Exploring The Ultra-Luxury Expedition Yacht Scenic Eclipse II

Travel Daily on Board Ultra Luxury Scenic Eclipse II

In September, the ultra-luxury discovery yacht Scenic Eclipse II, docked in Plymouth for the day, as part of a UK and Mediterranean taster cruise, before crossing the Atlantic to the sail in the Americas ahead of winter spent in Antarctica.

We were invited on board for the day to experience the brand new yacht, which only set sail on its inaugural voyage from Lisbon in April this year.

The original Scenic Eclipse was launched in 2019 and became the World's First Discovery Yacht™ creating ultra luxury expedition cruises. Scenic Eclipse II aims to push the bar even higher with elevated dining experiences, helipads and even its own submarine. 

With two world-class Discovery Yachts, the luxury cruise operator can now offer cruise experiences all over the world, with 148 departure points across 63 countries and over 500 ports.

Scenic Eclipse II offers a variety of cruise types, but at heart it is a luxury expedition yacht, and, due to its size and unrestricted navigation allows guests to go further into the polar regions than before. 

Scenic combine the six star luxury of a superyacht with industry-leading technology. It has a Polar Class 6 rating (system for certifying a ship's ability to withstand ice in ice-covered sea areas)  GPS dynamic positioning, advanced propulsion systems and customized stabilizers (50% larger than other ships). All of this combined allows for smoother sailing in even the roughest of waters.

Experience

The main reception area is located on deck 4 in the same area as the Scenic Lounge & Bar. This space could easily be mistaken for a high end, boutique hotel lobby. Dark walls with pops of colour from the orchid arrangements scattered around the room give a sleek, sophisticated and modern feel. The lounge is elegantly furnished with the striking bar the centre piece of the lounge. The bar is beautifully lit and displays an impressive selection of Whiskeys, over 100 different bottles in total.

Behind the bar you can find the ships Theater. The plush recliner style seats face the stage and screen in a half crescent shape. Above you, the theater's ceiling resembles the night sky with twinkling lights which further adds to the intimate experience.

Evening shows take place here and movies on the big screen, but also educational talks from the expedition guides throughout your trip.

Observation

There are plenty of places to take in the scenery around the ship as you walk around or dine in one of the restaurants.

You also have the observation lounge and observation deck. The lounge is right at the front of the ship, with huge floor to ceiling windows and the deck literally just outside this.

The lounge is a lovely place to relax. It has plenty of comfy seating options, a coffee machine, a library with books and games and Swarovski telescopes for wildlife spotting.

Whilst this view is lovely, for an even better (and more exciting!) view you can head to the Navigation Bridge. The bridge is open to guests 99% of the time. You can grab a coffee, sit on the sofa and take it all in. You are sure to be among the first to spot any wildlife from here!

Expedition

The ship has 12 zodiacs ready to take guests even closer to the action as well as kayaks and paddle boards, 2 helicopters and a submarine for the ultimate experience. 

Prior to an excursion guests meet in the mud room where all the clothing required, including boots, is provided. 

Excursions are run by the expedition guides and range in variety depending where in the world the ship is, but there are plenty of options available to guests.

Sleep

The yacht can accommodate 228 guests on a regular cruise, and 220 on a polar expedition. 

All cabins are spacious and comfortable, and really feel like a real sanctuary away from home. Every cabin has its own balcony and king size bed. We viewed the Grand Delux Verandah Suite on deck five, with a separate lounge area comprising of a sofa, coffee table and desk, complete with Bose sound system. The cabins come fully equipped with all of the luxury amenities you would expect. There is a walk in wardrobe area and a Nespresso coffee machine, fully stocked mini bar and each cabin has butler service. 

There are spa suites and penthouse suites available. These are larger in size with added amenities and some have the option of being combined to make two bedroom suites.

Food and Drink

Elements 

There are ten dining options on board all offering different choices and experiences. It is worth noting here that your trip is fully inclusive, food and drinks are included, as are excursions, tips and transfers. You can also dine at any of the restaurants on board without booking, the only exceptions being the eight course tasting menu in the French Restaurant Lumiere, and a few private dining options, such as the Chefs Table at the Japanese Restaurant Koko's. 

We had a delicious buffet lunch in the Yacht Club. This is a lovely relaxed, light filled restaurant which also has the benefit of an outside deck with seating.

There was an impressive selection of food available, from salads, to roasted joints, seafood and the the most impressive looking desert cabinet. 

Koko's the Japanese Restaurant looks like a great choice with a range of tables, high tables and sunken seating. Check out the artwork on the walls, this is all hand painted! We chatted to some of the staff throughout our visit and Koko's seemed a firm favourite among them!

Spa and Fitness

The ship has an impressively large spa and fitness area. The spa offers a range of treatments and also features saunas, steam rooms, a salt therapy lounge and an infrared ‘ocean view' lounge with colour light therapy among other things. Outside there is a plunge pool and plenty of loungers. (The pools were emptied when we visited due to imminent bad weather. This also cut our visit a little short as they wanted to set sail earlier than planned to avoid the worst of it)

The gym is well equipped and there is a lovely yoga and pilates room which is really warm, bright and inviting. You could really imagine yourself, mid yoga pose, gazing out over icebergs.

There is also a slightly bigger oval shaped plunge pool at the rear of the ship with lots of loungers and cabana style areas available and a bar. 

 

We had a thoroughly enjoyable time exploring the Scenic Eclipse II, what a ship!

The six star luxury that the Scenic Eclipse II provides combined with its expedition capabilities make this a really exciting and unique holiday option. There is growing demand for both adventure holidays and luxury cruises and this merges the two perfectly.

A journey on board Scenic Eclipse II, particularly in the polar regions, really would be the ultimate bucket list trip. Its definitely top of my list now!

 

Photos all our own or supplied by Scenic