Page 28 - 2025 Luxury Market Report

Luxury Market

Orient Express

Reinventing Luxury

ORIENT EXPRESS HAS TWO ULTRA-LUXURY SHIPS
COMING IN 2026 AND 2027 WITH CAPACITY FOR
JUST 108 GUESTS EACH.

Vianney Vautier, COO The first of two ships debuts in 2026.

t’s a bet on the future and a market that does not exist “We have resources to achieve what we need to do,” Vau-
“Itoday,” said Vianney Vautier, chief operating officer. tier added.
The ships will be primarily powered by wind technology and
are the Silenseas project developed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique Sizing
and first revealed in 2016. Vautier was the naval architect be- The ships are 25,000 tons each and feature five restaurants,
hind the prototype design at the time and has now transitioned room for 108 guests and staterooms starting at 50 square me-
to bringing the concept and the brand to the cruise market. ters and up.
As of late 2024, the company had all its vice presidents There is minimal engine power, with four engines rated
in place and was continuing to be aggressively hiring for at 2.5 MW each and a targeted sailing speed between 10 and
all departments, ranging from itinerary planning to mari- 12 knots, Vautier said. The top speed has been limited to 17
time, Vautier said. knots to reduce stress on the ship.
Backing for the startup comes from its parent company, A lot of attention has gone into the hull form, as Vautier
Accor Group, which has a number of high-end hotel brands explained designing the hydrodynamics for a large sailing
under its umbrella. ship had become a lost art.

164 Cruise Industry News: 2025 Luxury Market Report