Turquoise Yachts completes refit on Indian Empress

Turquoise Yachts has completed the refit of the iconic 95m Oceanco superyacht, Indian Empress at a cost of €6.4 million. 

Launched in 2000, Indian Empress currently stands as one of the largest superyachts in the world. She was originally built by Oceanco for a member of the royal Qatari family, but was purchased by her current owner at a charity auction to support Sir Elton John’s AIDS Foundation. 

The most notable feature of her refit is the sleek, black Yamaha Disklavier grand piano, which now stands in the main saloon. Once belonging to Sir Elton himself and carrying his signature, it is the finishing touch to the refit.

During her lifetime, Indian Empress has been used as both a private yacht and popular charter yacht. While she still retains much of the Arabic flair that she inherited, she has now been updated to the current owner’s tastes.

The current refit began in 2014 when Mark Berryman Design was brought in to revamp the interior, in order to create a more neutral and contemporary look on-board. Inside, the décor and interior furniture has been toned down and enhanced by the current owner’s art collection, and a new cinema installed among other alterations.

The owner’s team enlisted Turquoise Yachts to undertake the refit, which required extensive work to be completed within a very short timeframe. 

Mehmet Karabeyoğlu, CEO of Turquoise Yachts said, “Apart from our experience and expertise, what we brought to the party was speed and flexibility. The owner wanted the boat for July, which gave us a narrow window of opportunity to finish the project. 

“New ideas and alternations kept flooding in after work had commenced. Our ability to make decisions on the spot and adapt quickly without reams of red tape was key to the speed and success of the refit.”

Nothing has changed to the mechanics of the yacht, as she is already powered by triple MTU 20V 1163 TB93 diesel engines that are able to power her to a maximum speed of more than 25 knots.

With most of the changes made to the interior of Indian Empress, the only real deck alteration was to the aft end of the owner’s deck, where a Jacuzzi has been replaced by a long, polished custom dining table and accompanying buffet bars, capable of seating up to 24 people. The red upholstery was also updated to more neutral beige.

For more information, visit Turquoise Yachts.