Arctic P
LENGTH: 287ft. 3in. (87.6m)
SHIPYARD: Schichau Unterweser, Germany
YEAR: 1969
REFIT: Manoel Island Dockyard, Malta
YEAR: 1995
Arctic P, originally built as an icebreaker tug, represents one of several conversion projects undertaken by renowned Claus Kusch at the Manoel Island Dockyard in Malta. The steel hull workboat was reinvented as a luxury expedition yacht, just as capable of negotiating the ice floes of the poles as the azure waters of the South Pacific. In fact, Australian media mogul James Packer, who inherited the yacht along with an ancestral fortune from his father Kerry Packer, brought in $500,000 to benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute in 2007 when he donated a week-long Tahitian cruise aboard the ship to an auction in support of the charity. The original interiors, designed by C. Kidston and A. Sassoon, feature a master suite and accommodations for 12 guests. Special elements include an observation tower, cinema and screening room, Jacuzzi, swimming pool and plenty of water toys.

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