The verdict The 50 Metri is Riva's flagship and the test of whether the brand's runabout DNA transfers to a full displacement superyacht. It does: this is a serene, beautifully detailed long-range yacht with genuine Riva character.
The Riva 50 Metri is the boat that decides whether Riva is a heritage runabout brand wearing a superyacht costume or a genuine superyacht builder. After a four-day western-Mediterranean charter — Monaco to Saint-Tropez to the Îles d’Hyères — aboard a delivered hull with a permanent crew of nine, arranged through the yard, we judge it firmly the latter.
This is the flagship of Riva’s metal superyacht line, and it carries more of the brand’s actual character to 50 metres than scepticism would predict.
Substance: a displacement yacht with intent
The 50 Metri is a full-displacement yacht on a steel hull with an aluminium superstructure — proper superyacht construction, not a scaled-up sportcruiser. Twin MTU diesels give a top speed around 15 knots and a 14-knot cruise, with a range of approximately 3,500 nautical miles. That is a serious, ocean-capable autonomy, and the boat’s whole character follows from it: quiet, settled, unhurried.
What survives the jump from runabout to superyacht is the Riva detailing — the stainless work, the long low glazing, the proportion. On the water the boat reads unmistakably as a Riva, which is a harder thing to achieve at 50 metres than the brochures suggest.
| Dimension | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Substance (the vessel) | 30% | 5.7 / 6.0 |
| Execution (build/engineering) | 25% | 4.8 / 5.0 |
| Service | 20% | 3.7 / 4.0 |
| Setting / experience | 15% | 2.9 / 3.0 |
| Value | 10% | 1.9 / 2.0 |
Execution: the detailing is the point
Build quality is excellent. The metalwork — Riva’s signature — is flawlessly executed, and the marriage of stainless detailing to the aluminium superstructure is seamless. Interior finish across our charter was first-rate: tight joinery, beautifully handled stone and veneer, and the kind of consistency that signals a yard operating at the top of the segment. We found nothing we would flag as a defect, which at 50 metres is itself an achievement.
Accommodation, service and setting
The layout sleeps up to 10 guests in five staterooms, with the master among the better-proportioned at this length, served by a crew of around nine. The crew complement and the displacement hull together make the boat genuinely serene: there is enough crew to keep service invisible and enough hull to keep motion gentle.
Service on charter was excellent — the boat’s circulation and crew areas are laid out to support a large, well-drilled complement, and it showed. The setting the 50 Metri creates is its quiet triumph: the long glazing, the generous shaded aft decks and the overall calm make it a yacht that feels like a place rather than a vehicle.
Value and verdict
On value, the 50 Metri sits in the region of €30 million and up depending on specification, which is consistent with full-displacement 50-metre steel superyachts of this build quality. You are paying for proper superyacht engineering, a heritage brand executed without compromise, and detailing that genuinely distinguishes the boat — a defensible proposition at this level.
The 50 Metri is the rare flagship that vindicates the brand’s expansion upmarket. The runabout DNA is present, the build is superb, and the displacement hull delivers the serenity and range a yacht this size should. It is, comfortably, the best boat in this review.
The Premium Standard: 19.0 / 20
Verification
Every factual claim in this review was checked against external sources before publication, on 2026-03-09. Where a figure could not be independently confirmed, it is described in approximate terms in the text. To challenge a fact, write to corrections@premiumtravelreview.com.
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Riva 50 Metri?
- It is a 50-metre (about 164-foot) full-displacement superyacht built on a steel hull with an aluminium superstructure.
- How fast is it and how far can it go?
- Top speed is around 15 knots with a comfortable 14-knot cruise on twin MTU diesels, and a long range of approximately 3,500 nautical miles.
- How many guests does it sleep?
- Typically up to 10 guests in five staterooms, supported by a crew of around nine.
- Is it really a Riva?
- Yes — the 50 Metri is the flagship of Riva's superyacht line and carries the brand's signature stainless detailing, glazing and proportion into full superyacht scale.
