Luxury river cruise and escorted tour specialist Scenic has announced it will offer ocean cruises for the first time with the introduction of a new ‘discovery yacht’.
After three years of planning, Scenic’s ocean line will launch on August 2018 when Scenic Eclipse begins its maiden voyage.
The 228-passenger ship, which is being built in Croatia, will sail in The Americas, Antarctica, Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Arctic. The ship will have the best polar class rating at sea and will be able to travel in polar regions.
The ship will have a seven-seater submarine, 12 Zodiacs, kayaks and two seven-seater helicopters on board to ensure guests can discover regions usually not available on cruises.
Excursions on the submarine and helicopters will come with a pricetag, but the line said they would be “affordable”. Prices are yet to be announced.
Chris Townson, UK boss of Scenic, told Travel Weekly the plans would “open up a whole new world of ocean cruising”. He said the line had the opportunity to build a second ship, as it had been optioned with the shipyard for delivery in June 2019.
“There will be nothing quite like Scenic Eclipse,” he said. “The level of luxury and the first class facilities and unmatched safety features will mean that this is the best of the best.
“It’s a very exciting time for our brands, our discovery yacht is a world first and it opens up lots of opportunities for us to interact new customers.”
Townson said he believed the river cruise line’s existing customers would be eager to get on the yacht, and he also claims the new addition to the fleet will open up a new audience.
“We know that our existing guests love travelling with us and love it when we introduce new rivers and ships, so the fact that they can travel with us on a luxurious yacht will be very well received by them,” he said
The ship features 114 all-verandah suites, with a two-bedroom owner’s penthouse suite at the top level.
There will be six restaurants onboard serving French, Pan Asian and Italian cuisine. There is also an al-fresco dining venue on the pool deck.
Townson added: “Our goal with Scenic Eclipse was to open up the private Discovery Yacht experience so that our guests could discover regions previously only visited by a fortunate few.”
Bookings for Scenic Eclipse will open in February.