Chantiers de l'Atlantique and the Accor Group have signed a letter of intent to order the construction of two revolutionary sailing ships. The order will be signed within a few weeks and will cover the construction of two vessels. The first ship, named “Orient Express Silenseas,” will be delivered in March 2026, and the second in September 2027.
The Orient Express Silenseas is a reference to the legendary ocean liner Normandie built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in the 1930s, which was, at the time, the largest, most modern, most luxurious, and fastest ocean liner in the world.
The Orient Express is one of the jewels of French railway heritage, and with the Orient Express Silenseas, Accor's ambition is to offer its passengers a unique experience, somewhere between these two travel icons. All this on a ship with a highly modern design and a strong commitment to sustainability.
The ship will offer fifty suites to accommodate the 120 passengers, ranging from 70 m2 to the 1,415 m2 of the exceptional presidential suite, in addition to a double-revolution staircase, a swimming lane suspended between two decks, a 550 m2 spa, a marina, two restaurants, a lounge bar, a cabaret-theater or a recording studio.
The Orient Express Silenseas will be the world's largest sailing ship, but also the benchmark ocean liner from an environmental perspective. It will be propelled notably by sails featuring the "SolidSail" technology developed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique. The three rigid sails, each with a surface area of 1,500 square meters (4,500 m2 in total), will be composed of fan-shaped, foldable glass-polyester panels and will be hoisted on a balleston rig. These masts will be retractable and will reach a height of over 100 meters. A hybrid propulsion system powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) will also be used.
