PRESS RELEASE – Rijeka, April 9, 2023 – The upgraded version of the most luxurious expedition cruiser in the world is the second ship in Scenic’s fleet built in Croatia, and good cooperation with the Rijeka shipyard paves the way for future projects.
After the launch in June of last year, and almost eight months of intensive work in Rijeka at the May 3 shipyard, the new explorer cruiser Scenic Eclipse II set sail from the Rijeka shipyard on its first voyage. The newest ship in the fleet of the world’s leading company for luxury cruises, Scenic Group, which has been engaged in shipbuilding since 2007, was completely built in Croatia, and at May 3rd, it was the first new construction after a long four-year break. The management of the construction of this luxury cruiser was led by the domestic company MKM Yachts, which is part of the Scenic group. The ceremony on the occasion of the cruise ship’s departure from the shipyard for its first voyage, held in the theater of the ship itself, was attended by Scenic’s owner, Australian businessman Glen Moroney, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Davor Filipović, and other distinguished guests and business partners.
“Today we celebrate not only the launch of a new luxury research cruiser, but also the persistence and collective effort that has brought us here today, where Eclipse II has been built from scratch. This project once again confirmed for us an important lesson that we have learned through the years of working in Croatia, namely that Croatia has a valuable, extremely high-quality engineering staff, as well as hardworking and skilled shipbuilders. When you combine that with the great project management by the MKM Yachts team, you get an outstanding result like this. I can proudly say that we have found great partners in Croatia, primarily in the 3. May shipyard, to whom I hereby thank for their excellent cooperation, and in the Government of the Republic of Croatia, which provided all the prerequisites for this project to come true, and whose support we count on in the future as well so that, as before, we would find quality and sustainable solutions for the realization of future projects”, said Glen Moroney, owner of Scenic.
“Trust is the word that adorned the relationship between the Government and Scenic, as well as the Government and May 3, and opened the way for the effective and systematic implementation of the project three months ahead of schedule, and within the budget, which is a unique case. The entrepreneurial spirit and vision that Mr. Moroney brought first to the Uljanik shipyard in Pula, and now here on May 3, created another pearl of Croatian shipbuilding and made a huge contribution to Croatian industry, as well as to the numerous workers and subcontractors who contributed their knowledge. and his work in Eclipse II. I am here in Rijeka today with a sense of pride, convinced that our cooperation will continue, and that in the future, we will build new fascinating ships that will be a kind of heritage of Croatian shipbuilding”, said the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, and congratulated everyone on a successful project.
Scenic Eclipse II was completed in less than three years since the cutting of the first sheets for the hull of the new construction began on May 3, 2020, and what sets this project apart is the fact that the ship was completed and ready to sail even three months ahead of schedule. Another specific feature of the project to build a highly sophisticated expedition ship is the model of contracted cooperation with the Rijeka shipyard, according to which MKM Yachts took part of the subconcession on May 3, and there, using the existing infrastructure and expertise of local shipbuilders in synergy with Scenic’s team, built one of the technological of the most advanced research passenger ships in the world.
The 3rd of May workers and subcontractors participated in the construction of the hull and partial fitting out of the luxury ship, and MKM Yachts also cooperated with numerous Croatian companies for procurement purposes, which resulted in a total value of 170 million euros, with the share of domestic labor and materials amounting to as much as 45 percent of the ship’s value, and that the new research cruiser can be called a top Croatian product.
Scenic Eclipse II is the second explorer cruiser in Scenic’s fleet built in Croatia, and with the same length of 168 meters and width of 21.5 meters as its predecessor, declared the most luxurious polar cruiser in the world, its appearance resembles a luxury megayacht. 114 designer cabins can accommodate up to 228 passengers, with as many as 200 crew members at their disposal, and in addition to improved design and finesse in luxury equipment, it also differs from its predecessor in additional content, which includes an additional outdoor pool, nine restaurants, two custom-made built submarines that can dive up to 300 meters, and two helicopters. Eclipse II, like its predecessor, thanks to innovative technology, is strengthened for navigation in all seas, including those frozen around the North and South Poles.
