A versatile pool
One of her most eye-catching exterior features is the magnificent 12-foot by 23-foot infinity pool that reclines on
the aft deck, flanked by a transparent water transom and bleached teak decks, a bar, sunpads, chaises longues and recliners.
Miracles of modern engineering mean it can be filled with either sea or fresh water. And for an encore, it can transform
itself into a landing pad for a nine-passenger helicopter when visitors drop in.
The aft decks are gleefully free of large overhangs, as the Mediterranean sun is welcomed with open arms by guests.
The deck areas, with settees and bars recall the ambiance of a beach front resort. As you look down from the upper aft
deck towards the lower pool and beyond, it's not hard to imagine that this is how an emperor might have spent some free
time to ponder truly mighty affairs.
Plentiful party space
The celebrated Italian designer Alberto Pinto was given a completely free hand to create Alfa Nero's 1,250-square meter
(4,101-square-foot) interior. The outcome is a blend of contemporary affluence and nautical influence that's packed with
comfortable yet subtle details.
The pool, patio seating, dance floor, main saloon and lounge, and two dining rooms combine to form a continuum that
spans almost the entire length of the main deck. The sliding glass partitions that separate them can be opened up to
convert the whole area from the pool to the saloon into one vast entertainment zone. Makassar ebony walls inlaid with
circles of zebrano wood give the rooms an abstract underwater feeling.
The large saloon and lounge area occupies the deck's full beam and roughly half its length. This main entertaining
and relaxation area features off-white couches, Edelmann leather chairs, generous use of supple goat leather, mother-of-pearl
and chocolate-dark wood inlays and brown carpeting. What emerges from this clever use of such exotic materials is a crisp,
airy feel with a strong hint of masculinity – perhaps recalling the name of the boat itself. The decorative, jet-black
grand piano (one of only eight of its kind ever made) stands in the corner, quietly adding to the feeling that you've
stepped into another realm.
The main dining room has a formal layout that seats up to 14 around an oval table, while the second dining area is
a more casual affair that seats four in a circle. Besides Makassar ebony, both rooms feature hand-made, acid-sculpted
glass adorned with silver leaf. The walls and the doors linking them are lined with goatskin.
In one of those charming bits of engineering that makes you wonder why it hasn't been done before, the gunwales can
be lowered to give diners a view of the sea as they relax in sumptuous surroundings. Yet a third dining area between
the upper saloon and the aft deck gives diners the option of enjoying their meal al fresco or indoors, thanks to the
presence of more sliding glass doors.