While many travel agents will try to brand them as their own, the main NYE dinner cruise operators in Istanbul are Turnatour, Pereme, Queen Tour, and Orient Bosphorus who all have multiple boats. You have to be careful to make sure you’re on their best boat when booking them.
The Incisu Yacht and the Seremoni are notable singular boat operators who also worth looking into. Before you make a final decision on a specific boat, be sure to follow our NYE dinner cruise advice, so you know what to expect.
Turnatour
The orange and blue Turnatour ship is most recognizable of all NYE dinner-cruise operators in Istanbul. It’s not only the most colorful on the outside, as the outlandish costumes their dancers wear are of carnival festival quality.
The main course for the Turnatour NYE dinner cruise is a turkey dish that differs from their regular menu with baklava for dessert. The folk team dance, henna ceremony, and exotic belly dancer are the highlights of the entertainment show, while the DJ will rock the dance floor after midnight.
Incisu
The food menu is what makes Incisu stand out from the rest. Their starters include salmon and stuffed green peppers, while the main course is beef with mushroom and potato pulp or grilled fish pilaf with almonds. For dessert, there’s a mixed fruit salad and ice cream in a yummy biscuit cup.
The spirit of Anatolia live band is a treat of the Incisu NYE dinner cruise. They play select pieces of English, Turkish, French and Spanish music, as a dance troupe performs traditional Horon, Kafkas, Halay, and Romani dances. These, colorful and rhythmic folk dances in the program schedule showcase the elegant, traditional styles of their corresponding regions. A professional belly dancing show marks the show finale and the night segues into the fireworks and DJ performance,
Seremoni
The combination of Ottoman and Turkish shows in the same show and the sound of Ottoman drums on entry add unique aspects to the Seremoni NYE dinner cruise. The eggplant and stuffed grape leaves on the starter plate are quite nice. The main course has four different options of fish, chicken, meatball, or vegetarian with baklava and seasonal fruit for dessert.
The whirling Dervish performance, rhythm shows, and an exotic belly dancer finale are the best of the entertainment program. A DJ performance again will follow the fireworks.
Pereme
The Nazmi Alev, Pereme’s blue-sign boat is the best in their fleet and the one you’d want to book for New Years’. Their snacks menu is quite nice are is their meze starter selections and appetizers.
A turkey dish is the main course for the Pereme’s NYE dinner cruise and is accompanied by baklava and seasonal fruit for dessert. The whirling dervishes, rhythm shows, and exotic belly dancer are the entertainment highlights. After midnight the DJ will get the dance floor going.
Orient Bosphorus
If you’ve ever eaten at the Orient House in Istanbul then you’ll know exactly what to expect. The hot hors d’oeuvre is usually quite good while the main course of chicken or whiting fish is decent.
The Dervish dancing performance, along with the traditional henna ceremony, Turkish Roman folk dance, and Kafka’s folk dance highlight the Orient NYE dinner cruise show. The DJ show as always will get you on the dance floor.
Queen Tour
The Ana Teknie is the flagship of the Queen Tour boats and the largest in their fleet. The main course is a choice of grilled chicken or fish with rice.
The Turkish folk dance, exotic belly dancer, and rhythm shows are the best of the Queen Tour NYE dinner cruise entertainment, including the DJ performance.