Pirate Ship Day in Side, Step by Step: Hotel to Foam Party
One loop from your hotel and back to it. Here is what comes when, what we can tell you in advance, and what the crew decides on the day.
In short
The pirate-ship day is a loop of about 6 hours: an air-conditioned transfer from your hotel to the Side departure dock, the ship casting off at 10:00, a cruise down the river to the delta for a swim, games and a pirate show with the animation team, a kids' lunch, a foam party, and the same transfer back. Your pickup time depends on your hotel; we send it the day before.
Morning: from the hotel to the dock
The day begins at your hotel. An air-conditioned Atalay Transfer vehicle collects you and drives to the Side departure dock. Hotels across the Side belt and in Manavgat town are collected, each at its own time, so we do not print one: it reaches you by phone or WhatsApp the day before, along with the exact place to wait. The pickup page lists the areas.
Every transfer is planned backwards from one fixed point, the ship's departure at 10:00. Be ready in the lobby a little before the time we send — a family with small children rarely leaves a room as fast as it means to.
On the water: down the river to the delta
Once everyone is aboard, the ship casts off and follows the river downstream toward the sea. The boat is run by a licensed maritime crew; your part is to find a spot on deck and let the children watch the banks go by.
At the delta the ship stops for a swim. Here the river's cold fresh water and the warm salt water of the Mediterranean meet, and you can swim from one into the other. Nobody has to go in. Our delta guide covers the swim with children.
On deck: the animation team takes over
- Face painting, free of charge, gives every child a pirate face.
- A secret treasure map sets them searching.
- Tug-of-war pulls children and willing parents onto the same rope.
- A live pirate show, and then the hunt for the pirate Ferhat.
What each game looks like, and how to help a shy child into it, is in the show guide.
Lunch, then foam
Lunch is served on board and is in the fare: spaghetti, chicken fingers and fish fingers, a menu chosen with children in mind. Drinks come from the bar and are paid separately — the lunch guide explains.
Later the music comes up and the deck turns into a dance floor for the foam party, with Halay dancing and routines for the kids. It is part of the fare and optional for anyone who would rather watch. More on the foam party.
The order on deck is the crew's call. They shape the show, the games and the swim around conditions on the river and the sea, so the sequence above is the usual shape rather than a timetable.
Afternoon: back to the hotel
When the ship is back at the dock, the same air-conditioned transfer takes you to your hotel. No return time is on record, so we do not invent one; plan the rest of the day loosely and keep dinner flexible.
Pack for every part of this loop — the checklist has it — and when the plan suits your family, book the pirate-ship day.
