No luxury cruise line does things quite like this Australian one

It has always perplexed me that luxury cruise lines burble on about toiletries and thread counts, artworks and sushi stations. How does that set them apart? Every luxury line has the same.

Besides, you can have all the fancy things you like, but if you and the crew don’t get on, or the ship doesn’t appeal, then your cruise will be dissatisfying.

Service-forward … Scenic Eclipse II.Credit:

I’ve been on some luxury ships with all the bubbly and bling I could ask for but whose crew members were so indifferent or stiff that I wondered what the management was doing to demoralise them.

Of course, I understand why cruise lines go on about marble and Molton Brown, since those are things they can control. You can’t entirely control human beings. And yet, a crew’s happiness and friendliness can make or break your holiday.

Cruise line Scenic, too, celebrates its helicopters, whiskey bar and spa treatments. And I have to say that, for luxury levels, Scenic Eclipse II gets almost everything spot on. But what it really understands is crew management because it has the most agreeable, entertaining and attentive staff – Prisca, Matthew, Don, Bagus and Patience, to name a few – on the ocean.

Senses Spa.Credit:

How can that be? Well, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Scenic is an Australian company. The crew don’t hustle for tips because, unlike many American ships, gratuities here are included. Nobody wears white gloves and bow ties as on some European ships, where waiters are expected to be more formal.

Scenic Eclipse II gets that efficiency can be friendly. The crew keep an eye on wine refills in the restaurant, make me proper coffees in Azure Cafe, and keep my suite spick and span. But most of all, they make everyone feel welcome and relaxed.

It all gets me thinking that I’ve never had a luxury cruise experience like this before. Posh ships often have a slightly pretentious edge and underlying formality, and their passengers never quite unbend.

On Scenic, none of that is true, perhaps because most of the guests on my Indonesia cruise are Australian. Australians don’t generally go in for pretension and formality, least of all in tropical destinations or while on holiday.

That makes Scenic Eclipse II the luxury ship for those wary of luxury ships. No need to bring your suit or jewellery. Not many stilted cocktail conversations at the bar. No complicated menus that you need a multilingual dictionary to decipher.

That doesn’t mean standards are lowered on this ship. Far from it. Menus might be easy to navigate, but the food is upmarket and the quality and variety outstanding. It has one of the best lunchtime buffets at sea (in a restaurant venue called Yacht Club), and one of the best French restaurants (Lumiere) and Mediterranean restaurants (Elements), too.

For a ship of this size, the dining choices are remarkable. Among other venues is Koko’s Asian Fusion, which delivers the welcome big flavours of South-East Asia, India and China, and which also features a separate sushi counter and teppanyaki-style grill.

Koko’s Asian Fusion restaurant.Credit:

In the latter, a few guests at a time enjoy small plates inspired by Asian street food, prepared in front of them by the chefs. It’s a smart way to bring very relaxed dining onto a cruise ship without resorting to the same-old pool grill.

The ship’s decor is boutique-hotel chic in a moody, minimalist way, which makes the odd burst of art and colour all the more arresting. The Asian restaurant has striking geisha-inspired art; the walls of the Observation Lounge erupt in fantastical jungle motifs in which animals lurk.

Sky-high service at Sky Bar.Credit:

Heated plunge pool? Tick. Suave spa? Yes, and even bigger than the one on sister ship Scenic Eclipse. It has unusual offerings like a salt-therapy lounge and infrared sauna designed to propel you into Zen-like somnolence. Sky Bar? Why not? In the world’s wild places, you can’t beat a cold drink with a hot view.

Even the ship’s theatre is plusher than any other I’ve been in. It has swivel leather chairs like you’d see in a home cinema, second only in comfort to the king-size bed in my suite, which I discover has electronic controls to adjust it just right.

Service with a smile at Koko’s.Credit:

The most ultra-luxe things on Scenic Eclipse II are the helicopters and submersible but, as they can’t operate in Indonesia, these Mission: Impossible toys are grounded except on Cape York at the start of my voyage. Even so, this chic yacht is a serious expedition vessel, and we put Zodiacs and kayaks to good use.

The Zodiac drivers, faces swathed like ninjas against the sun, are rather silent: the only exception to general crew chattiness. The expedition team that accompanies them know their stuff and are only too happy to share it both ashore, on the reef, or during lectures in the theatre.

I follow Babsi Neubarth into the water at every opportunity. The marine biologist’s enthusiasm is infectious and her knowledge of corals and critters seemingly endless as we snorkel our way through Indonesia’s islands. If you want to know the difference between staghorn and elkhorn coral – and which curious traveller doesn’t – then Neubarth will enlighten you.

A stateroom with understated luxury.Credit:

Is there anyone on this ship who is less than agreeable and entertaining? Even the captain, affable Frenchman Erwan le Rouzic, is laid-back and gregarious. The door to the bridge is almost always open, and any guest can wander in for a chat with the officers about navigation and the ship’s advanced technologies.

Everyone on this ship gets butler service. My butler, Crispin, is like an unflappable character from an Edwardian novel, shimmering unobtrusively about so I hardly know how my minibar has been restocked with my preferred gin brand, or my books straightened on my bedside table.

Crispin is up and down the corridor, delivering guests champagne buckets and fresh towels, making restaurant reservations and arranging the ironing. He’s a busy man but never forgets anyone’s name, always pauses for a chat, and wants to know if there’s anything more he can do.

Lumiere restaurant on Scenic Eclipse II.Credit:

Short of conjuring up a unicorn, I’m not sure what else this ship could provide. Launched in 2023, Scenic Eclipse II retains its new, fresh feel and is barely scuffed. A few redesigned spaces have brought minor improvements compared with predecessor Scenic Eclipse.

Could I quibble? Of course, because that’s what travellers do. On a luxury ship, I might expect more fresh and fewer plastic flowers, and more than a couple of shelves of books: bring your own reading, or you might be disappointed.

In my ensuite, the flat sink has the requisite designer-chic looks but doesn’t function well and, on an expedition ship in particular, there ought to be more bathroom racks on which to hang towels and wet clothes.

Some passengers find the ship’s decor monochrome and monastic, but I like the muted greys, sense of space, lack of clutter and bling, and attractive soft lighting. Scenic Eclipse II is a confident ship that doesn’t need to shout about its luxury credentials.

What the decor lacks in exuberance, it makes up for in tranquillity. We’re all cocooned in comfort, exceedingly well-fed and surrounded by mind-soothing spaces. There’s even a specific mind-soothing space designed for yoga and Pilates.

The Scenic Lounge.Credit:

Scenic Eclipse II carries only 228 passengers and never feels crowded. Everything is all-inclusive. You have no bother on this beautiful ship, and will look forward to every meal.

But best of all, passengers and crew alike are relaxed and informal. This is luxury that requires no performance and makes you smile. It’s just what Australians want, and more holidays should be like this.

THE DETAILS

CRUISE
Scenic Eclipse II sails a Kimberley season between early July and mid-September 2025 before crossing the Top End into the Pacific towards New Zealand. From mid-December, it sails three unusual Ross Sea itineraries to Antarctica. Then in March 2026, it heads across the Pacific and transits the Panama Canal for a summer season in Europe.

Scenic’s 11-day Mediterranean Delights cruise round-trip from Nice departs May 21, 2026, and visits Portofino, Livorno, Civitavecchia (Rome), Bastia in Corsica, Alghero in Sardinia, Mahon and Ibiza in the Balearic Islands, and St Tropez. From $18,305 a person. See scenic.com.au

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scenic.com.au

The writer travelled as a guest of Scenic.