Orient Express marks steel cutting and steel laying double ceremony for new ships

Orient Express Cruises has held a double ceremony for its new ships Orient Express Corinthian and Orient Express Olympian at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France.

The cruise line held a keel laying for the Orient Express Corinthian and first steel cutting for the Orient Express Olympian, which are due in 2026 and 2027 respectively.

Orient Express Cruises said in a press release that the keel laying ceremony was held for the Orient Express Corinthian only 10 months after its first steel was cut.  

“With the celebration of these two industrial milestones, we are witnessing the birth of exceptional ships, born here in Saint-Nazaire,” said Laurent Castaing, Managing Director of Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

“Today, we are also witnessing a major step towards the decarbonisation of maritime transport,” he added. “This technological breakthrough is the results of 10 years of research and development on the SolidSail concept, and the historical expertise in architecture and shipbuilding of Chantiers de l’Atlantique.” 

Orient Express Corinthian and Olympian will be sister ships built to the cruise line’s Silenseas design concept as one of the largest sailing passenger ships ever built, at 220 metres and 25,000 gross tons.

“With the Orient Express Corinthian and the Orient Express Olympian, Orient Express is ready to sail the most beautiful seas in the world, offering an unprecedented travel experience and an authentic discovery of coastal destinations,” said Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO, Accor.

Orient Express Cruises is a subsidiary of the Accor hotel giant, and while it is not affiliated with the Venice Simplon Orient Express operated by Belmond, it has stated that its Orient Express Cruises brand will bring the glamour of the iconic train to the high seas.

The ceremony in Saint-Nazaire saw Bazin, Castaing and Philippe Hetland Brault, Chairman and CEO of Silenseas, call the gantry to place the first 606-tonne steel block of the new vessel in the dry dock. The company and shipyard executives then placed newly minted coins on the block.

According to the press release, another 13 blocks will be lifted and assembled over the next two months to form the ship’s hull, which will be launched in June. The ship’s construction will then continue at a wet dock where final fit and finish will be carried out.