In March of this year, TravelPulse was given a sneak peek at what is to come from Scenic in the way of its first discovery yacht – the Scenic Eclipse – and now the vessel has begun its initial construction at the Uljanik Shipyard JSC in Pula, Croatia. Following its success in river cruising, the new ship will mark the line’s foray into expedition cruising when it launches in August 2018.

A traditional steel-cutting ceremony kicked off the building of the 228-guest luxury yacht. Glen Moroney, Chairman, said, “This is a momentous day for Scenic. To see our vision start to come to life is very exciting and we look forward to watching the build progress over the next 18 months. We are extremely proud of the ship’s design and its advanced technological features, and can’t wait to share Scenic Eclipse with our guests in 2018.”

READ MORE: Scenic Further Details New Scenic Eclipse Ocean Yacht

Once completed, it will feature close to a one-to-one guest-to-staff ratio and all-verandah suites ranging in size from 350 to 2,500 square feet. Onboard venues will also include a total of six restaurants, several bars and lounges, a 5,000-square-foot spa facility, gymnasium, multiple pools and a 240-seat theater. Plus, two helicopters and a 7-passenger submarine will round out the expedition-specific toys.

Among the architects and interior designers working on the project are Foreship in Finland and Oliver Design from Spain, as well as Karen Moroney.

READ MORE: Scenic Named As Classic Vacations’ Luxury River Cruise Provider

The Scenic Eclipse will deploy to a variety of cold and warm weather destinations such as the Arctic, Antarctica, the Mediterranean, European west coast, the Americas and the Caribbean. In order to accommodate the polar regions, the ship will be rated as Ice Class 1A Super (Polar Class 6). What’s more, stability against rolling will be greatly improved thanks to stabilizers that will be 50 percent larger than those usually aboard a vessel of its size.

Luxury expedition cruising is already in vogue thanks to Silversea Expeditions and Crystal Cruises’ new Crystal Esprit, and mega yachts like the Scenic Eclipse are next to start attracting customers. Crystal is scheduled to launch its Crystal Endeavor in 2019 followed by two sister-ships in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Also, Scenic itself has an option for a second discovery yacht to be built for 2019. Meanwhile, the Scenic Eclipse brochure is expected to be available in February 2017.

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