Gaynor Galbraith-Neill of Cruise Vacations South Africa was there as a guest.
(September 2019) Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours celebrated the official christening of Scenic Eclipse at a ceremony in New York on Tuesday 10th September 2019.
Having set sail on her maiden voyage from Reykjavík Iceland, Scenic Eclipse arrived at Pier 88, Manhattan Cruise Terminal, on Tuesday morning, 10th September.
Scenic Eclipse Godmother Dame Helen Mirren was joined by her husband, Academy Award-winning director Taylor Hackford and welcomed onboard by ship’s co-owners Glen and Karen Moroney.
“It was an honour to welcome Helen and Taylor on board and to share with them our vision and passion which together with the dedication and talent of the Scenic team has created an experience which has set a brand new bench mark in discovery cruising”, said Glen Moroney, Chairman and Founder, Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours.
NYC Ports General Manager Ken Winkler joined Scenic Eclipse Captain James Griffiths in presenting Mr Moroney the 1st Visit Plaque as she arrived into port at Pier 88 on her maiden voyage from Reykjavik, Iceland.
Glen Moroney then delivered a short speech that spoke of the creative drive and determination to deliver such a unique sailing experience and detailed the history of the build from its first moment of conception.
Karen Moroney and her design team comprising Carmen Mikus (Interior Project Design) and Niksa Fiorienni (Architect) were acknowledge as the creative drive behind Scenic Eclipse.
Gaynor Galbraith-Neill, General Manager of Cruise Vacations South Africa was among the 350 global media, agents and VIPS who travelled to New York City for the official naming ceremony. Guests witnessed Dame Helen Mirren christen the ship dockside by breaking the ceremonial bottle of champagne against the hull and bestowing the traditional blessing of safekeeping over all those that sail in her.
Gaynor Galbraith-Neill of Cruise Vacations South Africa
Dame Mirren spoke of her new role as Godmother of the ship. “I was thrilled to be invited to take on the role of Scenic Eclipse godmother, even more so now that I have stepped aboard and seen the level of design detail and technology that has gone into her creation. She is an exceptional cruising experience, and I’m honoured to have christened her. I wish her crew and guests many years of sailing adventures and discovery,” Dame Mirren said.
It was a million dollar view as the World’s First Discovery Yacht set sail to the backdrop of the New York Skyline, sailing past the Statue of Liberty as the sun set.
Gaynor, along with 100 other guests then enjoyed a four-night sailing on board the Eclipse with stops at Martha’s Vineyard, Boston and ending in Lunenberg Nova Scotia.
“It was a great privilege to be invited as a South African representative for Scenic Cruises” Gaynor said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience attending the Christening and witnessing the Blessing by such a highly acclaimed, Oscar-winning actress. It was also a wonderful opportunity re-uniting with many of my global cruise colleagues and enjoying a short voyage with time to indulge in all of the incredible facilities and dining experiences on board”.
Boasting a focus on luxury, adventure and sustainability all in one, The Eclipse is hoped to deliver the holiday of a lifetime for up to 228 guests (200 in Polar regions) with 114 all-verandah suites, ranging up to 247m2.
Dining options, as you can imagine, range from Asian Fusion to French fine dining, a Chef’s Table and even a pool-side buffet. Even the SENSES Spa is a whopping 550m2, equipped with latest technology gym gear, and yoga and pilates studios.
Of the stand-out features on offer to guests are two six-guest helicopters and one six-guest submarine the Scenic Neptune, capable of depths of nearly 200m in certain regions.
Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has grown over its 33-year history to include award-winning, all-inclusive escorted tours that take participants to many of the world’s most fascinating destinations and, since 2008, truly all-inclusive, five-star river cruises in Europe, SE Asia, Russia and Egypt on its 15 Space-Ships. On August 15, 2019, Scenic introduced the world’s first Discovery Yacht, the 228-guest Scenic Eclipse. Sister brand Emerald Waterways has seven Star-Ships offering European river sailings with an eighth (Emerald Harmony) launching this year for SE Asia’s Mekong River. Exclusive charters are offered on SE Asia’s Irrawaddy River; the Volga River in Russia; yacht cruises out of Croatia; and Egypt’s Nile River.
Additional information on these and other cruises, brochures and reservations can be obtained via travel agents through Scenic’s offical General Sales Agency in South Africa, Cruise Vacations. Cruise Vacations and will be handling all reservations for South African clientele on Scenic Eclipse.
Further details, reservations and pricing are available by contacting your regular Travel Agent or Cruise Vacations on 011 5140564 info@cruise-vacations.co.za or via the website on www.cruise-vacations.co.za