This month, the first of Accor’s two highly anticipated Orient Express sailing yachts, the Orient Express Corinthian, will embark on its first maiden voyage across the Mediterranean. Dubbed the ‘largest sailing yacht in the world,’ the 721-ft vessel cuts an imposing figure at sea, powered by revolutionary SolidSail technology and propelled by three towering masts that blend old-world romance with cutting-edge engineering.
Its interiors were conceived by architect Maxime d’Angeac, the artistic director of Orient Express, whose portfolio already includes several of the brand’s trains and hotels, alongside projects for Guerlain (products you’ll find stocked in the bathrooms and wellness facilities on board the yacht). Yet despite d’Angeac’s growing association with luxury travel, the Corinthian marked his first-ever yacht project – an irony made all the better by the fact that he suffers from "seasickness" himself, he reveals to Elite Traveler. To navigate the unfamiliar territory, he assembled “a team of naval architects” capable of translating his cinematic vision into a vessel. And it paid off.
The yacht itself was built entirely in France, with around 2,000 artisans, craftsmen, and ateliers from across Europe enlisted to bring d’Angeac’s vision to life. “Everything on the boat is bespoke and drawn by us. We had to run all around Europe [to get everything],” he says. Inside, details pay homage to the golden age of travel and the Art Deco elegance synonymous with the Orient Express name. But rather than simply recreating the past, d’Angeac’s design balances nostalgia with contemporary elements for the modern explorer. Elite Traveler was one of the first titles to check in.
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Stay
Despite stretching an impressive 721.8 ft – a scale more commonly associated with cruise liners than yachts – the Orient Express Corinthian has been designed with remarkable restraint. Rather than maximizing passenger numbers, the vessel accommodates just 110 guests across 54 suites (ranging from 463 sq ft to 2,422 sq ft) – comfortably outnumbered by its 170 crew members, including a dedicated butler for every cabin. Even though every suite was occupied during my overnight stay, I barely bumped into any other guests – a testament to the sheer size of the yacht.
The undisputed showpiece is its largest and most lavish penthouse accommodation: the Agatha Christie Suite, named in honor of the author of Murder on the Orient Express. The impressive space features two king-size beds, a dramatic marble-clad bathroom with a standalone tub, a private fitness room, expansive entertaining areas, and a vast terrace complete with its own Jacuzzi. Panoramic sea views are, of course, baked into the design.
Dine
On board the Orient Express Corinthian are five restaurants, all overseen by globally-renowned executive chef Yannick Alléno. The standout, I'm told (although I never got to try it myself), is La Table de l’Orient-Express by Yannick Alléno, an elegant dining room framed by floor-to-ceiling ocean views and illuminated by moonlit glasswork suspended overhead.
La Terrasse is set to become the yacht’s go-to spot for breakfast and lunch, featuring a sweeping double staircase and indoor-outdoor seating (if you order anything go for the lobster caesar salad, as well as the sautéed mushrooms for breakfast). Meanwhile, seafood lovers will gravitate toward L’Ecrin, which specializes in shellfish and fish dishes, while L’Encre offers a similar menu in a more intimate counter-dining setting.
Then there’s Le Yacht Club, a more relaxed outlier in the mix – an East Coast–style pub space where you can catch a rugby match, play darts, and order straightforward food like sandwiches and cold beers.
Drink
The Orient Express Corinthian is home to eight bars, including a swanky hidden 1930s-style speakeasy reached only by passing through either a poker room on one side or a barber shop on the other – depending on how you like your entrance. Among the more visible standouts is Le Wagon Bar, which blends Art Nouveau and Art Deco influences, and leans heavily into a moody atmosphere. Interior wise, there's shell-shaped armchairs, deep velvet finishes, and soft lighting cast through Lalique lamps to give it the feel of a traveling salon rather than a typical yacht bar.
And as for spilled drinks, the designers have thought of that too. “Sébastien Bazin (CEO of Accor) said to me, ‘When I’m drinking wine, I don’t want the yacht moving more than 1.5 degrees,’” recalls d’Angeac. “So we built wave-detection technology into the specifications [that stabilize the yacht].”
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Wellness
Le Spa by Guerlain is spread across 5,380 sq ft, and comes fully equipped with a hammam, sauna, relaxation lounge, beauty salon, gym, studio space, and an infinity-style lap pool that blurs the line between spa and sea.
One of its more memorable touches is the barber studio – offering what might just be the most scenic haircut in the world, thanks to its ocean-facing chair. Treatments throughout the spa use Guerlain products exclusively, with the brand also curating bespoke wellness programs tailored to guests during their stay.
Beyond traditional spa offerings, the space is designed for practical glamour. The beauty salon doubles as a pre-event preparation hub, whether guests are heading to dinner on board or ashore. On my visit, the yacht’s resident stylist slotted me in for a last-minute appointment with just an hour's notice, giving me a Cannes-ready updo for an evening spent on the red carpet (thanks to Orient Express Corinthian's partnership with Cannes Film Festival, the superyacht will be able to allocate 20 red carpet tickets per year).
Elsewhere, there’s an outdoor pool surrounded by a sun deck lined with loungers, and in the couloir de nage – an architecturally-impressive 55-ft lap pool with views of a sailboat's mast, suitable for two swimmers at a time.
Do
The facilities go well beyond what you’d expect even from a superyacht. There’s a 115-seat cabaret for full-scale performances – “we really want music and culture on the boat,” says d’Angeac – plus a cinema (complete with original seats plucked from an Orient Express train and reupholstered to fit the space) for quieter nights in. There's even a soundproof recording studio equipped with a piano, drums, and guitars – with the idea that musicians could, quite literally, disappear below deck and emerge with an album.
The library on the main floor houses 1,500 rare books – “we worked with a famous library in Paris called Galignani [on sourcing them]," d’Angeac reveals – plus a chaise longue for reading sessions. The adults-only games room, meanwhile, is furnished with a central circular table for Mah-Jong, poker, chess, backgammon, and roulette. And rather unusually, it sits directly beside the children’s playroom: a brightly equipped space organized neatly with toys.
Finally, there’s the nightclub: fully soundproofed and complete with its own bar and retro disco lights, so the party can run as late as anyone wants without spilling into the rest of the ship. The staff behind the bar were incredibly speedy with service, and whipped up my dirty Martini (served with a side of caviar) in record time. For guests looking to celebrate in style, the nightclub is likely to be one of the yacht's biggest draws. As Bazin tells me over lunch: “Many clients chartering the yacht will have their own private boats sailing alongside, but on board [the Orient Express Corinthian], they can throw a much bigger party.” That appeal is already being tested – the first private charter is set for June, with rates starting from €650,000 (approx. $760k) per night, excluding taxes.
