World’s Largest Sail Yacht Cruise Ship Sets New Mark on Trials
The sail-powered cruise ship Orient Express Corinthian recently completed its propulsion tests, and builder Chantiers de l’Atlantique reports the ship achieved a speed first for a sailing ship of its size. The ship is preparing for its delivery and entry into service in May 2026 as Accor Group launches its first cruise offering.
The Orient Express Corinthian is a 25,200 gross ton cruise ship that will have 54 suites with a capacity for 110 passengers. The ship measures 220 meters (721 feet) in length and employs Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s revolutionary Solid Sail system with three masts and a total of 4,500 square meters (nearly 48,500 square feet) of sail surface. It also has an LNG-fueled motor. The next largest sail cruise ships in the world are 15,000 gross ton sister ships operated by Wind Star and Club Med.
The cruise ship undertook its first sea trials in December, and Chantiers reports it recently completed propulsion tests. With a wind speed of 20 knots, it reports the Orient Express Corinthian reached 12 knots while solely under sail. Chantiers says that this is a first for a ship of its size. Orient Express reports the ship will be able to reach speeds of up to 17 knots.
Accor announced its entry into the cruise segment in 2023 with the order of two of the sail cruise ships as part of its efforts to expand the famed Orient Express brand. The ships are designed for the ultra-luxury category and will feature five restaurants and private dining spaces as well as suites ranging between 485 square feet and nearly 2,500 square feet. There will be a fitness and yoga studio as well as a spa and outdoor swimming pool. The ship also has a retractable marina.
The Orient Express Corinthian features three 69-meter (226-foot) carbon fiber masts mounted on the unique balestron rigs. Each provides 1,500 square meters of sail area, and the base provides the ability to rotate the sails 360 degrees as well as a tilt of up to 70 degrees. The maximum air draft is 100 meters (328 feet), but the tilt makes it possible to sail under low bridges or other obstacles.
Chantiers de l’Atlantique released the first concept for a sailing ship, Eoseas, in 2009 and has been working to refine and adapt the design for applications including large cruise ships. A series of tests was conducted between 2016 and 2019, with it first being tested with a 50-square-meter one-fifth-size demonstrator. Chantiers installed a demonstration at its yard in St. Nazaire, France.
The cruise ship was floated for the first time in June 2025 after approximately four and a half months of assembly. By September, construction had reached a critical point as the three masts were raised for the first time.
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The first steel cuts for the second ship, Orient Express Olympian, started at the end of January 2025, and the first block was placed in the dry dock in November. The second ship is scheduled for delivery in the spring of 2027.
Orient Express’ sister ships are part of a new phase of ultra-luxury cruising as the hotel brands seek to enter the market. Four Seasons recently took delivery of its first ultra-luxury cruise yacht, which also begins service this spring and will be followed by at least one sister ship. Ritz-Carlton also entered the ultra-luxury cruise segment with its smaller yacht Evrima (25,400 gross tons) in 2022, followed by two larger ships, Ilma and Luminara, which are 46,750 gross tons. The hotel brands are expected to draw new travelers to the cruise industry and will establish a higher, aspirational price point for the segment, which is already experiencing rapid growth.