The Orient Express Corinthian is the world’s largest sailing yacht and has launched its maiden voyage in June 2026. At 220 metres, with 54 suites for just 110 guests and 170 crew. Featuring Michelin-starred dining by Yannick Alléno, and the first Le Guerlain spa at sea, it is safe to say that this is the most dramatic luxury cruise debut of the decade. The ship is currently sailing Mediterranean itineraries and some are already fully booked.
The name Orient Express has meant something specific for 140 years and that is unhurried luxury, extraordinary craftsmanship, and the belief that the journey itself should be the destination. In June 2026, this legacy has now set sail for the first time.
The Orient Express Corinthian is the world’s largest sailing ship at 220 metres, operated by Orient Express, which is a subsidiary of Accor in partnership with LVMH. And it marks the return of the Orient Express brand to maritime operations, literally 140 years after the launch of its first trains. It is not simply a new cruise ship but one of the most ambitious luxury hospitality launches in recent memory.
What Makes Orient Express Corinthian a World First
The 220-metre yacht carries just 54 suites accommodating up to 110 guests, with over 170 crew members. This is delivering a better 1.5:1 crew-to-passenger ratio even when fully booked. To put this in perspective, most large cruise ships carry one crew member for every three or four passengers, but in the Orient Express Corinthian, the crew outnumbers the guests. And every suite comes with a butler as standard- a standard. Read that again.
The ship is equipped with a hybrid propulsion system combining three masts fitted with SolidSail rigid sails and an AeolDrive system, the result of more than a decade of research and development by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the same French shipyard that built the SS Normandie. The vessel is also designed to accommodate hydrogen propulsion as part of a future sustainable transition. Accor has expressed the ambition for the Corinthian to be wind-powered up to 80% of the time, the three 328-foot-high masts and 16,145 square feet of rigid carbon fibre-reinforced glass sails fully automated from the wheelhouse. The result is a ship that can reach 15 knots under sail alone, without a single drop of fuel.
The Suites: Art Deco Meets the Open Sea
The interiors that are penned by French design studio Maxime d’Angeac, are an homage to the Orient Express’s original Art Deco heritage. All equipped with a historic-themed cabin fitted with luggage racks and vintage lights sourced from the original train, and carpet motifs inspired by Suzanne Lalique’s flower bouquet glass panels.
In two of the suites, Orient Express has faithfully recreated a heritage cabin, an exact replica of a sleeping compartment on the original train, complete with fold-down bunks and a washbasin. Everything else onboard that includes all the toiletries, rosewood carving, marble surfaces, textiles, and pearl embroidery, is custom-made and bespoke to the yacht. This all including toiletries commissioned from Parisian perfumier Maison d’Orsay.
The crown jewel is the Agatha Christie Suite, a two-bedroom suite with a king-size bed, marble bath, literary artwork, fitness room. If you though that’s all, nope- it also features a spacious terrace with a private jacuzzi. Pricing for this suite on longer voyages during peak season can exceed $200,000. (prices may differ.)
Dining, Entertainment and Wellness
The dining experience is no-exception. The ship has five restaurants and eight bars including a 1930s-style speakeasy, a 115-seat cabaret, a recording studio, a cinema, and a spa. Wellness facilities include the first and iconic Le Guerlain spa at sea, a hammam, two saunas, a steam room, three treatment rooms, and a fitness centre.
The culinary programme is overseen by Yannick Alléno, a chef whose global restaurant empire has earned a whopping 17 Michelin stars. Every meal onboard is all-inclusive. Along with premium drinks, butler service, room service, entertainment, and Starlink Wi-Fi.
Where It Sails and What It Costs
The Corinthian’s summer 2026 season covers Mediterranean itineraries including Provence and the French Riviera, Corsica and Liguria, the Italian Riviera and Tyrrhenian Islands, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily, and the Adriatic Coast. And from October 2026, the ship repositions to the Caribbean.
Current Mediterranean sailings include a stellar four-night Saint Tropez to Marseille itinerary and a three-night Mediterranean Icons cruise visiting Propriano and Porto Cervo, which are both now fully booked.
Pricing for the 2026 season runs from approximately €16,800 for entry-level suites to €43,000 for the largest cabins on longer voyages, all-inclusive. Prices may vary, please check official platforms. Short shoulder-season sailings start lower, but the six-night launch cruise was priced at £52,870 per person.
The Bigger Picture
The Corinthian does not exist in isolation, but many luxury brands including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Aman, and Orient Express are all launching smaller, intimate vessels that emphasise privacy, curated itineraries, and high-end service. They are fundamentally changing the perception of what a cruise ship can be. About half of Ritz-Carlton’s yacht guests are reportedly first-time cruisers and are proof that the ultra-luxury small ship is successfully converting travelers who would never have considered a traditional cruise.
A second vessel in the making, the Orient Express Olympian is currently under construction at Chantiers de l’Atlantique and is planned for delivery in April 2027. The company is also considering expanding its fleet to four ships if successful.
The Orient Express has always understood that how you travel defines the experience as much as where you go. The Corinthian is that philosophy afloat, and for 110 guests at a time, it is redefining what luxury at sea can mean.
Editorial Disclaimer: All specifications, pricing, itinerary, and launch information in this article are sourced from Orient Express Sailing Yachts, CruiseMapper, Cruise Critic, Elite Traveler, One Mile at a Time, and Wikipedia. Cover Page Media has not independently verified all pricing or availability. Itineraries and pricing are subject to change — readers should confirm current information at orient-express.com.
