Orient Express is moving closer to its expansion into the sea.
Leaders with the Accor-owned ultra-luxury brand named its flagship sailing yacht on Tuesday in Saint-Nazaire, France, marking the debut of the world’s largest sailing vessel ever built for a hospitality company. The 720-foot Orient Express Corinthian will depart for the French Riviera on May 2 for positioning ahead of her inaugural season. The vessel will accommodate as many as 110 guests across 54 suites in a fully inclusive model that positions the storied brand firmly in the ultra-luxury cruise market.
Built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the same shipyard that produced the Normandie and Île-de-France, the Corinthian weighs 15,000 tons and deploys three automated SolidSail rigs spanning 1,500 square meters each. During sea trials in February, the yacht achieved 12 knots under sail alone in 20-knot winds, a performance benchmark for vessels of this scale. Hybrid liquefied natural gas propulsion and AI-assisted marine mammal detection round out the vessel’s tech offering.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Luxury Travel Advisor.
