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 natural gas (LNG) and plans to use green hydrogen once the technology is approved for ocean passenger ships, launching a new, more environmentally friendly vision of sea travel.

“With Orient Express Silenseas, we are beginning a new chapter in our history, taking the experience and excellence of luxury travel and transposing it onto the world’s most beautiful seas,” says Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO, Accor. “This exceptional sailing yacht, with roots in Orient Express’ history, will offer unparalleled service and refined design spaces, reminiscent of the golden age of mythical cruises. Innovation is at the heart of this ultra-modern ship that will revolutionise the maritime world with new technology to meet today’s sustainability challenges. It is a boat designed to make dreams a reality, a showcase for the best of French savoir-faire.”

“With a signed letter of intent to order two ships, Chantiers de l’Atlantique is proud to herald a new era in the shipbuilding industry with Silenseas,” comments Laurent Castaing, Managing Director, Chantiers de l’Atlantique. “This concept, born in our design offices in 2018, is the quintessence of our savoir-faire in the fields of naval architecture, the construction of sophisticated hulls, as well as the design of luxurious spaces. In addition, the installation of three SolidSail rigs, a revolutionary 1,500m² unit wind propulsion system, for which we have developed and tested a first prototype, will contribute significantly to the propulsion of the ship. Combined with a hybrid propulsion system running on liquefied natural gas (LNG), Silenseas will thus become the ship of reference in terms of environmentally-friendly operation and design.”