Boston & Vancouver, June 2019 — Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has today announced that Scenic Eclipse, the world’s first Discovery Yacht, continues to move closer to her official launch on August 15, 2019 with the successful completion of extensive sea trials.
“It was a real pleasure to take Scenic Eclipse out to sea for the first time,” stated Captain James Griffiths, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours. “Sea trials are a critical milestone in the construction process as it is the first time all the ship systems are operated together and is a key opportunity to confirm the theoretical information from the tank tests and computer modelling. The results from these trials surpassed every expectation.”
Captain Griffiths added, “I have worked extensively with Azipods on other ships like Scenic Eclipse’s, and these sea trials confirmed to me how incredibly versatile and powerful they are, particularly when coupled with our oversized Bow Thrusters. I was also delighted with how quiet the ship is. She was vibration free and virtually silent during all our trials, exceeding our expectations in terms of stability, maneuverability and performance. Scenic Eclipse really does manage to combine small ship maneuverability with big ship levels of comfort and quietness; it’s quite remarkable to experience it.”
With sea trials complete, Scenic Eclipse will now undergo the final touches to its interior and exterior and the final training of the onboard teams before the official launch and commencement of schedule of sailings.
A video of the Scenic Eclipse during sea trials is available at www.scenicusa.com/ocean-cruises.
Scenic Eclipse Facts
- 114 all-verandah suites;
- 10 dining options – from Asian Fusion to French fine dining to a chef’s table to a poolside buffet;
- 5,920 ft² spa with a well-equipped gym and separate yoga and Pilates studio;
- two six-guest helicopters and one six-guest submarine capable of depths of nearly 1,000 feet — to allow for explorations far beyond any done on expedition ships to date;
- indoor and outdoor plunge pools;
- butler service for all guests and an almost 1:1 guest-to-staff ratio.
- innovative zero-speed stabilizer fins, 50% larger than standard to provide greater stability;
- the highest passenger ship ice class rating – Polar Class 6;
- redundancies in propulsion, navigation, safety systems and food refrigeration;
- state-of-the-art bridge systems;
- GPS dynamic positioning system allowing for stationary positioning without an anchor, reducing any environmental affect in sensitive regions.
Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has grown over its 33-year history to include award-winning, all-inclusive escorted tours that take participants to many of the world’s most fascinating destinations and since 2008, its 15 Space-Ships offer truly all-inclusive, five-star river cruises in Europe, SE Asia, Russia and Egypt. In 2019, Scenic is introducing the world’s first Discovery Yacht, the 228-guest Scenic Eclipse. Sister brand Emerald Waterways has eight Star-Ships offering European river sailings with an eighth (Emerald Harmony) launching in 2019 for SE Asia’s Mekong River. Exclusive charters are offered on SE Asia’s Irrawaddy River; the Volga River in Russia; yacht cruises out of Croatia; and Egypt’s Nile River.
Additional information on these and other cruises, brochures and reservations can be obtained via travel agents; or in the US: www.scenicusa.com; phone 844-788-7985; or email: [email protected]: and in Canada: www.scenic.ca; phone (866) 689-8611; or email: [email protected]. Brochures can also be downloaded directly from the website.