Travel Weekly’s Nancy Hromin and Hoda Alzubaidi hopped on the ultra-luxe Scenic Eclipse II on the weekend, at the overseas passenger terminal, as it prepares for its sail that evening. They spoke to Anthony Laver, General Manager for Sales and Marketing and Jason Flesher, Director of Discovery Operations.
TW It’s a crowded market and there is a lot of market activity at the moment. How do you distinguish yourself from others?
RF Firstly, it’s the technology, a zero-speed stabiliser which is the world’s first. And what does that mean? Well, ships have stabilisers, especially in rough waters, to keep her from rolling so much, getting people sick. But what also makes a difference is, when we’re on dynamic positioning system, we don’t drop an anchor. The zero-speed stabilizer is a game changer with expeditions because it’s like you are treading water and the computer takes over and literally stabilizes any swell. And of course, we have submersibles and helicopters as well.
TW What are you most excited about for this year for 2024?
AL The Kimberley, right? And then Antarctica.
TW You can only land 100 on the continent of Antarctica at any one day. How do you manage that with a 200?
RF What we do is build the itineraries to ensure the spread is appropriate. We have the choppers, the sub, the spa, the kayaks, the stand-up boards. In actuality, we never get 100 people on shore because they’re busy doing other things. We’re also very adaptable so if we get blown out of one area, and Antarctica is famous for microclimates, we find another area.
TW What do your passengers consistently say about you in terms of feedback? Both positive and what they want more of?
RF The Discovery Team! There are many offers of luxury and on our yacht, they can have that luxury but it’s the Discovery Team that creates that enrichment for them. We have figured out a way to provide discovery, which is also a state of mind. We give you the opportunity to fly, to dive, to be on the water with Zodiacs, kayaks, paddle boards. Our guides know how to create an enriching experience – they are scientists and marine biologists and PHDs. One of the things I find quite amazing is how intimate and how immersive the experiences are. And everybody talks about it as if it was just for them.
TW What’s the one message you’d like the travel industry to know about?
AL I think that what we have been seeing is the commoditisation of travel – large amounts of people going to areas and having five thousand people come off a ship. The feeling is they’re getting a program that everyone else has. What we are now bringing from Australia to Oceania, is genuine, intimate experiences. It’s a small yacht experience. But more importantly, you create friendships, you create bonds with the crew, with the Discovery Team. We want to create that personalisation, a hyper personalisation, because that’s what luxury is about. The memory of a trip, those relationships, those friendships, those amazing experiences you take with you for the rest of your life. We are in the business of creating unforgettable life-changing memories.
Watch Scenic Eclipse arriving in Sydney for the first time.
Scenic Eclipse II has 114 suites, 10 all-inclusive dining experiences and a one-to-one crew-to-guest ratio. Guests can also enjoy exploration on the Discovery Yachts, two on-board helicopters and an electric submersible, Scenic Neptune II – which can transport up to eight guests and dives up to 200 metres below the surface.
