Legendary train company aims to take luxury brand to the high seas.
While the Orient Express brings visions of railway platforms, train guards’ whistles and high-quality food in the dining car, a new venture by the company is extending its reach to the open water.
Paris-based hotel operators Accor, owners of the Orient Express, wants to launch a yacht-style cruise liner, Orient Express Silenseas, with plans for the 722-foot (220-metre) craft to be operating around the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
It will be the world’s largest sailing yacht with the aim to be carrying 120 passengers onboard by the spring of 2026, with 54 suites and an even more opulent presidential version, complete with a private terrace.
Chairman and CEO of Accor, Sébastien Bazin, said: “With Orient Express Silenseas, we are beginning a new chapter in our history. This exceptional sailing yacht, with roots in Orient Express’ history, will offer unparalleled service and refined design spaces reminiscent of the golden age of mythical cruises.”
The world-famous Orient Express, made even more popular by one of novelist Agatha Christie’s best-loved works, has been pioneering luxury train travel since the 19th century.
