Turkish Night on the water
eight live acts, one boat

It is the standard Istanbul dinner-show evening: a full Turkish dinner followed by a live programme of traditional music and dance. Ours has eight acts — belly dance, the whirling dervish ceremony, Turkish Romani dance, Caucasian dance with the knife show, Turkish folk dances, a rhythm show, live violin and a DJ — and it runs on a boat on the Bosphorus rather than in a venue.

Eight acts. Dinner is served through the first half of the three-hour cruise and the programme runs through the second, carrying on until the boat is back at Cibali Pier between 23:45 and 00:00. The DJ closes it.

We do not publish a time for an individual act, because the running order changes from night to night. What is fixed is the shape of the evening: boarding from 20:00, departure at 21:00, dinner first, the programme through the second half, back at the pier between 23:45 and 00:00.

Live, on every sailing of the year. The dancers, the percussionists and the violinist are all performing in the room, and the DJ plays the after-party. Nothing in the programme is mimed to a track.

Yes, the sema is one of the eight acts. It is a ceremony rather than a performance in the usual sense and it is the calmest part of the evening. As with every act, we do not fix it to a particular hour.

Yes. The oriental show is part of the programme and it is danced between the tables as well as on the stage, so wherever you sit you are close to it.

No. The programme is music and dance with no dialogue, so nothing is lost in translation. The crew speak English, and your booking goes through WhatsApp in whichever language you write.

Yes. €24.6 per person covers the three-hour cruise, dinner — ten cold mezes, a warm starter, a main course you choose and dessert — unlimited soft drinks and the whole eight-act programme. There is nothing extra to pay for the show.

Soft drinks are unlimited for everyone. Alcohol is an optional package at +€15 per adult, covering beer, rakı, vodka, gin, and red and white wine for the whole evening. Imported drinks such as whisky, tequila and champagne, and cocktails, are charged separately at the bar.

There is a stage with a dance floor in front of it, and the performers also work between the tables, so there is no bad half of the room. Tables are chosen on arrival and boarding opens at 20:00, so coming early gives you the most choice.

Yes. There is a dance floor in front of the stage, several of the acts pull guests up, and the DJ set at the end of the night is what most of the room stays for.

Yes. The whole programme is family-friendly and children of any age are welcome. Up to three years old they sail free, from four to nine they pay €5 less than the adult fare, and from ten the full fare applies. Only the DJ set at the very end runs late.

Smart casual is right — most guests dress as they would for dinner out. The salons are heated and air-conditioned, but the open decks at the bow and stern are cooler once the boat is moving, so bring a layer if you want to step outside between acts.

Boarding is at Cibali Pier on the Golden Horn, in Fatih beside Kadir Has University. The T5 tram stop is called Cibali, and drivers know the university as a landmark. Hotel pickup and drop-off is +€5 per person and for the same evening has to be booked before 18:30. We send the exact map pin on WhatsApp once your booking is confirmed.

No. There is no deposit and no online payment. You settle on board at the end of the evening in cash — euro, lira or dollars — or by card, and cancelling is free up to two hours before departure. Reservations for the same evening are open until 21:00.

Yes, every night of the year. Dinner and the whole programme are inside the heated, air-conditioned salons, so the weather does not change the evening; the open decks are there whenever it is mild enough to use them.