Four Nights Aboard Orient Express Corinthian From Monaco To Rome (Reader Review)

It has been an interesting period for luxury cruising, and in recent times, I’ve reviewed Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Four Seasons Yachts, two of the new “hotel crossovers” into the cruising world. We also recently saw the launch of Orient Express Sailing Yachts, the newest (and arguably highest end) entrant into the market. OMAAT reader Pierre recently took an Orient Express cruise, and generously offered to share his experience, and I figure many people will find this to be interesting. I know we have the “Community Stories” section, but this review is so detailed and timely with the launch of Orient Express’ new cruising venture, so I can’t help but share it here. With that out of the way, let me hand it over to Pierre, and thanks again to him… I’ve been reading One Mile at a Time for almost ten years, so it’s a treat to be contributing a review myself. My partner and I recently spent four nights aboard Orient Express Corinthian. It was our first cruise, and there weren’t many firsthand accounts out there when we booked, so I hope this is useful to anyone considering it. I found the blog right after college, and a lot of the first-class flights I’ve taken were thanks to what I learned here about points. Over the past five years, we’ve also been booking more hotels and experiences with cash, including safaris and all-inclusive wilderness stays. Cruising, though, hadn’t really been on our radar beyond an interest in smaller expedition ships. That changed when we started reading about the new hotel-branded yachts. Corinthian’s moodier, more theatrical interiors especially appealed to us, and a four-night sailing was easy to fit into our summer Europe trip. By the time we boarded, we’d been following the yacht for almost a year. We booked through Ford, who has arranged a lot of our travel. We exchanged quite a few texts while I was onboard, and he asked whether I’d be interested in sharing my thoughts on the blog. Of course, I said yes. And there was a lot to write about. The yacht was breathtaking, and the food, drinks, and service were excellent. There were a few small hiccups, but nothing that took away from the experience. If anything, our biggest challenge was keeping up with all the food. With Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame as the house champagne and caviar at almost every meal, we were eating and drinking like we were in international first class. Usually, though, I only have to keep that up for 12 hours—not four days! Orient Express Corinthian Orient Express Corinthian itinerary, pricing, and how we bookedOrient Express Corinthian check-in, boarding, and tenderingOrient Express Corinthian Suite PanoramiqueOrient Express Corinthian ship design and public spacesOrient Express Corinthian pool and deck spaceOrient Express Corinthian Guerlain spaOrient Express Corinthian marinaOrient Express Corinthian sails and movementOrient Express Corinthian Wi-FiOrient Express Corinthian entertainment and special experiencesOrient Express Corinthian restaurants and barsOrient Express Corinthian La PiscineOrient Express Corinthian L’EncreOrient Express Corinthian La TerrasseOrient Express Corinthian dinner beneath the sailsOrient Express Corinthian L’ÉcrinOrient Express Corinthian La Table de l’Orient-ExpressOrient Express Corinthian Le Wagon BarOrient Express Corinthian Le SpeakeasyOrient Express Corinthian breakfastOrient Express Corinthian guest profileOrient Express Corinthian serviceOrient Express Corinthian inclusions and overall valueBottom line Orient Express Corinthian itinerary, pricing, and how we booked Our four-night sailing ran from July 26 to 30, 2026. We started in Monaco, spent two days in Portofino, continued to Calvi, and ended at Porto Santo Stefano, about a two-hour drive from Rome. We hadn’t realized it was that far out, so we were glad our transfer to Rome Fiumicino Airport was included. Orient Express Corinthian Portofino Orient Express is part of Accor, with LVMH as a partner in the brand and yachts. Despite those names behind it, Corinthian seemed to have had a surprisingly quiet launch. We’d heard much more about the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons yachts, and we were a little nervous about whether Corinthian would be ready in time. Fortunately, our sailing went ahead as planned. Orient Express prices its sailings per suite rather than per person. We paid EUR 22,800, including VAT, for an entry-level Suite Panoramique for the two of us. Most suites accommodate two people, while the larger two-bedroom categories can accommodate four. The yacht has just 54 suites, with room for up to 110 guests. There are more than a dozen categories above the one we booked, including the penthouses on deck seven, which can all be booked together. We mostly picked the sailing because of the dates. As the trip got closer, we started looking up the destinations. I hadn’t fully appreciated how picturesque or expensive Portofino was. When we checked Google, the cheapest room at Belmond’s Splendido for our dates was nearly $5,000 a night, which made us feel much better about what we were paying for the cruise. We paid the standard fare, but booking through Ford came with Accor Preferred benefits: EUR 250 in onboard credit per person, or EUR 500 total. That covered almost all of our spa and salon spending. We were told when booking that the category above ours was sold out, so we weren’t expecting an upgrade. Most meals and drinks were included, along with things like laundry and transfers. We knew the inclusions were extensive when we booked, but I don’t think we appreciated how nice it would be to spend four days barely thinking about a bill. Orient Express Corinthian check-in, boarding, and tendering We flew in from Paris on Saturday, the day before the cruise, since we didn’t want to risk missing the boat. We stayed at Hôtel Métropole in Monaco, which turned out to be very charming and centrally located. Despite knowing how much was included, I’d forgotten about the transfers and ignored several pre-trip messages from the Orient Express concierge, assuming the rides would cost extra. When I finally replied a few days before sailing, we were initially told it was too late to arrange them. Fortunately, the team followed up the next day to confirm they could take us from our Monaco hotel to the yacht and from Monte Argentario to FCO afterward. Had we replied earlier, they could also have picked us up at Nice Airport. Boarding was scheduled between 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM, and our hotel pickup was at 4:00 PM. A black van took us on the five-minute drive to Port Hercule, where several staff members were waiting to greet us. We were the only passengers arriving at that moment and were escorted straight through an empty security checkpoint. There must have been five different people checking our passports along the way, but we were onboard within a few minutes. Orient Express Corinthian boarding in Monaco Once onboard, we provided a credit card for incidentals and received our keycards. These had our photos on them and were checked whenever we left or returned to the yacht. We were offered champagne and taken to the library, but I had some work to do and asked to head to our suite. A bottle of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame was waiting there. This was also the complimentary champagne throughout the yacht—how nice is that? We never opened our bottle because it was so easy to get a chilled glass almost anywhere on the boat. Orient Express Corinthian welcome amenity For trips ashore, Corinthian had two types of tenders: a larger, enclosed one and a smaller, much sleeker one. The crew mostly used the larger tender in Portofino because the water was choppy, but we got to try the sleeker one in the calmer water around Calvi. Orient Express Corinthian tender Orient Express Corinthian tender Orient Express Corinthian tender interior At both stops, the crew had tents set up beside the pier with complimentary sunscreen, water, and printed shore guides. Orient Express Corinthian tender landing in Portofino Orient Express Corinthian tender landing amenities Orient Express Corinthian Suite Panoramique We stayed in room 415 on deck four, where the base-category suites were located. At a listed 506 square feet, it felt larger than it had looked in photos. The layout was more like a studio than a conventional suite, with a wide entry hall leading into the main room. Given the bathroom setup, I suspect we may have been assigned one of the adapted suites, so I wouldn’t assume every room has exactly the same layout. Orient Express Corinthian suite entryway The main room had a large bed and a proper desk, with a huge television above it that could be raised or lowered out of sight. Orient Express Corinthian suite bedroom Orient Express Corinthian suite desk and TV We didn’t have a private terrace or separate living room, but the large bench along the window was very comfortable for lounging. The round table and chair beside it also came in handy for working and eating in the room. Orient Express Corinthian suite seating area The layered curtains gave the seating area an almost theatrical feel, and even the window shades were some of the nicest I’ve seen. Mirrors set at right angles to either end of the windows made the room feel wider, just like at Cheval Blanc Paris. There were two full closets in the entry hallway, plus more storage beneath the window seating. Between the closets was a full minibar with a coffee machine, snacks, spirits, and premixed cocktails. Everything was included, alcohol and all. Orient Express Corinthian suite closet Orient Express Corinthian suite minibar The bathroom was enormous, with double sinks, a separate toilet area, and a very large walk-in shower. There wasn’t a bathtub, but it still felt much more like a hotel bathroom than one on a boat. Orient Express Corinthian suite bathroom Settling into the room reminded me of our first stay at Rosewood Hong Kong. It was contemporary without feeling bland, and nearly everything looked custom-made, right down to the board games beneath the window seat. We kept noticing little Orient Express details, from insignias etched into the bathroom walls to the branding on the shower controls. Orient Express Corinthian suite board games Before the trip, we’d worried that Corinthian might feel like a generic Accor hotel with a famous name attached. The quality of the finishes quickly put that concern to rest. Housekeeping was excellent, too. The room was cleaned at least twice a day, and each night there was a dessert waiting for us, along with super-plush floor mats on either side of the bed at turndown. Orient Express Corinthian ship design and public spaces The decor was stunning, from the Lalique sconces to the custom Italian furniture upholstered in Loro Piana fabrics. The lighting everywhere was especially well done, and even the doors felt heavy and closed beautifully. It sounds like a small thing, but you noticed it every time you touched a door handle. Orient Express Corinthian design details There were also some very cool deck maps on the walls. You could press a button and the part of the yacht you were looking for would light up. Orient Express Corinthian deck map La Table de l’Orient-Express by Yannick Alléno was one of the most beautiful rooms we saw, especially the sculpted details on the walls. It was hard to believe a room like that was on a boat. We didn’t end up eating there, but I stopped by a couple of times just to look around. Orient Express Corinthian La Table That attention to detail extended to the table settings, which rivaled those at some of the nicest restaurants we’ve visited. Many of the restaurants, including La Terrasse, used Christofle silverware exclusively, and the glassware, linens, and plates were excellent throughout. At our first dinner, our entire place setting must have been changed more than ten times. We weren’t the only ones noticing these things, either. We often saw guests checking the tableware brands or asking about the wallpaper. The gym had high-end equipment, including a Pilates machine that I used, though it wasn’t particularly large. It was never crowded. I got the sense most people were there to eat, drink, and have a good time rather than spend much time working out. Orient Express Corinthian gym At roughly 722 feet long, Corinthian was also impressive to look back at from shore, especially with the sails giving it such a distinctive silhouette. Everywhere we went, people ashore seemed to notice it and talk about it. Orient Express Corinthian anchored near Calvi Orient Express Corinthian pool and deck space The main pool area was pretty and a nice place to grab a bite or a drink, though it wasn’t a highlight for us. The pool itself was a decent size when full, and there were more sunny spots than I’d expected from the photos. Still, it had a moodier feel than the bright, beachy pool deck you might find at a large resort. Orient Express Corinthian pool On the way to Portofino, the water got choppy and the pool started splashing onto the deck, so the crew lowered the water level. It was still low the next day, leaving part of the black-tiled shallow shelf exposed and very hot in the sun. I mentioned it to a bartender, and the lead engineer came over within minutes. He apologized that it hadn’t been topped up again and fixed it. Orient Express Corinthian water level lowered For this itinerary, the pool didn’t matter much to us, since we spent plenty of time ashore. I’d probably care more about having a larger, brighter pool deck on a trip with lots of sea days. There were also plenty of other places to sit outside, with loungers, outdoor seating, and an upper level overlooking the stern. Orient Express Corinthian deck loungers Orient Express Corinthian upper deck Orient Express Corinthian Guerlain spa The Guerlain spa was beautiful. There was a whole wall of perfumes that I stopped by a few times to try, and the steam room, sauna, and ice features were beautifully done. There was also a lovely relaxation area overlooking the water. Orient Express Corinthian Guerlain spa We both had massages, which were solid, but the treatment room really stood out. Even the massage tables were some of the nicest I’ve experienced. Between the massages and a haircut at the salon, we used most of our onboard credit. Orient Express Corinthian spa treatment room We had one full marina day, in Calvi, and it was great. There were eFoils, Seabobs, and other water toys, with almost no wait for any of them. It seemed like most guests got out on the water at some point. It was nice to spend time together doing something other than eating and drinking. The crew had everything set up across the aft deck, with a canopy over the equipment and water toys. Orient Express Corinthian marina Orient Express Corinthian marina In Portofino, I’d overheard people asking whether the marina could open, but the water was too choppy for the full setup. On our second day there, the crew did open a smaller area where you could get into the water for a swim. Calvi was a different story. The water was calm, the setting was beautiful, and people seemed happy to spend the day on the yacht. In Portofino, most had wanted to head ashore. Orient Express Corinthian marina Orient Express Corinthian sails and movement The sails were up for much of the time we were moving, and watching them rise and rotate became something people gathered for. We often departed in the evening, so most guests would head to the flybridge for a sail-away drink around sunset. Orient Express Corinthian sails I noticed very little movement for most of the trip. While we were docked in Monaco, it was easy to forget we were on a yacht. Around Portofino, where the water was rougher, there was a tiny kick, almost as if someone were thumping the floor upstairs, but no real rocking. Orient Express Corinthian sail-away Orient Express Corinthian Wi-Fi The internet was excellent, with consistent speeds of around 40 Mbps. I never confirmed whether it was Starlink, but what impressed me most was how well the connection held up all over the boat. I do a lot of AI-assisted coding and had several sessions running at once for much of the cruise. The connection never dropped, even when I was walking through the corridors or taking an elevator with my laptop. It worked just as well beneath the sails and in our suite. Whoever set up the Wi-Fi access points did a very good job. Orient Express Corinthian entertainment and special experiences Most of the entertainment was live music after dinner, usually a singer and pianist. Around 15 to 25 guests would turn up, which felt like a decent crowd for such a small sailing. That was plenty of entertainment for us. The board-game room actually ended up being the liveliest spot, especially when the multigenerational families got together there later in the evenings. Orient Express Corinthian game room There were a few bigger occasions, too, including a sunset dinner beneath the sails. That was one of our favorite evenings, and I’ll get into the food below. The included Riva outing was another highlight. We shared the boat with just one other couple, plus a captain and crew who made sure to bring champagne and snacks. It felt more like a private boat day than a group excursion. We often pay for something like this when we travel, so having it included was a nice bonus. Orient Express Corinthian Riva outing Orient Express Corinthian Riva outing Orient Express Corinthian restaurants and bars The main restaurants were La Terrasse, L’Encre, L’Écrin, and La Piscine, plus La Table de l’Orient-Express by Yannick Alléno, which cost extra. There were also several bars and 24-hour in-suite dining, so we were never short of options. The food was consistently good across the boat, but it never felt stuffy. Nearly every restaurant seemed to have a few dishes with generous servings of caviar, so we ended up eating quite a lot of it. The same went for Ibérico ham. You could order it almost anywhere, and they’d bring out a huge, beautifully arranged platter. Orient Express Corinthian dining The staff were also very flexible. We weren’t usually limited to the menu of whichever restaurant we were sitting in. If we wanted something from elsewhere, they’d generally bring it over. When I had to leave lunch for a call, they brought the rest of the meal to our suite. Another family mentioned craving Filipino food, and the kitchen made them an elaborate meal the next day, including a roast pig. You could really eat whenever you wanted. There were days when I probably ate five or six times: breakfast at La Terrasse, lunch at L’Encre, a bite at La Piscine or in the room, dinner at L’Écrin, and then another snack or two later at La Piscine or Le Wagon Bar. You really couldn’t go hungry on this cruise. Orient Express Corinthian champagne For dinner, we often didn’t show up until around 8:30 PM, when most people were already seated. A few restaurants were nearly full, and sometimes we got one of the last tables, but we never had to wait. Evenings had a loose rhythm to them. Most people seemed to have the same idea about where to go, which I personally liked. I don’t particularly want to sit in an empty restaurant. Orient Express Corinthian La Piscine For a casual lunch, La Piscine was a good place to stop during the day, whether for an iced coffee or a full meal. The regular burger and lobster club sandwich were both very good, as was a more elaborate surf-and-turf lunch we had here. Orient Express Corinthian La Piscine Orient Express Corinthian La Piscine lunch Orient Express Corinthian La Piscine lunch Orient Express Corinthian L’Encre L’Encre, the seafood counter, was another lunch option and was especially popular on the first day. There was only one seat open when I arrived, though people came and went pretty quickly. Orient Express Corinthian L’Encre I wasn’t handed a menu. Instead, the chefs asked what I liked and started suggesting things, and I could point to anything in the display that caught my eye. It was more like a tasting at the counter than ordering a conventional lunch, and the pace was quick. I must have tried about 20 different things in 45 minutes. Orient Express Corinthian L’Encre Orient Express Corinthian L’Encre The caviar tins cost extra, but when I asked about them, the chef almost seemed embarrassed to show me the prices. Instead, he just added some caviar to the seafood I was already eating. Orient Express Corinthian L’Encre Orient Express Corinthian La Terrasse Our first evening set the pattern for how social the trip would be. Most guests went from sail-away drinks on the flybridge to dinner at La Terrasse, so we were already starting to recognize people. Orient Express Corinthian La Terrasse Dinner was elaborate without feeling stiff. They put as much care into the bread and starters as the main courses, and the cheese arrived on a cart. We had plenty of seafood here, including lobster and fish, with the same careful presentation throughout. Orient Express Corinthian La Terrasse dinner Orient Express Corinthian La Terrasse dinner Orient Express Corinthian La Terrasse dinner Orient Express Corinthian La Terrasse dinner Orient Express Corinthian dinner beneath the sails On the second night, dinner moved up on deck, beneath the sails. It had only been announced in the activity brochure the night before, so it was a nice surprise. We already had the Riva outing in Portofino to look forward to that day, and a special dinner afterward was icing on the cake. Almost everyone on the boat showed up. There was a live band, and the musicians made their way between the tables as they played. As the sun set and the lights came on around Portofino Bay, the whole setting was breathtaking. Orient Express Corinthian dinner beneath the sails Orient Express Corinthian dinner beneath the sails There was a special printed menu, with an egg dish with caviar or gazpacho to start, followed by lamb cutlets or risotto. We ended up being served both mains, plus steak and fish that weren’t on the menu. Orient Express Corinthian dinner beneath the sails menu Orient Express Corinthian dinner beneath the sails Orient Express Corinthian dinner beneath the sails The whole evening was included. Between the Riva outing and dinner, it ended up being one of our favorite days of the trip. Orient Express Corinthian L’Écrin By the third night, L’Écrin seemed to be the place everyone wanted to try. This was the Italian restaurant, and probably our favorite. It had a shorter menu, but we really enjoyed everything we ordered. There was plenty of seafood alongside the pasta, including scallops and crudo. The caviar pasta was particularly memorable. For dessert, we had a take on crêpes Suzette, flambéed at the table. We liked the meal enough to come back for our final dinner. Orient Express Corinthian L’Écrin dinner Orient Express Corinthian L’Écrin dinner Orient Express Corinthian L’Écrin dinner Orient Express Corinthian L’Écrin dinner Orient Express Corinthian La Table de l’Orient-Express We didn’t try La Table de l’Orient-Express by Yannick Alléno, the restaurant that cost extra. As I mentioned earlier, the room was beautiful. But we were already eating so much that another formal tasting menu sounded exhausting, and I didn’t particularly feel like dressing for it. We actually overheard a few other guests during our stay cancel their bookings since they were also food-ed out. Orient Express Corinthian Le Wagon Bar Le Wagon Bar was one of the most beautiful spaces onboard, with green velvet, Lalique lamps, and exactly the sort of dark interior you’d expect from Orient Express. The bartender was excellent, too. His caviar martini was one of the best martinis I’ve had. Orient Express Corinthian Le Wagon Bar Orient Express Corinthian Le Wagon Bar Sadly, hardly anyone seemed to go. There was a DJ on the first night, but I was the only guest there when I stopped by. On the last night, another couple came in for about 20 minutes. As far as I could tell, they were the only other guests to visit during our sailing. The bartender said it was like that on most trips, though the bar had been completely full during private buyouts. With so few guests onboard and this being the late-night bar, I wasn’t surprised. If we came back with friends, though, this is where I’d want to get everyone together. Orient Express Corinthian Le Speakeasy Le Speakeasy really was a speakeasy. It was on deck four, with an entrance through the card and game room and another hidden behind a mirror in the barber shop. When we were at anchor, the crew could lower a fold-out terrace over the water. The one night it was open, the area was packed. The fact that the speakeasy connected to the card and game room also helped it garner more traffic overall than Le Wagon Bar, which was really tucked toward the back of the boat by some rooms. The whisky selection was impressive, especially the Macallan, with bottles dating back as far as 1940. This was about the only place onboard where someone proactively handed me a menu with prices. Even then, the prices were tucked away in small print, and we were talking about some very unusual whiskies. It didn’t feel like anyone was trying to sell us something. Orient Express Corinthian Le Speakeasy Orient Express Corinthian Le Speakeasy menu Orient Express Corinthian breakfast Breakfast was entirely à la carte and consistently excellent. I usually kept it simple with scrambled eggs, sausage, avocado, and of course, caviar sauce, which was delicious. Orient Express Corinthian breakfast We tried to go easy at breakfast given how much food was still to come, but sitting on the terrace was wonderful, especially while anchored in Portofino and Calvi. Breakfast in the room was beautifully presented, too. Orient Express Corinthian guest profile One of the bartenders told us there were around 70 guests onboard, making this one of Corinthian’s busiest sailings so far. Apparently, earlier sailings had carried only 30 or 40. I’m curious whether that number rises as more people hear about it—I’ve certainly been seeing more of the yacht on Instagram since our trip. We’d expected mostly Americans, but the crowd was much more international. The largest group seemed to be from France, and we met people from Paris, Milan, San Francisco, and across Asia. Several multigenerational families had booked four or five suites each, and a few couples were doing back-to-back sailings. Not a single person we spoke with had taken a commercial cruise before. Many regularly chartered boats, and a few families had just finished week-long charters and wanted something more social. Several parents liked that their kids could wander around independently, which they wouldn’t have allowed on a larger ship. We didn’t meet anyone else in the base room category. Nearly everyone we talked to was in a specialty suite, with several on the penthouse level. We were among the younger couples and definitely the most casually dressed. After a day in Portofino, the tender came back full of shopping bags. Guests regularly joked that the yacht felt like The White Lotus. There was some self-awareness there, because this was easily the most White Lotus-like crowd I’ve encountered at any hotel, on land or water. I lost count of the comments about “only booking suites at the Aman New York.” Seeing the same people at dinner each night added to the feeling. A very famous passenger was also staying in a penthouse with his family. He posted about the trip while we were onboard, yet almost no one seemed to recognize him or realize he was there. For all the socializing, there was still plenty of room to keep to yourself. A staff member told me the yacht had also hosted private buyouts for luxury brands and their best customers. Apparently, there have been some very cool parties with plenty of celebrities. Must be nice to get invited to those! Orient Express Corinthian service Service was excellent overall. There always seemed to be someone nearby, and around half the staff we met remembered our names. I’d sometimes walk down a hallway and have four or five people greet me by name in unison. Our butler was especially helpful. We’d somehow forgotten we would have one, but quickly got used to being able to message him on WhatsApp. When we asked for extra luggage racks, he appeared within minutes with several. He checked in four to six times a day, but it never felt intrusive. The senior bartenders and managers were especially good. The bartender at Le Wagon Bar told me he’d trained for almost two years before the first sailings, including visits to Veuve Clicquot in Champagne. He also seemed to know where nearly every piece of furniture, every fixture, and even the cocktail supplies and ingredients came from. After a few days, it started to feel a little like a Broadway show, where you realize how many people are playing more than one role. We’d see a bartender at one bar during the day and behind another that night. The excellent spa manager seemed to be everywhere, greeting people on the flybridge and helping host the sunset dinner. Seeing the same faces around the boat, and having them recognize us, made it feel like we were all on the trip together. A few servers, especially at La Terrasse and La Piscine, seemed newer. They couldn’t always answer a question about an ingredient or a wine, but they’d quickly find a manager or bartender who could. That didn’t seem unusual to me. Even in Singapore Airlines or Emirates first class, you get some exceptional crew members and others who are just fine. What matters is having enough of the really good people to set the tone and help when needed, and Corinthian did. Overall, the service was on the casual side. It wasn’t like The Lanesborough in London, where we’d stayed earlier in the year and everyone was so polished and formal that we felt we’d traveled back in time. Orient Express Corinthian inclusions and overall value Having nearly everything included ended up being one of our favorite parts of the trip. The fare covered most dining, including 24-hour in-suite dining, wine and spirits, butler service, Wi-Fi, laundry, pressing, dry-cleaning, and transfers at both ends. There were things you could pay extra for, including La Table, premium drinks, optional excursions, and spa and salon appointments. But between the inclusions and our onboard credit, we spent almost nothing beyond the fare. Laundry was probably my favorite inclusion, after the free-flowing champagne. We’d already been traveling for a week and boarded with five large bags of dirty clothes, probably close to 100 pieces. I was embarrassed to hand over that much, but our butler didn’t seem fazed. Washed clothes came back folded in beautiful leather boxes, while dry-cleaned pieces were hung directly in our closets. Orient Express Corinthian laundry service At luxury hotel prices, I’d guess the bill for all of that laundry would have been around $2,000. We would never have paid a hotel to clean that much clothing by the piece. Being able to send it all away without a second thought felt like a real luxury. That was true of the trip more generally. We didn’t have to sign a check after a meal or give our room number at the bar. If we wanted something from another restaurant or the minibar, we could just ask. And while there were a few things with prices attached, as at the speakeasy, we never felt pushed to spend more. The Riva outing and dinner beneath the sails added to that feeling. They were genuinely nice experiences that were simply part of the trip, not another package to buy. I could do without alcohol being included, since we drank far more than we should have, but I’d miss things like breakfast, lunch, transfers, and especially laundry. Bottom line Before the trip, I’d heard Orient Express talk about bringing the spirit of the train to the water. I think Corinthian pulls that off. We haven’t taken the train, but between the interiors and the social rhythm of drinks and dinner with familiar faces, this was very much how I’d imagined it. For me, Corinthian is ideal for three or four nights of good food, wine, and stops in beautiful places. Sitting on the flybridge beneath the sails, looking out at Portofino or Calvi, was as enjoyable as almost anything we did ashore. Orient Express Corinthian flybridge We’d initially thought we’d try Four Seasons and Aman next, but now we’re more likely to return to Corinthian. I’m still curious about the others for a trip with more sea days and time around a pool, depending on how the reviews shape up. Ritz-Carlton also interests us for a trip with friends given the lower price point. The trip made me more interested in Accor’s upcoming Orient Express train, too. We’ve wanted to do a train trip for a while, and it has the same architect and chef behind it. After our experience on Corinthian, it’s now high on the list. Overall, this was one of the best trips we’ve taken, and we’d happily do it again.