After two previous delays, the launch of the Scenic Eclipse expedition ship has been pushed back again, this time to an expected maiden voyage in August.
According to The Telegraph, officials from Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours announced the vessel had been delayed for the third time and would set sail on its inaugural 12-night Iceland and Atlantic Canada itinerary on August 15.
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Dubbed the world’s first discovery yacht, the Scenic Eclipse was originally scheduled to debut in August 2018, but it was delayed initially until January 2019 and then again until April 2019.
“We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience these delays to the launch of Scenic Eclipse have caused our guests,” a Scenic spokesperson said. “As a company, we have done everything possible to complete the ship within the time limits that were set previously, but a series of events that are outside our control have put us in a position where we must delay.”
One of the problems that’s had plagued the ship has been uncertainty with the Uljanik shipyard in Croatia, but a recent deal is expected to bring stability to the company and help keep future projects on track.
Scenic Group is also working on expediting the construction of a second vessel, Scenic Eclipse II, and is working on the next generations of the cruise line’s discovery yachts.
To ensure the project is completed on time, Scenic hired more than 500 subcontractors and employed 115 cruise ship specialists from Finland, Italy, the United Kingdom and Norway to lead the team for the remainder of the build.
Passengers impacted by the delays are being promised full refunds and future cruise credit for 25 percent of the value of their rebooked cruise.
