On the Trump Princess, there are 11 luxurious guest staterooms with equally luxurious ensuite bathrooms, bird’s eye maple and chamois-covered walls, and a helicopter landing pad. What billionaire wouldn’t want to entertain friends and business associates in this floating palace? Maybe that’s why Donald Trump bought the yacht sight unseen when it hit the market in 1987.

After all, celebrities are always adding to their vehicle collections. From cars and motorcycles to private jets, the world’s elites know how to travel in style. Why not add one of the world’s most fabulous yachts to an already stunning car collection? A celebrity yacht is certainly an eye-catching addition to anyone’s vehicle collection!

Donald Trump’s ‘Trump Princess’

According to Boat International, this 282′ superyacht, formerly the prized property of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and named after his only daughter Nabila, was placed on the market after Khashoggi forfeited on a loan. He used his prized custom yacht as collateral, and it was put up for grabs. 

Trump made a cash offer of $30 million for the superyacht. Since Khashoggi didn’t want anyone else owning a yacht bearing his daughter’s name, Trump was able to snag a cool $1 million off just by agreeing to change the yacht’s name. He chose Trump Princess as a suitable homage to this floating beauty.

The yacht was berthed at Trump’s new Farley Marina within sight of his Atlantic City casino. Its impressive luxury was offered as a special perk to especially high-rollers at the gaming tables. It was also lent to select charities for their gala fund-raising events.

An exquisitely luxurious yacht

This incredibly sumptuous yacht was designed by renowned British yacht designer Jon Bannenberg. It cost $35 million to build at Benetti’s shipyards in Viareggio, Italy, in 1980. However, that initial cost was probably quickly exceeded when famed Italian designer Luigi was commissioned to create the fabulously ostentatious interior.

Some of the features Sturchio included in this yacht would make a royal swoon with envy. How about onyx bathrooms for a start? We’re not talking about a touch of onyx, either. When we say this yacht features onyx bathrooms, we mean it! Everything from the floors to the showers is crafted from gorgeous onyx hand-carved by some of Italy’s finest craftsmen. In the owner’s stateroom, the onyx extravaganza includes a hand-carved shower in the shape of a scallop shell. This piece alone took a crew of Italian craftsmen a year to carve by hand from a single massive piece of semi-precious onyx. It features 13 nozzles for the ultimate showering experience.

Undergoing an expensive renovation

Elsewhere, Trump didn’t like some of Khashoggi and Sturchio’s customization and decor choices. He removed the three-seat hair salon and replaced it with a cloakroom. The most flamboyant stateroom became a children’s playroom. He also had the yacht’s hull repainted, the main engines rebuilt, and his trademark ‘T’ added to the helipad of the Trump Princess.

The fairly extensive renovations cost $8.5 million, but when you’ve already spent $29 on a floating marvel, why not drop a few million more to make it your own? After all, just keeping this yacht on the water costs around $2.5 million a year. According to Quote Database, American banker and financier J.P. Morgan famously said, “Anyone who has to ask about the annual upkeep of a yacht can’t afford one.”

Where is the ‘Trump Princess’ now?

There’s always a market for superyachts among the world’s super-rich.  From the most expensive yacht in the world to the most technologically innovative yacht to an older model that’s had multiple owners, there’s always someone willing to pay for the privilege of owning one of these luxurious and iconic models.

Trump sold the Trump Princess in 1991 for a reported $19 million. It was renamed Kingdom 5KR by its new owner, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, and now spends most of its time berthed in the south of France at Antibes. Occasionally, the boat is seen cruising to nearby Cannes or Monte Carlo. From a sentimental arms dealer to the future American president to a real Arabian Prince, what lies in the future for this exceptional floating palace?