Scenic owner hails onboard TV series and eyes UK growth

Scenic owner Glen Moroney has hailed an upcoming documentary about Scenic Eclipse as his business targets a return to pre-pandemic passenger levels.

The expedition yacht is the star of Discovery Plus show Maritime Masters: Expedition Antarctica, which will start playing to UK audiences on June 4.

Moroney described the five-part series as “fantastic” at a preview screening this week.

He added: “The challenge for our product is, it’s so multifaceted that it’s difficult to communicate in any medium.

“The hardest thing to communicate is your team and it’s the most important thing. With this sort of exposure, you get to see the team and how they go the extra mile and you get to see the ship and some of the most stunning, pristine locations in the world, so it’s pretty spectacular.”

The programme gives a behind-the-scenes look at a journey from the west coast of America to Antarctica as Scenic Eclipse carries 200 crew members and 200 passengers.

The show will be broadcast in 20 languages, with viewers in some parts of the world getting to see it this month.

Although Moroney praised the series, produced by Warner Bros Discovery and Dundas Media, he stressed that it cannot be described as an advertisement and the show was unscripted.

“There are a lot of things in here that I wouldn’t have put in,” he said. “The bottom line is that this isn’t a commercial.”

After the screening, Moroney said Scenic’s UK passenger numbers continue to lag behind those from the USA and Australia.

“It’s getting better, but it’s not been great,” he said, going on to suggest that Scenic had yet to reach its potential in the UK market.

Moroney also said that Scenic’s total passenger volume continued to lag behind the level seen in 2019 before the pandemic.

“We’re not expecting to get fully back until 2025,” he said.

The line recently confirmed it was looking for a new UK & Ireland managing director following the abrupt departure of Richard Tywnam, and reiterated that it was “business-as-usual” during the search for his successor.

Vice-president of marine operations, James Griffiths, who appears in the series, stressed Scenic’s commitment to agents as he hailed demand for expedition sailings, adding: “We love our agents, that’s for sure.”

Scenic Eclipse sailed its maiden voyage in August 2019. It has since been joined by Scenic Eclipse II, which embarked on its inaugural sailing on April 13 and will be christened on June 3.