First Impression: Firenze Star

Date toured: May 2007

Firenze Star is a 97-foot motoryacht that was built in 1999. She underwent a refit in 2007 before being put on display for industry insiders at the annual charter yacht show in Genoa, Italy, where she presented well for a boat in her size range. My first impression upon stepping aboard was that she was a bit dated in style, but perfectly comfortable for anyone looking to charter a yacht at a reasonable price point.
     The yacht is listed as taking six to eight guests, but based on the layout and size of the cabins, I’d say two couples with children is probably ideal. The master cabin (shown in the photograph below) is quite large, taking up nearly a third of the main deck and comprising two levels, one for sleeping and the other for bathing and dressing. On the yacht’s bottom deck, there’s another large cabin with a small sitting area—not as impressive as the master, but certainly comfortable for an adult couple.
     The rest of the guest sleeping areas, in my opinion, are best suited for children. One of the cabins has twin beds plus a sitting room, but it’s adjacent to the laundry area, which may bother some adults.
    I did like the main saloon (shown in the photo at the top of this page), which has exceptionally large windows that let in a ton of natural light. The way the space is designed, with an adjacent dining area, it feels much larger than the main gathering areas onboard motoryachts of similar size. Odds are you’ll spend most of your time outdoors, anyway, either on the yacht’s partially shaded aft (back) deck or up on the sundeck, which has a bimini to keep the sun’s rays at bay.
     Firenze Star is part of the Thierry Voisin fleet. As with many charter yachts, she’s currently for sale (at a list price of 2.9 million euros)—so work with any reputable charter broker to ensure that your charter vacation booking will be honored depending on whom the new owner is.—Kim Kavin