Sailing on the Orient Express: Historic train service is taking to the sea with first yacht in 2026

Nathan Diller, USA TODAY
·2 min read
The first Orient Express yacht will set sail in 2026.
The first Orient Express yacht will set sail in 2026.

Historic train service Orient Express is entering the cruise game. Hospitality company Accor, which owns the brand, announced Thursday that the Orient Express Silenseas yacht will set sail in 2026.

"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," Chairman and CEO of Accor Sébastien Bazin said in a news release. "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."

The over 720-foot vessel will be inspired by the "golden age of the French Riviera," according to Accor, with an emphasis on art and culture offerings.

The Orient Express Silenseas will sail itineraries in the Mediterranean in the summer and in the Caribbean in the winter, "punctuated by exclusive experiences to discover exceptional sites dedicated to art, culture and nature," Guillaume de Saint Lager, vice president of the Orient Express brand at Accor, said in an email.

Looking for cheap cruise bookings?: What travelers should know about finding deals

Cruise ship kids clubs: Here's everything to know

What can guests expect from Orient Express Silenseas?

The yacht will have 54 suites, which will average 70 square meters (about 753 square-foot area). The vessel will also have a 1,415-square-meter (about 15,231 square-foot area) Presidential Suite, two pools, a speakeasy bar and two restaurants, according to the news release.

The ship will hold shows in an "Amphitheatre-Cabaret," have a private recording studio on board and offer spa treatments and meditation sessions.

Built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in France, Silenseas will run on a combination of wind power and cleaner-burning liquefied natural gas.

Accor also has Orient Express hotels in the works, along with a reboot of the luxury train.

Orient Express is not the only luxury brand to set sail. Four Seasons recently announced plans to launch Four Seasons Yachts in 2025, and the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection made its debut in October.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Orient Express setting sail with first yacht