The Wildest Technology Hidden On Board Luxury Yachts

Behind every custom superyacht lies a feat of engineering. Take the 164-foot Alamshar, owned by the late Aga Khan, which smashed speed records with its triple gas turbines; or the slinky, silver Savannah, a Feadship build that holds the title of the world’s first hybrid superyacht.

These record-breaking builds are, by their nature, widely reported. But at the highest end of the custom market, you’ll find some truly inspired tech tucked away in the most unexpected places. Here’s a selection of my favorites, from a nightclub fitted with a virtual aquarium to an experience “like no other”, hidden deep in a superyacht’s engine room…

Luminosity’s video walls

Delivered in 2020, the 353-foot Luminosity is one of only three megayachts produced by Benetti. This “moving palace of glass”, as the Italian shipyard calls her, had all-stars Reymond Langton, Zaniz Jakubowski and Giorgio M. Cassetta behind her design. However, it was Jakubowski who was responsible for a particularly thrilling piece of superyacht tech—her interactive video walls.

Rising five out of the yacht’s six levels, a vivid forestscape accentuates Luminosity’s stairwell and a corridor along the main deck, while motion sensors bring the high-resolution LED screen to life as guests move through the space. Butterflies appear during the day, and fireflies at night, with the screen naturally transitioning from daylight to dusk as the day progresses.

The 59-foot-high display fulfilled the owner’s desire for a “wow” moment, according to Jakubowski. “The owner was extremely pleased with the final result,” he explained over email. “The space is so atmospheric and feels unexpectedly expansive, considering the constraints of the yacht, which was exactly my intention.”

The virtual aquarium onboard IJE

The broody nightclub on board IJE, another Benetti behemoth, was designed by British studio RWD. Blue velvet seats and black floorboards are an acquired taste, to be sure, but there’s no denying the virtual aquarium has that element of cool.

The AV system, rigged up to five faux portholes, was installed by New Zealand company Liquid Automation. Director Stephan Goodhue described the project as “truly unique”, with some hefty expectations around content creation.

“To get the high-resolution footage required for the setup, we designed and built a custom, five-camera underwater rig,” he explained over email. “Our team installed it in a local marine park in New Zealand, which required a bit of scuba diving, in order to capture as varied sea life as possible.”

The result is quirky and immersive, with IJE’s guests able to enjoy first-class cocktails while penguins, sharks, schools of fish and stingrays “swim past”.

Maltese Falcon’s outdoor cinema

An industry legend, the 350-foot Black Pearl is best known for her incredible DynaRig system. Three towering carbon masts harness wind power to propel the Oceanco sailing yacht to 20-knot speeds, with her 31,215-square-foot sails unfurled in just under 10 minutes.

However, this tech has an unexpected secondary use whenever the owner, or IYC charter guests, are anchored for the night. It creates “the largest exterior cinema screen in yachting,” according to Captain Chris Truter.

“I say that with confidence, because we deploy the whole bottom sail during movie nights,” he explained over email. “The projector is up there by the main mast, and it’s really incredible on a nice, calm evening.”

Located on the sundeck, Black Pearl’s cinema screen is an impressive 29.5 by 45.9 feet. Guests can sit back and enjoy open-air movies from the yacht’s sofas, sun loungers or Jacuzzi, thanks to a removable Bimini.

Kismet’s ‘Tron experience’

The newest entry on this list, Lürssen’s 400-foot Kismet is delightfully theatrical—even down to her engine room. This brightly lit space is called the ‘Tron experience’, with the fractal, LED lighting that runs the length of the corridor a clear homage to the cult sci-fi movie.

Two sound-insulated glass panels on the walls display live information from digital platform YachtEye, including Kismet’s current speed, the battery capacity on her hybrid-propulsion system and her general arrangement. The design is credited to British studio Reymond Langton, who pitched the concept to the owner, while the content itself is managed daily by the crew.

The corridor also provides easy access to Kismet’s wellness area, which features a Balinese-inspired spa with hammam, sauna and cryotherapy chamber, as well as a dedicated gym and yoga studio with its very own juice bar. It’s no wonder that Kismet, listed with Cecil Wright, is one of the most expensive yachts for charter at a staggering $3.45 million per week.

After You’s self-playing piano

This 180.4-foot Heesen superyacht has a ghostly secret on board. Inside her bridge deck saloon sits a self-playing piano, which can warble any tune from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro to No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley.

This is After You, and the piano in question is the K.Kawai GL10. There’s nothing supernatural at play here (phew!), with a Pianodisc Prodigy system controlling the instrument’s keys. If backing music is needed, a Bose speaker setup plays alongside the piano for full effect. Guests can control the volume of both from the connected iPad, which also has a healthy song library to choose from.

The bright, airy space also features an aft dining area surrounded by glass doors for the “perfect indoor dining experience”, according to central agency TWW Yachts.

Honorable mention: Flying Fox’s cryosauna

At the time of Flying Fox’s delivery in 2019, she was the first superyacht to have a cryosauna installed on board. The standing cylinder cabin, which comprises an ante and main chamber, directly exposes the body to liquid nitrogen vapour for 2-3 minutes. This incredibly dry, cold environment (around -166 Fahrenheit) is said to promote muscle recovery, reduce inflammation and improve circulation.

It forms a small part of the Lürssen’s sprawling spa complex, which spoils guests with two floors of hydro baths, massage rooms, saunas and heated limestone flooring.