Scenic Reveals 2028–2029 Scenic Eclipse II Voyage Lineup

Scenic has unveiled an expanded calendar of 2028–2029 voyages for its ultra-luxury discovery yacht Scenic Eclipse II, outlining new and returning routes that deepen the line’s focus on Antarctica, the South Pacific and Australia’s remote Kimberley coastline.

Longer Antarctic Seasons and Return to the Ross Sea

The newly published deployment confirms that Scenic Eclipse II will continue to anchor the brand’s expedition offering in Antarctica through early 2029, with a dense series of sailings built around the line’s signature "Antarctica in Depth" program. Publicly available cruise calendars show multiple 13 day roundtrip voyages from Ushuaia across January and February 2028 and again from late 2028 through February 2029, underscoring Scenic’s commitment to extended polar seasons.

Alongside these core itineraries, the 2028–2029 program introduces repeat departures of longer expedition routes that combine the Antarctic Peninsula with South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. These 20 day journeys, scheduled across the main austral summer window, are positioned to appeal to travelers seeking broader wildlife encounters and a wider range of landings than the classic peninsula-focused sailings.

A notable highlight of the schedule is the continued operation of rare expeditions into Antarctica’s Ross Sea. Program details indicate two 24 day sailings roundtrip from Timaru on New Zealand’s South Island, operating in December 2028 and January 2029. These longer, logistically complex routes bring guests into one of the most remote corners of the continent, with sea ice, historic exploration sites and extended sea days forming a key part of the experience.

The concentration of departures across late 2028 and early 2029 signals that Scenic Eclipse II will remain heavily dedicated to Antarctica, even as the yacht also pursues warm water discovery voyages at other times of the year.

Expanded Pacific Crossing and Remote Island Focus

Outside the polar season, Scenic Eclipse II will reposition across the Pacific, with schedules indicating a series of discovery voyages that link South America with French Polynesia, Fiji and onward into the Western Pacific. One of the anchor itineraries in early 2028 is a 19 day journey from Valparaíso to Papeete, framed as a trans Pacific exploration via Easter Island and French Polynesian archipelagos.

From Papeete, the program continues with a 14 day voyage to Fiji, emphasizing coral reefs and volcanic landscapes. This South Pacific focus reflects a broader trend among ultra luxury expedition operators, many of which are increasingly pairing polar seasons with extended runs through remote island chains in shoulder months when weather conditions are favorable.

Further into 2028, Scenic Eclipse II is scheduled to sail from Fiji toward the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea on another 14 day itinerary. Itinerary descriptions highlight cultural encounters and lesser visited anchorages, alongside the yacht’s onboard exploration tools such as Zodiacs, kayaks and submersibles, which are used across many of Scenic’s discovery and expedition voyages.

Together, these crossings and island hops create a continuous narrative for the 2028–2029 deployment, linking South America, Oceania and Asia Pacific while retaining the expedition style experiences that differentiate Scenic Eclipse II from conventional luxury cruise ships.

Kimberley Season and Solar Eclipse Highlight

The 2028 program also confirms a renewed focus on Australia’s Kimberley coast, one of the most competitive regions in the expedition cruise market. Scenic’s cruise calendars list a run of 11 day voyages between Darwin and Broome from May through July 2028, operating in both directions and marketed under titles such as "Discover the Kimberley Coastline" and "Uncover the Kimberley Coastline." These sailings are classified as expedition voyages, reflecting the region’s tidal extremes, rugged coastline and frequent Zodiac operations.

Among the Kimberley departures, one itinerary is marked out for its alignment with a solar eclipse, identified in the materials as a special "Solar Eclipse" sailing from Darwin to Broome in July 2028. This addition follows a wider industry pattern in which small ship and expedition operators time specific departures around celestial events that can only be observed within narrow geographic corridors.

By clustering multiple departures back to back, Scenic positions Scenic Eclipse II to spend an extended block of the dry season in northern Australia, a time when coastal access is generally at its best. The pattern also supports back to back bookings, allowing guests to string together consecutive voyages for longer time onboard without repeating every destination.

The Kimberley deployments sit alongside the Pacific and Antarctic segments in the broader 2028–2029 program, illustrating how Scenic is using the yacht’s polar class capabilities while still pursuing warm weather adventure cruising.

Caribbean, South America and Mediterranean Connections

Although the newly highlighted 2028–2029 schedule revolves around Antarctica, the South Pacific and the Kimberley, Scenic Eclipse II’s calendar also includes a selection of voyages in more traditional yachting regions. Earlier calendar previews extending through 2027 show Caribbean and South American coastal itineraries, and the multi year brochure through 2029 indicates that the yacht will continue to thread such routes around its expedition seasons.

In late 2027 and into 2028, Scenic Eclipse II is scheduled to sail between Caribbean islands, along the Brazilian coast and into Patagonia and the Chilean fjords, before transitioning south toward Antarctica. These patterns are expected to continue in the 2028–2029 timeframe, providing options for travelers seeking a discovery yacht experience in milder climates without committing to a full polar expedition.

Elsewhere in the broader Scenic fleet, Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II are programmed across the Mediterranean, the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Europe. While the latest materials distinguish itineraries between the two ships, the overall network of routes contributes to year round deployment, with Scenic Eclipse II’s 2028–2029 voyages forming part of a larger global schedule for the brand’s discovery yacht division.

This multi region approach enables Scenic to balance high demand expedition departures with more conventional luxury cruising, while leveraging the small ship format and onboard amenities that are consistent across the Scenic Eclipse vessels.

Positioning in the Ultra Luxury Expedition Market

The unveiling of the 2028–2029 Scenic Eclipse II program arrives amid continued expansion in the ultra luxury expedition space, where multiple operators have introduced purpose built ships over the past several years. Scenic’s decision to lock in extended Antarctic seasons, add repeat Ross Sea departures and strengthen its Pacific and Kimberley offerings suggests a strategy built around depth in a few core regions rather than rapid global diversification.

Industry observers note that itineraries combining remote destinations such as the Ross Sea, Easter Island and the Kimberley are likely to appeal to repeat expedition travelers who are seeking new routes after visiting the Antarctic Peninsula or Arctic Svalbard. The Scenic Eclipse II schedule also supports complex back to back combinations, allowing guests to link voyages across continents and seasons over several weeks.

According to published coverage and company documentation, Scenic continues to position Scenic Eclipse II as an all inclusive, yacht style alternative to larger expedition ships. The 2028–2029 voyages reinforce that positioning by emphasizing smaller guest numbers, extended time in remote regions and the use of exploration equipment that is carried onboard the vessel.

As bookings open for the newly detailed sailings, the 2028–2029 deployment of Scenic Eclipse II provides an early look at how ultra luxury expedition operators may shape their calendars toward the end of the decade, with a focus on longer itineraries, rare destinations and repeat visits to proven expedition regions.