First look at expedition cruise ship Scenic Eclipse

Table Of Content

• Excursions offered by Scenic Eclipse
• Featured Itineraries
• Public spaces
• Arctic Islands Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland
• Scenic Eclipse II's Deck Plan Includes Larger Spa Complex; Limited but Effective Outdoor Space
• Essence of Vietnam, Cambodia & Luxury Mekong - 7 or 9 night cruise
• Antarctica's Ross Sea: Majestic Ice & Wildlife
• Why  are Scenic Eclipse Yachts the benchmark in ultra-luxury cruising?

In the Kimberley, choose from up to 10 exhilarating helicopter experiences. From flightseeing tours over the iconic King George River and Horizontal Falls to landings at a pearl farm, the best fishing hotspots, Darwin Aviation Museum, and secluded locations. In New Zealand experience from above the splendour of the Fiordland National Park, glacier landing in Forbes Mountains, heli-hiking in Rotoura or reaching remote dinning venues and vineyards to indulge in the local produce.

Excursions offered by Scenic Eclipse

It features custom-built stabilisers that are 50% larger than other ships and an ice-strengthened hull. Through scuba diving, guests can experience a variety of underwater wildlife and colourful coral reefs. Designed by Finnish ship designing and engineering company Foreship, Scenic Eclipse is the world’s safest and most technologically advanced discovery yacht. The vessel's construction officially started with the keel-laying ceremony held on May 12, 2021, at Rijeka's Maj 3 Shipyard.

Featured Itineraries

It’s more than an ultra-luxury voyage; it’s immersive, all-inclusive exploration and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It features two six-seater, twin-engine helicopters, one seven-seater submarine and 12 zodiacs and kayaks onboard. The yacht is designed for an Ice Class 1A Super rating that enables it to navigate through Arctic and Antarctic waters in the summer.

Public spaces

The larger suites on Scenic Eclipse II really up the wow factor; you will feel like you're at a luxury hotel instead of a cruise ship. The Spa Suites, for example, have a Philippe Starck-designed bathtub. The Panorama Suites at the front of the ship are the first of the ship's true suites, with the bedroom separate from the living and dining room. And the Owner's Penthouse Suites are truly posh retreats, coming in at 2,098 square feet of space.

Arctic Islands Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland

It also has the Polar Class 6 rating, the highest passenger ship ice-class rating, to navigate in challenging seas safely. The yacht's state-of-the-art fins are able to adjust themselves, enabling the boat 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.

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The aft-located Marina Platform is used for launching water sports equipment (aqua quad-bikes, seakayaks, snorkeling and scuba diving activities). The hull has the highest passenger ship ice-class (1A-Super) allowing the vessel to operate on polar cruises (Arctic and Antarctica itineraries) for 3 months a year. On polar voyages, the ship's passenger capacity is limited to 200 in order to allow several Zodiac landings per day. Scenic Eclipse is in a class of its own in ultra-luxury ocean cruising with 114 elegant suites across five decks.

Each venue is small, but the menus are practically perfect in terms of selection. They're also delightfully fancy — but no egos get in the way of special requests or substitutions. On a ship so tiny, there were trivia regulars, including the people in my group and me. On days when we missed the quizzes because they conflicted with excursions, they found time to read us the questions later in the day and provided additional brain teasers like word scrambles and rebus puzzles. We will say that the public spaces on Scenic Eclipse II can feel dark and enclosed. The staircase doesn't have windows, for examples, and the lack of an outdoor space in the center of ship means that you're scampering back and forth to the ends of the ship when the call goes out that whales or seals have appeared.

Antarctica's Ross Sea: Majestic Ice & Wildlife

Unlike other vessels that use traditional anchors, Scenic Eclipse is fitted with a dynamic positioning system that uses GPS to accurately maintain the vessel’s position, which is also an eco-friendly way to control the ship. State-of-the-art fins that can adjust themselves enable the ship to handle the strongest water movements and to remain stable, even at zero speeds. The submarine is custom-built for optimal sightseeing to rarely visited places such as the underwater ruins in Greece and Turkey, as well as kaleidoscopic coral reefs in the Caribbean.

The ship has "zero speed stabilizer fins" (50% larger than the standard on similar-sized vessels) allowing it to navigate in rough seas with just little movement. Unfortunately, stormy weather ruled out water sports and the submarine. However, I went on fun land excursions, such as a Halifax walking tour that was spellbinding. Our charismatic local guide was incredibly well-versed in Halifax fact and lore—he even shared ghost stories that gave me goosebumps. The buzzy Whiskey Bar, with more than 130 bottles including 12-year-old Yamazaki and 14-year-old Balvenie, is a well-deserved passenger hangout.

Viking Crew was also contracted for the crew management of the superyachts Scenic Eclipse 2 (2022) and Emerald Azzurra (2021). As Scenic Eclipse is an expedition ship, most activities revolve around outings off the vessel, via kayaks, paddleboards, E-bikes, water skis, Zodiacs, helicopters, and submarine. The up to 20-member expedition team often give talks, and I did take in a lecture or two; the speakers were engaging. I stayed in a deluxe verandah suite, which runs between 344 to 366 square feet.

They also gave daily enrichment presentations, where they shared information about the history of Svalbard and quirky tidbits like how many McDonald's Big Macs an adult human would have to consume for enough energy to trek through the Arctic. Seeing what the venue looks like now, I can't imagine how cramped, humid and loud it must have been trying to eat with fellow passengers splashing away in the same enclosed space. Now, the area has much more seating and offers one of the most aesthetically pleasing buffet experiences I've ever had at sea, along with superb food. The ship is the first expedition-focused vessel from Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, a cruise line known for its upscale river cruises and land-based trips.

We understand that time is the greatest luxury, which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal, a drink, or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world. Good to know that the ship provides 100% fresh air throughout the ship, including suites. Local entertainment may perform in the spacious theater, though I didn’t catch any shows.