The brand famous for sleeper trains now runs a ship — and after four nights aboard the Corinthian, travel writer Ben Schlappig of One Mile at a Time says it's the most impressive ultra-luxury cruise he's tried, ahead of both Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Four Seasons Yachts.
The Corinthian launched over the summer as the world's largest sailing yacht: 220 metres long, 54 suites, a maximum of 110 guests. For comparison, Four Seasons Yachts carries 95 suites and Ritz-Carlton ships up to 226. Interiors come from French architect Maxime d'Angeac, and it shows — a speakeasy hidden behind a barber shop, a bar styled on the historic Orient Express train cars, a recording studio, a cinema, and even Loro Piana outdoor furniture. When the ship gets underway, sails are hoisted from the top deck, which is precisely the point of a sailing yacht.
Pricing is steep: fares start around €4,000 per night for an entry-level Suite Panoramique, with summer Mediterranean sailings closer to €5,000. The top "Agatha Christie" suite runs roughly €25,000 a night — and interestingly, the priciest categories tend to sell out first, with whole-yacht charters already happening. Unlike Four Seasons, everything is ultra all-inclusive: airport transfers, shore excursions, butler service, laundry, private training, and all food and drink. House champagne is Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, poured from magnums everywhere on board.
The food, overseen by Yannick Alléno (17 Michelin stars across his restaurants), was exceptional throughout — caviar spaghetti, a seafood bar with an omakase lunch, an Italian restaurant with a pistachio "volcano" dessert, and no supplements at any included restaurant. Service is backed by 170 staff for at most 110 guests. There's no reception desk at all, reinforcing the private-yacht feel.
One honest caveat: Schlappig's sailing in early October carried just 38 guests and 19 occupied suites, so his near-perfect experience came with a staffing ratio above 4:1. Even at higher occupancy, word is the ship still feels uncrowded, though not everyone has been wowed — Trek Trendy's video review flagged some shortcomings, several of which were reportedly fixed quickly.
Who is this actually for? Anyone with a serious splurge budget who has been sceptical about cruising. Schlappig's point is a fair one: European hotels now routinely charge €5,000 a night for a room with breakfast as the only inclusion. If you're paying that kind of money anyway, a 54-suite sailing yacht with transfers, excursions, butlers and Alléno cooking included starts to look like value — a strange sentence, but arguably true. Book through an Accor Preferred travel advisor for better rates plus a shipboard credit.
A full review is coming, but the early verdict is blunt: this is the closest thing to actually chartering a yacht, and the one luxury cruise most likely to convert cruise sceptics.
