Princess Y72 Review (2024 Edition) by NautiStyles

On Deck

The hydraulic swim platform sets the tone right away. It is wide, drops cleanly for tender launch, and the chock receptacles are already in place. A long stainless rail runs the edge so you can tie fenders or grab on when the platform is lowered and everyone is in the water. The recessed swim ladder hides neatly to starboard. From here, stairs on both sides take you up into a cockpit that feels big for a 72, and it is full of tidy details that make day-to-day use easy. A fixed transom bench is built in so it still works even when the platform is down, which means some people can hang out up here while others are swimming. Shore power one and two live in a clean locker on port with cable exit slots so the doors stay shut, and the passerelle socket is right at hand. To starboard there is a transom shower plus shore water hookup and a deck wash outlet combined into one panel. The cleats are chunky, the capstan looks overspec in a good way, and the deck runs flush with a drain channel so water actually goes somewhere. On this walkaround it was blowing 30-40 knots and the cockpit instantly felt warmer and more sheltered.

The side decks are comfortable underfoot and feel safe. As you head forward there are two small steps and then a side door straight into the helm midships, which is gold for docking. Just ahead is a molded locker that Princess shaped with raised ripples so gear does not sit in water and get moldy, and there is a water fill inside. The bow lounge is set up for a crowd. A six-person sofa with a little coffee table faces a huge sunpad that flips so you can sit looking inboard or lay it flat for four people to stretch out. Cup holders are exactly where hands go. Ground tackle is cleanly laid out with the center anchor on the roller, the windlass on deck, and bow cleats and fairleads sunk into the bulwarks so lines run fair. Open the lockers and you get a wet drainable bin with the windlass handle, remote, and a quick water connection on one side, plus deep chain access on the other so the chain does not stack when you are raising anchor.

Back aft in the cockpit the dining table is smarter than it first looks. Princess floated the teak on little stainless discs so water cannot sit between leaves and stain the wood, and the top rests on tiny knobs so the panels breathe. It seats six easily and you could squeeze more. A big hatch here gives direct engine room access if you do not want to go through crew. There is also a stern docking station tucked away with shift and throttle, bow and stern thrusters, anchor control, and emergency stop buttons for the mains. Under the step you will find the manual bilge pump handle with a selector for forward and engine room, plus fuel shutoffs and Fireboy manual releases. One transom locker holds the shore power pigtail. The lockers outboard are set up to house life rafts port and starboard, which is a nice touch on this size.

Head up to the flybridge on teak steps with wrapped nosings that feel grippy. The sliding door and latch hardware are beautifully integrated so when it is locked the rail looks like one continuous piece, and the mechanism tucks away clean when open. Up top the space is big and open. Two helm chairs that look very Bentley spec sit in front of dual Raymarine displays with a Böning management screen in the middle for tanks and alarms. Fireboy indicators, searchlight remote, bow and stern thrusters, windlass switch, horn, autopilot, start and emergency stop buttons, trim tabs, VHF, and an analog compass are all exactly where you expect them. Overhead a louvered roof lets you dial sun or shade. Midships there is an eight-person dining table and on this boat it is not high-low, but it has a removable leaf so you can split it into two smaller tables if you want. Opposite is a long lounge cushion, and a retractable sunshade pulls from aft. A glass wind screen around the aft edge cuts the breeze and the teak detail back here looks sharp. The aft deck can stay open for loose furniture or take a crane and a tender up to about 4.3 m. The entertainment bar has the full kit - electric grill, fridge, sink, integrated trash, and an ice maker - so once you are up here you are set.

Step inside and the aft galley hits first - it is open to the cockpit and instantly doubles as a bar when the doors are slid back and the pop-up window is raised. That window is a favorite feature - there is a built-in shade and the hinge geometry lets it lift all the way up without sticking under the frame, so heads are safe even when it is open. The galley itself is compact but dialed - trash can up high with a separator you can pull to split waste, a bank of drawers including a cutlery drawer, more hidden storage than you expect, and the surprise ice maker tucked into its own cabinet. Refrigeration is by drawer fridge and freezer, there is a four-burner induction cooktop with a proper hood, a Miele microwave oven, dual sinks, and a slim Miele dishwasher. Princess even carved a fitted slot for the cutting board - small touch that makes it feel thought through. Two bar stools at the counter extend the entertainment space straight into the salon when the doors are open.

The salon has that warm walnut and light-tone upholstery combo that reads modern without trying too hard - it is a timeless package. The couch is humongous - a true family sprawl zone - and across from it lives the liquor cabinet with wine bottle storage and space for the grown-up stuff. There is a TV lift built into a curved wood surround with a slim spacer reveal - at night the accent lighting picks out those shapes and it looks gorgeous. Storage keeps popping up in places you would not expect - there is a drink fridge hidden behind a clean panel, another cabinet that opens top-hinged into massive stowage with a drawer under it, plus a low drawer the storage police will absolutely make you open. The dining table near the galley folds clever and even hides cup holders underneath, and there is a grab rail right where a hand reaches when the boat moves. The whole main deck breathes like one social room - galley, settee, bar, and helm are in constant eye line so nobody is exiled while underway.

The lower helm keeps the same vibe - two proper helm chairs with the companion settee just behind so four people can hang out together while running. The side door we saw on deck lands right here for quick line handling. The console mirrors the flybridge layout so there is no learning curve - dual Raymarine displays flanking the Böning management screen for tanks and alarms, side-power controls, windshield wiper panel, shift and throttle, trim tabs, searchlight remote, autopilot, emergency stop buttons, battery parallel link, bow and stern thrusters, analog compass up top, and those car-style vents that blast warm air or AC where you want it. Visibility forward and to the quarters is strong and the space feels connected to the salon and galley, which is the whole point of this layout.

Owner's Cabin

Access to the owner’s suite is by its own staircase from the salon - rare at this size and it feels great the moment you peel off from the guest hall. There is a full-size mirror at the landing and even a neat little chair or poof tucked in so you can stage the space or sit to put shoes on. The cabin itself is full beam and it reads instantly as big and calm - huge hull windows flood the room, there is a settee on one side, and the cabinetry has that clean Princess furniture feel. Storage is everywhere and some of it is deeper than expected - the drawers run long and you feel it when you pull them, and on the port side they split what could have been one giant lid into two smaller lids so you do not have to swing a barn door each time. The desk and vanity area is smart - power outlets are built in so you can plug a laptop or hair tools and then close the lid and the cabling disappears. It looks tidy with zero effort. The bed sits center with easy walkaround and the whole space gives that grounded vibe that makes you want to unpack and stay a while.

The en suite spans the width of the boat and it is loaded without feeling busy. Dual sinks, big mirrored storage, hooks where you actually need them, and a shower that sparked the classic two-person debate - call it two and a labradoodle and everyone is happy. You get an overhead rain head and a handheld, and Princess does a small but very seamanlike detail here - instead of sinking the pan deep, they created a little raised lip so any water stays inside the shower even if the boat is moving. The toilet area is cleanly finished and there is more cabinet space than you expect in a head this sleek. Altogether it is a primary suite that feels engineered for daily living - private staircase flow, real storage, easy outlets, and a bathroom that works underway as well as at anchor.

Guest Accommodation

Down the guest hall it is twin cabins on both sides and they are the flexible kind - the inboard berth slides so you can run them as twins or bring them together into a queen. The conversion is simple and when they are together there is still room to walk around. Headroom is strong for this size and even a 6'2" person can fit comfortably without hitting anything. Each cabin gets a hanging locker with built-in lighting, a flush-mounted TV, drawers, and two openable portholes for airflow. The doors are fully gasketed all the way around on both the leaf and the frame so when you close up it gets quiet in a way that instantly feels higher end. Storage is tucked under the beds as well and there are those little Princess finishing touches everywhere so nothing rattles.

These two cabins share the starboard en suite, which also works as the day head. It feels bigger than expected - window for natural light, a towel warmer, good vanity storage with a slick Corian sink, and a real two-person shower with a rain head. There is a dedicated vent right in the shower to keep humidity down and an opening porthole you will use all the time at anchor. The trim and hardware feel like they belong on a bigger boat and the layout is clean so it is easy to keep dry.

All the way forward the VIP lands the wow. The berth is a European king and slightly raised, but you can still stand at the sides - at 5'7" there is full stand-up space and the step makes it easy. The carpet underfoot and the built-in furniture give it that crisp Princess vibe - English craftsmanship that feels great in person. Storage is everywhere again - large flush TV, control panel for the entertainment, speakers placed right, deep lockers both port and starboard, and more drawers than you think you need until you start using them. Two openable portholes bring in breeze and the en suite mirrors the quality of the mid head - towel warmer, generous shower that comfortably fits two, another opening port, and a small recessed threshold detail so any water stays in the shower even if the boat is moving. This cabin could be mistaken for an owner space on smaller yachts and it shows how the Y72 spreads the comfort around for guests.

Crew Accommodation

Access is through the transom on the starboard side with a grab rail right where a hand wants it, and once inside the crew space feels surprisingly inviting for two. Headroom is good, finishes match the rest of the yacht, and the layout is compact but dialed for real use. There is more storage than expected - overhead bins on both sides, long shelves, drawers at the foot of the bunks, and even a true hanging locker. A small entertainment unit is fitted so off watch does not feel like exile. Ventilation is handled by an openable porthole you will use all the time at anchor and the air con keeps it cool when you shut the door. The en suite is a smart little piece of design - a one person shower that feels comfortable and a compact head with a tiny sink that still manages to have a real base cabinet. The best trick is the double function door that swings either way so you are not fighting two doors that bang into each other - closed one way it seals the shower, closed the other it seals the head, and in both positions it sits flush so nothing snags. From here a watertight door leads forward into the technical space and then on into the main engine room, which makes it easy for crew or an owner operator to get straight to the machinery without tracking through the salon.

Access is through crew or via the big cockpit hatch - once inside there are two watertight doors that split the spaces. First up is the technical bay where the generators live stacked one above the other with their own batteries, the hydraulic pack is mounted cleanly, Fireboy suppression is right on the bulkhead, and the electrical panels are easy to reach. You can see the passerelle gear run through here and even spot the main engine exhaust hardware aft - it is a tight zone but everything you touch routinely is right there.

Step forward and it opens into the main machinery space - fuel tanks sit outboard both sides, chiller units for the air con are lined up where you can service them, and there is a Spot Zero so the washdowns and tanks stay crystal. The main engine sea strainers have glass tops so a quick look tells you what is going on. This boat is outfitted with the MAN V12 option which gives the 35 knot top end - base engines run 30 - and the engine room panels for starts and monitoring are mounted inboard so you can work with both plants without climbing over anything. The deck plates lift to reach the bilge and there are more strainers for the hotel systems sitting forward. Watermaker membranes are easy to see, the exhaust silencers are huge so sound stays low, and ventilation is generous so heat clears fast after a run.

The split layout pays off after you shut down - you can close the main room and let it bake while you keep the generator bay cooler by bleeding a little AC from crew so you can work without melting. Out on the water the numbers line up with what you would expect from a 72 with this power - 35 knots with the V12s when you want to let it run - an easy 20 knot cruise - and a long leg range of about 1,500 nm at 11 knots on 4,500 liters of fuel. Draft is 1.72 m so you are not scared of most harbors and she has a GRP hull. The stern docking station in the cockpit ties it together for close quarters - shift and throttle right there with bow and stern thrusters and emergency stops so docking does not turn into a rodeo.

The Y72 runs twin MAN V12-1650s and real-world testing pegs fuel burn around 200 LPH per side at a comfortable 25-knot cruise - roughly 400 LPH total - which yields about 275 nm from the 4,500-litre tanks. Ease back to single-digit displacement speeds and range stretches materially. One test logged about 600 nm at around 9 knots. Top end still shows roughly 33-35 knots when propped right.

Berthing is all about length and location. A UK visitor example at around £4.00 per metre per night in season puts a 22 m footprint near £88 per night. For a Mediterranean home berth, published annual tariffs for 23 m slips can range roughly from €12,000 with long-stay discounts to around €21,000 without discounts, plus VAT and metered utilities. Electricity commonly bills near €0.30 per kWh and water around €1.90 per m³. With a beam of 5.45 m you fit within many marinas’ standard mono-hull brackets - the wide-beam surcharges usually target cats and extra-wide boats.

Routine maintenance is predictable if you calendar it. MAN service intervals for the D2862 series put oil changes and inspections in the few-hundred-hours band - plan several services per busy season. A broad rule of thumb has owners budgeting about 10-12 percent of purchase price annually to cover fuel, crew if carried, insurance, yard time, spares and upgrades. 

Antifoul is a real line item on a 22m hull. Expect a lift-wash-block-coat cycle at least annually in most waters. Prep and pressure-wash can start around the low teens per metre, with materials and two-coat applications on top, either as a per-metre package or time and materials.

Insurance scales with hull value and itinerary. A common range is 0.5 to 2 percent of insured value per year for comprehensive cover on yachts in this class, trending higher for wider cruising areas or punchier horsepower.

Crew is optional for an experienced owner-operator, but many 70-plus footers carry at least a captain for deliveries, maintenance and watch. Market ranges often put a full-time captain in low six figures USD or high five figures EUR annually, with seasonal deck or steward help added if you want turn-key.

Bottom line - plan the big rocks first. Fuel at your chosen pace, the home-berth line item, and a realistic maintenance calendar will define the run rate. Everything else - crew, toys, upgrades - you can dial up or down as the program evolves.

The Princess Y72 comes across as a big-feel 72 with tons of social space and smart details that make daily use easy - aft galley that opens like a bar, that pop-up window that lifts clear, a flybridge that feels like a second living room, and a private staircase to a full-beam owner’s suite that you kind of don’t want to leave - and the machinery split into a cooler technical bay and a main engine room shows real thought. There are a few trade-offs to balance the hype - the side decks have two steps forward so you do need to mind your footing, the flybridge table on this boat isn’t hi-lo, the flybridge stair treads feel a little taller even if they’re grippy, the crew head and shower are true one-person size, and the technical bay is tight even though the routine service points are right there.