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Discover an experience unlike any other aboard our fleet of superyachts, Evrima , Ilma , and Luminara .

Epicurean Delights

Experience a culinary journey unlike any on land with innovative menus capturing cultural traditions of each port visited.

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With nearly as many staff members as guests, our unwavering commitment to service takes to sea.

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Feel at ease in your private oasis at sea, with included service and amenities that set a new standard for luxury travel.

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The onboard spa is the ultimate in relaxation at sea, inviting guests to indulge in scents and delights from around the world.

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Discover curated experiences designed to ensure each moment ashore is uniquely rewarding.

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A voyage with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection offers an unprecedented opportunity to be untethered. Here, freedom and flexibility allow immersion in life's exceptional experiences; exploration of earth's exquisite and unexpected hideaways; and stirring of passions and curiosities that create new and deepened connections.

All of this delivered in an intimate setting with a heightened level of care and attention. Enlivened and enlightened, marvel at the beauty of the world through fresh eyes. Live untethered, live fully.

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How to Pay for your New Yacht

You have decided to purchase the vessel of your dreams, absolutely beautiful and with all the features you have been craving. Congratulations! Now comes the hard part: figuring out how to pay for your new yacht. Fortunately, there are financing options available for a boat purchase that are similar to those available for other vehicles. The trick is deciding which is right for you and your financial situation. This guide should help you choose the method of payment that will ensure you are comfortably enjoying your yacht for years to come.

Personal Loan If you have good credit, a personal loan may be your best option, but this loan may be difficult to obtain. Get a quote from several banks and credit unions, as interest rates on personal loans can vary greatly. A large down payment can lower your interest rate and improve the terms of your loan.

Boat Loan There are marine lending specialists at many banks and credit unions offering boat loans at reasonable interest rates. Their terms and conditions will vary based on the age, type, cost, and condition of your boat as well as the amount of your income. Many of these lenders will require a down payment of 10% to 20% for a boat loan, but you may be able to put less down on a new vessel.

Dealer Financing Dealer financing can be easier to obtain, because the dealer is motivated to make the sale, and often has less stringent borrowing guidelines. You enjoy the convenience of purchasing and financing your vessel at a single location with no hassle, while the dealer expends the effort of securing the loan for you, but you face a higher interest rate.

Home Equity Loan This can be the least expensive way to finance your yacht, and may be your best bet. This route offers two big benefits: you can deduct the interest from home equity loans from your federal taxes, and you may have up to 20 to 25 years to pay off your loan. Run the numbers to be sure you can handle both payments with ease, though, so you are not caught short.

Credit Card Paying for your yacht with a credit card is a practice that is best avoided because the interest rates for cards are generally much higher than for loans. However, if your credit score is low and your credit card limit is high, you may want to consider this option.

Now that you have a better idea of how to pay for your new yacht , Atlantic Yacht and Ship is here to help you find the perfect vessel! We offer a large selection of new and preowned boats for sale, in every size and price range. We will find the deal that fits your finances, such as this beautiful 2004 61′ Viking Sportfish for sale , which is the lowest priced Viking Convertible on the market!

This desirable vessel clearly illustrates why the top fishing circuit performers choose Vikings, with touches like the top of the line electronics, custom mezzanine seating, and an extended fly-bridge that provides shade on hot days for enthusiastic anglers. Perfect for extended fishing trips or weekend family outings, she features the popular three stateroom, three head layout. Bring your trade and come see this lovely Viking Sportfish for sale today, at her convenient location at Atlantic Yacht and Ship’s headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, or contact Chris Carroll at 954-303-5604 or  [email protected] .

For more than 53 years, Atlantic Yacht and Ship has been a leader in the South Florida yacht and ship brokerage  industry. Whether you are interested in selling, trading, or buying a yacht , our experienced yacht brokers can help you with every step of the transaction. Contact  Atlantic Yacht & Ship  at 954.921.1500, click here , or chat with us by clicking the link in the lower right corner of the screen!

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The ONE Account suits vessels needing both crew recruitment and training over the coming year. Equally, it is perfect for yachts that need several new crew in the next 12 months but wish to avoid multiple invoices. Finally, it may be that you’d like a free training budget whilst benefitting from year-round recruitment at the same time!

For example: A 44m yacht recruiting two stewardesses would receive a ‘traditional’ agency fee of around €6000. By taking a ONE Account for the same price, the yacht could have as many crew as it needed for 12 months, plus €6000 of free training, with no hidden charges.

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The unspoken rules about how to behave on a superyacht

• The superyachting world is very small, with only 5,800 yachts longer than 30 meters at sea.
• That insularity has bred a specific etiquette, which is often hard for outsiders to know about.
• These are the de facto rules of the most expensive billionaire toys, superyachts .

For the owners of superyachts , privacy is often the most valuable thing money can buy. It's one reason centimillionaires and billionaires pay eight or nine figures for a palace at sea, far from the prying eyes of land dwellers.

Even the most gossipy crew members should stay tight-lipped about the name of a former owner or charter guest, and many brokers shy away from answering benign questions.

That means that, aside from basic safety guidelines, most of the rules of superyachting are unwritten. The very few who need to know them — there are only about 5,800 yachts longer than 30 meters at sea, according to SuperYacht Times — already know them.

But if you do happen to be a lucky guest at a party on a billionaire's $500 million ship or find yourself included in a $1 million-a-week vacation, there are a few things you need to know.

After four days of touring superyachts that sell for as much as $75 million and chatting with the people who buy, sell, and work on them at the Palm Beach International Boat Show , Business Insider gleaned a few key edicts. Given the discreet nature of the industry, almost all the people we spoke with requested anonymity to protect their working relationships, but here's what they had to say.

Take off your shoes

While it's a basic rule for anyone in boating, it may come as a surprise to an outsider that no matter how rich you are or how expensive your heels are, in the vast majority of cases, you can't wear shoes on board.

It's partly for safety — you don't want anyone slipping on a wet deck — but partly to keep the yacht clean. So expect to see barefoot billionaires, and if you forgot to get a pedicure, bring a set of special boat shoes.

Don't make any assumptions about money — but know the signs

In the superyacht world, it's safe to assume almost everyone you meet is very, very rich, and many brokers and builders say you can't judge a book by its cover when it comes to prospective clients.

"It has nothing to do with how they're dressed," one broker told BI. "It's the biggest mistake you can make because a complete slobby-looking guy or couple could be a multibillionaire."

There are, however, a few clues. Watches are one; new footwear is another.

"Rich people always have new shoes," a superyacht expert said. But because of the shoe rule mentioned above, this tip probably applies only when they're on land.

Book your massage early

Wellness areas, including spa rooms with a massage bed or two and a professional-grade facial machine, are becoming must-haves on superyachts . Most have a customized spa menu and a crew member who doubles as a trained masseuse or beautician — and they're usually in high demand.

One captain said he'd implemented a booking system to ensure people weren't fighting for the same spots. A broker said sometimes masseuses would be so busy they wouldn't leave the small spa cabin for hours on end.

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So if you want to make the most of your relaxing time on board, reserve your pampering slot as soon as you get your welcome cocktail.

Pirates are more real than you'd think, and many superyachts have hidden safe rooms

While you might dress up as a fake pirate for an onboard theme party, there are very real ones — and other dangers — on the high seas.

In certain areas, including parts of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, pirates are a cause of concern . In the Red Sea, owners are concerned about the Houthis .

Superyachts can come equipped with sonic weaponry, lockdown systems, and anti-drone protection. Builders are even designing safe rooms — which are apparently just as plush as the rest of the ship.

The longer the boat, the closer to $1 billion

While you can't judge a buyer based on appearances, you can judge them on the length of their boat.

One rule of thumb: If someone has a brand-new 50-meter vessel, chances are they have $1 billion to their name. If it's over 100 meters, expect the owner to have at least $2 billion. And for a boat bigger than that — like Jeff Bezos' 127-meter megayacht Koru — it takes many, many billions.

Money can't buy you everything

The world's biggest, most expensive yachts are custom-built by shipyards that produce only a handful of boats a year.

But no matter how many tens of millions of dollars clients are spending, there are things to which builders will refuse to say yes.

"In the end, the boat has our name," an executive from one of the world's biggest shipyards told BI.

They recalled a client who requested a yellow hull to match his Lamborghini . The shipyard declined, steering the client in another direction.

"If I don't like it, I don't build it. I finalize two or three contracts a year," another builder said. "If somebody can say your vessel is ugly, my reputation is bad."

Yacht crews are trained to make the impossible possible. A guest requests fresh caviar flown into the middle of the Caribbean? No problem. Fresh flowers every day while at sea? It'll cost you, but it can be done.

But they can't time travel, and captains and crew members say the thing that causes the most friction is when a client or owner wants to go from point A to point B — right now.

"The hardest request is when they want the boat in a place — yesterday," one captain said.

The best person to know? A friend with a superyacht

Superyachts are expensive to build and expensive to maintain . According to the industry standard, owning a superyacht will cost 10% of its new-build price annually. For a $100 million yacht, that's at least $10 million yearly going to crew, regular maintenance, insurance, fuel, and dockage.

Chartering, too, is costly . Beyond the list price, which can be hundreds of thousands a week, guests must pay for provisions, which are pegged at 35% of the charter fee, and are expected to tip between 10% and 20%.

So the most important unspoken rule of superyachting is actually that the only thing better than owning a superyacht is knowing someone else who does — and invites you along, of course.

Watch: Why it costs $1 million a day to run one of the world's biggest cruise ships

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Pharrell Williams Quietly Releases New Album Black Yacht Rock, Vol. 1: City of Limitless Access

By Matthew Strauss

It looks like Pharrell Williams has released a new album on the occasion of his 51st birthday. The 10-song release is available exclusively on BlackYachtRock.com . It’s unclear who worked on the album, but Williams’ voice is prominent throughout. It’s also not even clear what the album is called, but the cover artwork (below) suggests that it’s titled Black Yacht Rock, Vol. 1: City of Limitless Access . And maybe that it’s by a group called Virginia. In any case, head to the website to find the album.

Williams has not promoted the album, but that hasn’t stopped his friends and collaborators from celebrating the project. Eternal fan Tyler, the Creator posted on X , “caged bird free by virginia black yacht rock, great song.” And Pusha T shared a link to the new album on his Instagram stories.

Pharrell Williams released his second solo studio album, Girl , in March 2014. He’s shared a lot of new songs in recent years, including “ Joy (Unspeakable) ,” “ Cash In Cash Out ,” “ Entrepreneur ,” the Miley Cyrus collaboration “ Doctor (Work It Out) ,” and more.

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Kelly Ripa Asks for Invite to Diddy’s Yacht in Poorly Timed ‘Live With Kelly and Mark’ Rerun

Live With Kelly and Mark just proved that re-airing old interviews isn’t always smooth sailing — especially in the wake of Diddy ’s recent scandal.

The Tuesday, April 2, episode of the morning talk show featured an old interview with Mary J. Blige that originally aired in June 2023. During the chat, cohost Kelly Ripa asked Blige, 53, for an invitation to Diddy’s yacht.

“I was in Capri, and I was actually visiting my big brother Puff’s boat,” Blige said, referencing one of Diddy’s many nicknames.

“Next time you go on Puff’s boat, we’d like to!” Ripa, 53, replied.

Us Weekly has reached out to Ripa and ABC for comment.

Related: Diddy’s Ups and Downs Over the Years: Lawsuits, Home Raid and More

The choice to re-air the interview was poorly timed given the raids of two of Diddy’s homes conducted on March 25, allegedly in connection to a federal sex trafficking investigation. The rapper, 54, was not home at the time of the raids and has not been charged or arrested in connection to the investigation.

TMZ reported that Diddy’s sons Justin, 30, and King, 26, whom he shares with exes Misa Hylton and Kim Porter , respectively, were both detained by police and released several hours later.

While Diddy has not directly addressed the raids, his lawyer released a statement on March 27.

“[Last week], there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” attorney Aaron Dyer told Us in a statement. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way.”

Related: Cassie and More Stars React to Federal Raids at Diddy’s Homes

Diddy shared his first social media post since the raids on Sunday, March 31.

“HAPPY EASTER from Baby Love,” he captioned several photos of his 17-month-old daughter, Love, whom he shares with ex Dana Tran . Diddy muted comments on the Instagram post.

The musician was also spotted out and about on Thursday, March 28. In photos obtained by the Daily Mail , Diddy looked unbothered leaving a Top Golf in Miami with twin daughters Jessie and D’Lila, 17, whom he shares with Porter, who died at age 47 in 2018.

After the raids made headlines, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie (real name Casandra Ventura) reacted to the news via a statement from her rep.

“We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law,” the singer’s spokesperson told Us on March 25. “Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”

Related: Eyebrow-Raising Quotes About Diddy's Alleged Behavior Over the Years

Cassie, 37, who dated the record producer on and off from 2007 to 2018, filed a lawsuit against Diddy in late 2023 accusing him of rape and repeated physical abuse throughout their relationship.

Diddy vehemently denied the allegations, and the lawsuit was settled out of court one day after Cassie’s filing.

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“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” Cassie told Us via her attorney Douglas Wigdor at the time. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”

Diddy also released a statement distributed by Wigdor: “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

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Cannes Yacht Encounter Sparked Geneva Bankers' Alleged $1.8 Billion 1MDB Fraud

It began with a meeting on a yacht off the coast of Cannes in the summer of 2009. The newly-elected prime minister of Malaysia was aboard at the invitation of businessman Jho Low and Saudi-Swiss businessman Tarek Obaid. The men had gathered to explore deals for Malaysia’s new economic development fund, 1MDB.

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(Bloomberg) — It began with a meeting on a yacht off the coast of Cannes in the summer of 2009. The newly-elected prime minister of Malaysia was aboard at the invitation of businessman Jho Low and Saudi-Swiss businessman Tarek Obaid. The men had gathered to explore deals for Malaysia’s new economic development fund, 1MDB. 

Cannes Yacht Encounter Sparked Geneva Bankers' Alleged $1.8 Billion 1MDB Fraud Back to video

Fifteen years later, the prime minister is in a Malaysian prison serving time for corruption. Low, the alleged mastermind behind the $4.5 billion defrauding of 1MDB, remains at large. And Obaid and his business partner Patrick Mahony will stand trial at Switzerland’s top criminal court on April 2, accused of creating a sham oil exploration company through which they stole more than $1.8 billion in 1MDB funds. 

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Neither Mahony or Obaid have spoken in public about their deals with Jho Low, a round-faced businessman they nicknamed ‘Chunk.’ The month-long trial, set in Switzerland because the two men based their business there, may reveal fresh details about the fugitive, who is suspected of pulling off arguably the biggest financial heist of the 21st century. Mahony has denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. A lawyer for Obaid didn’t return multiple messages seeking comment on the charges.

Read More: Goldman Says Malaysia Lawsuit is a Chance to Review 1MDB Deal

It’s also a chance for Switzerland, seen as a soft touch on white-collar criminals, to demonstrate it can be tough on financial crime. A former Coutts & Co. banker found guilty in 2020 of failing to flag money-laundering concerns related to a $700 million transfer made by Low was fined just 50,000 Swiss francs ($55,700). 

Prosecutors claim that the pair worked with Low on the scheme from as early as 2009, and the amounts at stake make it one of the largest frauds that Low allegedly helped orchestrate.

Mahony has been charged with criminal mismanagement, fraud, bribery and aggravated money-laundering, according to the 213-page indictment, with Obaid accused of all that and forgery. A conviction just on fraud charges carries a prison sentence of as much as 10 years, though in many Swiss cases, the sentence is suspended.  

In the indictment, Swiss prosecutors lay out the pair’s alleged scheme — which, they say, included negotiating on behalf of a Saudi king they had no mandate from, while claiming the rights to a Caspian Sea oilfield that they never controlled – from that first Mediterranean meeting in 2009. 

How Malaysia’s 1MDB Scandal Shook the Financial World: QuickTake

A lawyer for Obaid didn’t return emails seeking comment on the charges against her client. Laurent Baeriswyl, a lawyer for Mahony, said by email that the indictment is the result of a “totally biased and incomplete investigation.”

The Swiss Attorney General’s Office “ignored all the facts which did not correspond to its thesis, contrary to what the law requires” and so “our client therefore strongly contests the facts as they emerge from the indictment and he will defend his rights before the Federal Criminal Court.”

Saudi Connections?

Obaid founded oil exploration company Petrosaudi in 2005 with his acquaintance Prince Turki Bin Abdullah al Saud, determined to capitalize on the connections that royal name could enable. 

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But even with that woven into the company’s pitch, the ambitious 30-year-old still needed cash. He had secured a modest loan through Patrick Mahony, a former classmate from private school in Geneva, who would become Petrosaudi’s unofficial chief investment officer in 2009, according to the indictment. But he needed more, prosecutors say, and turned to Low.

Communicating only through encrypted BlackBerry messages and private email accounts, the three men got to work on the company. But according to the indictment, their strategy had little to do with oil exploration. 

Prosecutors highlighted emails among the three men to drive home their argument that Petrosaudi didn’t control the assets it purported to have, nor did it have the Saudi monarch’s blessing. According to one sent in mid-September 2009 before an introductory call with a 1MDB executive, it was imperative to “hint that PSI is indirectly owned by King Abdullah.”

Turki, the seventh son of the late King Abdullah, isn’t accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Petrosaudi, and didn’t exercise any operational role within the company, according to prosecutors. Turki was one of several princes detained in November 2017 by Saudi Arabia’s defacto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, and his current whereabouts are unclear. 

Turkmeni Oil

Following the Cannes meeting, Obaid proposed that 1MDB and Petrosaudi create a joint venture to exploit Petrosaudi’s stake in a Turkmeni oilfield. Obaid laid out in writing, according to prosecutors, that Petrosaudi would bring “$2 billion worth of its assets in the energy sector into the joint-venture company.” 

There was one problem: Petrosaudi didn’t own the oilfield or the rights to it, but was rather in stalled negotiations with a firm that had paid $10 million to buy up the rights. But those paper rights were essentially worthless as the oilfield lay in waters whose ownership was disputed by Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. 

So Obaid turned to an oil consultant and old family friend to value the oilfield. Nine days later, he produced a report that put the “fair net present value” of the assets at between $2.98 billion and $4.06 billion.

With that hefty valuation in writing and the Saudi royal family’s backing established in the minds of 1MDB executives, the board of directors signed off on Sept. 26, 2009, and two days later authorized the transfer of $1 billion to bank accounts held by the new joint venture, 1MDB PetroSaudi. 

Three hundred million of that went to an account controlled by Obaid, according to prosecutors. The remaining $700 million went to GoodStar, which was falsely presented as a unit of PetroSaudi but was in fact a Seychelles-based entity controlled by Low. On Oct. 5, the businessman wired $85 million of that to an account held in Obaid’s name. Obaid, in turn, wired $33 million to Mahony on Oct. 21. 

The following year, prosecutors allege that the pair set about extracting additional money from 1MDB. Obaid had persuaded the fund to turn the joint venture into a loan facility and he drew down $500 million, ostensibly to invest in French oil company GDF Suez.

Newly flush, the pair appeared keen to distribute the funds quickly, emails show.  

“Right now we are in a good situation because we have this money in a clean and proper legal way so there is nothing anybody can do to us,” Mahony wrote to Obaid in September 2010. 

The next day, he transferred $300 million into Obaid’s personal account and the remaining $200 million to Petrosaudi accounts he controlled, according to prosecutors. 

Then in 2011, Obaid drew down again, this time for $330 million, prosecutors allege. To pressure the Malaysians to accept, he reminded them of how King Abdullah helped evacuate Malaysian Muslims during the Arab Spring protests, and how he had increased the quota of Malaysian Muslims able to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. 

Between 2009 and the end of 2011, prosecutors say that the men took a total of $1.83 billion from 1MDB, with Obaid personally pocketing $580 million, and Mahony, $37 million. 

Bangkok Prison

Obaid and Mahony’s 2023 indictment was based in part on the testimony of Xavier Justo, the third employee at Petrosaudi. After just a year at the company, Justo left and was arrested in Thailand in June 2015. Convicted of attempted blackmail in what he says was a conspiracy on the part of Obaid, Mahony and the Malaysian authorities to silence him, the Swiss national spent 18 months in prison before his country’s government intervened to help get him released. 

Documents Justo shared with The Sarawak Report, a blog focused on corruption in Malaysia, led to the first expose of the Petrosaudi pair in 2015. He published a book last year, co-written with his wife, chronicling his experience with the two men. 

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission flagged its own arrest warrants for Obaid and Mahony to Interpol in early 2020. It’s unclear if they were ever detained and Swiss prosecutors declined to say whether they ordered their arrest. 

Years on, Justo says he hopes that his country’s justice system will now do the right thing.  

“This is the perfect opportunity for Switzerland to show the world that it is serious about fighting financial crime and that it is prepared to punish those who perpetrate it,” he said.

—With assistance from Anisah Shukry.

(Adds details on Xavier Justo near bottom of story. An earlier version fixed his name in caption of final photo)

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