The liner, named Scenic Eclipse, will be able to accommodate 409 people, including crew, and is built for sailing on all seas, including polar and tropical regions, for which it is specially equipped, Uljanik said. It is specially "strengthened" to navigate in harsh weather conditions and frozen seas, and satisfies the requirements of high environmental standards. It also has a mini submarine for underwater adventures as well as two helicopters for exploring inaccessible areas.
Uljanik signed the contract for the ship with a company in the Scenic Group in November 2015.
"Although this is the first cruise ship that will be built in Uljanik, Scenic has decided to take the challenge and start the collaboration with Uljanik. Such a decision has been taken after careful examination of the engineering capabilities of the shipyard. Uljanik has in recent years built a respectable number of special ships, has a long tradition in shipbuilding and is well known for good workmanship," the group's owner, Glen Moroney, was quoted as saying.
"This is the first ocean-going cruise ship in the Scenic fleet and this is the first cruise ship being built in Uljanik. We believe these facts have created a kind of challenge for all participants in this project and have brought enthusiastic atmosphere. Good collaboration and synergy of Uljanik and Scenic teams will bring this beautiful polar discovery cruise ship in service in 2018. A building contract for one more cruiser of the same type is in preparation.“
When completed, the vessel will be 165.70 meters long, 21.50 m wide and will be able to reach a speed of 17 knots. The number of passengers is limited to 237, with 172 crew members. The ship is intended for the highest class of passengers who will enjoy 114 luxury cabins, while there will be 138 no less luxurious crew cabins.