Luxury yacht designer reveals the wildest customizations he's seen in superyachts worth millions

After decades of creating superyachts worth millions of dollars, a luxury yacht designer has revealed the wildest customizations he’s ever seen.

Michael Breman has spent more than three decades helping create some of the world’s most extraordinary superyachts, but even he still gets surprised by what owners ask for.

The Lürssen senior sales director has worked on countless custom builds over the years, revealing that clients have requested everything from professional recording studios to hidden tenders tucked inside the hull.

Speaking to Supercar Blondie, Breman also opened up about the future of yacht design, sustainability, and the surprising things you can find in a Lürssen superyacht.

The wildest things you can find in Lürssen vessels

Breman, who joined German shipbuilder Lürssen in 1995 after accidentally finding his way into the superyacht industry, said potential owners often arrive with ambitious ideas – and the company rarely says no.

“Our philosophy has always been and continues to be that we will do absolutely anything as long as it’s not illegal… or dangerous,” he explained.

“There have been lots of different requests.”

One project still stands out above the rest.

“When we built Octopus, that had a hyper-professional recording studio on board in which some of the music you have actually listened to was recorded there,” Breman said.

“To have that on a boat – apart from the fact that it’s a technical challenge because of the noise produced by the generators – I thought that was a very, very cool thing.”

The famous explorer yacht also featured further remarkable customizations.

“The other cool thing on Octopus was the fact that you had a tender that stores itself within the ship coming in through the side section. That was a great, great way.”

With modern superyacht owners, wellness customizations have become just as important as luxury.

“What started as maybe we’ll have a jacuzzi, then we’ll have a sauna and a gym… today our yachts are equipped with the most amazing health facilities,” he said, pointing to cryotherapy rooms, atmospheric pressure chambers and anti-aging technology.

Despite working on some of the world’s largest and most expensive yachts, Breman refuses to name a favorite.

“Ask any parent that has multiple children which one’s your favorite,” he laughed.

“They are all children. They are all equally magnificent in their own way.

“What holds a special place in our hearts is the connection between the client and the boat.”

He added that yachts become ‘an integral part of the ecosystem of a family’, saying they develop personalities of their own as families create memories on board.

Although if you asked us, CALI with the pizza oven, beach club, and outdoor cinema is probably our favorite.

How superyachts are changing fast

While outrageous customizations still grab attention, Breman believes the biggest changes are happening beneath the surface.

Lürssen is investing heavily in fuel-cell technology and hopes to build yachts without combustion engines in the future.

“We spend a lot of money researching fuel-cell technology,” he said.

“It is a declared desire to be the first, or among the first, builders of yachts that will no longer use a combustion engine.”

Instead of relying solely on batteries, Breman believes methanol-based hydrogen fuel cells represent the industry’s most realistic next step and show the brand’s commitment to sustainability.

He has also noticed owners wanting to travel much farther than traditional Mediterranean hotspots, using their yachts to explore destinations such as Greenland, Svalbard and Antarctica, or he at least hopes people will take their Lürssen boats further than St. Tropez.

Breman also highlighted one of the industry’s biggest challenges – finding skilled craftspeople to build these floating masterpieces.

“We have all grown up in a world where it’s not sexy to be a welder,” he said.

He said Lürssen is working hard to change those perceptions through apprenticeships and industry events, helping inspire the next generation of engineers, electricians and welders needed to build tomorrow’s superyachts.

Despite this, and after 150 years of the company, it seems that Lürssen – and Breman – aren’t slowing down any time soon.

The future looks bright for the shipbuilders, and all the future owners of a new Lürssen yacht.