Latest news with #ScenicEclipseII
NZ Herald
14-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Why East Antarctica is your next life-changing journey
This article was prepared by Scenic Cruises and is being published by the New Zealand Herald as advertorial. Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition voyage to East Antarctica and the Ross Sea – departing from Christchurch (Timaru) and Queenstown – and experience one of the most remote and spectacular regions on Earth. With ultra-luxury comfort on board Scenic Eclipse II, this journey combines rare access, rich history, and incredible natural wonders. Why East Antarctica and the Ross Sea? Named after explorer James Clark Ross, the Ross Sea played a vital role during the Golden Age of Antarctic Exploration. Historic figures like Scott, Shackleton, and Amundsen launched their iconic expeditions here. Today, its pristine landscapes and crucial scientific value make it both a natural wonder and a living museum. The region is home to the colossal Ross Ice Shelf, vast colonies of Adélie penguins, and abundant marine life including orcas, whales, and seals. You may also visit the Mars-like McMurdo Dry Valleys – among the driest places on Earth – via the two on board helicopters. Six reasons to journey with Scenic Eclipse II: 1. Depart closer to home Skip the long transit to South America. Voyages depart from Christchurch, Queenstown and Hobart. 2. Marvel at the Ross Ice Shelf Cruise past towering 50m ice cliffs. Zodiac excursions offer intimate wildlife encounters guided by the expert Discovery Team. 3. Explore the McMurdo Dry Valleys Accessible only by air with the on board Scenic helicopters, these dramatic, snow-free valleys are hubs for climate and planetary research. Guests can book and explore this unique region via a helicopter excursion on Ross Sea voyages in January and February 2026. 4. Step into history Weather permitting, visit explorer huts from early 20th-century expeditions. Scenic guests enjoy an included exclusive helicopter^ access to Cape Denison's Mawson's Hut on the East Antarctica voyage in December 2025. 5. Learn from experts Enrich your journey with talks from conservationists, historians, and polar legends like Robert Swan and his son Barney, plus Ian Godfrey of the Mawson's Hut Foundation. 6. Unwind in 6-star luxury Enjoy world-class dining, indulgent spa treatments#, butler service, and exploration via submarine, kayak, and helicopter. When to go Scenic only has three more planned departures to explore East Antarctica is from December 2025 to February 2026, with milder weather, retreating sea ice, and long daylight hours. What makes Scenic Eclipse II unique Purpose-built for polar exploration, Scenic Eclipse II features a Polar Class 6 rating, state-of-the-art stabilisers, and GPS Dynamic Positioning. Aboard, enjoy 10 culinary experiences, eight bars and lounges, a 550m² Senses Spa, and a world-leading Discovery Team of up to 20 experts. Led by seasoned professionals like Director of Discovery Operations Jason Flesher and Captain Erwan le Rouzic or James Griffiths, your voyage is expertly curated based on years of experience and daily conditions. With only 200 guests per voyage, suites are limited. Book now and uncover the awe-inspiring beauty of East Antarctica and the Ross Sea from December 2025 to February 2026.
The Age
13-07-2025
- The Age
No luxury cruise line does things quite like this Australian one
On Scenic, none of that is true, perhaps because most of the guests on my Indonesia cruise are Australian. Australians don't generally go in for pretension and formality, least of all in tropical destinations or while on holiday. That makes Scenic Eclipse II the luxury ship for those wary of luxury ships. No need to bring your suit or your jewellery. Not many stilted cocktail conversations at the bar. No complicated menus that you need a multilingual dictionary to decipher. That doesn't mean standards are lowered on this ship. Far from it. Menus might be easy to navigate, but the food is upmarket and the quality and variety outstanding. It has one of the best lunchtime buffets at sea (in a restaurant venue called Yacht Club), and one of the best French restaurants (Lumiere) and Mediterranean restaurants (Elements), too. For a ship of this size, the dining choices are remarkable. Among other venues is Koko's Asian Fusion, which delivers the welcome big flavours of South-East Asia, India and China, and which also features a separate sushi counter and teppanyaki-style grill. In the latter, a few guests at a time enjoy small plates inspired by Asian street food, prepared in front of them by the chefs. It's a smart way to bring very relaxed dining onto a cruise ship without resorting to the same-old pool grill. The ship's decor is boutique-hotel chic in a moody, minimalist way, which makes the odd burst of art and colour all the more arresting. The Asian restaurant has striking geisha-inspired art; the walls of the Observation Lounge erupt in fantastical jungle motifs in which animals lurk. Heated plunge pool? Tick. Suave spa? Yes, and even bigger than the one on sister ship Scenic Eclipse. It has unusual offerings like a salt-therapy lounge and infrared sauna designed to propel you into Zen-like somnolence. Sky Bar? Why not? In the world's wild places, you can't beat a cold drink with a hot view. Even the ship's theatre is plusher than any other I've been in. It has swivel leather chairs like you'd see in a home cinema, second only in comfort to the king-size bed in my suite, which I discover has electronic controls to adjust it just right. The most ultra-luxe things on Scenic Eclipse II are the helicopters and submersible but, as they can't operate in Indonesia, these Mission: Impossible toys are grounded except on Cape York at the start of my voyage. Even so, this chic yacht is a serious expedition vessel, and we put Zodiacs and kayaks to good use. The Zodiac drivers, faces swathed like ninjas against the sun, are rather silent: the only exception to general crew chattiness. The expedition team that accompanies them know their stuff and are only too happy to share it both ashore, on the reef, or during lectures in the theatre. I follow Babsi Neubarth into the water at every opportunity. The marine biologist's enthusiasm is infectious and her knowledge of corals and critters seemingly endless as we snorkel our way through Indonesia's islands. If you want to know the difference between staghorn and elkhorn coral – and which curious traveller doesn't – then Neubarth will enlighten you. Is there anyone on this ship who is less than agreeable and entertaining? Even the captain, affable Frenchman Erwan le Rouzic, is laid-back and gregarious. The door to the bridge is almost always open, and any guest can wander in for a chat with the officers about navigation and the ship's advanced technologies. Everyone on this ship gets butler service. My butler, Crispin, is like an unflappable character from an Edwardian novel, shimmering unobtrusively about so I hardly know how my minibar has been restocked with my preferred gin brand, or my books straightened on my bedside table. Crispin is up and down the corridor, delivering guests' champagne buckets and fresh towels, making restaurant reservations and arranging the ironing. He's a busy man, but never forgets anyone's name, always pauses for a chat, and wants to know if there's anything more he can do. Short of conjuring up a unicorn, I'm not sure what else this ship could provide. Launched in 2023, Scenic Eclipse II retains its new, fresh feel and is barely scuffed. A few redesigned spaces have brought minor improvements compared to predecessor Scenic Eclipse. Could I quibble? Of course, because that's what travellers do. On a luxury ship, I might expect more fresh and fewer plastic flowers, and more than a couple of shelves of books: bring your own reading, or you might be disappointed. In my ensuite, the flat sink has the requisite designer-chic looks but doesn't function well and, on an expedition ship in particular, there ought to be more bathroom racks on which to hang towels and wet clothes. Some passengers find the ship's decor monochrome and monastic, but I like the muted greys, sense of space, lack of clutter and bling, and attractive soft lighting. Scenic Eclipse II is a confident ship that doesn't need to shout about its luxury credentials. What the decor lacks in exuberance, it makes up for in tranquillity. We're all cocooned in comfort, exceedingly well-fed and surrounded by mind-soothing spaces. There's even a specific mind-soothing space designed for yoga and Pilates. Scenic Eclipse II carries only 228 passengers and never feels crowded. Everything is all-inclusive. You have no bother on this beautiful ship, and will look forward to every meal. Loading But best of all, passengers and crew alike are relaxed and informal. This is luxury that requires no performance, and makes you smile. It's just what Australians want, and more holidays should be like this. THE DETAILS CRUISE Scenic Eclipse II sails a Kimberley season between early July and mid-September 2025 before crossing the Top End into the Pacific towards New Zealand. From mid-December, it sails three unusual Ross Sea itineraries to Antarctica. Then in March 2026, it heads across the Pacific and transits the Panama Canal for a summer season in Europe.
Sydney Morning Herald
13-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
No luxury cruise line does things quite like this Australian one
On Scenic, none of that is true, perhaps because most of the guests on my Indonesia cruise are Australian. Australians don't generally go in for pretension and formality, least of all in tropical destinations or while on holiday. That makes Scenic Eclipse II the luxury ship for those wary of luxury ships. No need to bring your suit or your jewellery. Not many stilted cocktail conversations at the bar. No complicated menus that you need a multilingual dictionary to decipher. That doesn't mean standards are lowered on this ship. Far from it. Menus might be easy to navigate, but the food is upmarket and the quality and variety outstanding. It has one of the best lunchtime buffets at sea (in a restaurant venue called Yacht Club), and one of the best French restaurants (Lumiere) and Mediterranean restaurants (Elements), too. For a ship of this size, the dining choices are remarkable. Among other venues is Koko's Asian Fusion, which delivers the welcome big flavours of South-East Asia, India and China, and which also features a separate sushi counter and teppanyaki-style grill. In the latter, a few guests at a time enjoy small plates inspired by Asian street food, prepared in front of them by the chefs. It's a smart way to bring very relaxed dining onto a cruise ship without resorting to the same-old pool grill. The ship's decor is boutique-hotel chic in a moody, minimalist way, which makes the odd burst of art and colour all the more arresting. The Asian restaurant has striking geisha-inspired art; the walls of the Observation Lounge erupt in fantastical jungle motifs in which animals lurk. Heated plunge pool? Tick. Suave spa? Yes, and even bigger than the one on sister ship Scenic Eclipse. It has unusual offerings like a salt-therapy lounge and infrared sauna designed to propel you into Zen-like somnolence. Sky Bar? Why not? In the world's wild places, you can't beat a cold drink with a hot view. Even the ship's theatre is plusher than any other I've been in. It has swivel leather chairs like you'd see in a home cinema, second only in comfort to the king-size bed in my suite, which I discover has electronic controls to adjust it just right. The most ultra-luxe things on Scenic Eclipse II are the helicopters and submersible but, as they can't operate in Indonesia, these Mission: Impossible toys are grounded except on Cape York at the start of my voyage. Even so, this chic yacht is a serious expedition vessel, and we put Zodiacs and kayaks to good use. The Zodiac drivers, faces swathed like ninjas against the sun, are rather silent: the only exception to general crew chattiness. The expedition team that accompanies them know their stuff and are only too happy to share it both ashore, on the reef, or during lectures in the theatre. I follow Babsi Neubarth into the water at every opportunity. The marine biologist's enthusiasm is infectious and her knowledge of corals and critters seemingly endless as we snorkel our way through Indonesia's islands. If you want to know the difference between staghorn and elkhorn coral – and which curious traveller doesn't – then Neubarth will enlighten you. Is there anyone on this ship who is less than agreeable and entertaining? Even the captain, affable Frenchman Erwan le Rouzic, is laid-back and gregarious. The door to the bridge is almost always open, and any guest can wander in for a chat with the officers about navigation and the ship's advanced technologies. Everyone on this ship gets butler service. My butler, Crispin, is like an unflappable character from an Edwardian novel, shimmering unobtrusively about so I hardly know how my minibar has been restocked with my preferred gin brand, or my books straightened on my bedside table. Crispin is up and down the corridor, delivering guests' champagne buckets and fresh towels, making restaurant reservations and arranging the ironing. He's a busy man, but never forgets anyone's name, always pauses for a chat, and wants to know if there's anything more he can do. Short of conjuring up a unicorn, I'm not sure what else this ship could provide. Launched in 2023, Scenic Eclipse II retains its new, fresh feel and is barely scuffed. A few redesigned spaces have brought minor improvements compared to predecessor Scenic Eclipse. Could I quibble? Of course, because that's what travellers do. On a luxury ship, I might expect more fresh and fewer plastic flowers, and more than a couple of shelves of books: bring your own reading, or you might be disappointed. In my ensuite, the flat sink has the requisite designer-chic looks but doesn't function well and, on an expedition ship in particular, there ought to be more bathroom racks on which to hang towels and wet clothes. Some passengers find the ship's decor monochrome and monastic, but I like the muted greys, sense of space, lack of clutter and bling, and attractive soft lighting. Scenic Eclipse II is a confident ship that doesn't need to shout about its luxury credentials. What the decor lacks in exuberance, it makes up for in tranquillity. We're all cocooned in comfort, exceedingly well-fed and surrounded by mind-soothing spaces. There's even a specific mind-soothing space designed for yoga and Pilates. Scenic Eclipse II carries only 228 passengers and never feels crowded. Everything is all-inclusive. You have no bother on this beautiful ship, and will look forward to every meal. Loading But best of all, passengers and crew alike are relaxed and informal. This is luxury that requires no performance, and makes you smile. It's just what Australians want, and more holidays should be like this. THE DETAILS CRUISE Scenic Eclipse II sails a Kimberley season between early July and mid-September 2025 before crossing the Top End into the Pacific towards New Zealand. From mid-December, it sails three unusual Ross Sea itineraries to Antarctica. Then in March 2026, it heads across the Pacific and transits the Panama Canal for a summer season in Europe.
Courier-Mail
27-06-2025
- Business
- Courier-Mail
How do cruise lines decide where to go? Take a peek behind the scenes
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Ever wondered how a ship manages to be at a set port at a set time, and why there's not a fleet of other cruise ships vying for the same spot on any given day? From a cruiser's point of view, the scheduling seems to work like clockwork, but behind the scenes it takes years of precision planning. Scenic group vice president of ocean deployment, Claudius Docekal, says Scenic is already deep in the planning stages for 2028-29 and beyond. X SUBSCRIBER ONLY 'In the planning stages we start with data, conducting in-depth analysis of market trends, seasonal patterns and guest preferences, alongside a careful assessment of potential destination experiences and operational feasibility,' Docekal says. As an example let's take luxury 228-guest expedition vessel Scenic Eclipse II, which, as you read this, is making her way to Australia. Right now, she is in Indonesia sailing on the 16-night Southeast Asia Cruise and soon she will be in the Kimberley. Later in the year, the ship will voyage to East Antarctica, retracing the path of early explorers in one of the most remote parts of the planet. After that, she will journey through the South Pacific, uncovering hidden islands and rarely visited communities, before crossing all the way to the Panama Canal. Then she sails in Central America and the Caribbean before heading across to explore the Mediterranean. On mapping out a year's worth of itineraries Docekal says that once a rough deployment plan is in place, the next crucial step is securing berth space and operational clearance at each port. 'With global port infrastructure under increasing pressure due to a growing number of vessels, early engagement is key. We work proactively with port authorities and local agents from the earliest stages of itinerary planning to ensure we secure the most desirable berths and timings,' he says. A hallmark of the Scenic Eclipse experience is taking guests to smaller or emerging destinations that don't typically welcome larger cruise ships. According to Docekal, in these cases they work together with local communities, maritime authorities and ground partners to ensure all the necessary infrastructure, permissions and guest services are in place. 'This enables us to safely deliver immersive and authentic experiences in some of the world's most untouched and enriching locations,' says Docekal, who is looking forward to sailing on the 19-night Treasures of French Polynesia & the Marquesas Islands itinerary from Tahiti to Panama. Obviously contingency plans are sometimes needed – due to, say, weather conditions out of anyone's control – and this is something they factor in from the start when designing the deployment, Docekal says. 'We carefully study alternative options in advance and have plan B (and plan C) in place wherever possible,' he says. 'We always aim to deliver an alternative that matches – or even exceeds – the original plan. That said, safety is paramount, and in rare cases, port cancellations may be unavoidable.' Originally published as How do cruise lines decide where to go? Take a peek behind the scenes
The Age
25-06-2025
- The Age
‘Eighth wonder of the world': sailing into Milford Sound on an ultra-luxury cruise ship
This article is part of Traveller's guide to luxury cruising. See all 27 stories. The assignment: spend a few days off the coast of New Zealand on one of the world's ritziest cruise ships. Sounds like fun, though I'm not sure how well I'll blend in with the paying passengers. According to a magazine story I've read, Scenic Eclipse II attracts a glamorous crowd: at the ship's 2023 christening at Málaga, on Spain's Costa del Sol, people wafted around the Observation Lounge in chiffon kaftans and the finest pale linens. Accessories? 'Chanel espadrilles, Hermès Apple watches and Louis Vuitton bucket bags.' Yikes. Day One The plane from Sydney descends over snow-capped alps into Queenstown, on New Zealand's South Island. The resort town is the gathering point for those setting sail tomorrow. At our hotel, notes in our rooms ask us to put our suitcases outside our doors by 9pm. The cases will be transferred to the ship during the night, leaving us with only our carry-on luggage to bring with us in the morning. Uh-oh. My carry-on luggage is a laptop case. No room in there for my PJs, toothbrush and so on. And no time to buy another case. The guy at the hotel reception desk offers me a couple of white plastic bin liners – the type used in kitchen tidies. I'm grateful, of course, but the prospect of boarding the ship with my possessions in garbage bags casts a slight pall over the rest of my evening. Day Two 9.30am: We board the bus that will take us from Queenstown to the port of Bluff, on the island's southernmost tip. After a three-hour drive through verdant countryside, we pull up at the dock, and there's Scenic Eclipse II, towering above us, gleaming and gorgeous. The vessel is 168 metres long and caters for just 228 passengers, compared with the thousands carried by some cruise ships. Its sleek design is said to have been inspired by Octopus, the super-yacht built for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The magazine story said the only pressure on board was living up to the decor – 'dressing with sufficient style to fit in with the pale-grey marble finishes, Italian Missoni striped cushions and lush abstract art works'. I am thinking glumly of those words as I hoist my garbage bags and trudge up the gangplank. Just ahead of me is one of the other journalists making the voyage, a former editor-in-chief of Vogue Australia, who swans aboard with her elegantly coiffed head held high, a Louis Vuitton carry-all casually slung over one arm. There's a woman for whom a Missoni cushion holds no fear. Resolve to stick close to her. The ship has about 180 crew members from more than 40 countries, and many of them are lined up in uniform to greet us. We're handed glasses of champagne, then escorted to our suites. Mine is the size of a large hotel room, with a compact sitting area and a small balcony. It is smart and extremely comfortable without being over-the-top opulent. 3.40pm: The captain, Torry Sakkariassen, makes a short address over the sound system. He mentions that overnight we will sail through a low-pressure system and encounter high winds as we round the south-western corner of New Zealand. 'Nothing to worry about,' he says in his cheery Norwegian accent. 5.10pm: Don't Worry, Be Happy is the song playing on the aft deck as we depart from Bluff. Waiters circulate with champagne. No one is wearing a chiffon kaftan. The passengers are undoubtedly affluent: the price of the full journey – 18 days from Queenstown to Auckland, with visits to several coastal towns and a side trip to Norfolk Island – ranges from $23,645 per person in a suite like mine to $123,260 per person in the two-bedroom penthouse. But they look to me like perfectly normal people. Friendly retirees in jeans and puffer jackets. 5.50pm: In the theatre, waiting for welcome-aboard talks by senior crew, I listen as a silver-haired man tells an evidently hard-of-hearing woman about a cruise to Antarctica he made on this vessel's sister ship. He tells her about a stop at the remote southern island of South Georgia and the huge creatures that lay in large numbers on the shore. 'Elephants!' the woman says incredulously. 'Elephant seals,' the man repeats. 7pm: We journalists meet for a seven-course dinner at Lumiere, the ship's French restaurant. (I say 'restaurant', but there's no bill involved. Food and drinks served on board – apart from a few rare spirits and wines – are complimentary.) The meal is presented by formally dressed waiters who bring the utmost seriousness to every task, from pouring the French wines recommended by the sommelier to using an eye-dropper to add tabasco to the consommé de queue de boeuf wagyu. That's oxtail soup, to you and me. By the time we leave the table, the ship is starting to sway a little. In my bathroom, I watch my lipstick roll slowly back and forth on the shelf below the mirror. Day Three 2.50am: Woken by the ship's movement. Strange creaking sound coming from somewhere. 7.20am: Press button to raise the blind. Bleak outside, and the sea is still churning. It's late spring, yet the daily information bulletin I call up on my TV screen says the temperature will peak at five degrees. 8.30am: Make my way to the main lounge, on Deck Four, occasionally putting a steadying hand on a wall. Lurch up to the help desk and ask the person on duty how he rates the present level of choppiness. 'It is very smooth,' he says in a firm, pleasant voice. 9.05am: Captain announces we are entering Milford Sound, and soon the conditions really are calm. Stretching 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea, this is an extraordinarily beautiful place where steep-sided mountains loom over the water and thin waterfalls lace cobweb-like over cliff surfaces. The British writer Rudyard Kipling, who visited in the 1890s, called it the eighth wonder of the world. 10.15am: As we sail further into the Sound, a pod of dolphins appears on our port bow. One of those moments when you almost want to berate Nature for overplaying her hand. Too much! 10.45am: I take a ride on one of the ship's two black Airbus H130 helicopters. After lifting off from the helipad on Deck Eight, we buzz over inlets and hover beside precipices. In a picture taken by one of the other journalists, I look frozen with fear, but that's my exhilarated expression. 2pm: Cocktails on Deck Ten. The host is cruise director Chloe Barlow, a vivacious young Englishwoman who doubles as one of the ship's entertainers. 'I am totally in love with ABBA,' she says, and breaks into Honey, Honey. Scenic Eclipse I and II sail the world from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica and almost everywhere in between. Europe, South and North America, Asia, the South Pacific and Australia are all on itineraries. A Scottish couple, farmers from the Borders district, tell me they've been on several of the cruises and enjoyed them all, but Antarctica was the mind-blower. 2.50pm: Captain Sakkariassen announces that we're heading back out to the open ocean, and tonight can expect strong winds with swells of three to four metres. In my suite, I remember that all the drinks in the fridge are free. It hasn't been stocked with champagne, unfortunately, so I ring Francis, my designated butler, and ask if he could bring some. I'm expecting a glass or a minibar-sized bottle. What arrives is a full-sized bottle of Chassenay D'Arce Cuvée Première Brut. Oh well. 4pm: Join a tour of the ship conducted by Chloe Barlow, who in defiance of the increasingly heavy weather is wearing high-heeled sandals. 'This is the rockiest ship tour I've ever taken,' she says brightly as she teeters along a corridor. 9pm: The ship's chefs offer a variety of cuisines: Italian, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Indian and so on. At Koko's, the Asian restaurant, I have delicious Filipino dishes cooked on the teppanyaki grill. Retire to my suite, where I flick through the TV channels, watch the BBC for a bit, then toss back a couple of seasickness tablets I picked up from the help desk. Later discover you're supposed to take only one at a time. Day Four 9am: Breakfast at the Yacht Club, the casual restaurant on Deck Seven. As I wait for my order – omelette with smoked salmon – I learn that, for some, it was a long and uncomfortable night. A woman from North Carolina, an experienced cruiser, tells me there was a point when she wondered whether she should put warm clothes over her pyjamas, in case we needed to abandon ship. I decide not to divulge that, thanks to the double dose of seasickness tablets, I had 10 hours' uninterrupted slumber. Honestly haven't felt this well-rested in years. All is still now, because we're moored in the lee of Stewart Island, which lies some 30 kilometres off the bottom of New Zealand's South Island. Nothing much between here and Antarctica. Loading 12.15pm: A few of us clamber into a Zodiac bound for tiny Ulva Island, a wildlife sanctuary just off the coast of Stewart Island. We've signed up for a two-hour walking tour. Ulva is home to several bird and plant species that on mainland New Zealand are rare or have died out. Our guide's enthusiasm is catching, and the pristine forest enchanting. By the time we return to the ship, my hands are so cold I can hardly hold my champagne glass. 5.15pm: Trivia quiz in the lounge. The journalists – we call our team The Freeloaders – win the event. Nearly toss a Missoni cushion into the air in celebration. Day Five
