The ultimate bonus rooms on board luxury superyachts

What’s the only thing classier than soft piano chords gently oozing from a dimly-lit, jazz bar-style room? Answer: the above, but on a superyacht. Phoenix 2’ and her piano lounge were commissioned for an owner with a penchant for music. According to Andrew Winch the 90 metre Lürssen has played host to some world-class musicians and extravagant soirees over the years. Adding to The Great Gatsby vibes, a six-panelled gold-bas relief by DKT Artworks overlooks the custom Steinway.

With an interior volume of 1,998GT, there's plenty of space on board 70 metre explorer yacht Skat for luxury amenities. Her military-style Espen Øino interiors belie a colourful interior that's bright and light-filled thanks to large sculptural windows. To retreat for some peace and quiet, guests and owners on board Skat can retreat to the well-stocked library which offers comfy chairs and even a daybed for reading, bookcases filled with reading materials and floor to ceiling views out to sea. For total silence, the library can be closed off from the rest of the bridge deck areas which include an informal saloon with a bar, games space and snack area.

The 85-metre explorer yacht Victorious has plenty of unique features, but those who enjoy smoking an after-dinner cigar on board will particularly appreciate the gentleman's club-style lounge where most yachts would feature a sundeck. Styled by H2 Yacht Design, there's a cigar humidor accompanied by a glass-fronted wine cellar and cocktail bar, an angular marble fireplace and plush, curved sofas for evening entertaining. Guests can also move out to the adjoining aft terrace to enjoy a cigar in the fresh air under a starry night sky.

First delivered as an oil vessel in 2010, the 87.1 metre OceanXplorer has been transformed into a luxury superyacht with leading research facilities. “More than 50% of the superstructure was demolished, completely stripped. From the main deck up, we built almost completely new,” says Damen project director Tjarco Ekkelkamp. This rebuild included the installation of four cutting-edge science labs for wet and dry work. These laboratories provide the on-board research team with the capabilities to undertake fine microscopy and genetic sequencing, allowing for the quick identification of new species through eDNA analysis without having to send samples off to an on-shore facility. OceanXplorer’s research credentials have made her a valuable team member in research and media projects led by NASA, National Geographic and Sir David Attenborough together with the BBC.

The Neptune Lounge on board 74.5 metre Elandess is modelled on the Nemo Room of 83.5 metre Feadship Savannah, but with even larger viewing points. “I knew one other boat had attempted this,” says the owner of Elandess. “I also knew that the yacht industry had made great strides in recent years with the use of glass. Putting all that together, we set about designing our own version of such a space – one that would be fun for youngsters and adults alike.”

The Neptune Lounge provides a relaxing area to observe the views above and below the waterline; it's part grotto, part submarine and part amphitheatre. The space is constructed with three-metre-high ceilings and near full height glass which is 10 centimetres thick, with one-third of the windows below the waterline. To make the atmosphere suitably aquatic, the floors and ceilings are painted blue with soft furnishings matching in colour.

Feadship superyacht Savannah features a semi-submerged viewing lounge, which was a technical feat to build. While from inside the glass looks like a single slim pane, it is, in fact, a “belt and braces” approach of several laminated panes about two inches thick in total. For safety reasons, there are actually two windows: an outer window flush with the hull and a second one flanged to the interior of the room, each of which passed the class society destruction-testing requirements. “The challenging part was to get a good, clear view and to fit the glass nicely in the hull,” details Feadship’s marketing manager Francis Vermeer.

Feadship CEO Henk De Vries elaborates: “With the central powertrain, there is room at either side [of the hull] where shafts might have been,” he explained. “This led to the idea of a floor below the waterline, a room at the side half submerged because the fun is in seeing both above and into the water at the same time.”

Savannah’s Nemo lounge could have gone anywhere in front of the propellers, but its location links it to the pool deck and to the swim platform, where a complex hatch in the aft stairs provides secondary access. Guests relaxing in this area are treated to unique views and can enjoy the sunset at the same time as watching fish swimming beneath the surface.

Mystere Shadow is more than your typical superyacht support vessel. Sure, she can carry submarines, motorcycles, cars and helicopters for the mothership, but, after a redesign by Pastrovich Studio, she’s pretty luxe in her own right, with a pool, spa area and her own bonus room: a disco. Sans toys, Mystere Shadow’s hangar becomes a full-on nightclub with laser lights, smoke machine and, of course, a disco ball.

Who says you have to wait until the kids are grown up to take the voyage around the world? Certainly not the owners of sailing yacht Vertigo who put this classroom to good use while travelling with their young family. Outfitting the yacht with a classroom and bringing along a tutor meant the kids could keep up with studies while they sailed. This bonus room on the award-winning sailing superyacht Vertigo has desks and a SMART board — an interactive whiteboard hooked up to the computer that utilises touch recognition.