This is a broad question, but I just want to get an overall feeling. Was the Orient Express price the same as Emirates first class ticket? Was the medieval spices the analog of modern lobster? The castle the same as a mansion overlooking NYC Central Park?
I can't speak to your other questions, but for the fare for a round trip first class ticket aboard the Orient Express one could rent a nice home in a better neighborhood in London for a year. A personal servant's fare when accompanying their employer was generally more than that employee's yearly salary.