At this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, Lürssen is exhibiting a new superyacht concept designated Alice, which is whimsical. The emission-free vessel is significantly influenced by the 1965 fantasy classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
The Alice, measuring 322 feet in length, will feature five magnificent decks. However, in a plot twist straight out of Carroll’s book, the primary deck will not be among them. In a YouTube video introducing the concept, Jim Robert Sluijter, a designer at a German shipyard, stated that the inspiration for this came from conversations with yacht owners, many of whom said they rarely used their boat’s primary salon. Therefore, he decided to discard it and attempt something entirely new.
Everything that would typically be found on the main deck, such as dining, entertaining, and lounging around a fire pit, has been moved to the smaller upper decks, the highest of which also has a helipad. Due to this, an expansive exterior deck that extends from one end of the boat to the other can be utilised for whatever the proprietor desires. In Sluijter’s model, this translates to a paddle tennis court in the rear, a semi-enclosed bar and dance floor in the middle beneath the elevated platforms and, most impressively, a tranquil nature park with lush vegetation and a pond in the front.
The primary deck is not the only convention that Lürssen has eliminated. The yacht will also not be propelled by diesel engines. Instead, Alice’s turbines will be powered by emission-free fuel cell technology. Additionally, its tenders and water toys will be completely electric.
Alice is currently only a concept, so there is no assurance that it will be constructed. Those who value eco-friendly yachting and a strong sense of whimsy can still daydream. Until then, you can view a replica of the ship at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, which runs through Saturday at booth JS8.