A HEAD-TURNING COMBO OF STYLE AND ADVENTURE
Newly unveiled Scenic Eclipse has all the right touches, and Helen Mirren to boot
Scenic has finally taken delivery of its first oceangoing passenger ship. The 228-guest Scenic Eclipse, scenic.ca, was recently christened in the Port of New York by Academy Award-winning actor Dame Helen Mirren.
Scenic calls the ship the world’s “First Discovery Yacht.” To be sure, the ship has a decidedly yacht-like profile that didn’t fail to turn heads, even on an otherwise gloomy day at Manhattan’s Pier 88. Swept back from bow to stern, the ship more closely resembles a billionaire’s toy than a traditional cruise ship.
Scenic Eclipse has also been designed for expedition cruising, with the majority of the season spent in the Antarctic and the
Far Arctic.
To that end, Scenic Eclipse boasts a number of cool toys on-board, including two Airbus H130 helicopters for flightseeing and a state-of-the-art submarine known as Scenic Neptune. These come at an additional cost, but it’s tough to put a price on being able to glimpse some of the world’s most remote regions, above and below the ocean.
While the day was mostly about Mirren (who was a charming and friendly godmother), I was more interested in the ship itself. I had 90 minutes to run around Scenic Eclipse while it was in port in Manhattan; enough for a quick glimpse but hardly adequate to form an opinion about how the ship performs in operation.
With just 228 people on-board (or 200 in polar waters), Scenic Eclipse does feel incredibly yacht-like when you first step on-board. Bathed in brass accents and a charcoal colour palette, the ship projects an indulgent, if somewhat cold, ambience. I found myself wanting a little more in the way of vibrancy — the slate-coloured ceilings, walls and carpeting become a little monotonous after a while.
Some rooms, though, were genuinely surprising. Scenic Eclipse boasts a bright, all-white yoga studio that’s hands-down the best yoga space I’ve seen on any ship, along with a well-appointed gym and fitness area.
The on-board quarters were also lavish. An all-suite, all-balcony ship, Scenic Eclipse has trendy accommodations that feel spacious and luxe. Bathrooms are sleek, with plenty of marble accents and high-end toiletries, while rooms are equipped with reading lights, Illy coffee makers, Bose speakers and a hypoallergenic air purification system.
Move on up to the Spa Suites for more room and indulgences like Philippe Starck spa baths, steam showers and complimentary laundry service.
With the ship only in service for a few weeks when I toured it, there was still some work ongoing. I would imagine more subtle tweaks will continue throughout the first Antarctic season; nearly all of the seating in the ship’s main Scenic Lounge are mounted on rotating pedestals — something that might prove uncomfortable crossing the notoriously stormy Drake Passage.
What Scenic Eclipse does, and does well, is provide cruisers with more options.
Few ships heading to the
Polar Regions can lay claim to 10 different on-board dining venues (which, in conversation with disembarking passengers, earned rave reviews). Few ships offer helicopters and a submarine. Few expedition ships offer a full-featured spa with complimentary saunas, steam rooms and plunge pools.
After cruising South and Central America, Scenic Eclipse heads to Antarctica from
Ushuaia later this November. It will stay there until March before charting a course for the Mediterranean and the Baltics and will make an appearance in Vancouver next September as it traverses the West Coast from Nome to San Diego on two separate voyages, following its transit of the Northwest Passage.
To those seeking style and adventure, your ship may have just come in.
Happy cruising.
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