Accor and shipbuilding company Chantiers de l’Atlantique have partnered to launch Orient Express Silenseas – the world’s largest sailing ship with roots in Orient Express’ history – which will set sail in 2026.
Both have signed a letter of intent for two ships.
Orient Express Silenseas will feature 54 suites, including a 1,415m2 Presidential Suite, two swimming pools, two restaurants and a bar. Guests can experience captivating shows in the Amphitheatre-Cabaret, as well as enjoy spa treatments, meditation sessions and stopover explorations.
“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,” said Sébastien Bazin, chairman and CEO, Accor.
“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.”
Laurent Castaing, managing director, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, shared: “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.”
Orient Express Silenseas will be installed with three SolidSail rigs, a revolutionary 1,500m2 unit wind propulsion system, that will contribute significantly to the propulsion of the ship. The hybrid propulsion formula will combine wind power with an engine running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) – plans to use green hydrogen once the technology is approved for ocean passenger ships, will mean a new, more environmentally-friendly vision of sea travel.
