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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud’s 439-foot Serene one of the most fascinating bedrooms sits three decks below the owner’s suite.
To escape the scorching summer heat of the Middle East, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud equipped his $450 million superyacht Serene with a custom-built snow room cooled to minus 11 degrees Celsius.
But despite the yacht's luxurious features, one of its most important design elements is hidden three decks below the main owner's suite.Located near the exact centre of the 439-foot yacht, a secret Balinese-inspired "sea cabin" was specially designed to reduce seasickness and provide a peaceful place to sleep during rough sea journeys.While many billionaire yacht owners place their master bedrooms high up for the best views, Serene has a two-master layout based on how ships move.
Reports have long linked the Crown Prince to seasickness during long trips across the Mediterranean and open oceans. Instead of relying only on the yacht's powerful stabilisers, the designers used the science of ship movement to create a calmer sleeping space when the sea becomes rough.
Using naval design to reduce motion
The sea cabin is located on the starboard side near the middle of Deck Two, one of the most stable positions on the 134-metre yacht.
Naval architecture explains why this location is so effective during voyages. The front of a ship rises and falls heavily in waves, while the rear is affected by pitching, engine vibrations and movement caused by the propellers. Higher decks also move much more from side to side as the yacht rolls.By placing the cabin low in the hull near the centre, the room stays close to the yacht's natural balance points, where movement is at its lowest.
Serene is fitted with advanced active stabilisers that greatly reduce rolling, but no system can remove all movement during storms or long ocean crossings. For people who suffer from seasickness, sleeping in the middle of the yacht can make a significant difference.
The Balinese inspired cabin. Image – charterworld
Simple Balinese design with practical features
Inside, the sea cabin focuses on calm, simple luxury rather than flashy decoration, creating the feel of a tropical beach retreat. A double bed faces the rear of the yacht beneath a ceiling designed to look like the underside of a traditional Balinese thatched roof.
Natural colours, modern furnishings and a floor-to-ceiling headboard separate the bedroom from the open bathroom.One of the cabin's standout features is a large shell door built into the side of the yacht. When Serene is anchored, the door folds down to become a private balcony at sea level, allowing guests to step directly onto the water. During voyages, the balcony stays securely closed, allowing the cabin to serve its main purpose as a stable bedroom.Designer Pascale Reymond once described the cabin as one of the yacht's best ideas because "it's so earthy." Its location is also highly practical. A guest kitchen sits next door, allowing the owner to prepare a late-night snack without calling crew members or climbing several flights of stairs. The spa and beach club are just a short walk away, while a private lift connects the cabin directly to the main owner's suite on Deck Five.
This gives the Crown Prince a spacious suite for relaxing in calm waters and a quieter, more stable room for sleeping at sea.
Designer Pascale Reymond once described it as one of the yacht’s coolest ideas (Image – charterworld)
Italian craftsmanship and luxury features
Built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri and launched in 2011, Serene is one of the largest and most advanced superyachts ever constructed in Italy. The yacht measures 439 feet (134 metres) long with a beam of 60.7 feet (18.5 metres). Its exterior was designed by Espen Øino, while the interiors were created by Reymond Langton Design.
According to Charter World, Serene is powered by eight MTU 4000-series engines, cruises comfortably at 15 knots, reaches a top speed of 20 knots, accommodates 24 guests in 12 cabins, and is operated by a crew of 52.Besides its special sea cabin, Serene offers an impressive range of luxury facilities across seven decks. The yacht has two helicopter landing pads, one of which can be turned into a swimming pool or dance floor, a submarine hangar, and an underwater viewing lounge called the Nemo Room, inspired by Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.To help guests escape the region's extreme heat, the yacht also includes a snow room cooled to around 12 degrees Fahrenheit (-11°C). The room creates real falling snow, allowing guests to move directly into a nearby sauna, hammam, steam room or heated spa pools. With an indoor seawater swimming pool, an outdoor cinema, a piano lounge and domed fireplaces, Serene combines luxury with smart engineering to handle both extreme heat and rough seas.
