Scenic Luxury Cruises: What it is, How it works, and What to expect
Cruise guide · Updated 2026 · Ultra-luxury · Discovery Yacht · Expedition · Two helicopters · Submarine · Fully all-inclusive · 228 guests · 40th anniversary
Scenic is one of the most unusual stories in modern luxury travel: an Australian entrepreneur who quit his accountancy studies to sell coach tours along the Great Ocean Road, built the world’s largest privately owned river cruise company, then designed and built from scratch what he called the world’s first Discovery Yacht, a purpose-built ultra-luxury expedition vessel with two helicopters, a custom submarine, and a fully all-inclusive model so comprehensive that it covers even top-shelf spirits. The result, Scenic Eclipse, launched in 2019 and was immediately recognised as a category-defining product. Its sister ship, Scenic Eclipse II, followed in 2023. A third vessel, Scenic Ikon, arrives in April 2028. 2026 is Scenic Group’s 40th anniversary year.
This guide covers the brand’s history, the two Discovery Yachts and their specifications, the helicopters and submarine in detail, the fully all-inclusive model, all suite categories, the dining programme, the itinerary range from Antarctica to the Mediterranean, the river cruise operation, and how Scenic compares to the ultra-luxury competition in 2026.
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A brief history of Scenic Group
Glen Moroney founded what is now Scenic Group in 1986 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, after leaving his accountancy studies at the University of Newcastle. He began by selling coach tours along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, operating a single bus and building a customer base through word of mouth. By the early 1990s he had expanded into tours across Australia and New Zealand, and within a decade was operating worldwide touring programmes to Canada, Alaska, South America, and Asia.
The pivot to water-based travel came in the mid-2000s, when Moroney was chartering river cruise ships from Viking and Avalon Waterways for his touring clients in Europe. After several years of chartering other companies’ vessels, he decided to build his own. In 2008, Scenic launched its first purpose-built river cruise ships under the brand name Scenic Space Ships, introducing what was then a revolutionary concept: suites on European river vessels with opening balconies, allowing guests to convert their cabin into an outdoor space as the ship passed through the scenery. The balcony river suite became the defining innovation of the European river cruise industry and has been imitated by every line that followed.
In 2013, Scenic established Emerald Cruises as a sister brand targeting a broader, more value-oriented audience, creating the two-tier structure that the Scenic Group still operates today: Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours at the ultra-premium level, Emerald Cruises at the accessible premium level.
The ocean pivot came in January 2016, when Moroney announced plans for Scenic Eclipse, which he positioned as the world’s first Discovery Yacht, a term he coined to describe a vessel that was neither a conventional cruise ship nor a pure expedition ship, but something designed to do both simultaneously at a level of luxury that had no precedent in the polar or exploration market. Scenic Eclipse made her maiden voyage in August 2019 from Reykjavik to Quebec, and was christened by Dame Helen Mirren in New York City on September 10, 2019. Scenic Eclipse II was christened by NASA scientist Dr. Kathy Sullivan in 2023.
Scenic Group’s headquarters are in Baar, Switzerland. The company remains privately held and family-controlled, with Glen Moroney serving as Chairman and Founder. In 2026, the Group marks its 40th anniversary with an aggressive fleet expansion programme across both brands, including nine new vessels by 2028.
The Discovery Yachts: Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II
The two Discovery Yachts are the flagship products of the Scenic ocean operation and the vessels that define what the brand stands for in the ultra-luxury expedition market.
Scenic Eclipse entered service in August 2019 as the first of the class. She is 168 metres long, 17,545 gross tons, and carries a maximum of 228 guests in 114 all-suite staterooms served by a crew of approximately 192. Every suite has a private balcony. The crew-to-guest ratio is approximately 1:1.2, among the most generous in ultra-luxury ocean travel.
Scenic Eclipse II entered service in 2023 as the sister ship, sharing the same fundamental design, specifications, and all-inclusive model as the original. She has been deployed extensively in the South Pacific, New Zealand, and East Antarctica, and will transition to a pole-to-pole itinerary programme covering Antarctica, the Arctic, Europe, and the Americas from 2026.
Scenic Ikon, the third Discovery Yacht, is under construction at MKM Yachts in Rijeka, Croatia, and is scheduled to enter service in April 2028. At 205 metres and approximately 26,500 gross tons carrying 270 guests in 135 suites, she will be an enlarged and enhanced evolution of the Eclipse-class design. Her inaugural voyage from Venice on April 7, 2028 sold out within months of announcement.
Both Eclipse-class ships carry a Polar Class 6 ice-strengthened hull, oversized zero-speed stabiliser fins 50 percent larger than the standard for comparable vessels, dynamic positioning systems that allow the ship to hold station without anchoring, and a suite of expedition equipment including twelve Zodiacs for shore landings. The combination of polar expedition capability with the physical standard of a 6-star luxury yacht is the defining design achievement of the Discovery Yacht concept.
Scenic Discovery Yacht fleet at a glance
Scenic Eclipse: 228 guests, 114 suites, 17,545 GT, 168 metres, entered service 2019, Polar Class 6
Scenic Eclipse II: 228 guests, 114 suites, entered service 2023, Polar Class 6
Scenic Ikon: 270 guests, 135 suites, 26,500 GT, 205 metres, entering service April 2028
Both active ships: 2 Airbus H130 helicopters per ship, 1 submarine per ship, 12 Zodiacs, marina platform
All suites: private balcony, butler service, fully all-inclusive
Destinations: Antarctica, Arctic, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Caribbean, South Pacific, Asia-Pacific
The helicopters: why they matter and what they do
The two Airbus H130-T2 helicopters aboard each Discovery Yacht are the most discussed and most scrutinised feature of the Scenic Eclipse product, and their presence deserves a precise explanation because they are frequently misunderstood.
Each helicopter seats up to six passengers plus the pilot. They are not included in the base fare. Helicopter experiences are bookable at an additional charge, subject to regulatory approval by local authorities (which restricts their operation in certain countries), availability, weight restrictions, medical clearance, and weather and ice conditions. The list of locations where helicopter operation is not permitted is significant and should be reviewed carefully before making a booking decision centred on helicopter access: as of 2026, helicopters are not operational in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Ireland, Morocco, the Netherlands, Svalbard, Panama, the Solomon Islands, South Georgia, and the United Kingdom.
Where helicopter operations are permitted, they offer something genuinely unavailable from any other platform in the ultra-luxury market: aerial perspectives on polar landscapes, wildlife, and remote coastlines from a vessel that arrives alongside the site rather than from a distant airport. In Antarctica, a helicopter flight over the ice from a ship anchored at the foot of a glacier is a categorically different experience from any land-based helicopter tour. In Greenland or Arctic Norway, the ability to land on a remote headland inaccessible from the ship is a form of destination access with no equivalent in conventional cruising.
The value of the helicopters is therefore situational and destination-dependent. Guests booking Arctic or specific Antarctic itineraries where regulatory approval exists and weather conditions are generally more favourable will likely find the helicopter option genuinely transformative. Guests on Mediterranean or Caribbean itineraries will find the helicopters either restricted or largely redundant given the availability of conventional shore access.
The submarine: Scenic Neptune
Each Discovery Yacht carries one custom-built submersible named Scenic Neptune. On Scenic Eclipse, the submarine accommodates seven people (one pilot plus six guests) and can dive to depths of up to 305 metres. On Scenic Eclipse II, the updated Scenic Neptune II accommodates nine people (one pilot plus eight passengers) and dives to depths of up to 200 metres.
Like the helicopters, submarine dives are not included in the base fare and are subject to availability, regulatory approval, and local operational restrictions. The submersible is not operational in Brazil, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Europe and the Mediterranean, Morocco, New Zealand, the Northern Territory and Northern Queensland of Australia, Svalbard, Tonga, Uruguay, and on the East Antarctica Mawson’s voyage.
For the itineraries and destinations where it can operate, particularly in the Caribbean and on some South American routes, the submarine offers underwater experiences, including views of coral systems, marine life, and submerged geology, that are available to guests on no other conventional ocean vessel.
It is also equipped with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) on Scenic Eclipse: a camera-equipped underwater drone that can be deployed from the ship and viewed in real time from an onboard screen, extending the reach of underwater observation beyond what the submarine itself can access.
What is and is not included: the fully all-inclusive model
Scenic positions its Discovery Yacht product as 6-star ultra-luxury, and the inclusions model is structured to support that claim. It is one of the most comprehensive all-inclusive packages in the entire ultra-luxury segment.
Included in every Scenic Eclipse fare:
All accommodation in a private balcony suite with butler service
All meals across all dining venues, including up to ten restaurants and nine bars and lounges
All beverages, including premium wines, spirits, cocktails, champagne, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the day and evening, including top-shelf brands
All included shore excursions and Zodiac landings (the number and type depend on the itinerary and destination)
All watersports equipment from the stern marina platform: kayaks, paddleboards, snorkelling and scuba diving gear, and aqua quad bikes
Gratuities for all crew
Butler service for every suite
Wi-Fi across the ship
Port taxes and fees
Not included:
Helicopter experiences: charged at an additional rate per person per flight
Submarine dives: charged at an additional rate per person per dive
Spa treatments at the Senses Spa (the spa facilities including saunas, steam rooms, and pools are included; individual treatments are charged separately)
Premium boutique purchases
The practical implication is that a guest who does not book helicopter or submarine experiences will have essentially no onboard charges to settle at the end of the voyage. The inclusions cover everything from champagne at dinner to Zodiac landings in Antarctica. For guests who do book the helicopter or submarine, those experiences are charged separately and must be factored into the total cost comparison with competitors.
Suite categories
Every stateroom on both Discovery Yachts is a suite. Every suite has a private balcony. Every suite includes butler service. There are no interior cabins, no ocean-view rooms without outdoor space, and no non-suite category of any kind.
Suite categories on both Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II span 14 classifications ranging from the entry Verandah Suite to the two-bedroom Penthouse and Owner’s configurations.
Verandah Suites are the entry category at approximately 32 square metres (344 square feet), with a private balcony, a separate sleep zone, a lounge area, and a full bathroom. All Verandah Suites include the full butler service and all-inclusive amenities.
Spa Suites add direct access to the Senses Spa facilities and dedicated spa-focused wellness amenities within the suite itself, including vitality showers and a bathtub.
Sky Suites and Grand Suites occupy larger footprints in premium positions, with expanded terraces and more generous interior layouts.
Owner’s Penthouse Suites run approximately 185 square metres (1,990 square feet) including the balcony, with a full separate bedroom, a private lounge, a dining area for multiple guests, and an oversized bathroom.
The Two-Bedroom Penthouse Suite is the largest accommodation on either yacht at approximately 247 square metres (2,659 square feet), including a wraparound terrace of approximately 60 square metres. It combines a full Owner’s Penthouse configuration with an additional bedroom suite, suitable for two couples or a family travelling together.
The Grand Penthouse Suite represents the pinnacle of the category on each ship: a combination of the Owner’s Penthouse and a Spa Suite, producing the maximum space and the maximum wellness integration available on the vessel.
Dining: ten restaurants and nine bars and lounges
The dining programme on both Discovery Yachts is one of the most varied in ultra-luxury expedition cruising, with up to ten distinct restaurants and nine bars and lounges available to all guests at no additional charge.
The venues vary in style from fine French cuisine and Japanese speciality cooking to Mediterranean, international casual, and open-air deck dining. The overall standard reflects Scenic’s commitment to culinary depth as a central feature of the 6-star positioning, and the food programme is frequently cited by returning guests as one of the most consistent strengths of the product.
No restaurant on either Discovery Yacht carries a supplemental charge for the base guest. All dining is included in the fare. The open-seating policy across all venues and all meals means that there are no assigned tables, no fixed dining times, and no requirement to make advance reservations for most venues.
The Senses Spa works in conjunction with the culinary programme on wellness-focused voyages, offering plant-based and nutritionally designed menu options alongside the standard restaurant offering.
The river cruise and touring operation
Scenic’s river cruise fleet is not the subject of this ocean guide, but it provides essential context for understanding the brand’s scale and history. Scenic currently operates fifteen river cruise ships in Europe and Southeast Asia, the majority under the Scenic Luxury brand with the remainder under Emerald Cruises. The European river ships operate the patented Space Ship design with opening balcony suites across nine rivers: the Rhine, Main, Danube, Seine, Rhône, Douro, Moselle, Elbe, and Irrawaddy, with additional capacity in Egypt on the Nile, on the Mekong in Southeast Asia, and on the Mississippi in the United States under the Emerald brand.
The river product is relevant to ocean cruise buyers for two reasons. First, many Scenic ocean guests are existing Scenic river clients upgrading to the expedition product, and the continuity of the all-inclusive model, the butler service, and the culinary philosophy across both products makes that transition coherent. Second, Scenic’s depth as an operator, including 40 years of owning and managing its own vessels, a proprietary shipbuilding relationship in Romania, and a headquarters and design team in Switzerland, underpins the confidence with which the Discovery Yacht product was designed and built.
Itineraries in 2026: from Antarctica to the Mediterranean
The two Discovery Yachts together cover an itinerary programme of remarkable geographical breadth in 2026. Scenic estimates that the two ships will call at over 350 ports across 49 countries and all seven continents across the year.
Polar expeditions are the signature itinerary type for both ships. Scenic Eclipse operates between the Antarctic Peninsula and the Arctic in its annual cycle, with the Drake Passage crossing as part of the Antarctic programme. The East Antarctica and Ross Sea voyages departing from New Zealand or Australia reach some of the most remote and least-visited regions accessible to any passenger vessel on Earth, including access to areas only reachable by helicopter. The Arctic programme covers Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland, and Arctic Norway.
Mediterranean voyages run in the European spring and autumn, with both ships covering Greek island itineraries, Adriatic and Adriatic cruising, and western Mediterranean circuits. The 2026 Mediterranean programme includes overnight port stays in cities including Venice, Monte Carlo, and several Aegean island harbours where the Discovery Yacht’s dimensions allow docking unavailable to larger vessels.
Northern European voyages include Norwegian Fjords, the Baltic, and British Isles itineraries in summer months.
Warm-water expedition voyages operate in the Caribbean, the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, the Indonesian Archipelago, Fiji, Japan and South Korea, and South America including the Amazon, Patagonian fjords, and the Chilean channels.
Voyage lengths run from 8 to 22 nights, with Antarctica and East Antarctic voyages at the longer end of the range and Mediterranean circuits typically 10 to 14 nights.
How Scenic compares to other ultra-luxury lines
Scenic
Best for: The most technologically sophisticated ultra-luxury expedition product afloat, with the only combination of two onboard helicopters and a custom submarine at this guest count, the most comprehensive all-inclusive model in the expedition segment, and access to polar and remote destinations at 6-star standards
228 guests per ship, Polar Class 6 hulls, two helicopters per ship, custom submarine, fully all-inclusive including premium spirits, up to ten dining venues, all suites with private balcony and butler service. Helicopter and submarine experiences are charged separately and subject to significant regulatory restrictions by destination.
Seabourn
Best for: Ultra-luxury all-inclusive with the broadest expedition fleet, submarines on two ships, and Thomas Keller dining
Ships carrying 264 to 600 guests, fully all-inclusive, Thomas Keller dining at no supplement. The Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit carry two submarines each as part of the standard expedition operation. Polar Class 6 certified. A genuinely comparable product in the expedition ultra-luxury space with a different culinary identity and a more established brand heritage.
Silversea
Best for: The broadest destination and expedition range globally, including the most extensive polar programme in the segment
Fully all-inclusive, ships carrying 100 to 728 guests, an expedition fleet covering all polar regions including the Ross Sea and East Antarctica, S.A.L.T. culinary programme. The Silver Endeavour is the most ice-capable passenger vessel currently in service anywhere. Silversea’s expedition depth at the ultra-luxury level has no peer for breadth, but does not include helicopter or submarine capabilities on most vessels.
Viking Expeditions
Best for: The most acclaimed expedition design for non-specialist travellers, voted number one by Condé Nast and Travel + Leisure, with submarines on Octantis
Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris carry 378 guests at Polar Class 6 with two submarines on Octantis. The expedition team of 25-plus specialists per voyage and the Aula auditorium are unmatched for educational depth. Not fully all-inclusive at the base fare level (gratuities charged separately, premium beverages extra). A more accessible price point than Scenic at a cost to inclusions comprehensiveness.
SeaDream Yacht Club
Best for: The most genuinely intimate yacht atmosphere with no children, near one-to-one crew ratio, and the most comprehensive all-inclusive at the 112-guest scale
112 guests per yacht, fully all-inclusive including premium beverages, no expedition capability but unmatched access to boutique harbour ports. A fundamentally different product type from Scenic, best compared when the client’s primary interest is warm-water yachting intimacy rather than polar expedition.
Who Scenic is best suited for
Scenic works best for a specific and clearly defined profile of guest, and the expedition focus resolves most of the fit question before other factors are considered.
Experienced ultra-luxury travellers who have sailed the Mediterranean and Caribbean repeatedly and are ready to experience Antarctica, the Arctic, or remote Pacific destinations at the same level of comfort they expect at sea
Guests for whom the helicopter capability is genuinely relevant to their planned itinerary, particularly those choosing Antarctica voyages where regulatory approval applies and the aerial perspective transforms the experience
Travellers who value the completeness of the all-inclusive model, including premium spirits, and want no financial decisions after boarding
Couples who want a private balcony suite at every price point in the booking, since there is no non-balcony option on either ship
River cruise veterans who are already Scenic or Emerald clients and want to extend the same brand relationship into ocean and expedition travel
Guests interested in East Antarctica, the Ross Sea, or South Georgia, which Scenic Eclipse II covers and which represent some of the most remote itineraries available to any passenger vessel
Scenic is less suited to guests whose primary interest is the traditional Mediterranean or Caribbean cruise with a strong culinary identity and no expedition element, for whom Silversea or Seabourn would offer a more appropriate fit. It is also not the right product for guests who want the most socially intimate small-ship atmosphere: at 228 guests, the Discovery Yachts are significantly larger than SeaDream (112 guests) or the smallest Seabourn vessels.
Frequently asked questions
Are the helicopters and submarine included in the fare?
No. Both the helicopter experiences and submarine dives are charged at an additional rate per person and are not part of the base all-inclusive fare. They are also subject to significant regulatory restrictions that prevent their operation in many countries. Before selecting an itinerary based on helicopter or submarine access, guests should verify which destinations on their specific voyage permit these activities. The list of excluded destinations is detailed in the itinerary terms.
What is included in the Scenic Eclipse all-inclusive fare?
All meals at every dining venue, all beverages including premium spirits, wines, and champagne throughout the day and evening, all included shore excursions and Zodiac landings, all watersports equipment from the marina platform, gratuities, butler service for every suite, Wi-Fi, and port taxes and fees. Spa treatments, helicopter experiences, submarine dives, and boutique purchases are charged separately.
How many guests do the Discovery Yachts carry?
Each of the two current Discovery Yachts, Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II, carries a maximum of 228 guests in 114 suites. The third Discovery Yacht, Scenic Ikon arriving in April 2028, will carry 270 guests in 135 suites.
Do all suites have private balconies?
Yes. Every suite on both Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II has a private balcony. There are no interior cabins, no ocean-view staterooms without outdoor space, and no suite category of any kind without a private balcony. Every suite also includes butler service.
What is the Scenic Ikon?
Scenic Ikon is the third Discovery Yacht, currently under construction at MKM Yachts in Rijeka, Croatia, for an April 2028 inaugural departure from Venice. At 205 metres and approximately 26,500 gross tons carrying 270 guests in 135 suites, she is a larger and enhanced evolution of the Eclipse class. The inaugural voyage sold out within months of announcement in October 2025.
Who founded Scenic and where is the company based?
Scenic Group was founded in 1986 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, by Glen Moroney, who started the company by selling coach tours along the Great Ocean Road before expanding into river cruising in Europe and ultimately ocean expedition travel. Moroney remains Chairman and Founder. The company’s global headquarters are in Baar, Switzerland. The company is privately held and not part of any corporate cruise group.
What is the difference between Scenic Luxury Cruises and Emerald Cruises?
Both brands are part of the same Scenic Group. Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours operates the ultra-luxury Discovery Yachts and the premium Space Ship river cruise fleet, with a fully all-inclusive product and butler service across all vessels. Emerald Cruises is the group’s accessible premium brand, operating Star-Ship river vessels in Europe and the Mekong and a growing fleet of boutique ocean yachts, at a lower price point and with a slightly reduced inclusions model. The two brands share the same owner, design team, and operational infrastructure but serve different market segments.
Plan your Scenic Cruise with ÆRIA Voyages
Every Scenic voyage is different depending on which Discovery Yacht is sailing, which destination region is the focus, and whether helicopter or submarine experiences are a meaningful part of the plan. I help clients navigate those choices: from selecting between an Antarctic Peninsula voyage and a Ross Sea or East Antarctic itinerary, to understanding the regulatory landscape for helicopter access on specific routes, to comparing the Scenic total cost against Seabourn or Silversea for the same polar destination.
If you are curious about pricing, current availability, or whether Scenic is the right fit for your travel vision, I would be glad to talk it through.
Yvan Junior Blanchette
Travel & Cruise Specialist
ÆRIA Voyages📩 yvanblanchette@aeriavoyages.com
📞 1-888-460-3388
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