Accor has unveiled plans to expand the Orient Express brand into luxury cruising, with the forthcoming launch of Silenseas, the world’s largest sailing ship.
Expected to set sail in 2026, the project is result of a unique French partnership between Accor and Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
The Paris-based hotel group has enlisted architect Maxime d’Angeac to design the interior layout and decor, while Nantes-based design company Stirling Design International will handle the exterior architecture. Inspired by the Golden Age of the French Riviera, Orient Express Silenseas will echo the era when writers, artists, painters, princesses and movie stars spent time between Monte-Carlo, the beaches of Saint-Tropez, Cap d’Antibes, Cannes and its famous Croisette.
With a tonnage of 22,300 UMS, the 220m-long vessel will feature 54 suites measuring on average 70m2 including an impressive 1,415m2 Presidential Suite complete with a sprawling 530m2 private terrace. Onboard facilities will include two swimming pools including a lap pool, two restaurants and a speakeasy bar, as well as a state-of-the-art amphitheatre and a private recording studio.
Capitalising on the experience of these experts in ocean racing, Orient Express Silenseas will sail with a revolutionary technological design known as Solid Sail: three rigid sails with a surface area of 1,500m each will be hoisted on a balestron rig, with three tilting masts reaching more than 100m high, able to ensure up to 100% of the propulsion in suitable weather conditions. This hybrid propulsion formula will combine wind power with a state-of-the-art engine running on liquefied gas (LNG) and plans to use green hydrogen once the technology is approved for ocean passengers ships, launching a new, more environmentally friendly vision of sea travel.