The Princess Yachts V78 is intended to be an owner-operator vessel, an at-sea entertainment platform and a capable family cruiser. A draft of 5 feet, 4 inches means it can do all these things while island hopping or cruising the Great Loop. Owners can invite guests for an evening on the water or bring the family for an extended vacation.
Boarding the yacht via a centerline staircase off the hydraulic swim platform, I immediately noted the size and layout of the aft deck. There’s a sun pad on each side of the walkway, with both sun pads being separate from the dining area, which is forward and to port. By releasing several mounting pins, owners can reconfigure the modular U-shaped dining seats and starboard L-shaped settee to suit any occasion.
The amount of space on the aft deck seemed unrivaled until I saw the salon’s interior volume. There’s a galley aft with a four-burner Miele cooktop, a full-size Sub-Zero fridge/freezer, an Immer Besser dishwasher, a Miele microwave oven and a retracting glass divider. On the outside of the galley’s flip-up bulkhead window are a serving bar and electric grill, combining the salon and aft deck into one big serving space.
And even with all those features aft, the V78 retains nearly 360-degree visibility from the helm, which is to starboard. The salon has 6-foot-7-inch headroom, three 75-inch-tall glass-and-metal doors aft, and side windows that measure 47 inches tall and run the length of the salon. Even the galley has a 61-inch-wide window, so the chef has views too. The glass dining table allows light to filter through and shows off the walnut sole. Mounted on tracks, the dining table can be pulled out for seating or pushed in to add companionway space.
The salon’s inlaid carpet is not squared to the hull but instead is installed at an angle. To the eye, it actually blends the angled port settee with the starboard U-shaped sofa. Angling the port settee creates space for a pop-up 55-inch LED TV and headroom for the private staircase to the master stateroom. Princess also designed the cabinet next to the settee with drawers that pull out on an angle, thereby not wasting space.
For cruising couples, the helm has twin pedestal seats. There’s a starboard-side deck door for access to the lines when owners are cruising short-handed. Nestled into the port corner under the windshield is an L-shaped settee, perfect for guests when underway.
The glass helm’s design makes it seem like it could be in a sports car. It has twin 17-inch Garmin multifunction displays, a digital engine display, Side-Power thruster joysticks, a Seakeeper 16 controller and single-lever MAN controls. There is a hidden control station aft and to port for docking.
The full-beam master stateroom amidships has 6-foot-6-inch headroom and hullside windows for natural light and ocean views. Flanking the centerline double berth are a lounge to starboard and a vanity/desk to port. Add the 40-inch LED TV with a Naim audio system, and the stateroom is an owner’s oasis. Access to the his-and-hers en suite head with a glass-enclosed shower stall is via a walk-in closet.
Princess carries the yacht’s high-gloss walnut wood finish and light leather furnishings throughout the vessel with an exacting level of craftsmanship. Panels of macassar ebony are used as accent pieces. Rovere, silver or alba oak are available in satin or high-gloss finishes. Countertops can be granite or quartz, and wood soles and customized blinds can be selected.
In this V78′s four-stateroom layout, there’s a VIP stateroom forward with an en suite head and shower stall, hullside windows, and an overhead hatch. Guests can also stay in the starboard stateroom with double berths or in the twin-berth stateroom to port, each with an en suite head.
If crew are needed, quarters are aft with twin berths, a fridge, a head and a shower stall. There’s also a tender garage to port for water toys, thanks to the V78′s 18-foot-11-inch beam.
The Princess Yachts V78 takes the express-cruiser segment to lengths where the design’s sinewy lines can be appreciated. The interior space is big enough for a cruising family to embark on extended voyages, and owners can enjoy the 34-plus-knot performance and options. All that and the robust construction for which Princess Yachts’ more than 3,000 craftsmen are known, and this is a vessel whose list of positive attributes is as long as its hull.
To learn more about Princess Yachts, visit the Princess Passport or Princess Yachts’ website.