Scenic Eclipse 2

With the luxury mega-yachts Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse 2, the river cruise tour company Scenic Cruises entered the ocean cruising market. The first ultra-luxury yacht (Scenic Eclipse) was launched in August 2018. In 2018, the shipowner ordered the building of a second, same-design yacht (Scenic Eclipse II) with a scheduled launch in 2020.

The all-suite, 228-passenger cruise ship looks more like a billionaire's yacht and features an ice-strengthened hull, helipad (two helicopters), aft marina (for water sports), a fleet of Zodiacs (large-capacity inflatable boats) and a 7-person submarine. 

Scenic's move follows that of Viking River, which entered the ocean arena in 2015 with the launch of Viking Star. It also follows the move of Crystal Cruises Into the yachting arena. In fact, the new Scenic ship bears some similarities to Crystal Esprit, the 62-passenger yacht that Crystal launched in Seychelles in December 2015 and has a submarine as well as an aft marina.

The vessel is advertised as the "world's first discovery yacht". Its hull has the highest passenger ship ice-class (1A Super) allowing it to operate on polar cruises (Arctic and Antarctica itineraries) for 3 months a year. The ship's passenger capacity is limited to 200 (on polar expeditions) in order to allow making several landings per day.

The ship's own helicopters (each with capacity 7 passengers) can be booked for private tours (hired at extra charge). Helicopter tours allow passengers to get closer to the wildlife in comparison to the Zodiac landings. Also at an additional charge can be booked the ship's onboard submarine.

Itinerary

Scenic Eclipse 2 itinerary program (as exact homeports, ports of call and regions) will be officially released in April 2018.

Cabins

The vessel has an almost 1:1 passenger-to-crew ratio and each stateroom are served by a dedicated butler. Staterooms sizes range between 345 ft2 / 32 m2 (Veranda Suite) to 2660 ft2 / 247 m2 (2-Bedroom Penthouse Suite). The Owners Penthouse Suite is sized 2507 ft2 (235 m2). Each of the ship's 114 cabins has a private balcony and separate lounge area.

Shipboard facilities

Other features and all-inclusive amenities include:

• 9 restaurants (including Asian Fusion, steakhouse, seafood, contemporary French and Italian venues, poolside grill, 24/7 room service
• four bars and lounges
• 240-seat Theater Lounge
• 2 (indoor and outdoor) swimming pools
• heated pool (indoor, with retractable glass roof)
• 5900 ft2 (550 m2) spa/wellness complex with heated indoor pool, outdoor Jacuzzis, plunge pools, Hair Salon, Spa treatment/massage rooms
• gym (with a separate Aerobics Studio for yoga and Pilates)
• Scenic yacht cruise deals are inclusive of butler service (regardless cabin category), all tips / gratuities, Discovery leaders (professional tour guides on all cruise itineraries), shore excursions (all land tours and organized events at ports of call and beaches along the itinerary route, expert-led Scenic Free choice activities, discovery excursions by Zodiacs / large-capacity inflatable boats), onboard dining (all dining venues are complimentary / fee-free), onboard entertainment, e-biking, water sports (sea kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving).

The ship has "zero speed stabilizer fins" (50% larger than typical on a similar-sized vessel) allowing it to navigate in rough seas with just little movement. Voyages to Antarctica include passing Drake Passage - a notoriously rough waterway between South America and Antarctica.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Scenic Eclipse 2 cruise ship offers all 9 dining venues plus 24-hour room service. The ship also has an impressive number of bars and lounges - 8, which is an extraordinary variety considering the vessel's size. All these options are complimentary (cruise price inclusive).

Specialty dining venues highlight regional cuisine, intimate deck location and dinner privacy at no additional cost. These venues range from the open-kitchen Teppanyaki grill dining (capacity 10 people) to the Chef’s Table (private VIP dining for 8 people). Professional cookery demonstrations are offered at the dedicated Epicure (cooking emporium).

The main dining room restaurant "Elements" offers Italian fare, seafood, and steaks. The other restaurants are named Koko’s (Asian, with sake bar), Sushi at Koko’s (authentic Japanese), Lumiere (French, with Champagne Bar). The Yacht Club has its own a bar, buffet and poolside grill. Azure Bar & Cafe offers all-day relaxed grazing. 

Bars and lounges include Lobby Lounge, Champagne Bar, Azure Bar & Cafe. Fine wine, top-shelf beverages, cocktails, specialty teas, and coffees are all included in Scenic Cruises' ticket prices.

Scenic Eclipse II was built with the latest technological advancements in order to ensure the highest safety standards. It has custom-built stabilizers (50% bigger than on other vessels with similar GT tonnage) and an ice-strengthened hull.

Yacht's state-of-the-art fins are able to adjust themselves, enabling the ship to handle the strongest water currents and to remain stable. Unlike other ships that use traditional anchors, Scenic's mega-yachts are fitted with a dynamic positioning system. It uses GPS data to accurately maintain the ship's position - an eco-friendly way to control the vessel. The other environmentally sustainable systems implemented are efficient marine engines and advanced water treatment system.

The ship's integrated navigation and automation/control system was provided by the company Kongsberg Maritime. This modern technology combines the following systems - Navigation, Dynamic Positioning, automation, Emergency Shutdown, Power Management, Safety Management, and Control. The system is integrated with online diagnostics and remote service facility.

Both Scenic Cruises yachts are built in Croatia - Eclipse 1 in Pula (Uljanik shipyard), Eclipse 2 in Rijeka (3 Maj Shipyard), The following YouTube video is a timelapse of the Scenic yachts construction process.