By
Mansvini Kaushik
|
Aug 11, 2025
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Travel
Design
Picture this: the soft kiss of a Mediterranean breeze on your skin, a flute of champagne catching the last blush of sunset, and a pianist’s melody drifting through the evening air. It is the Orient Express, not thundering along its legendary rails but gliding effortlessly across the world’s most glamorous waters.
More than 140 years after it first became the gold standard of train travel, the Orient Express is making waves, quite literally. In an extraordinary collaboration with French shipbuilders Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Accor has unveiled Orient Express Corinthian and her sister ship Olympian, the largest sailing yachts ever built, each crowned with three majestic SolidSail masts that stretch a staggering 1,500 square metres.
The Corinthian, set to make her grand debut in June 2026, is as much a love letter to the romance of travel as she is a feat of modern engineering. Under the artistic direction of Maxime d’Angeac, the yacht channels the gilded glamour of the Orient Express’s golden age while nodding to the oceanic elegance of the SS Normandie. Every corridor and every curve is a study in French sophistication.
Her 54 suites, vast sanctuaries between 45 and 230 sqm, are framed by sweeping picture windows, some with private terraces that feel like your own slice of horizon. On deck, the art of idleness is perfected: a pair of shimmering swimming pools, a 115-seat cabaret, a private marina for impromptu dips into the sea, and even a recording studio for those inspired by the moment.
Gastronomy is elevated to theatre under the stewardship of multi-Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno, whose five restaurants span refined dining rooms to intimate private tables where the Riviera feels close enough to touch. As night falls, an Art Deco–inspired speakeasy offers the perfect retreat for a nightcap under the stars.
The journey is as much about where she sails as the ship itself. From May to October 2026, the Corinthian will call at 35 ports, weaving together headline destinations like Monte-Carlo, Portofino and Saint-Tropez with under-the-radar treasures such as Portoferraio on Elba, Saint-Florent in Corsica and Lerici in the Gulf of La Spezia. Guests will drift into Venice during the Biennale, drop anchor in Saint-Tropez for Les Voiles and arrive in Monaco just in time for the yacht show.
Every itinerary is stitched with rare experiences, from a private wander through the Peggy Guggenheim Museum before it opens to the public, to exclusive access to Pompeii’s hidden corners, to a pulse-quickening drive at Circuit Paul Ricard
Her maiden voyage departs Marseille on 6 June 2026, an indulgent six-night sweep along the French Riviera before charting courses through the Amalfi Coast, Sicily and the Adriatic. In 2025, she will tease her Caribbean season, from Barbados to Saint-Barth’s via the Tobago Cays, ensuring her arrival is a headline event at every marina.
With a guest list as selective as her ports of call, the Orient Express Corinthian is not simply a yacht, she is a floating world of heritage, hedonism and horizon-chasing beauty. The legend of the Orient Express has found a new frontier, and this time, it is at sea.
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Mansvini Kaushik
Mansvini Kaushik is the Editor-in-Chief of Indulge Newsroom, the editorial division of Indulge Global. A seasoned business and investigative journalist, she brings years of experience from Forbes India, where she honed her craft in high-impact storytelling. With a deep-rooted passion for luxury and culture, Mansvini founded Candle Magazine before taking the helm at Indulge Newsroom. She now leads the publication with a vision to redefine luxury journalism in India.
