Azimut vs Princess: Which Brand Is the Better Fit for You?

Azimut and Princess compete for many of the same buyers, particularly from around 50 feet through to larger flybridge and performance yachts. Both offer family accommodation, strong Mediterranean usability and established international pre-owned markets.

But the two builders solve the same problems differently.

Azimut places greater emphasis on design freedom, interior volume, glazing and propulsion technology. Princess tends to prioritise hull behaviour, engineering, practical circulation and a more restrained premium finish.

The difference is not simply Italian styling versus British styling. It becomes much clearer when you compare actual models, such as an Azimut Fly 53 with a Princess F55, or an Azimut Fly 72 with a Princess Y72.

Buyers can compare current Azimut yachts for sale and Princess yachts for sale through UNICO Yachting.

Azimut vs Princess: The Main Differences

The biggest difference is that Azimut gives the buyer more variation within the brand, while Princess gives the buyer a clearer progression between yacht categories.

Azimut Uses Design and Technology to Create More Space

One of Azimut's clearest characteristics is the way it combines styling with technical packaging.

The Azimut Fly 53 is a useful example. At 16.78 metres overall, it has a 4.95-metre beam, three guest cabins plus crew accommodation and twin Volvo Penta IPS 950 engines. The IPS installation allows the machinery to sit farther aft, helping release more accommodation space forward. (azimutyachts.com)

This creates clear entity–attribute relationships:

Azimut Fly 53 → length → 16.78m
Azimut Fly 53 → beam → 4.95m
Azimut Fly 53 → propulsion → twin Volvo IPS 950
Azimut Fly 53 → accommodation → three cabins plus crew

Azimut also uses design features, such as large glazed areas, reduced window mullions and open galley-to-saloon layouts, to increase the perception of space.

Princess tends to create the same sense of comfort differently.

Rather than making the yacht feel larger through glazing and visual openness alone, Princess generally places more emphasis on proportions, circulation and how the individual spaces work together.

That becomes particularly noticeable once you start moving around the yacht rather than simply looking at it.

The Azimut Fly 53 and Princess F55 Show the Difference Clearly

These two yachts sit close enough in size to make a useful comparison.

The Azimut Fly 53 measures 16.78m long and 4.95m wide. It has three cabins plus crew, twin Volvo IPS 950 engines and a published maximum speed of up to 31 knots. (azimutyachts.com)

The current Princess F55 measures 16.56m overall with a 4.52m beam. It accommodates six guests across three cabins and offers twin Volvo D11 or D13 engines, with a maximum speed of up to 34 knots depending on specification. (princessyachts.com)

The figures reveal a meaningful difference.

Azimut Fly 53

• slightly longer;

• substantially wider;

• IPS propulsion;

• crew accommodation;

• stronger emphasis on perceived interior volume.

Princess F55

• slightly shorter;

• narrower;

• conventional engine installation;

• strong cockpit and foredeck flexibility;

• greater emphasis on balanced deck usability.

The Azimut's additional beam can be felt in accommodation. The Princess uses its dimensions more conservatively and spreads usable space across areas, such as the cockpit, foredeck and flybridge.

So if interior volume is your first priority, the Azimut deserves close attention.

If deck circulation and a more traditional cruising layout matter more, the Princess becomes particularly interesting.

Princess Tends to Put More Emphasis on How the Yacht Works Underway

Azimut frequently wins buyers over before the yacht leaves the marina.

The glazing, interior atmosphere and exterior styling can have an immediate impact.

Princess often reveals more of its character once the boat is moving.

Hull behaviour, helm ergonomics and visibility are important parts of the brand's proposition. The current F55, for example, combines twin Volvo engines with a hull designed around planing performance and quotes speeds of up to 34 knots. (princessyachts.com)

That does not mean every Princess handles better than every Azimut.

It means the brands tend to emphasise different attributes.

When sea-trialling either yacht, compare characteristics, such as:

• steering response;

• visibility from the lower helm;

• visibility from the flybridge;

• noise;

• vibration;

• trim;

• movement through wake.

Do not spend the entire sea trial looking at the instruments.

Sit in the saloon. Walk through the cabins. Have a conversation at cruising speed.

A yacht is experienced by everyone aboard, not only the person driving it.

At 70 Feet, the Differences Become Even More Interesting

The Azimut Fly 72 and Princess Y72 are especially useful to compare because they occupy almost identical size territory.

The Azimut Fly 72 measures approximately 22.69 metres overall, with a 5.62-metre beam, four guest cabins plus crew and twin MAN V12 1400 engines. It has a published maximum speed of up to 32 knots. (azimutyachts.com)

The Princess Y72 measures 22.80 metres, with a 5.45-metre beam, four guest cabins and twin MAN V12 1650 engines. Princess quotes a maximum speed of between 33 and 35 knots. (princessyachts.com)

Again, the EAV relationships show the contrast:

Azimut Fly 72 → beam → 5.62m
Princess Y72 → beam → 5.45m

Azimut Fly 72 → engines → twin MAN V12 1400
Princess Y72 → engines → twin MAN V12 1650

Azimut Fly 72 → maximum speed → up to 32 knots
Princess Y72 → maximum speed → 33–35 knots

The Azimut is slightly wider and places strong emphasis on volume, glazing and contemporary social spaces.

The Princess is slightly narrower but uses more powerful engines and follows a more traditional high-performance flybridge layout.

This is a genuine buying difference rather than a styling preference.

Azimut Offers More Different Ways to Own a Yacht

Another major difference is range diversity.

Azimut offers yacht families, such as:

• Fly for conventional flybridge cruising;

• S for more performance-led ownership;

• Magellano for crossover and longer-range cruising;

• Seadeck for newer efficiency-focused concepts;

• Grande for larger luxury yachts.

Princess divides the market differently.

Its ranges include:

• F Class for flybridge cruising;

• V Class for open sports yachts;

• S Class for sportbridge models;

• Y Class for larger flybridge yachts;

• X Class for increased interior volume.

That difference matters to buyers who have not yet decided exactly what they want.

Someone entering an Azimut showroom with a 70-foot brief could realistically leave comparing a Fly, S or Seadeck.

A Princess buyer is more likely to move between clearly defined categories.

In simple terms:

Azimut → broader conceptual choice
Princess → clearer category separation

The Interior Difference Is About More Than Styling

It is tempting to describe Azimut interiors as Italian and Princess interiors as British, but that does not tell a buyer much.

Look instead at specific attributes.

Azimut often emphasises glazing, sculptural furniture, open-plan spaces and visual connection with the sea.

Princess often places more emphasis on joinery, storage, practical furniture placement and restrained detailing.

Touch the yacht.

Open doors. Pull out drawers. Sit at the dining table. Stand at the galley with another person trying to walk past.

Inspect areas, such as:

• cabinetry;

• hinges;

• handrails;

• flooring transitions;

• storage;

• access panels.

A yacht's perceived quality comes from hundreds of small interactions.

Azimut may feel more visually dramatic when you first board.

Princess may reveal more of its quality through repeated use of those smaller details.

IPS and Shaft Drive Can Change the Ownership Experience

Azimut uses IPS propulsion extensively across several models, including the Fly 53 and Fly 68.

IPS brings benefits, such as joystick manoeuvring, compact machinery packaging and greater freedom for interior designers.

Princess uses conventional shaft-drive arrangements across many comparable flybridge models.

That creates different attributes.

Pod propulsion can make close-quarters handling particularly intuitive.

Shaft drive offers a more traditional mechanical arrangement familiar to many engineers and experienced owners.

There is no universal winner.

On the pre-owned market, servicing matters more than theory.

Check histories, such as:

• IPS oil and seal servicing;

• shaft alignment;

• cutless bearings;

• propellers;

• engine servicing.

A properly maintained propulsion system is more important than choosing one technology because somebody on a forum said it was better.

Which Gives You More Usable Space?

This is where buyers should look beyond LOA.

Consider areas, such as cockpits, foredecks, flybridges, cabins and side decks.

Azimut frequently uses beam, glazing and technical packaging to maximise internal volume.

Princess often distributes available space more evenly between accommodation and circulation.

Neither strategy is automatically superior.

A family spending most of the summer anchored may value a large saloon, master cabin and flybridge.

An owner regularly moving between marinas may place greater value on side decks, helm visibility and cockpit access.

The useful metric is not simply:

How big does the yacht feel?

It is:

Where has the builder put the available space, and will I actually use it?

On the Used Market, Generation and Condition Can Reverse the Comparison

Pre-owned yachts introduce variables, such as:

• engine history;

• generator servicing;

• propulsion maintenance;

• stabilisers;

• electronics;

• teak;

• hydraulics;

• air-conditioning;

• refit quality;

• VAT status.

UNICO currently lists pre-owned examples from both manufacturers, including an Azimut Fly 68 and Princess yachts in the same 65–80ft segment. (unicoyachting.com)

A newer Azimut is not automatically a better purchase than an older Princess.

Likewise, Princess's premium positioning does not make a poorly maintained example safer than a properly documented Azimut.

A professional yacht survey and sea trial should therefore form part of the comparison.

Azimut or Princess: The Differences Are Quite Clear

Azimut suits buyers who place greater value on interior volume, contemporary design, extensive glazing, propulsion technology and a broader choice of yacht concepts.

Princess is likely to appeal more to buyers who prioritise engineering, practical circulation, traditional cruising characteristics, helm ergonomics and restrained premium detailing.

If you are comparing models around 50–55 feet, the Azimut often feels larger and more design-led, while the Princess tends to feel more conventional and organised.

Move towards 70 feet and the same distinction remains, but machinery, crew arrangements and performance become increasingly important.

The final decision should not come down to which badge carries more prestige.

Compare the actual yachts.

Look at beam, propulsion, layout, deck circulation, machinery, condition and service history.

Those attributes will shape your ownership experience far more than whether the yacht was built in Italy or Plymouth.

Browse current Azimut yachts for sale, Princess yachts for sale or UNICO's wider selection of yachts for sale. Our Yacht Buying Guide also covers the wider acquisition process.