It all began in 1910 with RMS Olympic, the first ship to have an onboard heated swimming pool. Its famous sistership, RMS Titanic, followed a year later with a deep saltwater heated pool on the middle deck. Reserved for the exclusive use of first-class passengers, the pool formed part of the ocean liner’s Turkish bath complex. Male and female passengers were not allowed to bathe at the same time.
Fast forward 100 years and the appeal of an onboard swimming pool has not waned. In fact, it’s become a prerequisite for many yacht owners. In 2000, the 303-foot Tatoosh exploded the concept of swimming pools aboard yachts, thanks to a large contra-flow pool with a lifting floor. Then came Octopus three years later with its massive, glass-bottomed raised pool, followed by Alfa Nero’s aft deck infinity raised pool with a glass waterfall.
Swimming-pool water features are now a standalone trend. When designer Igor Lobanov designed Jubilee (now named Kaos) he used a waterfall as an architectural divider to separate the pool from the alfresco dining area. At night, the pool lights up, adding another dimension to the yacht’s evening ambience.
Today, with the advent of beach clubs and multiple spa features that create the ultimate Zen lifestyle, superyacht swimming pools are rapidly multiplying, says yacht designer Theodoros Fotiadis. “Owners want more than one pool on their yacht, as the convenience of swimming in a heated pool is more appealing than the reality of swimming lengths in the ocean,” he tells Robb Report. “Owners also want to be able to both socialize with guests and relax in private, all while never having to leave their yacht, so having more than one pool or hot tub makes a lot of sense.”
While the size of a pool is usually dictated by the length and volume of the yacht, it seems swimming pools are where owners are willing to sacrifice other features. From main deck pools that steal coveted real estate from interior lounges to sun-deck pools that require structural engineering, the growing desire to give more outdoor deck space to aquatic amenities shows how serious the pool game has become.
Here are nine of the most spectacular pools on the water right now.
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‘Plvs Vltra’
Image Credit: Courtesy Y.CO When the owner of 243-foot Plvs Vltra submitted his design brief, he made sure a large swimming pool on the main deck aft was top of his list. The pool is big enough to entertain the entire family, has counter-current jets for lap swimming and is surrounded by oversized sunpads and a cocktail bar. It’s visible from the owner’s deck and leads down to the amidships spa that incorporates a second mosaiced spa pool with sea views, a massage area, a steam room, a bar, and a sauna. When the time comes for calmer water action, a Jacuzzi on the sun deck answers the call.
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‘M’Brace’ (ex-Elandess)
Image Credit: Courtesy Burgess The 246-foot M’Brace is defined by a “sea terrace” sun deck where the owners can spend the entire day. Its centerpiece is a pool measuring 8 by 26 feet, filled with 22 tons of fresh water warmed via waste-heat recovery. A glass wall at one end is where the adults view the grandchildren splashing about from a large seating area, dining table, or cocktail bar. The glass bottom doubles as a skylight that casts dappled sunlight on the circular central staircase. As simple as it sounds to install a pool on the top deck, Abeking & Rasmussen had to use hidden beams to distribute the weight of the pool to the outer edges of the yacht’s superstructure and down to the hull.
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‘Kensho’
Image Credit: Courtesy Admiral Yachts The first sight that greets guests when they step aboard 246-foot Kensho is a vast lower deck infinity pool, complete with a cutaway glass side. When looking out to sea, the edge of the pool appears to bleed into the ocean, producing stunning sea-level views. When viewed from the dock, the pool seems to continue deep into the yacht’s interior. The shape of the pool is styled after a manta ray, while the walls and stairs on the pool deck look as though they’ve been carved by the sea. The pool forms one part of the beach club and complements the yacht’s green-blue metallic exterior paint job, chosen to blend in with the aquatic surroundings.
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‘Eva.4Eva’
Image Credit: Courtesy Overmarine Eva.4eva is one of only a handful of yachts to have a pool located forward, rather than aft, where guests can soak in peace. Typically reserved for storing tenders or adorned with sun lounges, the foredeck aboard the 141-foot Mangusta Oceano 43 converts into a quiet, private retreat with a glass-edged infinity pool and sunpads hidden from view. It leaves the boat’s exterior aft deck free for guests to make the most of the ocean views with glass balustrades, turquoise soft furnishings and a drop-down swim platform at the stern. When it’s time to step the pool party vibe up a notch, a built-in light system brings it to life at night.
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‘Christina O’
Image Credit: Courtesy Morley Yachts The 325-foot classic motor yacht Christina O, famously once owned by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, is often cited for its innovative design features, including a dining room that seats 42 people and a cocktail bar that entertained the likes of Marilyn Monroe and President John F. Kennedy. One of its most forward-thinking amenities is the swimming pool on the aft main deck that features a decorative mosaiced floor. Filled with saltwater and depicting a scene from Greek mythology, the floor can be raised and lowered at the push of a button, converting into an elaborate dancefloor for revelry that lingers long into the night.
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‘Seasense’
Image Credit: Courtesy Benetti Yachts Even the name of the 220-foot Benetti Seasense alludes to its owners love of all things water. Designed by Cor D. Rover, a 33-foot pool sits at the heart of the yacht. “It started with a pool that you can walk around and spend the day around rather than putting people in a lower-deck beach club,” Rover tells Robb Report. The breadth of the pool area is emphasized by teak decking that runs athwartships and is complemented by teak louvers that provide shade along the sides of the aft deck. Large sliding doors divide the pool, dining and lounge areas into two or, if preferred, three spaces. When emptied, the pool converts into a basketball court using 22 panels stored in lower deck lockers.
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‘Luna’
Image Credit: Courtesy Lloyd Werft It’s only right that one of the world’s largest expedition yachts should have one of the biggest pools ever found on a superyacht. The 66-foot-long pool on the 377-foot Luna brings wow factor to a supersized open aft deck. Surrounded by large sunpads and partly shaded by the deck above, the pool dominates the stern area of the yacht creating a dedicated lido at sea. Dining areas and additional shaded seating areas are complemented by steps that lead down to the water’s edge, giving guests the choice between pool laps and sea swims.
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‘Tatiana’
Image Credit: Courtesy Bilgin Yachts Spanning a total area of 1,184 square feet and considered one of the best superyacht beach clubs in the world, the 263-ft. Tatiana’s multi-level recreational offering features two pools—one above the other—and is directly connected to the main salon via a dramatic underlit staircase. That means you can swim in the enclosed 30-foot-long freshwater pool or in the glass-bottomed second pool on the main deck. When the yacht is at anchor, fold-out terraces on both sides give access to the ultimate saltwater pool—the ocean.
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Project X
Image Credit: Courtesy Golden Yachts/Jonathan Lucas Project X’s glass-encased, hexagon-shaped swimming pool is one of the more dramatic on the water, with a practical side. Clad in silver Xs—the symbol that features prominently across the 288-footer by Golden Yachts—its glass sides were conceived to allow the adults to keep an eye on the children when playing, as well as bringing additional light into the beach club below. The bottom of the pool sits suspended in the center of the open-plan space, yet is accessed from the main deck aft. The pool also features a waterfall that adds drama to what is already a cool-looking water feature.