Svalbard.
Not quite an exotic name.
Because it isn’t.
Svalbard or Spitsbergen is a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole, and that is where we are headed on board the Scenic Eclipse 1.
We have been to Antarctica with Ponant, so let’s see what the other side of the world looks like.
And what about our ship?
Did we like the Scenic Eclipse? Would we book again, and recommend it to you?
Let’s see what our 12 days on board were like!
We paid for our trip on board the Scenic Eclipse and didn’t get or ask anything in return for this review.
Video
We made a video of our arctic cruise on board the Scenic Eclipse 1.
You can watch it here:
Boarding
The Scenic Eclipse wins the price for fastest boarding ever.
Embarkation time started at 2pm so we made our way to the ship at that time.
We stood in line for 5 minutes to get our passports checked by Norwegian customs on the parking lot right next to the ship, and got the all clear. Headed for the entrance where we were received a warm wet towel to freshen up our hands.
Walked up the boarding stairs where we were greeted by the Scenic Eclipse captain Ned Tutton, the cruise director Rebecca Draper, the restaurant manager and the hotel manager. They welcomed us on board, Rebecca walked us to the reception and lounge area where we promptly received a glass of champagne.
We sat down and 5 minutes later a crew member showed us to the reception.
The receptionist checked our names off a list, gave us our room keys and showed us how to connect to the on board WIFI.
The same crew member took us to our assembly station which was a couple of steps away from the lounge in the Elements restaurant. He showed us how to wear our safety vests, and tell us about the survival kit in case of an emergency.
He then showed us to our cabin on deck 7.
We closed the door behind us, took our coats off and stepped onto our balcony.
2:20pm, that was indeed a fast embarkation!
Cabin
We are staying in room 710, a Deluxe Verandah Suite (category BA) located on deck 7 on the port side of the Scenic Eclipse.
The first thought when we opened the door: how spacious!
This cabin is 366 square feet (34 square metres), so obviously much larger than your average standard cruise ship cabin.
Bedroom and lounge
The ambient warm lights, carpets and greyish colours are very soothing to the eye. This cabin looks very cozy and homey.
Space, that is the code word on the Scenic Eclipse.
The luxurious king-size bed looks so inviting, and so do the large fluffy pillow and duvet on top. You just want to jump right in it! On both sides of the bed are bedside tables, with 2 drawers to store your stuff. Also on both side are USB ports to charge phones, and a small adjustable reading light.
If you want other pillows, ask your butler for the pillow menu. Both mattresses can also be separately adjusted into your preferred sitting or sleeping position by using the bed remote.
Underneath the bed is plenty of space to store your empty luggage. However Luc’s Eastpack suitcase was too high so we had to store it in the bathroom.
The bed and lounge area can be separated by a curtain. The couch is very comfortable to sit in, the coffee table is large (we would mainly put a couch pillow on it and use it as a foot rest).
The TV is hidden in a glass wall located right on the opposite side of the couch, perfect place to watch a movie or watch the bow camera.
However it was quite impossible to read the screen due to the reflection from outside. The only option was to close the automatic blind from top to bottom. And since it was summer in Svalbard, there was sun all day and night so no luck waiting for nightfall.
So we asked our butler for a daily paper version of our Daily Wonder day plan, which was provided each evening during turndown service.
Insulation was excellent, we never heard any of our neighbours or people walking in the hallway.
Plenty of storage space, shelves and clothes hangers in the wardrobes lining the entrance between your cabin door and the bed area.
The bathrobes and slippers are very comfortable. Shoe shine, shoe horn, shoe brush and sewing kit is also available. There is a laundry list and bag if you need laundry and pressing at an extra charge (a free self service laundry with detergent is located on deck 3 – see later).
A large safe is located in the wardrobe, still lots of space left after storing our 2 laptops, passports, personal items and such.
Also in the wardrobe are 2 safety vests (to wear during your zodiac and landing excursions and in case of an emergency) and emergency survival kits.
There is a large desk with chair in the cabin as well, with a large wall mirror and separate makeup mirror. Bushnell binoculars are provided in the cabin, however the ones we brought were much more comfortable to use. The 2 black Scenic water bottles are yours to use and to take home with you after your trip.
If you are on an expedition cruise, your polar jackets will be waiting for you on your couch.
Balcony
Each cabin on the Scenic Eclipse has a private verandah balcony with 2 comfortable seats and a table.
Inside your cabin are 2 soft chair covers to make it extra comfortable to sit.
If the weather is fab, you can ask your butler to serve your in room dining on the balcony, the table is large enough for that!
We would often look for wildlife from our balcony or enjoy an early cup of coffee here in the sun.
Mini bar & coffee machine
The complimentary mini-bar is stocked with Heineken beer and soft drinks such as Fanta, Coke and Coke Light.
If you want other soft drinks, wine, champagne, spirits, ice cubes or any type of drink request, just ask your butler and he or she will bring it to your room.
Very few cruise ship offer coffee and tea in the room, and the Scenic Eclipse is one of them.
We liked the Illy coffee machine, a few mornings we enjoyed a cup of coffee on our balcony when we were not in a hurry for an early zodiac excursion.
There is also a kettle, sugar and tea bags. Both coffee capsules and teas are re-stocked when used by your butler or housekeeping staff.
The 2 glass bottles are also refilled by them.
Bathroom
Nothing bad to say about our bathroom, which was bright and not too small or too large.
Plenty of toilet paper and Kleenex. Bathroom amenities that are plentiful as well are dental kits with toothpaste, shaving kits, combs, cotton buds and pads, nail files, loofahs, shower caps. All plural because every item there was at least about 6 to 7 pieces underneath the vanity in the cupboard.
A hairdryer is located in the desk drawer in your cabin.
Excellent quality towels, fragrant ESPA bath products and lotion. The rain shower is lush, we spent way more time in the shower than at home just because it was so lovely!
We had read that some people complained about the sink in the bathroom because of its design (it has a shower type drain strip that you can’t close to fill the sink up), and the lack of space to put your bathroom stuff.
Honestly we didn’t see the problem. The sink was absolutely fine, and the mirrored vanity cupboard had all the space we needed. The shelf where the hand soap and lotion was placed also had plenty of space to put stuff in a safe way in case of motion.
Power plugs
Housekeeping & butler service
Each cabin comes with its personalised butler service.
Once you have checked in, your butler will come over and introduce herself, give you more information about the room, ask you if you have any personal requests
Our butler Edit was kind and friendly – however, as always, we never knew what to ask our butler since we never really need in-suite beverages or room service.
House keeping is done twice a day: during breakfast (until 1am) and during dinner. You can indicate that you are out for a bite to eat and want your room cleaned by pushing the blue housekeeping button next to your cabin door. If you don’t want to be disturbed, push the other button and you can enjoy your room in peace.
Towels are replaced every time you put them on the floor. Bedsheets are changed every other day. Coffee, tea or drinks are restocked, and so are the 2 large glass water bottles in your room.
Reception
Scenic Eclipse’s reception is located in the lounge area on deck 4.
It is open day and night if you have any questions, remarks or requests.
The Future Cruise desk is also located in the same lounge on the opposite side near the theatre entrance and whiskey bar.
Scenic Lounge & Whisky Bar
This large lounge is where quite some activities are planned.
It is the place where you wait for your zodiac or landing excursions by group. Where you can hang out after a late breakfast and enjoy a cup of coffee or something stronger from 11am onwards.
Daily Trivia and other hosted games also happen here.
On 2 days we enjoyed afternoon tea here: a hot pot of tea and a delicious selection of sweet and savory bites. Before dinner people like to come here for drinks while listening to live piano music and on a couple of days assorted canapés were served.
After dinner you can come back to the lounge for a nightcap.
The Scenic Eclipse is well known for its whisky bar. Check your Daily Wonder for a complimentary whisky tasting by the bartender (limited availability).
Food on board
After boarding we could make 3 dinner reservations at the 3 restaurants where reserving a table is needed: Koko’s Sushi, Lumière French cuisine and the Night Market.
Breakfast
Breakfast on the Scenic Eclipse is served in the Yacht Club (buffet) and the Azure bar (à la carte).
Opening hours are usually between 6:30 and 7am, until 9 to 10:30am, depending on the day and planned excursions.
You can also order room service breakfast that is served between 6:30am and 11am by placing the breakfast room service form outside your cabin before 2am.
Lunch
Lunch is again served in the Yacht Club (buffet) and the Azure bar (à la carte).
On days at sea the Elements restaurant also offers a small à la carte lunch.
Dinner
Dinner starts at 7pm until 9pm.
Almost all restaurants are open for dinner (except the Yacht Club buffet): Azure Cafe, Elements, Koko’s, Koko’s Sushi, Night Market and Lumière.
Restaurants
Azure Bar & Café
You can find the Azure Bar & Café on deck 5 for all-day grazing, no reservation needed.
It starts with an à la carte breakfast. On the menu are sweet options such as waffles, pancakes, crepes and French toast. Other hot options are eggs (Benedict, fried, boiled, poached, scrambled), bacon, hash brown, tomatoes, mushrooms, steak lamb chops, and omelettes (plain, vegetables, cheese, smoked salmon). You can also chose some sweet pastries, fruit bowl and salads from the small glass counter. Hot drinks are made on the spot.
For lunch you can chose from a variety of pizzas, pastas, burgers, salads, (grilled) sandwiches and healthy meals.
In the afternoon the small glass counter is filled with delicious sweet treats such as tarts, pies, eclairs, macaroons, cakes and chocolate chip cookies for your afternoon tea. We loved the fruit tarts and pies, again a daily changing collection of perfectly baked treats.
In the evening if you don’t feel like dining in the other restaurants and crave a pizza or burger, you can still order from the lunch menu.
Yacht Club
The Yacht Club buffet restaurant is located at the back of Deck 7, no reservations needed here.
During our expedition cruise it was open every day for breakfast and lunch.
What we liked so much about this dining place is the quality of the ingredients used. The choice was limited, however this buffet is clearly quality over quantity. Everything we tried here (both for breakfast and lunch) was impeccably cooked and prepared. We also loved this place for its stunning views, we would often sail along glaciers and fjords during breakfast and lunch.
The breakfast buffet contains a good selection of hot breakfast staples such as crispy bacon, sausages, baked beans, roast potatoes, mushrooms, hash browns, grilled tomatoes, porridge and congee. You can also order eggs any style, steak, lamb chops and such from the breakfast menu on our table. On the other side a small lovely selection of breads and pastries is offered. You can also chose fruit juices, fruits, smoothies, granola yogurt bowls, smoked fish, charcuterie, cheese and such.
Lunch offers again a small but delicious selection of hot and cold foods.
There is an excellent salad bar, various ready made salads with pasta, noodles, fish, meats, seafood. And 3 types of cheese. The bread station is great, the baguettes were delicious.
On the hot station you can find a daily changing choice of excellent food: soups, fish, meats, potatoes, vegetables, rice, sauerkraut, sliders, enchiladas, seafood, and so on. Every day there was a special pasta or risotto dish prepared for you not the spot. And what about the carving station! One type of meat only that changed daily, but so perfectly cooked and prepared. Just to name a few: pork belly, turkey, chicken, prime rib, roast beef, lamb, suckling pig.
We loved it. What a delight!
The dessert isle also had a daily changing selection of sweet pastries and treats, as well as 4 different ice creams or sorbets.
We loved the red velvet cake, Paris Brest, baba rum, black forest cake, and ice cream flavors such as cinnamon, grapes, almond, cherry, hazelnut and so on.
Service was excellent as well. Drink orders would be taken care of fast, waiters would come over very often to refill your coffee cup or wine glass. Empty plates would be removed quickly, tables would be cleared fast and taken care of for the next guests.
Opening hours would sometimes differ depending on the daily activities, again check your daily wonder.
Elements
Elements is an à la carte restaurant featuring continental cuisine with Italian touches in the evening.
No reservations needed here.
During our cruise the Elements restaurant was open 3 times for an à la carte lunch on sea days, and daily for dinner.
The lunch menu contains a mix of cuisines and is short and sweet. Soups, salads or an appetiser to start your meal with, followed by 4 main courses, and 3 dessert options.
We tasted dishes such as chicken tinola soup, blue cheese and pecan salad, shrimp cocktail, coconut soup, beef rending and sea bass with steamed vegetables. If you don’t like anything from the menu, you can still order a burger, hot dog, steak, chicken breast, salmon or a nutritious salad.
We have to say that we loved Koko’s so much we never went to Elements for dinner. Even after looking at Element’s dinner menu we were much more attracted to the Asian cuisine next door.
Chef’s Table
The Chef’s Table is an exclusive, by invitation-only dinner venue on board the Scenic Eclipse.
Guest staying in the top-level suites or those with a high loyalty status are most likely to be invited here for dinner
So we didn’t get invited to a Chef’s Table dinner, but let’s say that we were not really attracted to the Chef’s Table type of cuisine which sounded and looked way too complex for our taste, in a style which was trendy 20 years ago. Just a matter of opinion.
So no hard feelings there!
Lumière Restaurant
We made a dinner reservation here for one night.
Lumière serves French cuisine and is located next to the Azure Bar & Cafe and is only open for dinner.
The set menu that night contained salmon tartare, lobster bisque, escargots, caviar, sorbet, duck à l’orange, sea bream, pistachio financier dessert and gorgonzola with honeycomb.
As I have a lobster allergy, I was offered an onion soup instead of the lobster bisque.
We ordered all the dishes from the menu. The duck was truly delicious, the sea bream was perfectly cooked. Everything was well executed and seasoned. The chef could have been way more generous with the caviar though, and not sure what the sweet blue candy floss accompanying it was doing there. The pistachio financier dessert was excellent. But why serve an Italian cheese in a French themed restaurant?
We were not impressed by Lumière. If we were ever to travel on the Scenic Eclipse again we would not book here again.
Koko’s Asian Fusion
By far our most favourite restaurant on board the Scenic Eclipse!
Koko’s serves contemporary Asian fusion in a vibrant ambiance. The menu changes every 2 days. No reservations needed here, dinner starts at 7pm on a first come first served basis.
The food here is fabulous, influenced by Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, Korean and Vietnamese cuisine. The ingredients used are super fresh and perfectly cooked. Our most favorite dishes that we immediately think of: soft shell crab, clams, miso salmon, saffron shrimp, crispy hoisin chicken, fresh spring rolls, Thai steak salad, soto ayam soup and banh xeo.
Truly delicious, we would always look forward to our dinners here.
Service is excellent as well, very friendly and professional. The wines also change almost daily, and we were very glad to see more than just the classic chardonnay and merlot. We tasted a variety of wines such as riesling, pouilly fumé, sauvignon blanc, and also lesser known wines from for example Hungary or New Zealand.
You can also order sake with your meals, or beers and cocktails.
Sushi & Sake Bar @ Koko’s
Another restaurant where we had to make a reservation for: Koko’s sushi place, located in Koko’s fusion restaurant. It serves sashimi, sushi and izakaya style dishes.
You can chose for a traditional Japanese style dinner, or a more Westernised menu (with California rolls and such).
We chose the Japanese menu, and started off with an excellent miso soup. Followed by a spectacular sashimi plate for 2 with 4 types of raw fish and cooked octopus. Super tasty fish again of a very high quality. Highly tasty and enjoyable.
The highlight of our dinner!
After that we ordered different types of sushi for 2 which was OK, but not at all mind blowing.
We ended our meal with frozen mochi, and the same blue candy floss we were served with the caviar in Lumière.
We would come back to Koko’s Sushi solely for the miso soup and the sashimi. Do order the cold sake with your meal as well!
Nightmarket @ Koko’s
This is a private-dining experience that requires reservations and offers two seatings a night at 7pm and 8:30pm. It is located at the back of Koko’s and seats up to 10 people around an open grill.
When we made our dinner reservation we could chose between 3 types of cuisine: Indian, Filipino and Japanese. We went for Indian.
And 8 course dinner is served in 1 hour, in front of you by a chef. It started off with a refreshing cocktail. We tasted vegetable thali, pani puri, lobster samosa, chickpea soup, but then had a hard time finding the Indian cuisine in the steak tacos, the chicken and duck dish.
We were so full after the courses (all served in one hour!) that we hardly touched our last plates to keep space for the falooda ice cream dessert.
It felt rushed and not quite authentic. We wouldn’t book the Night Market if we were to travel on the Scenic Eclipse again.
In Suite Dining
When you feel like dining in the privacy of your cabin, your butler will take care of everything. You can find the 24-hour in-suite dining and beverage menus on your TV.
Just to name a few available options: chicken consommé, tomato soup, regular or vegan caesar salad, quinoa and vegetable salad bowl, pasta of the day, pasta bolognaise, vegan tomato pasta, club sandwich, tuna melt, grilled cheese sandwich, cheeseburger, hamburger, hot dogs, lamb chops, steak, chicken breast, fries, ice cream, fruit plate, chocolate dessert of the day.
You can also order food from the Azure Bar during the day that serves pizzas, and a larger selection of pasta dishes, salads and grilled sandwiches.
We never ordered room service since we enjoyed the restaurants so much.
Theatre
Located on deck 4 is the theatre.
Here you can enjoy enrichment lectures, movies or entertainment in the evening.
The chairs are very comfortable, however the theatre is too small to sit every singe passenger. Often times lots of people would have to stand up in the back during performances.
Cruise director Rebecca and her assistant Bradley would entertain guests with cabaret shows and singing performances.
Shop
A small duty free shop is located on deck 4 between the reception/lounge area and the theatre entrance.
Here you can find a small selection of fleeces and outdoor clothes, casual outfits, handbags, accessories, watches, jewellery, perfume, cosmetics., travel essentials and toiletries.
The shop was open when the ship was on the move. You can find the specific opening hours in your daily wonder.
Pools & hot tubs
Two hot tubs are located on deck 10.
There are also sun loungers available, and a self service bar with champagne, soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits.
On the spa’s sun deck is a pool, however it is very small. Don’t expect to do lapses, it is more a plunge pool where you can sit and relax.
There used to be another (tiny) pool on deck 7, outside the Yacht Club buffet restaurant. However due to its impractical location it has been closed, and covered up with artificial plants.
Excursion groups, jackets and mud room
As this was an expedition cruise, excursions were either zodiac trips or landings.
On the first day each cabin is assigned a specific group color to organise the excursions in an orderly fashion (see the list at the reception). You can find your excursion starting times each evening on your Daily Wonder program for the next day.
That first day (a sea day) we also had our boot fitting in the mud room on deck 3. If you need a different size, the crew will help you out. Boots are organised per cabin number.
If the polar jackets in your room are just not the right size, there is also a possibility on the same day to exchange it for another size in the Theatre. Check your Daily Wonder for the exact hours.
Self service laundrette
On deck 3 next to the mud room is the free self service laundrette.
Guests can do their laundry here free of charge. There are 3 washing machines and 3 dryers. Detergent pods are provided, as well as an iron and ironing board.
This laundrette is used almost constantly. We did our laundry on board once about half way into our trip, and didn’t find an available washing machine the first time we went there with our full laundry bag. More luck the second time, about an hour later. Washing our laundry took about 45 minutes. We then put it in the dryer and returned 30 minutes later to find it perfectly dry and clean.
At the end of our trip the laundrette was closed for 3 days due to lack of water.
Enrichment Lectures
During the day and depending on the planned excursions, lectures are scheduled.
These are mainly lectures about the Arctic, its wildlife, history and such – given by a member of the discovery team. These lectures don’t take more than 45 minutes.
We went to a few in the beginning of our trip but were not wildly excited about them.
Excursions
Depending on the weather, a morning and afternoon excursion was scheduled.
A few times the planned zodiac or landing trips were delayed or cancelled due to unreliable or bad weather. Once our landing walk was cut short after a guard spotted a polar bear in the vicinity.
The excursions were well organised by group color and always went smoothly. The zodiac drivers were professional and informative, taking security measures into account.
Helicopters
The Scenic Eclipse has 2 helicopters on board.
However due to strict laws in Svalbard, helicopter excursions were not allowed.
One day during our trip there was an opportunity to visit the helipad, take a look at the helicopter and ask questions to the pilot and staff in charge.
Observation lounge & library
The infamous observation lounge on deck 5!
On other ships this was the area where we would spend most of our time. However on board the Scenic Eclipse we didn’t, because there’s not much to see!
Once you sit down, your view is obstructed by the ship’s bow. It is like looking at a wall. If you want to see anything at all, you have to step outside.
This is a major design flaw if you ask us.
Thank god for the open bridge policy on board the Scenic Eclipse which is where we spent most of our time looking at the panoramas while sailing.
In the observation lounge is a small library with mainly travel guides and books, and a handful of detective novels that were left by previous passengers. Also in the observation lounge is a 24 hour self service bar where you can get coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.
Senses spa & wellness
The spa and wellness area on board the Scenic Eclipse is located on deck 6.
Massages, hair and nail salon and such have to be booked in advance. Check the spa reception for the prices.
The wellness consists of 2 sides, right for women and left of men.
Both sides are free to use and have a sauna, a steam bath, infrared seating area and relaxation area. Outside in the back is a public area with sun loungers and a tiny relaxation plunge pool.
Bathing suits are obligatory, so that and the fact that genders are separate are the reasons why we never used the wellness – as much as we would have liked it.
And we were definitely not the only ones on board with that same opinion. A bunch of European passengers made that remark, since in quite a few European countries it is totally normal to go to a sauna, with mixed genders and undressed. So no, we never used the wellness area because we always enjoy sauna as a couple.
Gym & Yoga
On board the Scenic Eclipse complimentary fitness and wellness classes. There is limited availability, be fast to sign up if you are interested.
The small gym is located on deck 7, same for the yoga room but on the opposite side of the hallway.
Passengers
The Scenic Eclipse has 220 passengers on board.
The bulk of the passengers were between 50 and 75 years old. The majority came from the US, Australia and New Zealand.
Dress code
No need to worry about the dress code during this expedition cruise.
During the day people wear comfortable outdoor clothes, joggings and layers. Just a small minority keeps it casual.
In the evening a small group of people liked to dress up in chic dresses or sports jackets, some men wore suits and ties. In general women would wears slacks paired with a blouse, and men would wear a collared shirt and trousers. Nothing fancy and we like it that way.
There is absolutely no pressure if you want to keep it comfortable and wear the clothes you wear during the day, even a jeans is perfectly fine. But keep your short and flip flops in your cabin.
WIFI
The complimentary WIFI connection was mostly fast in public areas such as the lounge and restaurants.
However reception was more of a pain in our cabin: it went from just OK to very slow to no reception at all.
Medical center
The medical centre is located on deck 3.
It is open from 8 to 10am and from 4 until 6pm.
The centre is available for emergencies 24/7.
Would we book again with Scenic Cruises and the Scenic Eclipse?
Absolutely.
We loved the ship, our cabin, the food and the staff.
The open bridge for us was a highlight during our trip. We spent many hours there while the ship was on the move to enjoy the scenery and spot wildlife.
Would we recommend Scenic Cruises and the Scenic Eclipse 1?
Yes, even though the prices are very steep.
We felt like we got lots in return for what we paid. The Scenic Eclipse is a luxurious ship where we had a tremendous time.
We would definitely recommend Scenic Cruises and the Scenic Eclipse.
We paid for our trip on board the Scenic Eclipse and didn’t get or ask anything in return for this review.
Pros
- beautiful ship
- delicious food, wines and drinks
- spacious design cabin
- open bridge policy
- excellent staff and service
Cons
- unreadable TV in the cabin
- useless observation lounge
- separate sauna and wellness for men and women
- underwhelming Lumière and Night Market restaurant