Described as a “discovery yacht”, this high-end vessel contains its own helicopters, a fleet of Zodiac boats, a submarine and a virtually endless list of top amenities…
There is no real reason why luxury and scientific discoveries would be mutually exclusive. That’s at least the mindset used by Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, which just launched their expedition cruiser, Scenic Discovery, in an effort to blend the two elements into one massive 168-meter-long mega yacht.
Scenic Discovery
After years of delay, this boat, with enough space for 228 people, was finally launched last month and was officially named Dame Helen Mirren, last Tuesday in New York. As stated earlier, this boat has everything you need to raise the standard of expedition-style travel. It will tour sixty-eight ports around the world, spending half a year in the Antarctic and Arctic, which are also two major expedition destinations.
By all accounts, it was not spared the construction of this ship. For example, it has 114 cabins, each of which is a generously sized suite, including a living room, porch and butler service. Priced at $ 10,000 per night, the two-bedroom Owner’s Penthouse Suite suite measures a whopping 250 square feet. The spa suites include a Philippe Starck double-size Jacuzzi, steam shower and light therapy.
Scenic Discovery
Luxury does not end inside the rooms either. Scenic Eclipse features ten different restaurants, with cuisine ranging from French to Japanese, all overseen by Executive Chef Tom Geter. There are also eight bars, one serving the 100 most luxurious whiskey varieties. If you are an emerging chef yourself or just love to cook delicious meals, you need to know that this yacht comes with a cookery classroom where guests can learn how to prepare all the gourmet dishes they have tried. There is also an abundance of beauty and health benefits, such as the Senses Spa, which measures approximately 600 square meters, and features Scandinavian-style swimming pools, a gym and Pilates studio, as well as a hair salon.
Scenic Discovery
In addition to the amenities you can enjoy on board, this yacht will help you reach parts that are far from it. Scenic Eclipse contains two helicopters with enough space for six passengers, as well as a fleet of Zodiac adventure boats. There is also a six-seat submarine, the Scenic Neptune, which reaches a depth of 330 meters. Since this is an expedition ship, it is designed to withstand all the weather conditions it encounters, and thus contains a first class icebreaker.
With all these luxurious and technological features, it’s easy to see why traveling with this boat is not cheap.
