Inside the Mediterranean’s most lavish superyacht

THERE’S a fake ‘beach’, a helipad, and a Michelin star chef to cater to your every whim. This superyacht is over the top luxury.

WHEN it comes to super luxury, sparkling fashion and showy design, Italy rules.

Try putting these three together on a floating Maharajah palace and you might just get a faint idea of what stepping foot inside the brand new superyacht Sarastar means.

Because once you do, you simply won’t believe your eyes. It’s like living a dreamy fairy-tale. Albeit one without an ounce of subtlety.

Sarastar is one of the world’s most extravagant mega yachts where sheer luxury blends with Made-in-Italy flashy glamour.

Built by an Italian shipowner, it’s over 60 meters long, 11 meters wide, has multiple decks, and is made of aluminium to travel super fast.

The first thing that hits you is the outside. It’s painted an elegant dark-blue ocean colour with silver and wood linings. The main entrance deck at the back — dubbed the “beach” — is where guests are served welcome drinks and listen to Pavarotti while sunbathing on huge black sun beds.

Looks a bit nicer than that tinny your dad took you fishing on. Picture: Burgess Yachts

The Sarastar superyacht is the perfect place for models and moguls to mix. Picture: Burgess Yachts

It features a cocktail bar, a plasma TV with incorporated boom box and an open-air deluxe shower corner to rinse sea salt from tanned skins. At sunset a metamorphosis occurs: the “beach” becomes a dance floor.

At night Sarastar shows off its over-the-top opulence to people stuck on shore. Underwater lights flash many striking colours, changing surrounding sea too. Like a sailing rainbow disco.

Stepping inside, the overwhelming glamour hits you, and may even be too much for some.

The main hall looks like a glittering ballroom. The window-walls are made of anti-noise glass that offer guests a 360-degree view of the islands, talcum-powder beaches and inlets while having lunch.

At night the Sarastar isn’t exactly shy in telling those on shore she's around. Picture: Burgess Yachts

These beautiful sun beds look like they could easily turn into cocktail lounges. Picture: Burgess Yachts

Ceilings are mirrors so you see your own reflection topsy-turvy as you scatter around barefoot in your swimsuit. You’ll lie on huge soft white sofas and cushions of fine silk that can fit a whole family. Everything is tailored-made by Italian designers and the internal steel-and-glass coloured staircase is a masterpiece of a contemporary artist.

Computers, stereos and flat screen TVs are so flat they’re built inside the walls and cupboards, appearing and disappearing on command. Dozens of mini iPads on board are used as remote controllers to switch on and off everything: from the built-in music sound systems to the internet, radio, home movie theatre and to select among multiple news channels.

All doors and sliding windows have sensors that open with a simple wave of the hand. Better than living in James Bond’s universe.

If you’ve had enough of sunning yourself, there’s plenty of space inside to lounge around. Picture: Burgess Yachts

Marble, marble everywhere. Picture: Burgess Yachts

There are colourful waterfalls, small cactus garden corners and crystal shards as chandeliers. The floors are jewels, almost a pity to walk upon: they’re made of variants of green, white, green, pink and golden-veined red exotic marbles coming from all over the world.

Walls are of backlit translucent black-white onyx and the furniture is decorated with statues and vases of green malachite and other precious stones. Invisible cupboards store Baccarat crystal glassware (there are various shaped glasses according to the wine) and platinum-gold-silver dishes for special occasions.

The bedrooms also deliver much more for your senses than you’re probably used to.

The six designer deluxe suites, all featuring a unique decor, are covered in different coloured velvets and silks. So you can opt for the golden, pink, white, purple or blue room. The VIP ones boast crocodile skin sofas tinted dark blue and a private metal balcony with chairs and tables to soak up the sea. As if this was not enough, you push a button and a springboard shoots out of the balcony to allow privileged guests a solo midnight or dawn jump into the water, to wake up in the best of ways.

Each bedroom has a colour theme ... this one even has a matching ceiling. Picture: Burgess Yachts

If you enjoy the idea of sleeping in a nightclub, the lighting is for you. The bedsteads are illuminated by changing lights, so you doze off in the blue and wake up in the pink — better turn these off if you aim for a straight 8-hour nap.

Each suite has a particular scent and a tiny command panel allows to create multiple ambiences according to your mood: “dream”, “welcome”, “shadowy”, “night”.

Bathrooms are marble sanctuaries. The toilet seat with bidet area are separated by “privacy” glass windows that turn shady upon a click when someone’s in there and doesn’t want to be seen by the roommate. By pressing another button, kingsize showers for two release ‘colour therapy’ sprays, massaging jets and soft background music. You won’t need your own toiletries: you’ll find everything even aftershave sets, expensive body oils, pre and aftersun lotions, hand creams and perfumes.

Even if you’re on a cruise but swimming is not your forte, no worries. There’s a panoramic gym on the upper sundeck with all kinds of high tech Italian equipment to burn off calories. And in case you are thirsty, there’s a whole drinking hub at your disposal.

Sarastar though is bliss for lazy holiday makers. Each “floor” has an outside and inner relax spot where you can crash on black sofas and velvet chairs with metal bars pointing to the sky resembling The Game of Thrones’ swords altar. Perfect for kings and queens.

Ladies longing to kill time tanning like “lizards”, as Italians would say, will adore the windy sunbathing lounge area at the bow covered in comfy beds, cushions and kingsize mattresses where a whole squad of gymnasts could train.

There’s also a helipad spot at the bow in case you need to get off the boat quickly. But of course.

Just in case you’ve had enough sailing for one day thank you very much. Picture: Burgess Yachts

If you’re worried about rough waves, ocean dizziness belongs to the past. The captain proudly boasts about Sarastar’s exceptional “anti-sea sickness” hardware that prevents the yacht from bouncing too much up and down, spoiling the cruise.

But THE icing on the cake is the “private sea pool”. You get a whole piece of the ocean thanks to an inflated 50 sqm net that is dropped into the water to protect against jellyfish.

For guests wanting to indulge in gourmet food, there are Michelin-starred chefs on board. and thousands of top global wines.

Last but not least, there’s a 15-member crew staff for just 12 lucky — and very, very rich — customers that can help with every whim. Each time you step back on board (even after a swim), waiters with white gloves bring welcome cocktails and wet refreshing towels.

If you’re wondering how much it costs to rent Sarastar for a private cruise, hold tight and try not to fall off your chair.

So much luxury isn’t cheap. You’ll need about $750,000 for a week. Maybe we’ll stick with a shack down the coast then.