SHIP LAUNCH Scenic unveils luxury expedition ship Scenic Eclipse II. Robin Murray reports from Malaga
Scenic founder hails UK trade at Eclipse II launch
T
he founder of Scenic Cruises has said the line’s UK trade business is “only getting stronger”, despite
revealing there are no plans to fill two recently vacated senior roles. Speaking to Travel Weekly
at the christening ceremony of Scenic Eclipse II in Malaga, Glen Moroney said agents would continue to be key to Scenic’s strategy. “The trade is always integral to
everything we do; we couldn’t do what we do without them,” he said. “Our trade business in the UK is
performing really well and, in fact, only getting stronger.” Moroney added that Scenic was currently “engaging in a lot of trade
marketing” with cruise specialists to “try and enhance those sales further”. Moroney’s comments came after
the line announced on May 30 that it is moving the digital hubs for both Scenic and Emerald Cruises, and the content creation hub for Emerald Cruises, currently based in Manchester, to its head office in Sydney. The restructure saw David
Winterton step down from his position as brand and marketing director of Emerald Cruises after nine years in the role. That followed the departure of managing director Richard Twynam in April. Moroney said there were no plans
to fill either position, adding that the decision to move digital operations
Ship’s godmother Sullivan is ‘human embodiment’ of Scenic’s principles
American retired astronaut, geologist and oceanographer Kathryn Sullivan said she was “honoured and privileged” to be Scenic Eclipse II’s godmother. Hundreds watched on as Dr
Sullivan – one of Nasa’s first female astronauts – smashed a bottle of champagne against the hull. “This ship has absolutely
floored me today,” she said. “I watched her come into port
this morning and was beaming like any proud godmother meeting their godchild in person. “Glen [Moroney] and [wife]
Karen’s vision to combine this level of learning and discovery with an altogether different scale of relaxed comfort and luxury is a unique combination.” Scenic founder Glen Moroney described Dr Sullivan as the “human embodiment” of Scenic’s principles. Clia UK & Ireland director
Andy Harmer hailed the arrival of Scenic Eclipse II to the expedition sector, saying: “This beautiful ship combines discovery and luxury with the attention to detail and focus on exploration that you expect from the whole sector.”
Godmother Dr Kathryn Sullivan names Scenic Eclipse II in Malaga
from Manchester to Australia was made to ensure the brands “maintain their market-leading positions in the UK travel industry”. He added he was pleased with how
Scenic Eclipse II’s debut programme was selling, with Antarctica performing particularly well. “We’re not completely full but I
don’t think any line is,” he said. “There are gaps in places, as there
always are, and we’ll look to fill them with the help of the trade.” Andrea Stafford, Scenic trade
sales director, said there was generally
a 50:50 split between direct sales and trade sales across all Scenic ships. She said there were currently
no plans to grow the UK sales team but that could change depending on performance, adding: “If you achieve more and bring in more business, then you can look to expand, so I’d like to think it can be done.” Scenic Eclipse, which will sail
in all seven continents, can carry 228 passengers (limited to 200 in polar regions). It features two guest helicopters and a guest submarine, plus 10 dining options and a spa.
AGENTS’ VIEWS
Luke Hunneyball, Imagine Cruising “The food in French restaurant Lumière
was some of the best I’ve had on a ship and every suite is amazing. They’ve covered everything you’d expect to find on a six-star cruise ship. As always, we’ll try our best to support Scenic and Emerald, and seeing this ship first-hand will only enhance that.”
Sandra Corkin, Oasis Travel “This is the first time I’ve been on a
yacht-type cruise and it’s surpassed my expectations. It’s really modern
and luxurious and I can think of a lot of people we could sell it to. We’ve already sold a bit of Eclipse II but after seeing it today I think we have a massive opportunity to sell far more as it’s something very different, which is what our customers are looking for.”
Katie Wilson, Bolsover Cruise Club “I love Scenic Eclipse I but they’ve taken
this ship to another level. They’ve improved every element; for example, the new sundeck, which has more outdoor space. They’ve clearly learned what they could have done better from the first ship and absolutely smashed it.”
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8 JUNE 2023
travelweekly.co.uk
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