Saluzi

Austal, in Australia, delivered Saluzi in 2003 as a compact cruise vessel carrying paying passengers, and she was rebuilt as a private yacht in 2014. That history explains the numbers that make her unusual: thirty-two guests in sixteen cabins, and a crew of thirty-seven to look after them. Very few charter yachts can take a group that size overnight; most stop at twelve.

The layout avoids the usual fight over the best room. At the top of the plan are two equal master suites on the bridge deck; one level down come six of the seven VIPs, the last one is on the main deck, and the doubles are lower still. Two families of equal weight, or the parents of a bride and groom, can each have a master. Luiz de Basto designed the interior like a lively Miami hotel: bright colour, modern art and nothing stuffy, spread over five decks.

There is plenty to keep a large party busy. The spa has a sauna, a hammam and a beauty room with a hairdresser and a masseuse; the main-deck lounge turns into a karaoke bar at night, the bridge deck has a piano bar, and films are projected on the sun deck, where two Jacuzzis also sit. PADI professionals on board take guests diving, and because her aluminium hull draws little water she can drop anchor beside coral and nearer the beach than a typical 69-metre yacht. In port she can host up to 250 people for an event.

She spends summer in the Mediterranean and winters in the Indian Ocean, around the Maldives and the Seychelles, which is where the reef diving really comes into its own. Weddings, milestone birthdays, multi-family reunions and company trips are the obvious fit.

She is not the right choice for a couple or a small family: the scale only makes sense with a full house. She is also a slow cruiser, so long hops between islands take time, and guests who prefer a sleek, minimal interior will find her loud.