Hotel giant Accor SA will enter the luxury cruise market with the debut of the largest sailing ship in the world.
140+ years after the original Orient Express train first took to the rails, Europe's largest hospitality group will debut the Orient Express Silenseas.
The ship is inspired by the legacy of the most glamorous train journey and celebrates the art of travel.
Orient Express Silenseas is expected to debut in 2026-Q1.
With LOA length 220 m, the vessel is being designed by architect Maxime d'Angeac, also responsible for Accor's redesign of its legendary train. The design is geared to evoke memories of the mythical cruising's golden age.
The ship will have 54x ultra-luxury suites (each spanning 70 m2 / 755 ft2) and its crowning jewel will be the 1415 m2 (15230 ft2) Presidential Suite.
Guests will be able to enjoy a choice of 2 upscale restaurants, 2 swimming pools, 1 lap pool, and a speakeasy bar.
Orient Express Silenseas will host a program of culture, music, and art. The amphitheatrical cabaret will host special performances. There will also be a private recording studio onboard.
Sebastien Bazin, chairman and chief executive at Accor said that with Orient Express Silenseas, they were beginning a new chapter in their history, "taking the experience and excellence of luxury travel and transposing it onto the world’s most beautiful seas.”
“It is a boat designed to make dreams a reality, a showcase for the best of French savoir-faire.”
Orient Express Silenseas is a partnership between Accor and the French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique/STX France (St Nazaire).
The ship will run with hybrid propulsion sailing technology, combining wind power and one LNG-powered engine. There are plans to replace this with green hydrogen as soon as the technology is approved for ocean passenger ships.
Accor acquired the Orient Express group back in 2018, and soon after launched the first redesign for the most famous train in the world in 100+ years.