You know you’ve made it when you can afford a super yacht: with more entertainment than most towns can offer, and shrouded in mystery, they have to be the most elite form of travel. Sure, you can’t go much beyond 35mph but when you’re cruising on something that costs more than the GDP of a small city, who needs speed?
Prince Abdulaziz: Built in 1984, the Prince Abdulaziz was the largest private yacht of the twentieth century. With space for 65 guests, it features its own swimming pool, jacuzzi, fully-equipped hospital, cinema, mosque and the lobby is said to be a replica of the grand but ill-fated Titanic’s… risky.
Dubai: The royal yacht of Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the aptly named Dubai, takes its place as one of the world’s top yachts and rightly so. As well as the usual luxury fittings, it also has a garage to house its own submarine…because a super yacht isn’t enough.
Al Said: Little is known about Al Said, the yacht belonging to Sultan Qaboos of Oman. What we do know however, is that it is said to house a full concert hall with space for a 50-strong orchestra – fair enough, you never know when the band is going to drop in do you?
Azzam: Shrouded in secrecy but said to be the current leading lady of the yachting world, the Azzam is one heck of a yacht. It is rumoured to be owned by the Saudi Royal Family, can reach speeds of over 30 knots and is the length of over twelve double decker buses.
Eclipse: Reportedly costing around $500 million, when Eclipse was built, it was the largest yacht in the world: that was until Azzam came along. Owned by Roman Abramovic, the yacht is said to be kitted out with its own air defence system as well as two swimming pools and two helipads – take your pick.
With these yachts requiring a fairly sizeable cheque book, we think your best chance of getting on board probably involves training up as a member of the cabin crew.