With the arrival of Scenic Eclipse into Sydney Harbour, it was all systems go for the team of Scenic Group, hosting more than 500 travel advisors and key trade partners on board. Karryon reports from Scenic Eclipse II.
It was a long-awaited moment for the staff of Australian-founded company Scenic Group to have the six-star, ultra-luxury Discovery Yacht, Scenic Eclipse II, arrive into Australian waters.
Early last Friday morning, she sailed in fine weather into the Sydney Overseas Passenger Terminal, where she remained for two nights.
By Saturday, the sun had retreated and the clouds and rain rolled in over Sydney Harbour. However, little could dampen the spirits of the Scenic executives and crew as they welcomed hundreds of travel advisors, key trade partners, consumer and trade media, and TV film crews on board.
And it wasn’t just the official activities on board the ship that drew a crowd but ancillary events too, such as itravel Carlingford’s lunch soiree at Quay Restaurant for their key clients, hosted by co-owners Sue and Emily Kadinski.
We joined a media briefing in the afternoon on board the ship which began in the Scenic Bar with an official Welcome to Country by First Nations man Brendan Kerin from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, who officially welcomed guests to Gadigal Country.
Following was an official presentation in the Scenic Theatre where Glen Moroney, Scenic Group Chairman and Founder addressed the group, along with Anthony Laver, General Manager, Sales and Marketing APAC.
“From 38 years running bus tours down to Warnnambool and now owning a fleet of ocean going ships – four with a fifth one coming. I’m sure in the future there will be more as well,” said Glen Moroney.
“For anybody who’s sailed on board, our crew is what really makes a difference. People come back saying they’ve had a fantastic cruise but most of the time, they are talking about the crew’s service and the food.
Taking to the stage was General Manager, Ocean Operations, James Griffiths; Scenic VP Oceans Hotel Operations, Chef, Tom Götter; and Discovery Team Leader, Jason Flesher.
Flesher outlined some of the activities and additions to the Discovery Team that guests travelling to the Kimberley will get to experience.
“In order to run these types of activities, it takes such a dynamic Discovery Team. The team that I put together for Australia, and especially the Kimberleys, is second-to-none. The majority of the team do come from Australia to provide that authenticity. The majority hold PHDs, Masters in their given fields of marine biology, geology, history, anthropology etc,” said Flesher.
“I felt so honoured to have Mike Cusack join us as the Discovery Team Leader. He came out of retirement specifically to work with us on board Scenic Eclipse II. He’s spent over 20 years in the Kimberleys, not just as a guide but he lived for over a year in the Kimberleys, amongst Aboriginal people learning to live off the land,” said Flesher.
“We all talk about ultra-luxury on the ship. One thing we learned to figure out was how do we take that luxury off the ship and make it part of the Discovery expedition as well? For instance, we’ve customised our zodiacs with custom-made canvas covers so that it’s more comfortable for guests to sit on. Then we took it to the next level and had custom made shades that go over the zodiacs themselves so our guests will be able to experience zodiac cruising for three or four hours in comfort. It’s those little touches that set us apart from the rest,” said Flesher.
After the presentations, guests were invited to take part in a number of ship tours and inspections, viewing dining areas, the 550-square-metre Senses Spa, the observation lounge, the vitality pools, the helipad, and also up to the bridge which has an open door policy for guests.
We caught up with Anthony Laver who shared what it meant to the staff to have the ship here in Australia, and the reaction and feedback from travel advisors had been very positive (see clip below).
On Sunday, Scenic Eclipse II sailed to White Bay Cruise Terminal before a sunset sailway out of Sydney Harbour where guests were treated to an opera performance on the heli-deck as the ship sailed beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge on its way to Newcastle, the birthplace of Scenic Group, where the ship was greeted by more head office staff and Newcastle-based travel advisors.
For more information, visit scenic.com.au
