We speak to Scenic Cruises’ executives Colin Downing and Joseph Grimley about how the line’s amazing new vessel is creating a brand-new cruise category.

Scenic’s swish offices in Manchester just by Piccadilly train station are sleek and well-proportioned, a bit like the line’s new ship, Scenic Eclipse, designated “the world’s first discovery yacht”. The 228-passenger vessel launched in August with a 13-day cruise from Reykjavik to Québec following the christening event in New York involving the new vessel’s godmother, Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren.

Dame Mirren was a natural choice, apparently: “She is an A-list celebrity with global appeal, so we put some feelers out and it became clear she liked the environmental side of things and wanted to be associated with [the project] – her passion is phenomenal, she’s so professional and down to earth”, comments Scenic UK’s director of trade sales, Joseph Grimley.

Eclipsing the competition

The environmental aspect referred to by the ship’s godmother relates to the use of new technology that uses lower emission fuels, no dirty water waste, and a no single-use plastics pact. Such an interest in being eco-friendly can be traced back to Australian entrepreneur Glen Moroney, the founder of Scenic, who is keen on cherishing the planet; “you can never have a totally green ship, but you can do green things and act responsibly in areas like Antarctica” notes Grimley.

“The christening went really well”, enthuses Scenic’s managing director for the UK, Colin Downing. “We took 50 senior agents that we work with globally on a five-day fam trip to Nova Scotia and then flew back from there.”

Asked about the agents’ response to Scenic Eclipse, Downing declares it was “like nothing they’d ever seen before, it completely blew them away, we delivered what we’d promised and more.”

“It’s a new, better way of doing things”, he continues, “luxury cruising and discovery expedition brought together in a six-star yacht, it opens up a new category all together.” The Scenic UK MD describes the line’s offer as “ultra all-inclusive, apart from a few things such as the spa, everything is free, virtually all the dining options and all the beverages are complimentary, right down to the guest’s mini-bar”.

The F&B options on board are, as you would expect with a venture of this kind, of the highest standard: there are no fewer than nine outlets (not including in-room dining), which equates to an astonishing variety given the size of the vessel and these include French, Italian, sushi and Teppanyaki. Guests can also sip on the finest vintages at the Champagne Bar, or indulge in an aged single malt from an extensive collection at the elegant Lobby Lounge.

Of course what really sets the new ship apart is the fact it features two helicopters and a submarine, perfect for catering to those passengers who want to unleash their inner James Bond.

“We deliberately planned the ship’s routes so it’s in the right place to see the migration of whales and birds”, explains Downing, adding that these hi-tech toys will help guests to enjoy a “more immersive experience”.

Guests can fly inland for 20 minutes for instance and view king penguins, or take a trip on the submarine as it gets ready to dive on the wreck of a Canadian warship. Downing also waxes lyrical over the calibre of the discovery team: “they’re amazing, the pilot is ex-US army and we also have marine biologists and ornithologists who can really demonstrate their knowledge. They’re not just glorified entertainers, but experts in their field who are able to give in-depth talks.”

Boosting fam trips

Despite Scenic Eclipse hogging most of the headlines recently, the company is also well known for its river cruising via its Emerald Waterways division and there are some interesting developments on this side of the business too. “Passengers are increasingly looking for more genuine experiences, so we’ll shortly be announcing new itineraries for 2021”, confirms Downing.

In Europe, the trend on river is towards wellness and to this end each Emerald ship has its own activity manager, overseeing sessions in aqua aerobics, yoga, pilates, hiking, biking and more. In Asia the 84-guest Emerald Harmony, which made its debut in late summer, is the line’s first Star-Ship to operate outside Europe.

“The ships there are mainly colonial-style and not built to European standards, but this one has a contemporary feel to it and our guests are reassured that they can now have the same experience on the Mekong as they were used to in Europe”, explains Grimley.

Grimley moved over from Riviera to become head of trade sales last September and he is a huge believer in the importance of agents when it comes to selling cruise. Talking about his decision to join Scenic, he says he “wasn’t tempted to come to a business where trade is a second-class citizen; it has to have absolute parity”. Proving he has the courage of his convictions, Grimley is committed to an impressive programme of fam trips that involves doubling the budget for agent educationals.

As he points out: “Last year we ran two trips for Scenic and two for Emerald Waterways, taking a total of 32 agents on our river cruises. Next year we will be running four for Scenic and four for Emerald Waterways, meaning 64 agents will experience our river cruise products.

“In addition to the fam trips, we will also be taking groups of agents on ship visits to Amsterdam for the day. This is as a result of a successful trial we conducted earlier this year. We will be running four of these in 2020.

“Overall, some 100 agents will get to experience our products in 2020; we are huge believers in education and we’re convinced it’s vital for the trade to get the chance to see our product for themselves.”

Visit scenic.co.uk for more information.