Scenic Eclipse: the yacht with its own helicopters, priced honestly
Scenic built a river-cruise name on including almost everything. Its two ocean discovery yachts take that habit to Antarctica — with two helicopters and a submarine aboard that the fare doesn’t cover.
Scenic Eclipse is a luxury yacht that happens to sail to the ice, not an expedition ship with nicer cabins. Butler service in every suite, tips ashore, a restocked minibar and up to ten places to eat are all in the fare.
The headline kit is the catch. The helicopters and the submersible are extra, Scenic publishes no price for either, and its own lists ground them across most of the Arctic. Book Antarctica if flying is the point.
Price the trip at the fare type you’ll actually book. Then decide.
Scenic’s word for it, and ours
Scenic Eclipse and Eclipse II
114 suites, all with verandas and butlers. Up to ten restaurants, a spa of about 550 m², two Airbus H130-T2 helicopters and a submersible. Polar Class 6, capped at 200 guests in Antarctica.
Most polar fleets we cover
Fewer venues, simpler cabins and a fare built around the landings. Tips and drinks are often extra. The aircraft, where they exist, are usually reserved for the far ice.
Scenic launched Scenic Eclipse in 2019 and called it a discovery yacht from the start — its first ocean ship. A sister, Scenic Eclipse II, was delivered in April 2023 to the same 168-meter, 17,545-ton design.
The term is marketing, but it describes something real. These are yachts in service and space, with expedition gear bolted on.
The fare buys the yacht. The aircraft cost extra.
Scenic’s river cruises run on the same all-in logic — our Scenic river cruise review covers the Space-Ships. A third yacht, Scenic Ikon, joins in April 2028. Read the Scenic fleet guide for every spec.
Helicopters and the submarine, in Scenic’s own fine print
Tap a card for the detail. Each one comes from Scenic’s pages, except the one dated trade price we flag as such.
Both pieces of kit are current on Scenic’s ship pages for Eclipse and Eclipse II. The Discovery Team takes the bookings aboard, and the routes are set on the day.
Antarctica is where the pairing works best. The Antarctic Peninsula sits on neither “not operational” list, and the Ross Sea voyage lists optional flightseeing over the McMurdo Dry Valleys.
Weight limits and medical approval apply to both, and Scenic gives no figures. Wheelchair users can’t be carried on Zodiacs, kayaks or the sub.
If a flight is the reason you’re booking, ask us to confirm it’s offered on your exact departure before you pay the deposit.
The all-inclusive claim, line by line
Bold means it’s in the fare. The third column is where the fine print lives.
| Item | Status | The condition Scenic attaches |
|---|---|---|
| Butler service | Included | Every one of the 114 suites |
| Drinks and minibar | Included | Premium drinks and a daily restocked minibar; rare, fine and vintage labels and the Chairman’s list are extra |
| Gratuities | Included | On board and ashore, including local guides |
| Dining | Included | Up to ten venues; book aboard with the restaurant manager or your butler |
| Excursions | Included | Discovery and Freechoice excursions, plus Scenic Enrich events |
| Wi-Fi | Included | Limited in remote regions; not built for large downloads |
| Transfers | Included | When your flights match the voyage’s first and last days |
| Laundry | Partly | Self-service is free; up to 10 pieces a day for Spa, Panorama and Penthouse suites |
| Parka and boots | Included | Polar voyages: the parka is yours to keep, the boots are on loan |
| Helicopter, submersible | Extra | No price published; weather, weight and approval apply |
| Spa treatments, insurance, visas | Extra | Scenic doesn’t provide travel insurance |
Every row comes from Scenic’s ocean FAQs, cross-checked against its US ship and voyage pages. The gratuity line is the rare one — tips ashore, not just on board.
The Australian FAQ adds a detail worth knowing: more than 130 whiskeys are poured at the Scenic Lounge Bar at no charge.
Two money notes. Onboard charges are in US dollars, and Scenic doesn’t take American Express or debit cards aboard.
Pack a Visa or Mastercard for the spa and the helicopter. Then budget for both before you compare fares.
Where Scenic sails, month by month
Dark cells hold the main block of departures. Pale cells are the edges of a season.
The Scenic year
Built from Scenic’s US cruise calendar for 2026–2029. The 2028 rows are Eclipse II’s Pacific season. Tap any month.
The pattern is simple. Both yachts winter in Antarctica, then split. Eclipse heads north to Norway, Svalbard, Greenland and Hudson Bay, with a September polar bear sailing from Churchill — see our polar bear guide. Eclipse II stays in European waters.
2028 changes the map. Eclipse II sails the South Pacific, the Kimberley and Indonesia, then the Ross Sea that December. Scenic’s calendar lists no Galápagos or Alaska voyages; for those, read our Galápagos and Alaska expedition guides.
Pick the region first, then check which yacht runs your date — the kit differs by region, not by ship. Our Arctic guide covers what each northern month trades away.
The fare, then the four things it leaves out
Price a Scenic voyage
Pick a voyage. Tick what you’ll add, and type your own number where Scenic doesn’t publish one.
Fares are Scenic’s lowest published “from” prices per person, double occupancy, before flights, as published on November 1, 2026. Some reflect Scenic’s Preferred or Select fare savings, and Scenic runs frequent offers. Lines at $0 have no published price; we’ll quote them for your dates.
Notice how short the add-on list is. On most lines the gratuities and the bar tab would be here, not in the ticked column.
The open rows are flights, insurance and the aircraft. Get those three priced first.
What a Scenic day costs, region by region
The Mediterranean and Brazil run about $790 to $1,150 a day from Scenic’s lowest fares. Polar voyages start near $1,330. South Georgia runs about $1,730.
The same suite, priced three ways
Fare types as published on Scenic’s US offers page on November 1, 2026.
Deposit
Scenic’s offers page states a 7-day deposit for the Full, Select and Preferred fares alike. The offers page doesn’t state the amount.
Pay early, save most
Up to 15% off plus up to $5,000 in air credit for US residents on select departures. Full payment is due 10 months before sailing.
The middle path
Up to 15% off when booked at least 120 days out. Final payment lands 150 days before departure.
Standard terms
The highest price and the latest balance: 120 days before departure. On the January 5, 2029 Ross Sea departure it’s $42,285, against $35,676 Preferred.
The fare type moves the payment date, not just the price. A Preferred booking for a December 2028 sailing is paid in full around February 2028. Scenic says all three are inventory-controlled and can change without notice.
We couldn’t read Scenic’s current US cancellation schedule for 2027 departures, so we haven’t published one. Ask us for the terms on your quote.
The medical form has its own clock. On expedition voyages a practitioner signs it between 90 and 60 days out, and Scenic must have it by day 60.
Scenic doesn’t sell travel insurance. Compare evacuation limits in our expedition insurance guide before you pay a 10-month balance.
Six things, scored out of ten
Tap a row for the reason behind the number.
Gratuities ashore, the minibar, Enrich events and a parka all sit inside the fare. Only the aircraft, the sub and the spa sit outside.
The smallest suite is about 344 sq ft with a veranda, per Scenic’s deck figures. Few expedition ships start there.
Two helicopters and a submersible per yacht. The score drops because both are extra and grounded across most of the Arctic.
Polar Class 6 is a real ice rating, but it isn’t an icebreaker rating. The far high-Arctic routes belong to other ships.
Fares are published, but the helicopter and sub prices aren’t, and three fare types move the payment date.
Scenic’s FAQ offers special solo fares only on selected voyages, and its single rate isn’t published.
These are our judgement on Scenic’s published facts, not review scores. A 4 on solo value isn’t a verdict on the trip, only on what a single traveler pays to take it.
Weigh the rows you care about. Ignore the rest.
Book Scenic, or look elsewhere
You want Antarctica without giving up the suite
Every suite has a veranda and a butler, and the smallest runs about 344 sq ft. Tips, drinks and a parka are in the fare.
A helicopter over the ice is on your list
Two aircraft aboard, and Antarctica is where Scenic flies them. Budget for the flight, or book a fare that includes one.
You liked a Scenic river cruise
Same company, same all-in habit — on a 228-guest ocean yacht instead of a Space-Ship.
You want helicopters in the Arctic
Scenic grounds them in Greenland, Svalbard and Canada. For the far north, price Ponant or Quark and ask what flies.
Guiding matters more than gilding
Lindblad builds its fare around naturalists and photographers. Compare Lindblad on the same dates.
What buyers ask about Scenic Eclipse
What does a Scenic Eclipse fare include?
More than almost any expedition fare we've checked. Scenic's ocean FAQ lists all dining, premium drinks and a daily restocked minibar, every tip and gratuity on board and ashore, Discovery and Freechoice excursions, Enrich events, butler service in every suite, Wi-Fi (limited in remote regions), matching-date airport transfers, self-service laundry and, on polar voyages, a parka to keep and boots to use. Helicopter flights, submersible dives, spa treatments, rare wines and spirits, and travel insurance are extra.
Are the helicopter flights and submarine included?
No. Scenic lists both as extra-cost experiences, subject to regulatory approval, weight limits, medical approval and weather, tide and ice. Scenic doesn't publish a price for either. One trade report from October 2024 put a 30-minute helicopter flight at $750 per person; treat that as dated and ask us for the current figure. Some booking offers add one complimentary flight of about 20 minutes, or 30 over Antarctica, on selected 2027 to 2029 departures.
Where does Scenic Eclipse sail, and when?
Both yachts spend roughly November to early March in Antarctica and Patagonia. Through 2027 Scenic Eclipse moves to the Mediterranean, Norway, Svalbard, Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, then the US East Coast and Caribbean, while Scenic Eclipse II works the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Baltic. From March 2028 Eclipse II heads to the South Pacific, the Kimberley, Indonesia, New Zealand and the Ross Sea.
How much does a Scenic Antarctica voyage cost?
From about $18,864 per person for the 13-day Antarctica in Depth, as published on Scenic's US Antarctica page on November 1, 2026. The 20-day Antarctica, South Georgia and Falklands voyage starts from $34,555, and the 24-day Ross Sea voyage on Scenic Eclipse II from $35,676 at Scenic's Preferred Fare. Fares are per person, double occupancy, and Scenic runs frequent offers.
When is final payment due on Scenic Eclipse?
It depends on the fare type you book. On November 1, 2026, Scenic's US offers page set final payment at 120 days before departure on the Full Fare, 150 days on the Select Fare and 10 months on the Preferred Fare, with the deposit due within 7 days of booking on all three, as the page states for each. The page doesn't state the deposit amount, and the terms on your invoice govern.
Does Scenic require travel insurance for Antarctica?
Scenic's FAQ says it doesn't provide travel insurance, and expedition voyages need a medical questionnaire signed by a practitioner between 90 and 60 days before departure. We couldn't read Scenic's current US polar terms for 2027 departures, so ask us for the insurance clause on your booking. The CDC puts a remote medical evacuation above $250,000, which is the number to buy cover against.
How is Scenic Eclipse different from a Scenic river cruise?
Same company and the same all-in habit, different kind of trip. The river Space-Ships sail Europe's and Asia's rivers; our Scenic river cruise review covers them. Scenic Eclipse and Eclipse II are 228-guest, Polar Class 6 ocean yachts with two helicopters and a submersible each, limited to 200 guests in Antarctica and the High Arctic, per Scenic’s ocean FAQ.
Weighing a Scenic yacht? We’ll price the parts Scenic doesn’t publish.
Tell us the region, the month and who’s traveling. We’ll ask Scenic for the helicopter, submersible and solo prices, check which fare type suits your dates, and set the total beside one or two other lines.
- Helicopter and submersible prices for your departure
- Which fare type, and when the balance is due
- Whether a complimentary flight applies to your booking
No fee, no obligation. You pay the cruise line’s own fare. A real advisor replies, usually within one business day.
Ask about Scenic Eclipse
Answers come straight from this guide.
Answers come from our guides and are general information. Confirm details with us before you book.
Where every number came from
Fares, inclusions, ship figures and fare rules are Scenic’s own published figures on the date shown. The per-day costs, scorecard and fit verdicts are our arithmetic and judgement, not Scenic’s. The helicopter price is a dated trade report. Departures and prices change often; your invoice governs.
Where to go next
The voyage, the gateway night, and the cover that matters out there.
Expedition trips have more moving parts than a Caribbean week: a charter flight, a night in a gateway city, gear lists and an evacuation clause the line sets for you. We book them together and check that the dates and the fine print agree.