Editor’s Note: MainSail is CNN’s monthly sailing show, exploring the sport of sailing, luxury travel and the latest in design and technology.
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Looking for a holiday with celebrity glitz and glam?
Superyachts of the rich and famous are available for hire
From P. Diddy's high-tech vessel to JFK's charming wooden boat
Luxury living comes with a hefty price tag, up to $685,000 per week
Nothing drives home the luxury lifestyles of the rich and famous quite like images of them lounging on a sun-drenched superyacht.
But even wealthy yacht owners – who often use their magnificent boats for just a few weeks a year –are not averse to making some extra cash by renting them out.
And if you’re willing to splash out, you could be cruising the waves in the very same vessels used by A-list pop stars, royalty, and world leaders.
From Beyonce to Grace Kelly, CNN takes a look at the most beautiful celebrity yachts available for hire.
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Beyonce on board
When Beyonce performed at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009, the soulful songstress was left high and dry without a luxury vessel – until she chartered 30-meter superyacht Asfar.
At $109,000 per week, the sleek boat features three elegant suites, with room for 11 guests. Four crew members – including a chef, a captain and deck hands – were also on board to cater to their elite guest’s every whim.
“Beyonce had a great time, sailing around the beautiful west coast of Abu Dhabi,” said the CEO of an Abu Dhabi charter company which hired out the plush yacht. “She just wished she could have stayed longer.”
Old school Grace
From modern day divas to past princesses, you could be sunning yourself aboard Grace Kelly’s iconic honeymoon yacht M/Y Grace – as it tours the Galapagos Islands.
The charming wooden yacht was given to Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco as a wedding present from shipping mogul Aristotle Onassis in the 1950s, with the royal couple spending their honeymoon sailing it along the stunning Italian coast.
Today the iconic boat has been refitted with nine luxury staterooms and a top deck hot tub. Guests can enjoy fine dining as they meander past Ecuador’s remarkable islands teeming with unusual wildlife such as giant tortoises and marine iguanas. A week in the master suite will set you back $6,600.
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P.Diddy’s iPad superyacht
When rapper tycoon P. Diddy goes on holiday, he doesn’t do things by halves. The Grammy Award-winning musician relaxes on one of the most luxurious and high-tech superyachts in the world – Solemates – which even boasts an iPad-controller.
From the luxury of their top deck jacuzzi, guests can control practically everything but the captain’s steering wheel – all with a leisurely brush of their ipad.
The 60-meter yacht also features an aromatherapy shower, James Bond-style underwater hovercraft, and a gym which converts into a disco. The price is similarly spectacular – around $685,000 per week during the height of summer.
All the presidents’ yacht
When former American President John F. Kennedy wanted a few hours rest from the White House, he would supposedly slip away on the Potomac River for a leisurely cruise on his yacht, Honey Fitz.
Built in 1931, the pretty wooden vessel has served five American presidents, including Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and of course JFK – whose wife Jackie installed the boat’s very first color TV in the 1960s.
The recently renovated 70-passenger yacht is now completing a charity fundraising tour around the U.S., but is still available for private hire, costing around $5,000 for four hours.
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Richard Branson’s Belle
If anyone knows spectacular modes of transport, it’s Virgin business mogul Richard Branson. The British billionaire’s 32-meter catamaran – Necker Belle – includes four luxury suites, each with its own ensuite and flat screen TV.
Thrill seekers can also enjoy the sleek vessel’s roof-top diving board, scuba diving equipment and three-person mini submarine, dubbed “Necker Nymph.”
Guests can cruise the Caribbean in the grand yacht for a cool $110,000 per week.