You're anchored off Bimini. The sun is dropping. Your guests are scattered across three levels, and no one is asking when dinner is ready. The flybridge bar is handling cocktails. The cockpit balconies are open, feet dangling over the water. The owner's suite has its gullwing doors folded back to the foredeck terrace. This is not a yacht where people retreat to their cabins. This is a yacht where the architecture keeps them outside.
The Princess X90 is the third model in the British builder's X Class, and it represents the most aggressive interpretation of the "super flybridge" concept to date. At just under 89 feet, it competes directly with Azimut's Grande 27M, the Ferretti Yachts 920, and the Sunseeker 88. But where those yachts prioritize interior volume or speed, the X90 prioritizes usable outdoor real estate. The result is a layout that feels more like a beach club than a traditional motor yacht.
Who It's For
This boat is for the owner who spends more time on the hook than underway. It's for the entrepreneur who bought a 70-footer, realized the flybridge was too small for the group, and wants the next boat to solve that problem without jumping to 100 feet. It's for the family that treats the boat as a floating villa, not a transport vessel.
The X90 is not for the owner who wants to make Palm Beach to Nassau in three hours. It's not for the captain-only operator who values a traditional pilothouse over guest space. And it's not for anyone who thinks a yacht should look like a yacht from 1995. This is a forward-facing design, and it will polarize opinions at the dock.
Design & Layout: The Flybridge Runs the Show
The defining feature of the X90 is the enclosed sky lounge on the flybridge. It's not a token seating area. It's a full social zone with an optional 85-inch TV, a day head, and sliding doors that separate it from the enclosed wheelhouse. Behind that, the aft flybridge offers space for a hot tub, a bar, loose furniture, or a crane for a tender. This is where your guests will spend 70 percent of their time.
The main deck is where Princess made the boldest move. The cockpit features drop-down balconies to port and starboard. These are not small swim steps. They are full-width platforms that extend the usable cockpit space by nearly 40 percent when deployed. Add the glass transom balustrade, and the cockpit becomes a floating terrace with unobstructed sightlines.
Forward of the cockpit, a curved patio door opens to the dining area, which seats 10. The salon is forward, surrounded by glazing. The galley sits amidships and can be fully enclosed or open to the salon with a breakfast bar. The owner's stateroom is on the main deck, forward, with 180-degree glazing and optional gullwing doors that open to a private foredeck terrace. This is the layout of a yacht designed for owners who want separation from guests without retreating below.
Guest accommodations are below, with three ensuite staterooms in the standard layout or five total staterooms as an option. Crew quarters are forward on the lower deck, with access from the main deck galley. The layout is logical, and the separation between guest and crew zones is well-executed.
Performance: Freedom, Not Records
The X90 is powered by twin MAN V12-2000 engines, producing 2,000 horsepower each. Princess publishes a top speed of 22 to 27 knots across the three MAN V12 options. These are not numbers that will impress the Cigarette crowd, but they are appropriate for a yacht of this size and displacement. At 201,595 pounds, the X90 is not light, and the hull form prioritizes stability over speed.
Fuel capacity is 2,905 gallons. That is enough to run Miami to the Abacos or Fort Lauderdale to Key West and back without refueling. It is not enough to cross the Gulf Stream and island-hop for a week without planning fuel stops. This is a coastal cruiser, not an expedition yacht.
Draft is 5 feet, 8 inches, which makes the X90 viable for Bahamas cruising. That is a meaningful advantage over deeper-draft competitors in this size range. The ability to access shallow anchorages without worrying about the keel is worth more than an extra two knots of top speed.
Ownership Conversation: Crew or Owner-Operator
The X90 can be run by a professional crew or by an experienced owner-operator with occasional crew support. The enclosed wheelhouse gives the captain a dedicated workspace, and the crew quarters are sized for two full-time crew members. But the layout also supports the owner who wants to drive the boat during the day and hire a chef and deckhand for the weekend.
Annual operating costs will run approximately 10 percent of the purchase price, assuming moderate use. That includes insurance, dockage, maintenance, fuel, and crew salaries if you go that route. For a yacht in this price range, expect $200,000 to $300,000 per year in fixed and variable costs. That is not a small number, but it is in line with the category.
Resale will depend on how well Princess executes the build quality on the first few hulls. The X Class is still a relatively new line, and the market has not yet established long-term resale trends. Princess has a strong reputation for build quality, but the X90's design is polarizing, and that will affect liquidity. If you are buying this boat, plan to own it for five to seven years.
Where to Start
The Princess X90 is a statement yacht. It is not for everyone, and that is the point. If you want a traditional flybridge motor yacht, buy a Ferretti 920. If you want speed, buy a Pershing 9X. But if you want a yacht where the outdoor space is the main event, and the interior is secondary, the X90 is worth a serious look.
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