Princess C class

DAW said:
I don't think Pardo are specifically targeted at rental companies, but if you look around many of the marinas in the SoF, Balearics, etc. a high proportion of their boats seem to be in use with day charter companies. For this market, they offer a really good balance of style, performance and practicality and while expensive are still competitively priced versus equivalent models from other builders.

The people chartering these boats (and there seem to be plenty of them, because the boats are always busy) are paying several thousand euros for a day out ... for example, a Pardo 50 will cost you €4-5K per day in peak season in Ibiza or St Tropez . I expect they want more than just a fridge and a sunpad for their money.
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Am I crazy for thinking the price is eye-wateringly high for what it is:ROFLMAO:? And I don’t mean that as a slight against Pardo at all!

Honestly, I’m not even sure how some of these boats (Pardo/Windy/Fjord etc. etc.) stacks up in terms of quality or premium feel. But looking at the photo below, am I wrong in thinking that the minimalist open walkarounds don’t naturally lend themselves to being very high-premium products (not to focus in on Pardo, as others are similar). I get that the T-top is carbon fibre and the accommodations are surely very nice - but beyond that, the rest just seems ordinary.. Yet clearly these boats keep selling, and prices keep rising, so by the evidence I must be in the wrong:unsure:!

That said, I think Princess/Sunseekers/Other well-known brands maybe could do well in this segment on their brand recognition alone - especially if they can succeed in the charter/rental market, as @Bouba mentioned above.

Pardo 43.JPG
 
roa312 said:
Am I crazy for thinking the price is eye-wateringly high for what it is:ROFLMAO:? And I don’t mean that as a slight against Pardo at all!

Honestly, I’m not even sure how some of these boats (Pardo/Windy/Fjord etc. etc.) stacks up in terms of quality or premium feel. But looking at the photo below, am I wrong in thinking that the minimalist open walkarounds don’t naturally lend themselves to being very high-premium products (not to focus in on Pardo, as others are similar). I get that the T-top is carbon fibre and the accommodations are surely very nice - but beyond that, the rest just seems ordinary.. Yet clearly these boats keep selling, and prices keep rising, so by the evidence I must be in the wrong:unsure:!

That said, I think Princess/Sunseekers/Other well-known brands maybe could do well in this segment on their brand recognition alone - especially if they can succeed in the charter/rental market, as @Bouba mentioned above.

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The value is in it’s singular use....if I were buying a boat this size, I would want to be able to live on it, cruise, as well as day boat. This says....I am rich enough to spend a million just for the odd days that I only want a day on the water. Hence the rental potential, I guess
 
roa312 said:
Am I crazy for thinking the price is eye-wateringly high for what it is:ROFLMAO:? And I don’t mean that as a slight against Pardo at all!

Honestly, I’m not even sure how some of these boats (Pardo/Windy/Fjord etc. etc.) stacks up in terms of quality or premium feel. But looking at the photo below, am I wrong in thinking that the minimalist open walkarounds don’t naturally lend themselves to being very high-premium products (not to focus in on Pardo, as others are similar). I get that the T-top is carbon fibre and the accommodations are surely very nice - but beyond that, the rest just seems ordinary.. Yet clearly these boats keep selling, and prices keep rising, so by the evidence I must be in the wrong:unsure:!

That said, I think Princess/Sunseekers/Other well-known brands maybe could do well in this segment on their brand recognition alone - especially if they can succeed in the charter/rental market, as @Bouba mentioned above.

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They may seem expensive for what they are, but if you look how they are used and the cost of an equivalent size sports cruiser or flybridge from a mainstream builder they start to look like reasonable value for money.

A new/lightly used Pardo 50 would cost something like €1.5-1.7m ... a Sunseeker Superhawk 55 or Manhattan 55 (or the smallest model from any equivalent builder) would be €2.5-3.0m. OK, they're not the same boat so you would be comparing apples with pears, but the reality is in the Med both types will be used mainly as day boats.

While an "owner operator" might want to have the option to sleep onboard occasionally and the possibility of cruising (although few do), someone renting a boat for the day doesn't care. For the rental companies they can offer a boat that takes 8-10 guests in comfort with half the initial capital cost and depreciation of an equivalent sports cruiser/flybridge boat. Add the additional style and panache of an open boat (and as Bouba says ... the image of being rich enough to spend a million plus for the odd days you want to spend on the water) and its easy to see why there is strong demand from the rental market.

As to why the British builders aren't successful in this market ... I suspect it's not in their brand DNA. They continue to believe that everyone who wants a boat of this size is looking for a floating apartment and will be more concerned with interior space and high-quality finishes than exterior utility. The boats that have been launched (e.g. Princess R35, Sunseeker Hawk 38) have been extreme in terms of performance or made extensive use of exotic materials (or both) resulting in high cost and as a result, limited appeal in the market. There is a now a sizeable market for people who want to own/rent a villa or stay in a hotel, and then own/rent a boat for day use with no intention of ever staying onboard. Unfortunately, the UK builders have been slow to (or still don't) recognise this.
 
The video and few hints of photos looks it will be a walk around model. Very late to the party, in a very competitive market. But its never too late or so they say.
Pardo and Fjord has dominated the market, and then followed by Blue Game.
To be fair when I was in Sardinia and Corsica last year I saw more Blue Game's then Pardo and Fjord's, especially if you go in the bigger sizes.

In the USA is a different game with SeaVee. Boston Whaler, Grady White, and Midnight Express dominating the outboard part of the market.
The Euros dominate the inboard more comfort type.

The Walkaround Center Console is a very competitive market, and I would see this as something probably pushed by the American ownership.

In reality WA CC in the USA are having a new competitor with DCs, so it will be interesting what will happen in the coming years.

I always thought you can cruise with these dayboats the bigger they are. A client of mine has done half the med on his Pardo 43, and he would not change it for anything else.
With kids gone, he feels the exterior spaces as liberating and giving him a sense of freedom not found in other boats.

@Mr Googler The Sunseeker Sportfisher 37 was not a walk-around boat, it had just a free aft deck space and raised off-set center console, It was also available with outboards.
It looked it would never sell well, but the sportfish market is then another thing entirely, and that boat has a cockpit smaller to that of a thirty foot Tiara , which saying it bluntly is not a real battle wagon
 
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dunedin said:
That one is not so much “rental” as skippered day charter - which makes more sense with a super expensive asset.
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I don’t think they make sense as a skippered charter....the captain is always at the center of your party. He is not out the way downstairs
 
Bouba said:
I don’t think they make sense as a skippered charter....the captain is always at the center of your party. He is not out the way downstairs
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Most of the "rental" options I've seen for these type of boats are skippered day charters. Sometimes there is both a skipper and a stewardess onboard. The daily package includes access to water toys (Seabobs, SUPs, etc.) and a hospitality package of drinks and snacks and from what I've seen the crew is kept quite busy.

I suspect most of the people chartering this type of boat for the day don't want anything to do with operating the boat. They just want a day out on the water, or a taxi to take them to a restaurant or quiet beach.
 
ari said:
Those aren't rental companies, they're skippered charter, a very different thing.

A rental company is like when you go to Greece and there's a line of tatty speedboats you can pay a few euros and go out for an hour or two. :)
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I'm aware. But that's what @DAW was referring to above that you queried.

I don't think Pardo are specifically targeted at rental companies, but if you look around many of the marinas in the SoF, Balearics, etc. a high proportion of their boats seem to be in use with day charter companies.
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DAW said:
Most of the "rental" options I've seen for these type of boats are skippered day charters. Sometimes there is both a skipper and a stewardess onboard. The daily package includes access to water toys (Seabobs, SUPs, etc.) and a hospitality package of drinks and snacks and from what I've seen the crew is kept quite busy.

I suspect most of the people chartering this type of boat for the day don't want anything to do with operating the boat. They just want a day out on the water, or a taxi to take them to a restaurant or quiet beach.
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Thanks DAW.
This is exactly what I was referring to when I first mentioned that I see this type of boats as targeted to rental companies.
Obviously it is not the same type of rental as the catamarans in Greece.

Other similar boats that are frequently offered for this type of experience (skippered day boat + hostess + champagne, ...) were Van Dutch and Wajer
 
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roa312 said:
Am I crazy for thinking the price is eye-wateringly high for what it is:ROFLMAO:? And I don’t mean that as a slight against Pardo at all!

Honestly, I’m not even sure how some of these boats (Pardo/Windy/Fjord etc. etc.) stacks up in terms of quality or premium feel. But looking at the photo below, am I wrong in thinking that the minimalist open walkarounds don’t naturally lend themselves to being very high-premium products (not to focus in on Pardo, as others are similar). I get that the T-top is carbon fibre and the accommodations are surely very nice - but beyond that, the rest just seems ordinary.. Yet clearly these boats keep selling, and prices keep rising, so by the evidence I must be in the wrong:unsure:!

That said, I think Princess/Sunseekers/Other well-known brands maybe could do well in this segment on their brand recognition alone - especially if they can succeed in the charter/rental market, as @Bouba mentioned above.
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As well, I struggle to justify the prices of these wa boats.
A 2024 Pardo 50 (almost new) is listed at 1.7M
A new 2025 Princess V50 is listed at 1.8M
 
marcochi76 said:
As well, I struggle to justify the prices of these wa boats.
A 2024 Pardo 50 (almost new) is listed at 1.7M
A new 2025 Princess V50 is listed at 1.8M
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I agree....but I think the V50 has more potential to absorb from the ‘extras’ options than the Prado...so there might be a different on the water price. Paying more for less because of perceived exclusivity and quality is always a great marketing coup
 
Bouba said:
I agree....but I think the V50 has more potential to absorb from the ‘extras’ options than the Prado...so there might be a different on the water price. Paying more for less because of perceived exclusivity and quality is always a great marketing coup
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Agree with this ... You always have to be careful to try to make like-for-like comparisons. If you compare the price of a nearly new Med-spec Pardo already on the water in SoF or the Balearics with list price from Princess ex-factory, or the price for a nearly new boat in the UK without Med-spec options (like upgraded AC, passerelle, stabilisers, etc.), they can look quite similar. However, once you add all the essential options, include delivery to the Med and apply 20% EU VAT the UK built boats start to look considerably more expensive.
 
By the way, we have to admit that it is a design used more and more even on faster/sportier yachts.
Maybe someday we will see an Itama walkaround?


Gladiator493_Ext.01.jpg83974.jpegWiLder-60-homepage-gallery-1280x720-01.jpeg12.4.jpg


vanquish-vq55-sports-line-boat-example-1.jpeg
 
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marcochi76 said:
exactly, the prices I mentioned are fully equipped boat, with all extras, VAT included, so comparable.
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Also important to compare the dimensions of the boat and not just rely on the number in the builder's description ... the V50 is not really a direct comparison. While the LOAs may be similar, due to the different designs of the bow and platform the 14.95m hull/waterline length and 4.95m beam of the Pardo 50 makes it more directly comparable to the Princess V55/Superhawk 55 which are much more expensive. The V50 has a hull length of 14.07m and a beam of 4.08m, so in practice it's quite a lot smaller than the Pardo 50.
 
DAW said:
Also important to compare the dimensions of the boat and not just rely on the number in the builder's description ... the V50 is not really a direct comparison. While the LOAs may be similar, due to the different designs of the bow and platform the 14.95m hull/waterline length and 4.95m beam of the Pardo 50 makes it more directly comparable to the Princess V55/Superhawk 55 which are much more expensive. The V50 has a hull length of 14.07m and a beam of 4.08m, so in practice it's quite a lot smaller than the Pardo 50.
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To be fair the V50 comparison would be the Pardo 52GT rather then the 50 WA.
The V55 is such a bigger boat, tall as two Pardo 50s, and is also on shaft drives.

1.8 million for a V50? Damn crazy prices....

Two years ago I clinched a deal for a client for a V55 at 1.55 million EUROS Vat incl, with most options but excluding the gyro stabilizer which they offered to retro-fit at 60k.
 
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