Scenic Group has put Scenic Eclipse II back into bookable inventory for Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the South Pacific for the 2028 to 2029 seasons. Expedition shoppers who want a small-ship Discovery Yacht for the Kimberley, Tasmania, Japan, Indonesia, or Pacific islands now have named departures, suite tiers, and Super Earlybird terms to compare, not only a brochure promise.
The practical decision is which region and fare path fit a real trip. Europe, Mediterranean, and Americas Discovery Yacht sailings already had a separate product post.
This collection is the ship-region return for Eclipse II after its 2024 and 2025 regional seasons.
- Ship: Scenic Eclipse II returns to Oceania, Asia, and South Pacific for 2028 to 2029.
- Capacity: Up to 228 guests with Discovery Team-led Zodiac, kayak, and hike excursions.
- Example fare: Kimberley Broome to Darwin Super Earlybird from AUD 18,545 per person.
- Super Earlybird rule: Highest savings require full payment 10 months before departure.
- Helicopter bonus: Select Super Earlybird bookings include 20-minute regional flightseeing where permitted.
What Scenic confirmed for the Eclipse II return
Independent trade coverage on Cruise Industry News dated July 20, 2026 reports that Scenic unveiled a 2028 to 2029 Eclipse II collection across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the South Pacific. The report frames the move as the yacht’s return after the 2024 and 2025 regional seasons.
Scenic’s APAC commercial leadership said the return widens choice across diverse regional coastlines and pairs voyages with new land extensions. That matters for travelers who want a single voyage plus a pre- or post-cruise land segment rather than only a closed-loop sea itinerary.
The trade story also places this collection inside a broader regional expansion that includes Emerald Xara’s planned Asia and Australia debut, Scenic Aura in India and Sri Lanka from late 2027, and Scenic Spirit II on the Mekong in early 2028. Those sister brands are context, not substitutes for Eclipse II suite and helicopter terms.
Onboard product claims in the same report include up to 10 dining experiences, a dedicated whisky bar, and a large wellness retreat. Treat those as product features to verify on the suite and voyage page you actually book, not as a guarantee that every departure sells every experience the same way.
Official inventory and Super Earlybird terms
Scenic’s live Discovery Yachts exclusive savings page is the primary booking surface for Super Earlybird savings, elevated suite inclusions, and regional collections that now include Oceania and South East Asia plus Japan for Eclipse II-era inventory.
Super Earlybird is defined as the highest savings tier when guests pay in full 10 months before departure. If the booking is made inside that 10-month window, full payment is due within 30 days of booking.
Miss the payment rule and Scenic says the standard Earlybird path applies instead.
Helicopter terms on the same page matter for this story. Guests who book Super Earlybird on select voyages can receive a complimentary 30-minute helicopter flightseeing experience in Antarctica or a 20-minute flight in other regions, subject to permits, weather, medical limits, weight rules, and availability.
Routes are determined onboard, and the offer is not exchangeable cash.
Elevated suite inclusions for select 2028 and 2029 voyages add another decision layer for higher categories. Scenic lists private chauffeur airport transfers, complementary helicopter flightseeing, helicopter landing experiences for Owner’s Penthouse or Ikon Penthouse in select regions, private Discovery experiences, and other suite-tier extras.
Those inclusions apply only to named suite categories on select voyages, so the suite letter on the fare table is not a decoration.
Australia, Kimberley, and New Zealand decision map
The Oceania block is the clearest near-term planning surface for many Australian and New Zealand shoppers. Scenic lists Eclipse II on Australia and Kimberley, New Zealand, and South Pacific routes with published Super Earlybird lead-in prices on multiple 2028 departures.
One concrete example is the 11-day Discover the Kimberley Coastline voyage from Broome to Darwin. Scenic prices Super Earlybird from AUD 18,545 per person double occupancy on selected 2028 departures, against Earlybird from AUD 20,545 and full fare from AUD 22,045 on the same sample departure code.
The AUD 3,500 Super Earlybird savings figure is real only when the payment and suite rules clear.
Day-by-day Kimberley calls on that sample itinerary include Lacepede Islands, Talbot Bay and Horizontal Falls, Montgomery Reef, Careening Bay, Hunter River and Mitchell Falls, Swift Bay, Ashmore Reef as a technical stop, Vansittart Bay, and King George River before Darwin. That is a wilderness expedition pattern, not a classic port-intensive coastal cruise.
Other Australia and New Zealand options on the same savings surface include Tasmania wilderness sailings, east-coast and Great Barrier Reef routings, multi-week ultimate voyages that stitch Indonesia or New Zealand into longer passages, and New Zealand fjord itineraries such as Hobart to Auckland or Auckland to Christchurch. Longer combinations raise the cost of a wrong suite choice because the full-payment Super Earlybird rule locks more money earlier.
If you are comparing expedition yachts and recent small-ship fleet news more broadly, Deep Arrival’s newest cruise ships guide helps place Discovery Yacht capacity and delivery timing against other new expedition and luxury hulls without treating every brochure as interchangeable.
South Pacific, Indonesia, and Japan for 2028 to 2029
South Pacific inventory spans French Polynesia, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and multi-week Pacific crossings. Sample Super Earlybird lead-ins on the exclusive savings page include Tahiti to Fiji from about AUD 20,265 and Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea routes from about AUD 20,050 on selected 2028 departures.
Indonesia and South East Asia sailings include Komodo and Sulawesi, Denpasar to Singapore temple and island routes, and longer Darwin to Singapore or Singapore to Darwin ultimate passages. These are the itineraries where flexible land extensions and multi-country entry rules matter as much as the suite price.
Japan appears heavily in 2029, including circumnavigation-style voyages from Osaka and cultural routes that link Hong Kong, Taiwan, and southern Japanese islands.
Independent city planning still matters on those calls. Travelers who build a shore day around Nagasaki can use Deep Arrival’s Nagasaki cruise-day guide after they lock the sailing, because the ship product does not replace a port-day plan.
Cruise Industry News also notes land-journey expansion across Australia’s east coast, Top End, Central Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Japan. A land extension can fix flight awkwardness or add inland days, but it also multiplies deposit timing and cancellation risk if the cruise and land product sit on different rules.
Deep Arrival already covered Scenic’s Europe, Mediterranean, and Americas Discovery Yacht product separately in the July 10 Discovery Yacht voyages post. Use that post for Europe and polar framing; use this one for Eclipse II’s Australia, Asia, and South Pacific return inventory.
| If you are | What to do |
|---|---|
| Ready to pay 10 months out on a 2028 Kimberley or NZ date | Price Super Earlybird first and confirm the exact suite letter still shows the bonus helicopter and savings. |
| Booking inside 10 months of sailing | Expect full payment within 30 days for Super Earlybird, or plan on standard Earlybird if cash flow is tight. |
| Choosing Panorama through Ikon Penthouse on select 2028/29 voyages | Read elevated suite inclusions for transfers, helicopter landings, and private Discovery extras before upgrading on rate alone. |
| Comparing Europe or polar Discovery Yacht dates instead | Use the Europe and Americas product path; do not assume APAC helicopter and suite rules copy over unchanged. |
| Building Japan 2029 shore days | Lock the voyage first, then plan city time with a port-specific guide rather than only the ship brochure. |
- Compare regions first: Kimberley wilderness, Japan culture, and South Pacific islands are different trips with different weather and visa loads.
- Price the payment rule: Super Earlybird savings disappear if full payment timing fails.
- Verify helicopter eligibility: The 20-minute regional flightseeing bonus applies only on select Super Earlybird voyages where permitted.
- Check suite category: Elevated inclusions attach to named suite tiers on select sailings, not every cabin.
- Separate land and sea terms: Land extensions can help logistics but may use different deposits and change rules.
Is Scenic Eclipse II back in Australia and the South Pacific for 2028?
Yes. Scenic and Cruise Industry News describe a 2028 to 2029 Eclipse II collection for Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the South Pacific after the ship’s 2024 and 2025 regional seasons.
What does Super Earlybird require?
Scenic requires full payment 10 months before departure for Super Earlybird, or full payment within 30 days if you book inside that window. Otherwise the standard Earlybird path applies.
How much is a sample Kimberley Super Earlybird fare?
On the sample Broome to Darwin 11-day voyage, Scenic shows Super Earlybird from AUD 18,545 per person double occupancy on selected 2028 dates, with higher Earlybird and full-fare tiers on the same page.
Is the helicopter experience included for everyone?
No. The complimentary regional helicopter flightseeing is tied to Super Earlybird on select voyages and is subject to permits, weather, medical limits, weight rules, and availability.
How is this different from Scenic’s Europe Discovery Yacht news?
The Europe, Mediterranean, and Americas Discovery Yacht product is a separate stream. This article covers Eclipse II’s Australia, Asia, and South Pacific return inventory and regional Super Earlybird terms.
