Some yachts are defined by their length. Others are remembered for what their designers managed to accomplish within it. The new Princess X90 belongs decisively in the second category.
Measuring just under 89 feet overall, the X90 occupies an intriguing position in the Princess Yachts range. It delivers the commanding presence, privacy and living space associated with a much larger motor yacht, yet retains the performance and flexibility required for owners who intend to cruise rather than merely entertain at the dock. Its defining features include a main-deck owner’s suite, an enclosed upper Skylounge, an expandable beach club-style cockpit and accommodations for as many as 10 guests.
For owners exploring the Great Lakes, that combination has obvious appeal. The Princess X90 offers protected, climate-controlled spaces for changing weather, expansive outdoor decks for long summer days and enough range, storage and accommodations to make extended cruising through Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and beyond a realistic part of the ownership experience.
Walk-through Video Review Of The Princess X90
This video walk-through review of the new Princess X90 was filmed at the Cannes Yachting Festival with Jefferson Beach Yacht Sales, the authorized Princess dealer for the Great Lakes.
A New Expression For The Popular X-Class
The X90 is the newest addition to Princess Yachts’ X Class, joining a family created around the British builder’s “Super Flybridge” concept. Rather than treating the flybridge as an exposed helm station with an adjoining lounge, Princess extends the upper deck to create a substantial enclosed wheelhouse and Skylounge, followed by a generous outdoor entertaining area.
Moving the primary helm upstairs has an important effect on the rest of the yacht: it frees the main deck for uninterrupted living space and a full-beam owner’s stateroom forward. The result is a yacht that feels remarkably residential, with more distinct places to dine, entertain, relax or find privacy than one might expect aboard a yacht of this length.
At 88 feet, 11 inches overall, with a 21-foot, 8-inch beam, the Princess X90 has the proportions to support that ambitious arrangement. Fuel capacity is approximately 2,905 U.S. gallons, while available twin MAN engine packages range from 1,900 to 2,200 metric horsepower per engine. Depending on engine selection and operating conditions, Princess publishes a maximum-speed range of approximately 22 to 27 knots.
How The Super Flybridge Changes The Yacht
The upper deck may be the clearest example of what separates the Princess X90 from a conventional flybridge motor yacht.
Forward, the enclosed wheelhouse creates a protected command center with the elevated sightlines captains appreciate when navigating unfamiliar harbors or approaching a busy marina. Immediately aft, the Skylounge becomes a second interior salon, a sheltered retreat with broad glazing, comfortable seating and panoramic views.
This design should be particularly valuable on the Great Lakes, where conditions can change quickly and comfortable cruising is not always synonymous with sitting outside. On a cool morning leaving Bay Harbor, during an unsettled passage across Lake Michigan or on a breezy evening near Chicago, guests can still enjoy the view from a substantial upper lounge rather than retreating entirely to the main deck.
When the weather is at its best, the upper deck continues outside beneath an extended canopy. Depending on how an owner specifies the yacht, the aft portion can become a dining terrace, an open lounge, a spa area or part of the tender-handling arrangement. Forward seating and sunpad options add yet another outdoor destination.
The benefit is not merely more seating. It is the freedom to use different sections of the yacht simultaneously. One group can enjoy cocktails upstairs while another gathers in the main salon. Children can settle in for a movie while adults linger outside after dinner. During a weeklong family cruise, that separation can be every bit as luxurious as the materials and finishes.
An Expandable Cockpit Right At The Water’s Edge
At the stern, the Princess X90 introduces one of the most distinctive features yet seen on an X Class yacht: an expandable beach club-style cockpit.
Fold-down terraces extend from both sides of the cockpit, dramatically increasing the usable deck area and bringing guests closer to the water. An infinity-style glass transom preserves the view astern, while the low, open design makes the cockpit feel less like a transitional boarding area and more like a private waterfront terrace. Princess describes the X90 as its first yacht to incorporate this expandable cockpit arrangement.
This feature feels like it was designed just for Great Lakes summers.
Picture the X90 anchored off a quiet Lake Michigan beach, tucked into a protected Lake Huron bay or spending the afternoon near Mackinac Island. With the side terraces lowered, the stern becomes the natural center of the yacht. Guests can move easily between the cockpit and water, return from a swim, relax in the shade or simply watch the anchorage from a comfortable seat.
An electro-hydraulic bathing platform, retractable swim ladder and transom shower further support the yacht’s waterside lifestyle. These may seem like practical details, but on a warm August afternoon, they are precisely the features that determine how naturally owners and guests interact with the water.
Owner’s Suite On The Main Deck Includes Private Terrace
Forward on the main deck, the owner’s suite gives the Princess X90 one of its most compelling advantages.
Locating the primary stateroom on the main level eliminates the need to descend below deck and creates a brighter, more private retreat. Broad windows provide panoramic views, while a walk-in dressing area, sofa, dressing table and generous en-suite bathroom reinforce the feeling that this is a genuine owner’s apartment rather than simply the largest cabin aboard.
An optional gullwing door can provide direct access from the suite to a private foredeck terrace.
It is easy to imagine how memorable that space could become during a Great Lakes cruise. An owner might wake at anchor in northern Michigan, step directly onto the foredeck with a cup of coffee and watch the shoreline emerge in the early light, all without passing through the salon or disturbing guests elsewhere aboard.
The terrace also gives the owner a genuinely private outdoor area. On a yacht designed for entertaining, that sense of personal escape is important.
Cabin Configurations For Both Private Cruising Or Charter
The Princess X90 can be configured to accommodate either eight or 10 guests.
The standard layout includes the main-deck owner’s suite and three additional en-suite cabins below. An optional arrangement replaces the larger lower-deck guest suite with two separate cabins, creating a total of five guest staterooms and sleeping accommodations for as many as 10 people. This may be ideal for owners who wish to put their X90 into a yacht charter program. Dedicated crew quarters are positioned separately and can include up to three cabins, a bathroom and a mess area.
This is a meaningful design for Great Lakes yacht buyers.
An owner who normally cruises with one or two other couples may prefer the larger guest accommodations of the four-stateroom arrangement. A family that frequently brings children, grandchildren or several groups of friends may find the optional five-stateroom layout more useful.
Either configuration allows the X90 to function as a legitimate seasonal residence. Owners can spend several weeks moving through the Great Lakes without asking guests to compromise on privacy, storage or bathroom access. Charter groups will appreciate the option with the extra cabin.
Standard: (4 Cabin)
Optional: (5 Cabin)
The New Princess Hull Design For Efficient Performance
Beneath the X90’s expansive accommodations is an equally significant engineering development: the new Princess Hybrid Progressive-Planing hull, created in partnership with naval architects Olesinski.
The term “hybrid” refers to the way the hull combines efficient lower-speed cruising with confident planing performance; it does not describe a hybrid-electric propulsion system. Princess says the hull requires approximately 10 percent less power above 16 knots than the Princess Y85 when the comparison is normalized for displacement. At speeds below 10 knots, the builder says the X90 can match the Y85’s fuel burn despite being approximately 18 tonnes heavier.
For an owner, the practical appeal is versatility.
The X90 can cruise economically when the day calls for a relaxed passage, yet available power from twin MAN diesels allows it to reach speeds of up to approximately 27 knots with the largest engine package. That gives Great Lakes owners more freedom when planning a trip around distance, weather or limited vacation time.
A slower cruise north can become part of the holiday. On another day, the ability to cover more water can help an owner reach a protected marina before changing conditions arrive.
Why The Princess X90 Is Perfect For Great Lakes Luxury Cruising
Luxury yachting on the Great Lakes demands more versatility than many people realize.
Our region can deliver brilliant sunshine, cool mornings, fresh breezes and quickly changing conditions, sometimes within the same weekend. Owners need a yacht that embraces outdoor living without depending entirely on perfect weather. They also need enough autonomy and onboard comfort to travel meaningful distances between destinations.
The Princess X90 answers those needs with an unusually balanced design that invites owners to think beyond a single home port.From Chicago, an itinerary might follow the Lake Michigan shoreline north toward Milwaukee, Door County and the harbors of western Michigan. From Detroit, owners can travel through Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River before entering Lake Huron.
Northern Michigan opens another world entirely, with destinations such as Harbor Springs, Bay Harbor, Charlevoix, Mackinac Island and the Les Cheneaux Islands offering dramatically different experiences within one cruising region.
The yacht’s appeal is that the journey need not feel like the space between destinations. With a private owner’s terrace, enclosed Skylounge, full dining areas and several exterior lounges, time underway becomes part of the vacation.
Some mornings may begin with a long passage. Others may involve no movement at all.
Below are several reasons why the X90 stands out;
- Protected Living Areas: The enclosed Skylounge and expansive main-deck salon give guests two substantial interior gathering spaces. That makes the X90 comfortable during cooler spring and fall cruising as well as on days when wind or rain changes the plan.
- Exceptional Outdoor Space: The expandable cockpit, upper deck, forward lounge and private owner’s terrace provide multiple ways to enjoy the Great Lakes’ summer season. Guests can gather together or spread out across the yacht without competing for the same seating area.
- Accommodations for Extended Cruising: With four- or five-stateroom layouts, dedicated crew quarters, substantial tankage and residential-style living spaces, the X90 is well suited to multi-day and multi-week itineraries.
- Performance for Regional Travel: The available MAN engine packages and progressive-planing hull provide the ability to cruise efficiently or make faster passages when appropriate. That flexibility is valuable in a region where destinations can be separated by significant stretches of open water.
- A Strong Connection to the Water: The folding cockpit terraces and low glass transom are especially appealing on freshwater cruising grounds. At anchor, the yacht becomes a private waterfront retreat rather than simply a vessel from which to observe the lake.
Princess Factory Video Of The X90
Buy The Princess X90 With Jefferson Beach Yacht Sales
For buyers searching for a new Princess X90 for sale in the Great Lakes, Jefferson Beach Yacht Sales offers authorized Princess representation and locations across Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. The JBYS relationship with Princess dates to the 1990s, giving its team experience with model selection, build specifications, trade-ins, delivery and ongoing ownership support.
The Princess X90 is more than a large luxury motor yacht. It is a thoughtful response to how owners actually want to live on the water: with room for family and friends, privacy when desired, protection from changing conditions and an ever-present connection to the surrounding landscape.
On the Great Lakes, where an itinerary can move from a city skyline to a quiet northern anchorage in a matter of days, that versatility may be the X90’s greatest luxury of all. Contact your closest Great Lakes location for your authorized Princess Yachts dealer.
