Accor's Orient Express has finally joined the hotel-brand-at-sea club, and one of the first guests aboard its new sailing yacht, the Corinthian, has shared a detailed account of the experience. The verdict: this is cruising pitched firmly at people who normally book international first class and five-star hotels, not traditional cruise customers.
The reviewer and his partner sailed four nights from Monaco in late July, calling at two days in Portofino, Calvi in Corsica, and Porto Santo Stefano near Rome's coast. The yacht carries just 54 suites for a maximum of 110 guests, and pricing is per suite rather than per person. Their entry-level Suite Panoramique ran EUR 22,800 including VAT for two — steep, but they noted that a room at Belmond's Splendido in Portofino was quoting nearly $5,000 a night for the same dates.
What does that money buy? Almost everything, as it turns out. Meals, drinks, laundry, and airport and hotel transfers are all included, and the house champagne is Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, poured freely around the ship with caviar appearing at most meals. The reviewer likened it to four straight days of first-class dining. Suites are generous — the base category is around 506 square feet with an enormous bathroom, double sinks, and a walk-in shower — and the public spaces lean theatrical, with Lalique sconces, Loro Piana-upholstered Italian furniture, Christofle silverware in the restaurants, and a Guerlain spa. Yannick Alléno oversees the flagship restaurant. Service hiccups were minor and fixed fast; when the pool level dropped after rough seas, an engineer appeared within minutes to sort it.
A few practical notes stood out. Transfers are included but need to be arranged in advance — the pair nearly missed out by ignoring concierge messages until days before sailing. Boarding at Monaco's Port Hercule took minutes, with staff escorting guests straight through security. The Corinthian's end point, Porto Santo Stefano, is about two hours from Rome Fiumicino, so the included transfer matters more than you might expect.
Who is this for? Travellers who like the idea of a yacht-scale ship with genuinely luxurious finishes and all-inclusive pricing, and who are happy to pay hotel-suite money for it. With Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons already sailing, Orient Express is positioning itself at the very top of the boutique cruise market — and early reports suggest it can hold its own.