It’s hard not to be impressed by Christina O. Legendary shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis named the 325-foot motoryacht after his daughter and used it to entertain royalty, world leaders, and Hollywood stars. I’m certainly none of the above, but I did get a chance to step onboard for a cocktail party following Christina O’s massive refit in 2001. Virtually every corner of the boat was modernized and updated to help maintain her reputation as one of the finest private yachts afloat.

To be honest, my first impression was of being in a hotel. Christina O is so big that she doesn’t exactly feel like a yacht on the inside. The famous bar (whale foreskin barstool covers, anyone?) in the entrance area still has its original, cozy charm, and lots of people stopped to gather there for a drink before heading into the main dining and entertaining spaces. When I entered those bigger areas, though, I felt almost as if I were inside elegant ballrooms. They’re gorgeous, all right, with marble and Venetian lace all over the place, but boy are they big. The dining room, for instance, seats 40 people—and that’s just in one section, not counting the space where the crew sets up buffet tables for parties.

Beyond these areas are several corridors full of guest cabins. And they are corridors, just like on cruise ships, with door after door on both sides all the way down a long, straight hallway. Inside those doors are elegant rooms, of course, but still, it doesn’t exactly feel like yachting. The master stateroom, called the Onassis Suite, is not in this section—it’s up a few levels and spans three rooms itself, like a penthouse of sorts.

None of this is to say that I was unimpressed with Christina O. On the contrary: She’s a magnificent yacht,  as elegant and impressive as any boat of her stature should be. I just was surprised—and you might be, too—at how different she feels from the “smaller” megayachts in the 150-foot range. Those are often impressive, as well, and yet they also manage to still feel like boats. I suppose if I were looking to host a party, Christina O would be the place, but if I were actually looking to go cruising, I might select a different yacht.

I’m curious about whether my first impression would change after a week onboard. I sure hope it would, given the weekly base rate that starts around $580,000 for 30 guests, or about $24,000 per person with 25-percent expenses included. —Kim Kavin