The chance to travel via the legendary Orient Express is a bucket list experience, and Accor Group is banking on renewed interest in the brand’s high-end sailing itineraries planned for 2027.
There’s already a series of exotic train journeys planned aboard the retooled and luxurious Orient Express “La Dolce Vita,” and on the high seas, the Orient Express Corinthian has already been heralded as the world’s biggest sailing yacht. Now, the just-announced Orient Express Olympian plots a lucrative and enviable course with new itineraries, even before the Corinthian embarks on its maiden voyage. “Spring 2027 marks a defining moment for Orient Express Sailing Yachts,” Accor Group notes, with routes across northern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean charting an eye-popping new course.
Routes traversing the high seas from Turkey and Greece to Scandinavia will expand upon previously announced itineraries across locales like the Adriatic and the Italian Riviera. Both the Corinthian and the Olympian are billed as the height of luxury, with each ship’s ultra-exclusive suites set to deliver what Accor Group calls “rare intimacy” coupled with stunning panoramic views and an A-to-Z slate of world-class experiences (bolstered by dining designed by Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno).
One route starting in Piraeus takes guests across the Aegean Sea before ending in Istanbul, for instance, while London marks the starting point for a northern European route ending near Mont-Saint-Michel. Another announced route takes travelers from London to the utterly distinctive city of Copenhagen across the North Sea, returning to London through Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth. Each planned voyage looks more enticing than the last, both in the relative rarity of its stops and the opulent design of its rooms and common areas on board each lifetime voyage.
The design of each ship, led in part by French artisans, looks to elevate the sailing experience beyond more standard, mass-market cruise ships, Accor Group notes. The Orient Express Corinthian and Olympian take cues from their counterparts on dry land, as the design of each “reimagines the golden age of rail and the splendor of early ocean liners through a contemporary lens.”
Accor Group sought to go beyond mere luxury in pursuit of a new sailing experience: The environment on the high seas should help shape each journey as its duo of ships follow “favorable winds” to cut down on environmental impact. The Orient Express notes each yacht is “equipped with advanced environmental technologies” designed to “minimize their impact while delivering voyages designed to be remembered.” To find out pricing information and reserve a coveted space on an Orient Express voyage, inquire here for more information.
