Princess X90 reaches sea trials with 16 already on order
A new model, and a full order book before launch
The first X90, completed at Princess's South Yard in Plymouth, launched in May 2026 and is now running sea trials, with a global debut booked for the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. Princess sold seven of the 27.1-metre yachts before that first hull touched the water, and four more are in build. BOATPro puts the total on order or under construction at 16.
For a buyer, that order book is the number that matters. A model with a queue behind it tends to hold value better than a one-off, and it signals the yard will keep the line and its parts supply running for years. The X90 fills the space between the 24-metre X80 and the flagship X95 Vista, the part of the range where Princess sells the most boats.
A hull built to burn less fuel
The headline engineering change is a new Hybrid Progressive-Planing hull, drawn with British naval architects Olesinski. Princess says it needs about 10 percent less power above 16 knots than the Y85, while matching that boat's fuel use below 10 knots, and it does so while carrying roughly 18 tonnes more weight.
Fuel and range read straight through to running cost and to how far an owner can cruise between fills. A hull that does more with less is the kind of change that shows up on the annual bill rather than in a brochure, and it is a claim a buyer should ask the yard to demonstrate on a sea trial rather than take on paper.
Deck space aimed at the owner who uses the boat
Above the waterline the X90 leans into open-plan living. The cockpit sits low and flush with a glass transom and fold-down balconies to either side, curved patio doors fold the saloon into the aft deck, and a Super Flybridge adds a skylounge over an enclosed helm. The main deck runs on one level from the saloon to the owner's suite forward.
That layout is a pitch to the owner who spends time aboard rather than the one who charters the boat out. Single-level main decks and a large social cockpit are what sell at this size, and Princess is betting the format carries the X90 through Cannes and into the four hulls already following the first down the line.
What owners and crew report
Only independent hands-on account so far is a delivery run, not a formal sea trial
Hugo Andreae, editor of Motor Boat & Yachting, rode hull number one for the 220-nautical-mile delivery cruise from central London to Southampton (the leg that shipped her on to Cannes) and recorded helm noise of just 44dB at idle, rising to only 48dB at an 1,800rpm/18-knot cruise (about 400 l/hr on the twin 2,000hp MAN engines); he described the boat as combining heavy-displacement refinement with impressive planing capability, with stabilizer-assisted full-lock turns producing smooth, civilised handling and no unpleasant heel.
Hugo Andreae, editor, Motor Boat & Yachting
What is good, and what to watch
Strong points
- A real pre-launch order book, not just marketing spinSeven units sold before public launch plus four more already in build (16 total on order or in build per BOATPro) is consistent across Princess's own statements and independent trade coverage.
- Efficiency claim targets a genuine pain pointThe claimed gain over the Y85 (about 10% less power above 16kt, matched fuel burn below 10kt despite roughly 18 tonnes more weight) targets a real weak spot for larger flybridge cruisers, and the one independent data point so far - roughly 400 l/hr at an 18kt/1,800rpm cruise from the delivery cruise - is at least in the right range for the class.
- Real functional deck upgrades, not just stylingRetractable cockpit terraces, a glazed transom and a single-level main deck to the owner's suite forward are genuine functional upgrades for an owner-operator who wants entertaining space without giving up bridge-deck privacy.
- A genuine choice of powertrains at order timeThree engine tiers (MAN V12-1900, -2000, -2200) give buyers a real power-versus-economy choice rather than a single fixed powertrain.
What to watch
- The efficiency figure is Princess's own, not independently verifiedThe only outside account so far, MBY's Hugo Andreae, rode a delivery cruise rather than a controlled comparative sea trial, so the 10%-less-power-than-Y85 claim has not been independently benchmarked against the Y85 on the water.
- No published price against named rivalsPrice is undisclosed (price on application) everywhere it was checked - Princess's own site, an independent yacht database, and a US dealer's live listing - making it hard to judge value against rivals: a 2026 Sunseeker 90 Ocean (same 27.1m length) has listed around USD 12M, and the smaller 28.7m Azimut Grande 30M lists at EUR 10.9M for 2026 delivery, so the X90 is competing in an eight-figure bracket where buyers can see rival numbers but not Princess's.
- Unclear what the step up from the X80 actually buysMoving up from the X80 (24m) means roughly three extra metres and a heavier, more complex hull platform, but Princess has not published a like-for-like cabin or beam comparison against the X80.
- A new order today queues behind 16 hulls already soldPrincess's own site lists the X90 as available for 2027 delivery, and an independent US dealer listing for a fresh hull confirms a Fall 2027 delivery date - a new order now is roughly a 12-to-18-month wait, not a same-season yacht.
Practical detail
| Price | No public price published. Checked directly on Princess's own site, on an independent yacht database's model page, and on a US dealer's active new-build listing - all three show price on application with no figure disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Delivery slot for a new order today | Listed as available for 2027 delivery on Princess's own configurator page; an independent US dealer (Seattle Yachts, West Palm Beach) listing a fresh-build hull confirms availability for delivery in Fall 2027, with a planned North American debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2026. |
| Engine/powertrain options | Three factory options: twin MAN V12-1900 (2 x 1,900mhp), twin MAN V12-2000 (2 x 2,000mhp, the spec fitted to hull one for its delivery cruise), or twin MAN V12-2200 (2 x 2,200mhp). Reported top speed is roughly 26-27 knots depending on configuration and load. |
| Not yet publicly available | No independent, controlled sea-trial performance data exists yet, only the MBY delivery-cruise account; no published price; no confirmed fuel-burn figures at speed beyond the single 18kt/roughly 400 l/hr data point from that delivery cruise; no direct owner-testimonial or broker sales account from any of the seven pre-launch buyers has been published. |
Questions this story answers
What happened?
The first Princess X90, a 27.1-metre model that slots between the X80 and the flagship X95 Vista, is on sea trials off Plymouth ahead of her September debut at Cannes. Seven units sold before she launched, and BOATPro counts 16 on order or in build, which helps hold resale for anyone buying an early hull. The draw for owners is a new Hybrid Progressive-Planing hull that Princess says needs 10 percent less power above 16 knots than the Y85.
What is good about it?
A real pre-launch order book, not just marketing spin. Seven units sold before public launch plus four more already in build (16 total on order or in build per BOATPro) is consistent across Princess's own statements and independent trade coverage.
What should an owner or buyer watch?
The efficiency figure is Princess's own, not independently verified. The only outside account so far, MBY's Hugo Andreae, rode a delivery cruise rather than a controlled comparative sea trial, so the 10%-less-power-than-Y85 claim has not been independently benchmarked against the Y85 on the water.
What do owners and crew report?
Hugo Andreae, editor of Motor Boat & Yachting, rode hull number one for the 220-nautical-mile delivery cruise from central London to Southampton (the leg that shipped her on to Cannes) and recorded helm noise of just 44dB at idle, rising to only 48dB at an 1,800rpm/18-knot cruise (about 400 l/hr on the twin 2,000hp MAN engines); he described the boat as combining heavy-displacement refinement with impressive planing capability, with stabilizer-assisted full-lock turns producing smooth, civilised handling and no unpleasant heel. (Hugo Andreae, editor, Motor Boat & Yachting)
Who reported this?
BOAT International, SuperYacht Times, Princess Yachts, Motor Boat & Yachting.
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