By Anne Kalosh.
Chalk up another new build in the booming small-ship sector with tour operator Scenic’s announcement of SCENIC ECLIPSE II, coming in 2020. The 228-passenger, 17,085-gross-ton ship will be the sister of this year’s SCENIC ECLIPSE and assume the title as the second discovery yacht for Scenic.
Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II are depicted in pancake ice in the high Arctic. * Rendering: Scenic
Both are touted as six-star discovery yachts thanks to their all-verandah suites, nine restaurants, eight lounges and bars, a luxurious spa, and other amenities. A separate fitness area, indoor and outdoor plunge pools and a marina deck also feature. Two helicopters and a submarine add to the exploration possibilities.
Though it’s luxurious, SCENIC ECLIPSE II will also be rugged. An ice-class rating of 1A or Polar Class 6 allows operations in medium first year ice, which may include old ice inclusions, during summer and autumn.
A second ship will enable Scenic’s foray into new areas, such as the Russian Arctic. SCENIC ECLIPSE II will sail its maiden voyage from Piraeus, the port for Athens, to Lisbon, Portugal, before an inaugural season in the Arctic. There, itineraries will stretch from Russia’s White Sea to Canada’s Northwest Passage, southern Greenland and the Bering Sea, with ports in both Russia and Alaska.
Scenic Eclipse II will open new destinations for Scenic such as Russia’s White Sea. * Photo: Scenic
Other destinations for SCENIC ECLIPSE II will include both coasts of Canada, the United States, Cuba, Central and South America, and Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia.
Itinerary specifics for the inaugural season are due to be announced this April.
Meanwhile, work on SCENIC ECLIPSE proceeds at the Uljanik shipyard in Pula, Croatia. The vessel was floated out of the building dock Jan. 31 and is on target for its Aug. 31 debut.
The construction of SCENIC ECLIPSE II is to commence at Uljanik next year.
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HEIDI SARNA
