The helicopters and submarine available for guests to hire for adventures demonstrate the level of luxury that the Scenic Eclipse can offer, whether in polar destinations or warm bays.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 61 – June 2022
The sleek, aerodynamic exterior of the Scenic Eclipse is the work of the Spanish studio Oliver Design, and its construction, not without considerable difficulty, took place at the Croatian shipyard of Uljanik. The boat began sailing in August 2019, and on September 10th, actress Helen Mirren served as godmother during its christening in New York.
After nearly three decades in business, Scenic entered the world of luxury river cruises in 2008, and in early 2016, Glen Moroney, its founder and president, announced the construction of the Scenic Eclipse, whose launch, initially planned for August 2018, would commemorate the company's 30th anniversary. His wife, Karen Moroney, the company's Director of Project Design, is responsible for the Eclipse's luxurious and elegant interiors.
This is a 166-meter-long mega yacht with a capacity for 228 passengers. However, when sailing in polar regions, its capacity is reduced to 200 passengers due to the number of experts and expedition guides who embark to give lectures about the area to be visited and lead Zodiac expeditions to remote corners of the earth. At that time, the usual 176 crew members increase to 200 or more, equaling the number of passengers on board.
When you step aboard the Scenic Eclipse, you realize it's a world apart from other cruise ships, both luxury and standard. Black and various shades of gray dominate the Scenic Eclipse, except for the spa and the Pilates and yoga studio, which are white. The decor isn't "understated with lots of wood and gold" like on other classic luxury cruises, but rather sophisticated, cosmopolitan, and modern. The images accompanying this article clearly demonstrate this. Even the crew's uniforms exude style and good taste.
Despite its small size, the Scenic Eclipse offers 10 distinct dining experiences, a feat unmatched by expedition cruises and difficult to achieve even among luxury vessels. The main restaurant, Elements, seats 104 guests and is open at any time during its operating hours, allowing guests to request a table to suit their needs, whether for a couple or a group of friends. It goes without saying that cruises on the Eclipse are all-inclusive, featuring a selection of wines, champagne, and over 100 whiskeys to choose from, as well as coffees, teas, and a fully stocked minibar in your suite.
Inside Elements, there's a very special table with two windows that offer a view of what's happening in the kitchen. It's the Chef's Table, and only 10 diners can enjoy the tasting menu served there each night.
The ship is equipped with Zodiacs, two helicopters, a submarine, kayaks, and electric bicycles.
Lumiere is a French restaurant for 35 guests where we'll begin the evening with a glass of champagne accompanied by oysters and caviar, while at Koko's Asian Fusion we can experience Asian flavors we've never tasted before. The bar, with seating for 18, serves authentic Japanese sushi, hence the name Sushi @Koko's. And the Asian experiences don't end there, as we can also reserve one of the eight spots at Night Market @Koko's, an exclusive Teppanyaki bar.
Yacht Club is an "informal" option for breakfast or lunch near the outdoor areas, while Azure Bar & Café will be the usual choice between meals for coffee with a pastry, or even pizza and salads.
But if we want total privacy, we can request that the butler serve us in our suite 24 hours a day. And finally, the tenth gastronomic experience is Epicure, a classroom where a chef explains the culinary secrets of the places we visit during the cruise.
Touring its decks
The Eclipse has 10 decks, with decks 3 through 10 being public. Most of them are organized with the public areas in the aft half and the suites, or service facilities, in the forward half.
Starting from the bottom, Deck 3 houses the submarine and seven large Zodiacs for landing in polar regions or any other area lacking port infrastructure. Before landing, passengers must get equipped at the Discovery Center on this same deck, where the cruise line provides rubber boots to keep feet dry upon disembarking and also to prevent biological contamination in sensitive areas. The medical center and self-service laundry are also located on this deck.
Deck 4 is the only one dedicated entirely to public facilities. The central area is the Scenic Lounge, which exudes class in every corner, with designer armchairs, a gray marble bar, and a backlit bottle rack. The reception area and a boutique are also located here. Forward is a nearly circular theater, which surprises with its extra-comfortable reclining seats, instead of the usual simple armchairs.
Towards the stern is the Elements restaurant with the Chef's Table, and also the three Asian options.
On deck 5, much of the forward section is occupied by suites, while the forward portion is reserved for an elegant panoramic lounge, which, incidentally, provides access to the forward terrace. Here, you won't find propellers, anchors, or other technical equipment found on some other ships; instead, it's fully equipped for passenger enjoyment. Aft of this deck are the Epicure cooking school, the French restaurant Lumiere, and the Azure Bar & Café.
On deck 6, the forward half is dedicated to suites, and the aft half to the Senses spa, which in its 460 m2 of course has a beauty salon and elegant massage and treatment rooms, as well as a small jet pool on the terrace.
On deck 7, in addition to suites, you'll find a yoga and pilates studio, a gym, and the Yacht Club with a terrace at the stern. Deck 8 also houses suites, the hangars for the two helicopters, and the helipad. Helicopter and submarine excursions are an extra, but electric bike and kayak excursions, which the ship also offers, are not included.
As we ascend, the decks become smaller, and Deck 9 has only 10 suites, although two of them are enormous Owner's Suites. Above, on Deck 10, we finally find a spacious terrace area with two jacuzzis and the Panorama Bar.
No, there isn't a large swimming pool; it's worth remembering that this is a ship that spends a good part of the year in polar regions, where such amenities aren't very appealing. It also doesn't have a casino, but nobody's going to miss that.
Suite
, the most basic of the available categories, is 32 square meters and features an elegant marble-tiled bathroom with a Dyson hairdryer, and a large picture window opening onto a terrace with chairs and a table. The bed is electrically adjustable and, of course, dressed with the finest Egyptian cotton sheets. 24-hour butler service is included in all categories.
The Grand Deluxe Verandah Suites increase the space to 38 or 40 m2 and a walk-in closet, while the Spa Suites are between 46 and 50 m2, with a whirlpool tub in front of the window in the bathroom.
The most VIP passengers could opt for a Panorama or Grand Panorama Suite, measuring 105 and 110 square meters respectively. These suites feature a huge terrace with sun loungers, a dining area both indoors and on the terrace, a spacious bathroom with both a bathtub and a chromotherapy shower, and other intangible services such as priority booking and boarding/disembarking.
Finally, the two sumptuous Owner's Suites, each 195 square meters, raise the bar even higher. The terrace features a seating area and private jacuzzi, the dining room seats eight if you'd like to invite friends over, there are two chromotherapy showers instead of one, a vanity... and many included amenities such as a one-hour in-suite massage each day, or laundry service included in the polar regions.
cruising
through Northern Europe, venturing into the Arctic Circle to reach the Svalbard Islands, and also offering routes to the Norwegian Fjords. On August 16th, it will embark on a 20-day voyage through the Northwest Passage, skirting the North American continent along the Arctic to reach Alaska.
Then it will begin touring the west coast with cruises through Vancouver, San Diego, California, Costa Rica, and the entire coast of Chile until reaching Ushuaia in November, when the Antarctic cruise season will begin until February 2023.
The quality and spaciousness of the suites stands out even in the luxury segment.
On March 5, it will sail the west coast of the American continent again, this time heading north, reaching Alaska in May. In June 2023, it will offer two 15-day cruises to Japan and then cross the Arctic again to return to Europe, where it currently has a cruise through the Fjords planned.
Its sister ship, the Scenic Eclipse II, is expected in April 2023 and will debut with an extensive season in the Mediterranean, beginning with a Copenhagen-Lisbon cruise. On September 30th, it will begin its voyage to Rio de Janeiro.
