Megayacht — Size Class Explained

Overview

"Megayacht" is used, somewhat inconsistently across the industry, to describe substantially larger vessels — typically starting somewhere around 60 meters — that generally require full-custom construction rather than a semi-custom platform.

0m60m – 90m

What changes at this scale

At this scale, a yacht typically has amenities uncommon in smaller vessels: multiple guest decks, elevators, larger tender garages, and sometimes helicopter landing pads. Crew size and organizational complexity (departments for deck, engineering, interior, and galley) increase substantially compared with the entry superyacht class.

Good to know

Only a limited number of shipyards worldwide have the construction halls and engineering capability to deliver yachts consistently in this size range.

Length range60m – 90m (approx.)
Typical crew20 – 40
Typical guests10 – 20
CategoryLarge custom class

Notable: There's no single universally agreed length threshold separating "superyacht" from "megayacht" — usage varies between yards, brokers, and media, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in casual contexts.

Length and crew figures are general industry patterns, not strict definitions — usage varies between yards, brokers, and media.

More size classes

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24m – 40m (approx.)

Superyacht

Crew 8 – 15 · Guests 8 – 12

"Superyacht" is the broadest and most commonly used term in the industry, generally applied to private motor or sailing yachts starting around 24…

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100m and above

Gigayacht

Crew 40 – 100+ · Guests 12 – 36+

"Gigayacht" is an informal term used for the small number of private yachts that exceed 100 meters in length — a scale that historically was reserved…

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40m – 90m (approx.)

Explorer Yacht

Crew 15 – 35 · Guests 10 – 20

Explorer yachts are defined less by length than by build purpose: reinforced, often steel or ice-classed hulls, greater range and fuel capacity, and…

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