Rising Sun leaves Palma in awe: Celebrity fleet sails across the bay

Rising Sun leaves Palma in awe: Celebrity fleet sails across the bay

Wednesday morning between Club de Mar and Passeig Marítim

On Wednesday morning an unusual sight drew people to the harbour wall: the 138-metre megayacht Rising Sun slowly left the port after several weeks at berth in the Club de Mar and glided through the bay of Palma. For about an hour the usual harbour bustle came to a standstill — although the ferries kept running and the seagulls continued their familiar concert.

Those walking along the Passeig Marítim heard the soft purring of the bow-thruster engines, smelled diesel and fresh coffee from the street cafés, and saw families with children standing on tiptoe trying to catch a glimpse of the ship. A fishing boat pulled in briefly, a waiter put down cups outside, and a group of cyclists stopped to take photos with their phones. Such close encounters between global celebrities and everyday island life are rare, as with the 'Star Princess' in Palma.

Well-known names associated with the yacht attracted additional interest: according to eyewitnesses and public indications, guests included Oprah Winfrey (who reportedly celebrated her 65th birthday on board), Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Jeff Bezos, Lloyd Blankfein and Barack and Michelle Obama. The Rising Sun belongs to media entrepreneur David Geffen and is considered one of the largest private yachts, equipped with a basketball court, cinema and wine cellar; its value is publicly estimated at around 400 million dollars.

For the people on site the manoeuvre was above all a small spectacle: tourists stopped, walkers called out the names of the celebrities to one another, and some local business owners at the harbour informally expected that such visits would lead to a short-term increase in bookings for boat and land excursions. Harbour workers and supply teams are also in demand when such large yachts arrive or depart — craftsmen, caterers and cleaning services regard this as welcome work.

The fact that the Rising Sun appears in our waters more often is nothing new: over recent years the island and its marina have established themselves as a popular stopover for superyachts, a trend visible when the Explora II docked in Palma.

A visit by a yacht like this is not just a photo opportunity for Mallorca. It brings short-term revenue, arouses curiosity and provides conversation in the street cafés from La Lonja to Portixol. It also shows that our island remains a destination for people from culture, business and politics — an unspectacular but very effective testament to Mallorca's international appeal. Other unusual guests, such as the five-masted Royal Clipper, have also enchanted locals.

If you missed the scene: don't worry. Next time you can watch again from the paseo or from one of the harbour venues. And perhaps it is precisely this mix of everyday life and glamour that keeps Palma alive: fishermen deliver their catch in the morning, bars host lively discussions at midday, and in the evening a superyacht silently heads out into the dusk. A small reminder that our island's daily life repeatedly hosts surprising guests — and often opportunities for the local economy.