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By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Editor
In life, there is luxury and then there is ultra luxury.
Robin Leach Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous luxury. This can be in travel, houses, hotels and cars.
For cruise ships, there is the super-luxury cruise ship/yacht Scenic Eclipse. It does ocean cruises to Asia, North America, Polynesia and the Pacific Islands, Scotland and South America, and river cruises through Europe and Southeast Asia. The six-deck ship has two helicopters on board, Zodiacs and even a submarine. Plus included WiFi, spas, a movie theater, a gym with yoga and pilates and private cabanas on the deck. All the rooms are suites with private balconies.
The Scenic Eclipse is a Hearst Castle that travels. It’s that luxurious. Well, with one notable exception: William Randolph Hurst did not allow alcohol so his guests had to sneak it into their rooms. That is certainly not the case with Scenic Eclipse. Your suite comes with a butler and at the start of your journey you tell him what beer, wine and spirts you like and he fills up the included mini bar.
Plus there’s a large lounge on board and seven small to mid-sized restaurants for a combined 10 “dining experiences,” which includes 8- to 10-person reservation-only tables within a couple of the restaurants. One of the restaurants is called the Yacht Club, which I really like because it brings to mind a gathering place for sailboat skippers in a marina. They all keep you wined, dined and feeling fine. And I can tell you from personal experience that a bartender will make you a heck of a Mai Tai.
Like Hearst Castle, Scenic Eclipse is large and spacious yet intimate at the same time. Neither has one huge room; rather they are a combination of small and medium-sized areas. Scenic Eclipse is designed to provide a yacht-style experience on a cruise ship.
What is it like on board this floating palace? Step aboard with PubClub.com for this visual and virtual tour.
When in port, Scenic Eclipse could almost cause a lunar eclipse, tho it’s far smaller than even the regular-sized cruise ships of today. It only holds about 200 passengers, which is almost equal to its crew of about 180, whereas large cruise ships carry several thousand people. This means there is plenty of space and guests never feel crowded.
The rooms all have private balconies. Some have a walk-in closet and even a Jacuzzi. But even if you book a room without the latter, there are two on the ship’s bow.
Being on board Scenic Eclipse is also quiet. Walking the hallways, people almost whisper when they talk. Because of the low number and makeup of the guests – well-heeled 50-plus and millennials and the fact it’s unlikely to get groups of people on a bachelor or bachlorette party – Scenic Eclipse is a different experience than pretty much any other cruise ship.
In fact, it’s not really a cruise ship at all; it’s more like a big yacht. It was designed to be like a yacht experience. There is really only one large public area, the piano lounge. The only TVs are in the rooms. The lone pool, located on the stern deck, is only big enough to sit in but not swim. Everything about this ship says “intimate.”
Scenic Eclipse is also for those who like to get off the ship for adrenaline-rushing excursions, such as taking a Zodiac ride in Antarctica. In fact for some it’s all about passengers having an adventure and then the luxury relaxation of a yacht-like experience when they are back on board. The ship also has telescopes and all rooms come with binoculars.
For detailed information on the destinations, excursions and to book a trip, its website is Truly All-Inclusive Luxury – Scenic.
RELATED POST:
• The Travel Blogger: Getting A Glimpse On Board Luxury Cruise Ship Scenic Eclipse (pubclub.com)
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