew of a captain, cook and one or two deckhands
• All meals – breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner each day – except 1 dinner ashore per week (*)
• Refreshments included: ‘House’ wines, beers, mixers, soft drinks, tea, coffee and bottled water. (*)
• Spirits NOT included (see below).
• Sheets, pillows and bed linens laundry expenses, towels
• All fuel except when water skiing (*) (see below)
• All crew costs except tips
• All harbour costs in Montenegrin/Croatian waters only.

EXCLUDED from your gulet holiday cost

• Flights
• Airport transfers
• Meals/drinks ashore
• Spirits – we recommend you bring your own choice of spirits Duty Free. You can keep them in your cabin or behind the bar with your name on. See also FAQ – Food & Drinks.
• Tips (optional)
• Entry and exit into/from Greek Waters & any harbour dues while in Greece
• Any trips ashore which you elect to make
• Water skiing (*) (extra at £30 per 30 minutes) where available (Not all our boats can offer waterskiing- please ask)
• Hiring in of scuba diving facilities, parasailing etc.
• Travel and medical insurance

(*) Also see configuration options for “complete boat charter”. See Pricing.

Food & Drinks

Where do we eat when on gulet charter?

In normal circumstances your meals will be served al fresco on your own gulet, at a table which comfortably seats 14, on the aft deck just behind the deck-house. This is always protected by a sun-awning to allow a rest from the bright sunlight on gulet charter. On those rare occasions where the weather is less clement, there is an alternative large dining table in the saloon, where the crew would normally eat and relax when they’re not on duty.

What kind of food will be served, and can we influence the Menu?

If you haven’t eaten really good quality Montenegrin food before, you are in for a wonderful surprise on our sailing holidays- Montenegro offers a very fine and wide choice of healthy foods and our chef delights in surprising you with endless new dishes and plenty of choice! He will prepare a variety of healthy, appetising and filling dishes throughout the week, and you will not often see the same dish twice. On our gulet holidays he will use lots of fresh vegetables, such as aubergines, beef tomatoes and cucumber, along with local cheeses, meat and fish. If you have particular preferences/allergies or dislikes, let us know in advance and he will do his best to accommodate you. Also expect rice, potatoes and cous cous. Vegetarians are well catered for! The preparation and presentation of the food is to a very high standard. Look at some of the pictures to get a better idea, but be prepared to over-indulge unless you are careful.

What about drinks on gulets? Montenegro has a reputation for charging big premiums on alcoholic drinks!

We do not set out to make any money from the bar. We believe that our clients want an ‘all inclusive’ and ‘no surprises’ holiday sailing Montenegro and the Croatian coast, and we set out to get as close to that as we can. Nothing spoils good gulet holidays quicker than a big bill as you leave to go home! Yet we still offer other configurations for “Complete boat charter”. See Pricing.

We are pleased to include free house wines (Montenegrin wines to a good standard), Nikšićko Beer, mixers, soft drinks, tea, coffee and bottled water. This is included in your holiday price. We do NOT include spirits (although we will keep an emergency supply behind the bar if needed, at fair prices) .

We recommend that you buy any spirits you want DUTY FREE from your departure airport (as you are leaving the EU, you can normally get 2 liters of most spirits for £20) and bring them on board with you. We provide the mixers within your price.

What if we want to eat ashore?

Remembering that all your meals except 1 per week are already included in the gulet charter price, please feel free to eat ashore more often if you wish, but please tell the crew early in the day before any shopping or food preparation have been done. Generally we find the best food where the locals eat, not necessarily the same as where the tourists eat!

Places to go

Places to go/things to do on gulet charter

We normally operate our gulet charters out of Kotor where there are a large variety of delightful places to visit, depending on your preferences. From time to time we can offer charters out of Tivat by special request. Please ask! See here: Destinations

Tell us your interests before you go. The crew between them have good English. Tell them what you enjoy when you get there. Let them know if you have been before on charter- Croatia is a vast country full of cruising possibilities, but if you have been before let us know which itinerary you might prefer for your gulet holidays. Do remember though that there is a sensible limit to how far you can travel in a week onboard our gulet in Croatia. Our Captain will do all they can to work with to achieve your wishes while ensuring you still return to our base at the end of the week. You may spoil some of the enjoyment and relaxation that most seek on gulet holidays by trying to fit too much into a week. If you want to do more, why not consider a 2 week booking instead?

The Captain must always make the final decision regarding the itinerary because he is responsible for the safety of the guests and crew. He may, in extremis, have to over-ride your wishes to keep you safe, but otherwise he will do all he can to provide you with an itinerary which meets your personal interests, be it ancient ruins, walking, shopping, partying in big cities, hiding in deserted pine-clad bays or whatever you wish when sailing Croatia.

The coast of Montenegro/Croatia can meet all these requirements with charm.

Weather

What weather can we expect on our gulet holidays?

With our changing climate there are no absolute guarantees anywhere. You might get some rain in early or late season, but would be unlucky to see much in June, July, August or September. The air temperature is highest in August, with 30-40 degrees Centigrade normal, and the nights are also often warm enough to sleep out if you wish.

On a gulet charter the breeze usually keeps you much more comfortable than on land, but remember when sailing Montenegro/Croatia that the sun and wind make you burn faster, so we advise using the shelter of the awning on the aft deck during the hotter parts of the day. On most days the wind will be light in the morning with a sea breeze building around midday, and decreasing in the evening.

The preferred sailing area for gulet charter in the Gulf of Hisaronu offers good protection in most of its waters, and a choice of sheltered anchorages and the motion of a boat of this size is unlikely to bother you much except on really windy exposed passages, when it may roll a little. You may actually find the Meltemi quite refreshing in the hottest months of July and August, when it is most likely to occur. If you suffer from seasickness, do bring tablets, but it is a rare complaint on a stable platform this size.

Do we get many opportunities to swim off the boat?
This is one of the greatest pleasures. In effect you are dragging your own private warm turquoise pool behind you everywhere you go. Montenegro/Croatia cruises would not be the same without this wonderful feature. There are steps on the side of the boat to get into and out of the water, but diving and jumping in off the side or bowsprit amuses some!

When on gulet holidays any time the boat stops you can go swimming. We cannot promise that you can swim with dolphins, but you are quite likely to see some.

Diving & Activities

What about sub aqua diving?

This can be arranged on request, but is an extra.

PADI qualified divers with their dive boat can rendezvous with you and professional dive lessons can be arranged from the complete beginner to the intermediate standard. You can of course scuba dive from the boat at any time. We have some masks and flippers, but please bring your own if you are keen.

Any other recommended activities?

Parascending/parasailing and banana boating/water skiing can be arranged at your request, but is not included in your gulet holidays cost.

Wasps & Mosquitos

What about wasps, mosquitos and so on?

On windy days and nights you may not see any at all. They seem to be most conspicuous in small pine clad bays. You will see wasps most at dawn and before dusk, but they generally seem less aggressive but more curious than those at home. The beauty of being on a gulet in Montenegro/Croatia is that you can easily move on and leave them behind.

If you find them a problem, ask the captain if he can find anchorages least likely to have wasps. Mosquito’s are not normally a problem, but may bite you from time to time, so a good repellent is a sensible investment.

You may want to bring some antihistamine tablets if you react badly to their bites.

What to Bring

What to Bring on gulet holidays when sailing Montenegro/Croatia

You do not need very much, which adds to your enjoyment of gulet charter. There is no formality on board, unless you want it. Eat in shorts/bikini if you wish. Black tie or fancy dress if you want! For runs ashore shorts/jeans/chinos are fine.

When on board you are asked not to wear shoes on all gulet sailing holidays (stones and dirt in soles of your shoes can damage the teak decks on our gulet). Feel free to wear fliflops if you wish:

• 1 to 2 pairs of shoes (at least one comfortable for walking ashore)
• Water shoes for the beach/rocks
• brimmed hat for shade
• Shorts/T shirts/equivalent
• long trousers/dresses/shirts for evening IF YOU WISH
• pullover/fleece for cooler evenings at either end of the season
• Light waterproof jacket may be useful in May & October
• suncream & aftersun
• any medication specific to you
• Sunglasses
• camera
• music-iPods, CDs instruments (you can also use car charges for your phone  etc)
• Books- please leave yours behind when you go- we are building a good holiday library

Most people manage with swimming gear plus a small pile of T shirts, shorts and a sweater for cooler evenings on your charter yacht –Montenegro/Croatia generally is not uncomfortable with western dress etiquette except in the more rural & traditional villages, where we advise you to cover yourself reasonably well. At either end of the season you may want to bring a light waterproof top. We supply swimming towels and hair driers to reduce your luggage requirements. Suncream and medicinal requirements are essentials.

Flights

Flights

Montenegro Airlines and EasyJet are the cheapest and most direct (LGW-TIVat). There are a limited number of these extremely convenient flights so make sure you book early.

Many more airlines fly into Dubrovnik airport in the South of Croatia, including EasyJet, Norwegian Airlines, British Airways, Jet2 and Monarch.

If you are flying from UK airport other than London-Gatwick you will need to fly into Dubrovnik or Podgorica airport (Montenegro’s capital). Though inland, Podgorica is only 30 minutes from the coast through the new tunnel. Podgorica airport has regular connections with other European cities and a twice weekly flight to London on RyanAir.

The airport is only 20 minutes’ drive to the Montenegrin border and is particularly convenient for accessing Herceg Novi.

Also search on cheapoair.co.uk.

Airport transfer

Guest Info

Guest Info

You will find this “card” in your cabin, so this is just a preview of some of the information you will get on-board.

Terms & Conditions

Booking Conditions, Gulet charter

Delivery

Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises agrees to deliver the yacht at the port of boarding in full condition and in proper working outfitted as a yacht of her size, type and accommodations, with full equipment, inclusive of that required by law staunch and in good condition throughout and ready for service and agrees to allow demurrage pro-rata to the charterer for any in delivery.

Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises has to provide under penalty professional and polite crew, good and various kind of food, a daily cleaning service and in general any prior rules to let the boat and his services appears as a good one. If for any reason Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises is not able to deliver the yacht as stipulated above, or is not able to deliver an appropriate alternative yacht of the same size and category, Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises is the only responsible of default. If the delivery is made with more than 24 hours of delay, the Charterer may refuse to accept the delivery by informing immediately Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises and the Broker: in this case the contract is null and void. The responsibility of Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises is:

a- To refund the Charterer of the whole amount without interest

b- To refund the Brokers commissions and expenses.

c- Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises will look after organization and expenses like accommodation, food , transfers until the problem is solved out within 24 hours.

Breakdowns or Disablement If, after delivery, the yacht at any time is disable by breakdown of machinery, grounding, collision or other cause so as to prevent reasonable use of the yacht by Charterer for a period of more 48 consecutive hours, the Charterer has the options:

a-To extend the charter period to cover the disabled time, if next charter period is free.

b-During the disabled period, Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises will refund the charterer, broker’s commissions included.

c-Change the yacht with one of the same type and size offered by Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises.

d-Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises will look after organization and expenses like accommodation, food, transfers until the problem is solved out within 48 hours.

Captain’s Authority

The Captain must to be competent, not only coastwise but in deep sea navigation. The captain shall handle clearance and the normal running of the yacht. The Captain shall be responsible for the safe navigation of the yacht and the Charterer shall abide by his judgment as to sailing, weather, wind anchorages, and pertinent matters.

Crew

Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises shall provide the Crew of the Yacht, according to the laws of Montenegro and properly uniformed , fed and insured. Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises shall ensure that Captain and Crew comply with the laws and regulations of any country into whose waters the Yacht shall enter during the course of this Agreement.

Charterer

The charterer agrees to deliver the yacht, her equipment and furnishings, at the expiration of this charter to Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises at the port of the release. The charterer agrees to be responsible and to replace or make good any injury of loss to the yacht, her equipment or furnishings , caused by himself or any member of party, except for wear and tear from normal use.

Use of the Yacht

The Charterer shall use the Yacht exclusively as a pleasure vessel for the use of himself and his Guests. The Charterer shall ensure that no pets or other animals are on board without the writing agreement of Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises. The Charterer shall ensure that behaviour of himself/herself and his/her Guests shall not cause a nuisance to any person or bring the Yacht into disrepute. The Charterer shall comply and ensure that his Guests comply, with the law and regulations of any country into whose waters the Yacht shall enter during the course of this Agreement.

The Charterer shall ensure that any bonded stores or other merchandise which may already be onboard during the charter are cleared through customs before being taken ashore. The Captain shall promptly draw the Charterer’s attention to any infringement of these terms by himself or his Guests and, if such behaviour continues after this warning, the Captain shall inform Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises and the Broker if the defaults are serious and dangerous for the safety of the charterer, of the yacht and of his crew. Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises may decide to disembark the Charterer without any refunds. It is also specially understood that possession or use of any illegal drugs and weapons (including particularly firearms) shall be sufficient reason for Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises to terminate the Charter forthwith without refund or recourse against Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises.

Maximum number of persons

The Charterer shall not at any time during the Charter period permit more than the maximum number of guest sleeping or cruising on board here in stated. As an exception a reasonable number of visitors could be on board whilst the yacht is securely moored in port and at the sole discretion of the captain.

Responsibility for children

If children are taken on board, the charterer shall be fully responsible for their safety, conduct and entertainment and no member of the crew shall be held responsible for their safety or entertainment.

Health of charterer’s party

The nature of a yacht charter may render it unsuitable for anybody with physical disability or undergoing medical treatment. By signature of this agreement the charterer warrants the medical fitness of all members of the charterer’s party for the voyage contemplated by this agreement. The charterer and his party undertake to have all necessary visas and vaccinations for the countries to be visited.

Itineraries

Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises reserve the right to change the itinerary if for any reason think a certain destination is not suitable. The Captain has final decision on this matter.

Price & Payment

After the booking confirmation for a specific yacht, the 50% of the payment is to be made by bank transfer to our bank account and the balance at latest one month before the charter. The rest 50% of the price must to be made two weeks before start charter.

The charter price includes the charter services during the agreed cruising time, fuel for daily average of 4 hours (selected route), crew, recreational equipment, bed linen and towels, insurance of the yacht, crew and it’s passengers, 4 hrs of generator working a day (Air conditioning).

The charter price excludes: food and drink, port and marina fees, entrances in National parks, special transfers and special demands of embarkation and disembarkation, residence tax, daily more than 4 hours of cruising. The prices which are not included in the main rental price, on the most yachts are to be paid to the captain on the boat.

Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises will sent the preference list, prior to the arrival, and it will be asked to fill it and send us back all the details regarding routes, arrival details and all other preferences, important for the cruising. This allows the crew to be fully prepared for the charter.

The guest also must deliver the exact crew list, at least two weeks before the embarkation. More persons than in the crew list are not allowed to be on the boat.

Food: The half board is obligatory. The price is calculated per a person/week and includes breakfast and lunch. The full pension is optional and also calculated per a person/week. Full pension includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. The drinks are not included and are to be taken at the well stocked boat bar, at reasonable prices. Also, the guests are not allowed to bring their own drinks on board.

Embarkation is after 17:00 and disembarkation is before 9:00 on the day of departure. The guests are to report if they have some difficulty or limitation about the food and beverages.

Cancelations

Cancellation by Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises: Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises guaranties to organize a yacht to charterer in same condition and same size, or else the owner agree to refund all the money to the charterer paid until the cancellation.

Cancellation by the charterer : Should the charterer give notice of cancellation of this agreement on or at any time before commencement of the charter period the charterer shall remain liable for all payments due prior to and unpaid at the date of cancellation.

a- if the cancellation six or more months before the charter period, %20 of the total of charter fee will be held by Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises (80% of the deposit will be paid back to the charterer).

b- if the cancellation between four to six months before the charter period, %30 of the total of charter fee will be held by Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises (70% of the deposit will be paid back to the charterer).

c- if the cancellation between two to four months before the charter period, %40 of the total of charter fee will be held by Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises or change the booking to following years.

d- if the cancellation in two months before the charter period, %50 of the total of charter fee will be held by the Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises the booking to following years.

e- if the cancellation in one month before the charter period, %100 of the total of charter fee will be held by Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises.

Insurance

Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises represents that the yacht is insured against fire, marine and collision risks, and with protection. Indemnity coverage for the charter term and the charterer shall thereby be relieved of any and all liability for such to damage. In the event of accident or injury the charterer shall give the Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises or captain prompt notice of same policies of insurance are to be held by Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises. But should Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises fail to or elect not to carry such as insurance he shall assume the same responsibility as if the yacht were so insured. Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises and his insurance under writers accept no responsible for accident, injury or death due to swimming, to use of snorkels, scuba equipment, water ski, windsurfer or other equipment whether or not it is supplied by Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises or charterer. Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises insurance policy is not in protection and indemnity coverage for the charterer. Charterer’s liability insurance may be obtained at a nominal on the charterer.

Notice: Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises agrees to assume all expenses concerning the yacht, the crew wages, water, liquid gas, pilot, laundering expenses for bed and table linen, fuel and oil for 4 hours cruising under power daily and tax harbour in the Montenegro/ Croatia waters. Everyone has agreed to the contents of this agreement and promised to comply to it and a copy has been given to all parties concerned.

Complaints

All remarks or suggestions may be solved with the captain or directly with Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises’s representative. Unresolved complaint has to be made in writing before the end of the cruise or immediately upon disembarkation.

Force Majeure

Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises cannot accept liability for war or terrorist activity, riots, industrial disputes, natural disasters, fire, adverse weather condition, or any other force majeure events that are beyond the control of Gulet-Barefoot-Cruises.

Arbitration

Any dispute in connection with the interpretation and fulfilment of this Agreement shall be decided by arbitration in Montenegro. Each party shall appoint one Arbitrator .This Agreement shall be interpreted and fulfilled in accordance with Montenegrin Law.