Former US President Donald Trump doesn’t always get what he desires. A case in point is a beauty, not the walking-talking kind but the sailing kind – the Trump Princess II. The businessman, worth nearly $3 billion in the late 1980s, was no stranger to big boats. One of the richest businessmen in the world, Trump bought the Benetti vessel from the Sultan of Brunei in 1988 for a cool $30 million, later selling it to Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. The Trump Princess is now known as the incredible Kingdom 5KR superyacht.
There was one more boat in the picture, or nearly there. In 1993, Trump commissioned Spanish firm owner Jaime Oliver and his son to build the largest and most beautiful yacht in the world, Trump Princess II. It was to be a 420-foot masterpiece, for which the tycoon even paid $170,000 to the Spanish firm. Unfortunately, the luxury vessel was not meant to be Trump’s princess, as the project was shelved despite completed blueprints.
It clashed with a financially difficult time, with several of Trump’s hotels and casinos filing for bankruptcy. Still, nearly 25 years later, the firm’s work is still worth a look, as is the vision of the billionaire known for creating some of the most breathtaking hotels around the world.
What did the Trump Princess yacht look like?
The ship, a four-decker (Trump Princess had five decks), was designed to become not only the largest but also the most beautiful pleasure craft in the 1990s. The vessel had it all from a helipad, split-level suites, lounges, a swimming pool, and hot tubs. It was almost like a floating hotel complete with a grand gallery decorated with palm trees for large gatherings. Renderings reveal an extravagant main salon featuring luxurious interiors, diverse materials, and glass partitions between the lounge and dining areas.
The palatial owner’s suite, which occupied two decks, was designed as an oasis of luxury, tailor-made for the billionaire with a taste for the finer things in life. The bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a cocktail bar, a superyacht spa pool, and lounge areas from which to enjoy the vistas.
The main deck of the impressive Trump Princess II was designed to be open and airy, offering ample space for fun in the sun, and it even included an upper-deck helipad.
The Spanish shipyard Astilleros Españoles (now Navantia) was engaged to build the vessel when Trump unexpectedly informed Jaime Oliver of his decision to scrap the project. Oliver Design was paid $170,000 for the conceptual design of what could have been one of the most breathtaking boats of all times had the corporate debt of 3.5 billion dollars and personal debts of around $900 million not interrupted the making.
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