Scenic Eclipse has successfully completed its first sea trials.

Conducted by captain James Griffiths, the tests come ahead of the planned maiden launch of the vessel in August.

“It was a real pleasure to take Scenic Eclipse out to sea for the first time,” said Griffiths.

“Sea trials are a critical milestone in the construction process as the first time all ship systems are operated together and is a key opportunity to confirm the theoretical information from the tank tests and computer modelling.

“The results from these trials surpassed every expectation.

“These sea trials confirmed to me how incredibly versatile and powerful the ship’s Azipods are, particularly when coupled with our oversized bow thrusters.

“I was also delighted with how quiet the ship is.

“She was vibration free and virtually silent during all our trials, exceeding our expectations in terms of stability, manoeuvrability and performance.”

The sea trails of the 17,085-ton and 228 (200 in Polar regions) passengers ship took place earlier this month just off the coast of Pula, Croatia.

Inspired by the sleek contours of a sailing yacht and custom-built with a steadfast commitment to safety (including the highest passenger ship ice class rating – Polar Class 6, state-of- the-art bridge systems and GPS dynamic positioning system) Scenic Eclipse combines world-class facilities with the opportunity for unrivalled exploration with two six-guest helicopters and a six-guest seater submarine Scenic Neptune.

More Information

Read a full interview with captain James Griffiths here.