Australian-owned luxury travel company Scenic has contracted a Croatian shipyard to deliver its second polar-class “Discovery Yacht”, Scenic Eclipse II. And as LATTE reported five months ago, a second ship is just the start of an expanded fleet.
Scenic’s maiden oceangoing vessel, Scenic Eclipse, was constructed by Uljanik at the Pula shipyard. The 228-passenger luxury vessel was delivered nearly 12 months behind schedule (in mid-August 2019) as a result of Uljanik’s financial issues and ultimately bankruptcy. Just 10 days ago [22 January], the Croatian government reported that creditors of the troubled shipyard had made the decision to proceed with Uljanik’s liquidation.
The second ultra-luxury vessel was first revealed nearly two years ago to this day, but for many months Scenic has been tight-lipped on where and when Scenic Eclipse II would be constructed and delivered.
According to Croatian news sources, Scenic has signed a deal for the construction of Scenic Eclipse II at the Rijeka 3 Maj shipyard, about 100 kilometres from the Uljanik site in Pula. The keel-laying for the next Scenic yacht has been slated for as early as Q2 of this year. The launch of this vessel should take place in the first quarter of 2021.
“The new vessel 3 Maj is set [to] work on is a new polar cruiser for the Australian shipowner Glenn Moroney, the owner of Scenic,” Total Croatia News reported. The media outlet also said that Moroney himself “has come to see the expertise of local shipbuilders several times now”.
“We are very much aware that the Government of Croatia is actively pursuing a solution for shipbuilding in Croatia and our wish is to progress this exciting proposal with the government and the shipyard. We have already proven that together with Croatian engineers and shipbuilders we can build one of the most sophisticated cruise ships in the world, even under extraordinary circumstances,” Moroney was cited as saying.
The Scenic Chairman and Founder reportedly also reiterated his desire to increase his fleet of polar class ships to half a dozen.
“Scenic Eclipse did not cost Croatian taxpayers a penny and no state guarantees were taken. We finished the ship ourselves and now that we have the knowledge and practical experience, we are very confident that we can build and deliver five more ships in Croatia. The Government is being very cooperative and open with us so I look forward to the positive development and future of Croatian shipbuilding.”
The deal is expected to be worth several hundred million euros.
Meanwhile, Scenic Group will showcase its diverse range of luxurious cruise and land journeys in a program of Agent Roadshows rolling out from 4 February 2020.
Held nationwide in metro and regional centres between February and April, the Agent Cruising Showcase will see the luxury travel company’s Business Development teams provide product updates and insights into the Scenic Group portfolio of brands.
The events will cover:
- Scenic Eclipse – the World’s First Discovery Yachts
- Scenic and Evergreen Europe River Cruising
- Scenic and Evergreen South East Asia River Cruising
“This is the once a year chance for agents to get first hand market knowledge on Scenic and Evergreen, and to set themselves up to earn commissions and Scenic Rewards points in 2020 and beyond”, said Rob Kalemba, Director Sales and Agent Programs.
“An opportunity to learn the tips and tricks to set up their Scenic Group portfolio of business this year. With information on this year’s ship launches, new products and offers for their clients this is one event not to miss”.
There will be prizes on the night plus advisors will also be in the draw for a chance to win a Scenic River Cruise for two, simply by attending on the night.
Space are limited. To book a place, go to agentcruisingshowcase.eventbritestudio.com
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