It’s safe to say that our founders, Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce, have visited some remarkable properties over the years. But every so often, something comes along that makes even the most seasoned event professionals pause. Not just because it’s beautiful (and the Orient Express Corinthian is spectacularly so) but because it prompts a recalibration of what a luxury event can be. When we stepped aboard the Corinthian with a select group of industry colleagues for a special pre-launch sailing, it was immediately clear that this was one of those moments. Not quite a cruise, or even a floating hotel, it’s more like a private world at sea, designed for guests who want the journey itself to become central to the experience. (All photos by the incredible Greg Finck).
At 220 meters, Corinthian is the world’s largest sailing yacht, but its scale is only part of the story. What makes it so compelling for weddings, milestone celebrations, corporate retreats, and incentive events is the way that scale is balanced by genuine intimacy. With just 54 suites and capacity for around 110 guests, the yacht feels more like a private-residence-at-sea, one steeped in the heritage of Orient Express, the service language of first class hospitality, and the sense of occasion that planners always strive to create. Once the ship moves and the sails fill, it’s a completely unique sensory experience, and it’s one your guests will still be talking about for years to come.
A Sailing Yacht with a Story
The Orient Express name carries its own mythology. More than 140 years after the brand introduced its first luxury trains, Corinthian brings that golden-age romance into a new setting. It successfully translates the spirit of rail travel and grand ocean liners into something distinctly contemporary. Designed under the creative direction of architect Maxime d’Angeac, the yacht draws on Art Deco influences, French craftsmanship, and the vintage drama of travel at its most glamorous. Across the vessel, details nod to the original Orient Express world without feeling overly nostalgic. For example, in select cabins, vintage lighting and luggage racks sourced from the original trains bring a sense of provenance to the design. In Le Cinéma, a 20-seat screening room, the carpet motif is inspired by Suzanne Lalique’s iconic floral glass panels. Throughout the yacht, there is a sense of story layered into the materials, rather than applied as decoration.
The Moment the Sails Go Up
For all the beauty of the interiors, the defining moment aboard Corinthian may be one that happens outside. The yacht’s three towering carbon masts rise more than 100 meters above the deck, carrying patented rigid sails made from carbon-fiber-reinforced glass panels rather than traditional cloth. They are extraordinary as a feat of engineering, but their sheer scale creates a cinematic atmosphere. Seeing Corinthian from a distance is impressive, but standing onboard as the sails rise is something else unforgettable.
A Gamechanger for Luxury Events
For planners, the real potential of Orient Express Corinthian lies in the full-yacht buyout. A private charter turns the entire vessel into a self-contained event environment. Every suite, every restaurant, every terrace, every activity is shaped in service of your group alone. No other hotel guests crossing through the lobby, or competing events in the ballroom next door. No need to move guests from venue to venue across a destination. The yacht itself becomes the destination.
These days, that kind of true exclusivity is rare, especially at this scale. It offers the privacy of a private estate, the service infrastructure of a five-star hotel, the range of a resort… all with the ever-changing scenery of a multi-stop itinerary. For a wedding weekend, that could mean welcome cocktails as the coastline comes into view, a ceremony on deck at sunset, dinner surrounded by moonlit water, and an after-party beneath the sails. For a corporate retreat or incentive trip, it offers the same sense of immersion, with enough flexibility to balance programming, dining, conversation, and downtime.
The appeal for planners is beautifully straightforward. A full-ship charter means:
- Total exclusivity: the vessel, crew, and every venue on board dedicated entirely to your group.
- Bespoke itineraries across the Mediterranean’s most romantic ports (Venice, Portofino, Capri, Dubrovnik, the Côte d’Azur) or the Caribbean during winter.
- All-inclusive service, from world-class dining to curated shore excursions.
- Genuine flexibility of scale, from a small elopement to a 110-guest wedding weekend or corporate incentive program.
What Makes It Work for Weddings and Events
What struck us most was how naturally the yacht lends itself to event flow, something wedding planners and corporate event producers will appreciate immediately. Instead of one grand space, it’s a collection of distinct environments, each with its own mood.
For example:
- La Terrasse can host a seated dinner with ocean views in every direction.
- Le Flybridge offers open-air energy for cocktails or a welcome reception.
- La Piscine, with its sweeping staircase, creates a natural stage for daytime gatherings, late-afternoon swims, or golden-hour cocktails.
- Spaces like La Bibliothèque, Le Salon de Musique, Le Cabaret, Le Speakeasy, private dining salons, marina platform, sky deck, and Le Cinéma allow smaller chapters to unfold, from intimate family meals to late-night entertainment or quiet exchanges.
That range is what makes the Orient Express Corinthian feel so useful from an event perspective. For planners used to working around a venue’s fixed calendar and floor plan, the idea of reshaping an entire luxury vessel around one event is unheard of. A multi-day celebration on board the Orient Express Corinthian can move guests through different settings, building momentum without ever losing the thread of the experience.
Dining, Design, and Detail
Food is another major part of that story. Dining aboard Corinthian is led by multi-starred Michelin chef Yannick Alléno, whose direction gives the culinary program serious weight. We were blown away by the cuisine on our trip.
With multiple restaurants aboard, there are so many opportunities to create moments for guests. La Table de l’Orient-Express offers fine dining within a striking room of moonlit glasswork, while Le Cellier pairs a glass wine cellar with a curated tea counter for tastings, workshops, and private reservations. The Marina Bar, set just steps from the yacht’s leisure and watersports platform, brings a more relaxed rhythm to the day, perfect for a barefoot drink after an afternoon on the water. The details are already there; the opportunity is in how they are woven into the itinerary.
A New Kind of Event Venue at Sea
For the Engage! team, this experience was less about visiting an extraordinary vessel and more about recognizing a new kind of canvas for ambitious celebrations. To step aboard Orient Express Corinthian is to understand this potential. With its intimacy, design pedigree, full-buyout potential, and ability to move through some of the world’s most iconic coastlines, Corinthian offers something that feels genuinely fresh for destination weddings, milestone events, and corporate gatherings. We’re delighted to have been among the first to experience it!
If you’re interested in exploring a Corinthian charter, do reach out to us to get additional information on our experience and we’ll help you navigate getting in touch with their team to secure availability, pricing, and itinerary planning.
