Orient Express Corinthian, the world's largest sailing yacht was named on 29 April 2026 in Saint-Nazaire. Flying the French flag, this 220-metre sailing ship heralds a new era of travel, uniting French decorative craftsmanship with cutting-edge naval innovation.
Orient Express and Chantiers de l'Atlantique today celebrate the baptism of Orient Express Corinthian, the world's largest sailing yacht, at the Joubert graving dock in Saint-Nazaire.
Following the ceremony, the ship, a feat of engineering and a showcase of French craftsmanship, will sail from Saint-Nazaire on 2 May 2026, bound for the French Riviera ahead of her inaugural Mediterranean season.
Laurent Castaing, Chief Executive Officer of Chantiers de l'Atlantique, says:
"For more than one hundred and sixty years, Chantiers de l'Atlantique has been building ships that define their era. Orient Express Corinthian is the latest proof of this: 720 feet, 15,000 tonnes carried by the wind, three SolidSail sails… the fruit of ten years of research and development. It is a concrete, technical response to the decarbonisation challenges facing maritime transport. But above all, it is the work of men and women of exceptional dedication and passion. To them I owe this humble pride. And I thank Orient Express for the trust they placed in us from the very first day of this extraordinary project."
Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accor says: "Bringing Orient Express to the sea fits naturally within the imagination of this legendary brand: a journey rooted in
discovery, unhurried time, excellence, and elegance. Orient Express Corinthian embodies this vision with majesty and boldness. Thanks to its sail-powered propulsion, its spaces enhanced by rare materials, and by offering a unique experience designed for an international clientele, we have met a threefold challenge: industrial, architectural, and artistic. This sailing vessel, born from the collaboration and trust built over the past two years between Accor and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, now proudly showcases the very best of French expertise and craftsmanship."
A TECHNOLOGICAL FEAT UNDER SAIL Orient Express Corinthian is born of the collaboration between Orient Express and Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a world reference in naval engineering, this 15,000-tonne, 720-foot vessel brings together the French art de vivre and the most advanced shipbuilding of the age.
She is the first cruise ship equipped with the SolidSail wind propulsion system, developed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Her three rigs, each spanning 1,500 m² and rising to over 320 feet, are fully automated and capable of delivering 100% wind-powered propulsion in favourable conditions. Rotating through 360 degrees, they maintain optimal trim on any point of sail, whatever the wind direction. With carbon masts that cant to 70 degrees - designed, developed and built in the Bretagne and Pays de la Loire regions - the ship clears the world's great bridges without difficulty.
Sea trials conducted in February 2026 confirmed her performance: in 20 knots of wind, this vessel made 12 knots under sail alone. A first for a ship of this size.
This revolutionary system is complemented by hybrid liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion and numerous energy efficiency features, earning her the best EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) rating in her class, far ahead of any other vessel of comparable size. An AI-assisted detection system continuously monitors for marine mammals and objects in the water to reduce collision risk. Dynamic positioning preserves the seabed by doing away with the need to anchor.
A SETTING FOR HOSPITALITY AND THE FINEST FRENCH CRAFTSMANSHIP Named a century after the launch of the Île-de-France, in the very shipyards that also gave rise to the legendary Normandie, Orient Express seeks, much as they did in their time, alongside the Art Deco movement, to bring French craftsmanship to the world stage and elevate the art of travel.
Orient Express Corinthian renews that tradition. Her interiors draw on the golden age of travel, the age of the Orient Express train and the great ocean liners, rendered in a spare, contemporary idiom. For this vessel entirely built in France, close to 2,000 craftsmen, artists and ateliers, led by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, contributed to shaping the project to bespoke specifications, following the vision set by architect Maxime d'Angeac, Orient Express Creative Director (list appended to this press release).
THE ART OF LIVING ON BOARD Orient Express Corinthian accommodates 54 suites, ranging from 45 to 230 m², distributed across four decks. Each suite features a 3.60-metre panoramic window and deckhead heights raised by 25 cm above current industry standards. Leathers, precious wood veneers and marbles compose an interior of quiet refinement. A dedicated butler attends each cabin.
Five restaurants and private dining rooms are placed under the culinary direction of multi-Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno. Eight bars, including an Art Deco speakeasy, a 115-seat cabaret and a recording studio complete the offering. The Guerlain spa, a 16.5-metre swimming lane, a pool and a marina are at passengers' disposal throughout the voyage. All is offered on a fully inclusive basis.
ITINERARIES Following her departure from Saint-Nazaire on 2 May, the ship will make for the French Riviera before beginning her inaugural season. From May to October 2026, Orient Express Corinthian will sail the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, before crossing the Atlantic in autumn to winter in the Caribbean. In 2027, a new collection of itineraries extends her range to the eastern Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
Each route leads to carefully chosen ports of call, storied harbours and quieter shores alike, where culture, craftsmanship and landscape compose an open invitation.
Itineraries of one to four nights offer a freedom of pace rare in luxury cruising: each passage can be combined with another to build an entirely bespoke voyage.
A CEREMONY WORTHY OF MARITIME LEGEND The Joubert graving dock is inseparable from the history of French shipbuilding. Built during the interwar period to address the infrastructure constraints encountered during the fitting-out of the Île-de-France, it was the birthplace of the Normandie. It is within this historically charged setting that Orient Express Corinthian today receives her name.
The ceremony opened with an aerial salute by four Fouga Magister jets in the colours of the French flag, a reminder of an industrial history Saint-Nazaire knows well: from the 1920s, its shipyards extended their expertise to aeronautics, drawing on shared skills in engineering and metalwork. The same technical mastery carried from one horizon to the next. This was followed by the hoisting of the three rigid sails SolidSail raised before the speeches.
Catherine Chabaud, Minister Delegate for the Sea and Fisheries officially presented the French ensign to Laurent Castaing, granting the vessel the right to fly the French colours.
The centrepiece of the ceremony was the formal transfer of ownership. Laurent Castaing presented the ship to Sébastien Bazin and Philippe Heltland Brault, Président Orient Express Sailing Yacht, with the following words: "Dear Sébastien, dear Philippe, on behalf of Chantiers de l'Atlantique, it is with immense pride that I hand over to you today the ownership of Orient Express Corinthian. I wish her every success, fair winds and following seas, to her crew and to all the passengers who will have the privilege of sailing aboard her."
Sébastien Bazin then entrusted the command of Éric Saint-Plancat of the vessel to her master, who ordered the colours to be broken - the French ensign and the Orient Express pennant - to the strains of the Marseillaise. The ceremony concluded with the blessing of the ship and her company by Monseigneur Nicolas, Orthodox archbishop, and the traditional breaking of a Balthazar.
