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An honest operator's guide to whether the lunch-included ticket on a Side or Antalya boat trip is worth paying for, versus cruise-only and eating on shore. Covers typical menu style, timing, value on longer island days, and a clear lunch-vs-no-lunch comparison table.
On most of our shared boat trips the lunch option is worth it when you're out for a full day and away from the harbour at mealtimes — island days and long Green Canyon cruises are the clear cases. On a short two- to three-hour hop, cruise-only usually wins: you eat cheaply back on shore. Below we set out when to add lunch and when to skip it.
What "lunch included" actually means on our boats
When a ticket says lunch is included, it means a hot meal is served on board or at a swim-stop mid-trip, cooked and plated by the crew, with the timing built into the day's route. You don't order from a menu at a set price — the meal is a fixed part of that trip and the cost sits inside the ticket you see on the tour page. If you'd rather choose exactly what you eat and when, cruise-only leaves that in your hands.
We run these boats across the Side, Manavgat, Antalya, Alanya, Belek and Kemer coast, and not every trip is built the same way. Some include a meal as standard, some offer it as an add-on, and some are pure cruises. Always check the specific tour page — the live detail for that boat is what governs, not a general rule. You can browse them all on our boat trips page.
The typical menu style (and what we won't pretend to know)
Lunch on a Turkish day-boat is usually simple, generous, buffet-style eating: grilled or barbecued food, rice or bulgur, salads, bread, fruit, and soft drinks. It's holiday food designed to feed a full boat quickly between swims, not a fine-dining course. That's the honest picture across the region.
What we won't do is invent the exact dishes on any single trip, because menus change with the season, the boat and the caterer. If the meal matters to you — vegetarian options, portion size, drinks included or extra — the tour page for that specific boat is the place to confirm before you book. Our captains and crew can also answer meal questions on the day.
Lunch included vs cruise-only: the comparison
Here's the straight trade-off between the two ticket types on a shared trip.
| Point | Lunch included | Cruise-only |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Full-day trips, island days, long Green Canyon cruises | Short two- to three-hour trips near the harbour |
| Convenience | High — you don't leave the boat hungry or plan around a meal | Lower — you sort food before or after yourself |
| Cost control | Fixed inside the ticket price | You choose the spend on shore afterwards |
| Food choice | Set buffet-style meal, limited choice | Full choice — any restaurant or café you like |
| Timing | Served mid-trip, no queues or hunting for a table | You eat when you're back, which can be mid-afternoon |
| Families with kids | Easier — hungry children are fed on board | Riskier — a long gap between meals |
When paying for lunch is worth it
The meal earns its keep on the longer trips. On an island day such as Suluada you're out on the water for hours, well away from any café, so a meal on board isn't a luxury — it's the only sensible way to eat. The same goes for the Green Canyon cruise on the Oymapinar reservoir, where the whole point is to stay out on the calm freshwater lake rather than nip back to shore.
Families are the other clear case. A boat full of children who've been swimming all morning will want feeding, and a served buffet solves that far more calmly than trying to organise a restaurant with tired, salty kids afterwards. If you're travelling with children, the lunch option usually pays for itself in peace and quiet alone.
When to skip it and eat after
On a short trip that drops you back at the harbour by early or mid-afternoon, cruise-only is the smarter buy. Side, Antalya and Alanya are packed with restaurants a short walk from the marina, so you'll eat exactly what you fancy for the price you choose. On a couple of hours out with the kids, our Little Pirates trip is a good example — it's brief and fun, and there's no need to lock in a meal you might not want.
Skip lunch too if you have a specific diet, a fussy eater, or you simply prefer choosing your own food. Buffet eating is convenient but it isn't tailored. If control over the meal matters more than convenience, keep the ticket lean and eat on shore.
How the price maths tends to work out
Our shared sea trips start from roughly EUR 20–25 per person — little pirates from about EUR 20, Side boat and dolphin trips around EUR 20–25, the classic pirate boat from about EUR 23. Green Canyon starts from around EUR 28 out of Side and rises toward EUR 54 from Antalya as transfer distance grows. Island days such as Suluada land around EUR 42–68, and disco-yacht nights around EUR 48–68. These are approximate starting bands — the live price for each boat sits on its own tour page.
The useful way to think about it: a meal bought ashore in a tourist area is rarely free either. When a lunch-included ticket costs only a little more than the cruise-only equivalent and keeps you out on the water all day, that small premium is often the better deal. When the trip is short and cheap, the premium buys you a meal you could get better, and cheaper, on land.
Departure point and pickup matter too
Where you set off from changes the picture. A trip departing near your resort is short on transfer time, so eating back on shore is easy. A longer run — say a Green Canyon cruise reached from further along the coast — eats into your day, which makes an on-board meal more valuable. If you're basing yourself in one town, browse the Antalya departures to see which trips leave nearest you and how the day is shaped.
On transfers, guests are picked up from their hotel in the morning; the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel. You book online and pay on the tour day, so there's no pressure to decide the meal question weeks ahead — check the tour page, weigh it up, and choose the ticket that fits your day.
Our honest take
For a full-day trip, an island day or a long Green Canyon cruise — and for anyone travelling with children — the lunch option is usually worth paying for. For a short two- to three-hour trip near a town full of restaurants, cruise-only is the sharper choice. There's no universal right answer; it's about the length of your trip and how much you value convenience over choice. Compare both ticket types across all our boat trips and pick the one that suits your day on the water.
Frequently asked questions
Is lunch included on every BestBoatTrips boat?
No. Some trips include a meal as standard, some offer it as an add-on, and some are pure cruises. It varies by boat and route, so the tour page for the specific trip is where you'll see whether lunch is part of that ticket.
What kind of food is served on board?
Typically a simple, generous buffet-style meal — grilled or barbecued food, rice or bulgur, salads, bread and fruit — served mid-trip. We won't list exact dishes here because menus change by season, boat and caterer; confirm the detail on the tour page.
Can I bring my own food instead of paying for lunch?
Policies differ from boat to boat. If you'd rather bring your own or eat after the trip, choose a cruise-only ticket where available and check the tour page or ask the crew on the day about bringing food aboard.
Are drinks included with the lunch?
This depends on the trip. Soft drinks are often part of the meal, while other drinks may be sold separately on board. Rather than guess, check the specific tour page or ask our crew, since it isn't the same on every boat.
Do private boats include lunch?
Private boats and yachts are priced per boat on request, not per seat, and catering is arranged as part of that quote. Tell us what you'd like for your group and we'll build the meal into the private booking on the relevant tour page.