Royal Romance Superyacht Drama Continues as Sanctioned Owner Tries to Get It Back

To paraphrase an old saying, well, you ain't seen nothing yet. Whatever amount of drama superyacht and megayacht seizures have brought along is nothing compared to the hubbub around Royal Romance, a custom superyacht delivered by Feadship to Viktor Medvedchuk in 2015.

The last time we spoke about it, Royal Romance was in the preparatory stages of a forced sale, with all the benefits going directly to Ukraine as aid in the ongoing war effort. The superyacht was seized in Croatia in 2022 with help from the FBI and has remained there since. In May 2024, ownership of it was transferred to Ukraine, so while the vessel itself hasn't budged, it's now flying the Ukrainian flag.

That's not to say that it could sail off into the proverbial sunset tomorrow if it wanted. Royal Romance remains stuck in Croatia, burdened by lawsuits, highly disputed, and, according to a new report, passionately coveted by all parties.

Owner desperately wants the superyacht back

On May 26, exactly two years after Royal Romance was arrested, its status as a seized asset was extended by a Croatian court. According to esysman Superyachts, one of the leading online sources in superyacht watching, the move came after a possible (alleged) attempt from the owner to steal it back.

There's a very complicated legal backstory that goes with that, but the gist of it is that, just months before the original owner was sanctioned by the U.S. and European countries, he had ownership transferred to another company, conveniently located in the Marshall Islands. That owner is Viktor Medvedchuk, the "dark prince" of politics, a Ukrainian lawyer with such close ties to Putin that Putin himself named him by name for a prisoner swap later that year.

As per the source, local reports claim that the new paper owner, Lanelia Holdings, is tied to a Russian real estate magnate and to Medvedchuk himself. In the 2+ years that have passed since the arrest of the vessel, attorneys have been trying to argue that because the seizure happened after the transfer of ownership, it's illegal. As a side note, all Russian oligarchs pulled a similar move as the world threatened sanctions against them if they continued to back Putin's war efforts.

Medvedchuk admittedly took things one step further. Also in May this year, Croatian police raided Royal Romance and found seven crew members who weren't part of the skeleton crew approved to remain onboard to conduct standard maintenance. They were all Russian nationalists, and even though they held documents saying they were allowed to work in the EU, they were deported back to their country.

If you don't believe in coincidences, this recent incident has all the makings of a criminal ploy. As per the same source, it could be that the seven men were infiltrated onboard with the goal of "stealing" Royal Romance, sailing it out either when the seizure timeline ended (which ultimately didn't happen) or when port authorities weren't paying attention.

That's speculation on our part, but the men's deportation seems to hint that it was also what local authorities believed could have happened. If so, it points to Medvedchuk's desperation to get his $220+ million superyacht back, as well as the kind of backing he has to make such an attempt.

The most controversial Feadship build to date

You'd imagine it difficult for one superyacht to stand out from Feadship's outstanding portfolio, and you'd be right. If controversy was the sole deciding factor, Royal Romance would leave competition in the dust, though that's hardly a distinction any yard, let alone one as prestigious as Feadship, would ever want or willingly seek.

Royal Romance is a fully custom superyacht built on commission for Medvedchuk, at a time when seeking business from oligarchs wasn't a crime in itself. Because the Ukrainian-born politician was worth over $1 billion at the time, he could afford more than the $220+ million asking price on the superyacht: he could also afford to keep it a complete secret by not offering it for charter.

For superyacht watchers, the 2022 arrest brought the only look inside Royal Romance and the only confirmed details about the build. It put a face to the name, if you'll allow the comparison.

Royal Romance is 92.5 meters (303.5 feet) long and boasts exterior design and naval architecture by De Voogt Naval Architects, with interiors by Seymour Diamond. It's styled as a floating palace with multi-generational appeal, with accommodation for 14 guests and 22 crew, and a range of amenities that include a children's suite, several jacuzzis (because one is never enough), an oversize swimming pool, a cosmetology treatment room, a wellness area with sauna and spa, a cinema, and a fully equipped gym.

Dual MTU engines can take Royal Romance to a top speed of 18.5 knots (21.2 mph/34.2 kph), but chances of it hitting it anytime soon aren't looking good right now. Even assuming the courts strip the superyacht of the legal balls and chains it's been burdened with, there's also the issue of who would want a superyacht that comes with this kind of baggage.