ONBOARD THE SCENIC ECLIPSE -- When Scenic announced plans
for this ship back in 2016, it immediately prompted a wave of interest. A line
well-known in river cruising would launch a super-luxe expedition ship with an
onboard helicopter and submarine, two amenities not typical for expedition ship
offerings.
Unfortunately, the ship's yearlong delay due to problems at
the Croatian shipyard where it was built became its bigger story over the last
year.
But upon seeing the vessel as it approached the Manhattan
Cruise Terminal last week in New York, I was reminded why the Eclipse is in a
class by itself. Even my taxi driver rubbernecked to see the black, shiny
chopper atop the ship's stern, punctuating its black hull.
There are not one but two Airbus H130 helicopters on the
Eclipse, and its submarine can reach depths of nearly 1,000 feet. All have room
for six guests.
With toys like these, Eclipse passengers will be able to "live
like a billionaire," in the words of Scenic founder Glen Moroney. He wants
his well-heeled but not-quite-billionaire clientele to be able to sail on a
yacht as if they were, his inspiration being actual mega-yachts docked in
Sydney Harbor.
But Moroney stressed that what really sets the experience
apart are the discoveries that the ship enables.
The chopper and sub are not just super-cool toys; they also
enable passengers to dive into parts of the ocean where submarines have never
gone before and take flights over areas of the Arctic or Antarctica far beyond
where ships can anchor.
On the ship's inaugural cruise to Iceland and Greenland, the
sub dove down a sea wall to see coral sponges and anemones, while the
helicopter flew over ice caps and glaciers. On my itinerary, the sub was to
take passengers down about 95 feet to see a sunken ship off the coast of Nova
Scotia.
In many ways, guests onboard will feel as if this is a yacht
of their own -- along with the couple hundred strangers also onboard. Aside
from the helicopter, the submarine and spa treatments, there's not much that's
not included in the fare.
The Yacht Club on the Scenic Eclipse is both a casual indoor-outdoor eatery and the site of the main pool. Photo Credit: Johanna Jainchill
All shore excursions are complimentary -- and not just the
single highlights tour that some lines offer. On last week's call in Martha's
Vineyard, there were four options, including a visit and tasting at an oyster
farm and an African American heritage tour. The variety of excursions elsewhere
includes everything from guided kayaking and cooking classes to a private
showing of an equestrian ballet in Spain.
A fleet of e-bikes will soon be available to passengers.
There is a water platform with various water toys as well as snowshoes for
walking in the polar regions.
All of the nine dining options onboard are included, far
more options than are normally found on an expedition vessel. Three are part of
a Japanese wing with a sushi bar, teppanyaki room and Asian fusion eatery.
The Eclipse designers wanted the ship to have several open
galleys, which they have in Elements, the Italian, steak and seafood eatery,
and in Lumiere, the stylish French restaurant that serves a contemporary
seven-course menu and has a Champagne bar. Its entry is adorned by a sculpture
made with 5,400 spoons.
The most sought-after onboard dining experience is the
intimate Chef's Table experience. The 10-person meal is served at various times
throughout the cruise, but dining is by invitation only, following a list that
starts with guests in the Owners Suites and works its way down.
Almost all wines or spirits are included, even the most
top-shelf of the 100 whiskeys on display at the Whiskey Bar.
Also included are daily yoga, Pilates and sound-bath
sessions in a beautiful yoga studio where resident yogi Andrea leads all
classes.
Enrichment is a big part of the onboard experience. On Day
1, the ship introduced its staff of onboard "experts": an
archaeologist, an anthropologist, a geologist, a marine biologist and a seabird
expert who throughout the sailing would be educating guests on excursions and
during lectures in the ship's theater.
On my sailing, the theater, an in-the-round venue with wide,
reclining leather seats, also showed movies and hosted a trivia night.
The observation lounge offers comfortable seating that looks out at the sea. Photo Credit: Johanna Jainchill
The ship's design was overseen by Moroney's wife, Karen, who
according to one crewmember was involved to the point of sitting in every chair
that came onboard and sleeping in the sheets and on the mattresses before
settling on her selections.
Even the smallest cabin on the Eclipse, 345 square feet, is
spacious, and all have separate sitting areas as well as sizable balconies,
perfect for enjoying the 24-hour room service. Rooms feature high-end amenities
like Illy espresso machines and beds that can be separately adjusted on each
side.
In the highest cabin categories, the ship's spa suites have
full-size soaking tubs with ocean views, while the largest suites onboard, the
two 2,099-square-foot owners penthouse suites, have enough space for occupants
to entertain both indoors and on the 646-square-foot terrace that features a
Jacuzzi and offers some of the best onboard nature views in the polar zones.
The Whiskey Bar boasts 100 whiskeys on display. They’re all included in the sailing price. Photo Credit: Johanna Jainchill
The ship's observation lounge has comfortable seating that
looks out at the sea, although the view is much better if you go outside onto
the observation deck.
The Yacht Club is both a casual indoor/outdoor eatery and
the site of the main pool. The two experiences have been intertwined to the point of a glass shower being right next to a dining table. The al fresco dining area also offers one of two
plunge pools.
The main gathering areas are the Lounge, which triples as
the front desk; the Whiskey Bar; and a large sitting area with nightly live
music.