By
Alex Smith |
Scenic Eclipse II, the second of Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours’ discovery yachts, was originally meant to be a perfect copy of her sister ship Scenic Eclipse. Yet when the time came to begin work on the new vessel, Scenic felt that it could further develop and improve the existing design, despite its initial success. Consequently, by the time Scenic Eclipse II made its debut in Lisbon, Portugal, in April 2023, no interior space had gone entirely unchanged.
“Karen Moroney, our director of project design, left virtually nothing unchanged,” says Nichola Absalom, director of global brand at Scenic. “She’s gone into an incredible level of detail to deliver the best guest experience, and the result is nothing less than a masterpiece.”
Among the new additions to the ship is the Chef’s Garden @ Epicure, a new, immersive dining experience and presentation area able to accommodate up to 14 standing or seven seated guests. Here, guests can take part in culinary masterclasses, learn how to make chocolate or sample drinks during onboard whiskey-tasting sessions.
Another new space is the Sky Deck and Bar, which offers indoor and outdoor seating with private cabanas and bottle service. The deck also includes the new oval-shaped Vitality Pool, which features jets that create a current for guests to swim against.
Enhancements have also been introduced to the suites onboard the ship, including in the Owner’s Penthouse Suites. These rooms will now include a redesigned walk-in wardrobe and bathrooms with a private mini spa, which include a steam room, spa baths and two Klafs infrared seats. The bathrooms in the Spa Suites have also been upgraded, with a circular spa bath, double sink and a separate shower with jet technology.
The ship’s steam room has also been expanded to accommodate aromatherapy and an integrated ice fountain. A new custom salt therapy lounge with heated beds and aromatherapy scents from spa design specialists Klafs has also been added.
“One of our objectives was to create an incredible 550-square-metres of true indulgence at the spa,” says Absalom. “The aromatherapy scents from Klafs will benefit the mind, body and soul of guests. We’re the only ultra luxury cruise ship to provide such an extensive wellness offering for our passengers.”
Scenic is almost unique among cruise lines in owning its own shipyard, a situation which arose during the building of Scenic Eclipse when the shipyard that was constructing the vessel went out of business. Instead of moving Scenic Eclipse to a different shipyard, Scenic hired members of the yard’s former staff and completed the ship itself.
This unique approach continued with the construction of Scenic Eclipse II and also influenced its interior design, says Glen Moroney, founder of Scenic. He cites the Sky Bar as an example of how Scenic was able to be more flexible in the design of the new ship with the close cooperation of its shipbuilding team.
“It’s part of the advantage of designing, building and owning your own ships,” says Moroney. “To meet safe return to port regulations, you need a fully functioning wheelhouse with a huge amount of wiring for all the main systems. Originally, that was all behind the pool on the top deck. Now, if you go to a shipyard and ask if you can put an extra bar in there, their first answer would be no. Their second answer would be yes, for $3-4 million. It’s a huge undertaking, with a massive number of hours spent on engineering. But in our operation, our electrical engineering team came to my shipyard manager and explained what they thought they could manage to create extra space and add the bar.”
“That attitude is in our DNA as a company,” Moroney continues. “We’re never happy with everything, so we’re always looking to improve and take on a new project.”
This article was first published in the 2023 issue of Cruise & Ferry Interiors. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed. Subscribe to Cruise & Ferry Interiors for FREE here to get the next issue delivered directly to your inbox or your door.