Scenic has announced plans for another luxury expedition cruise ship: the Scenic Eclipse II, a sibling vessel to the much-anticipated Scenic Eclipse. The Scenic Eclipse is set to debut this August 31, while the Scenic Eclipse II will set sail in 2020.
In 2020 Scenic Eclipse II will embark on its inaugural voyage from Athens to Lisbon, before the ship’s debut sailing season, which will include the European and Russian Arctic, a region of diverse wildlife and habitat.
Itineraries will include Russia’s White Sea; the Northwest Passage; Southern Greenland; Alaska and Russia’s Bering Sea, with ports in both Russia and Alaska; Alaska; both coasts of Canada, the United States, Central and South America; a circumnavigation of Cuba; and several sailings that take in Antarctica, the Falklands and South Georgia.
In a written statement Scenic Founder and Chairman Glen Moroney said that the Scenic Eclipse II would allow the luxury cruise line to offer new destinations, such as the Russian Arctic. Full itinerary details for the debut season will be released this April.
Building will commence next year in Pula, Croatia, where Scenic Eclipse is currently under construction. Scenic Eclipse II will be of similar design, including 114 all-verandah suites, nine restaurants, eight lounges and bars, a Spa Sanctuary, separate fitness areas and indoor, outdoor and plunge pools, as well as a marina deck, helicopters and a submarine. Here’s a video tour of the new ship:
The Scenic Eclipse fleet will be built to comply with the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) Polar Code requirements, as well as to the highest international safety standards, Scenic said. The ship will incorporate zero-speed stabilizer fins that are more than 50 percent larger for even greater stability, and it will have a rating of Ice Class 1A (Polar Class 6), the highest of any luxury vessel. The ship will also have special “Safe Return to Port” capabilities, guaranteeing essential systems remain operational in the unlikely case of an incident, Scenic said.
On January 31, 2018, Scenic Eclipse celebrated its float out from the ship yard and with the exterior construction almost complete, the ship is ready to begin the fit-out process. Scenic Eclipse is on target for its debut on August 31, 2018, Scenic said. A time-lapse video of the building of the Scenic Eclipse and its float out can be viewed here:
Pre-bookings for the Eclipse II are currently being taken with a $250 per person deposit. The ship’s brochure is expected out in early April 2018 and interested agents can pre-register to receive at www.scenicusa.com or www.scenic.ca.
This story originally appeared on www.travelagentcentral.com.
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