Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has unveiled four wine-themed river cruise itineraries, as part of its new 2026 ‘A Taste of’ series.   The sailings include experiences such as private vineyard tours, tastings hosted by experts, and tailored excursions.   The itineraries comprise: * Eight-day ‘Gems of the Danube’, departing July 13, with prices starting from £3,245pp. Highlights include a visit to the Etyek wine region to sample aromatic whites and sparkling wine; the Carpathian wine region; and visits to wineries in the Wachau Valley. * Eight-day ‘Rhine Highlights’, departing August 12, 2026, with prices starting from £3,375pp. Highlights include visits to winemaking villages in the Alsace region, with a tasting in a local wine cellar; a guided tour and tasting at the property of Fritz Ritter, a family owned vineyard; and a visit to the Koblenz Wine Museum. * Eight-day ‘Tastes of Bordeaux – A Wine Cruise’, departing June 29 and October 22, with prices starting from £3,139pp. Highlights include a visit to a château in Saint-Émilion; e-bike ride through the Médoc wine countryside; and a visit to a local estate in the Sauternes region. * 11-day ‘South of France’, departing August 2 and October 19, with prices starting from £4,467pp. Highlights include learning about the vineyards that produce Provence’s signature rosé; a visit to a local wine estate in Burgundy; and a guided tasting of the Côtes du Rhône wines with a local expert.   ‘A Taste of’ sailings are themed itineraries with curated experiences unique to each specific departure.   Dominic Keely, head of marketing - rivers & land - UK at Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, said: “Our new wine-themed journeys for 2026 celebrate Europe’s most storied vineyards with intimate tastings, expert-led encounters and immersive regional explorations. These distinctive river cruises blend ultra-luxury with authenticity, offering travellers a taste of some of the finest wine regions.”   Fares include Scenic Freechoice excursions; Scenic Enrich events; premium beverages*; all meals; transfers; gratuities; and a butler service.

  Travel agents can win prizes inspired by the Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises trade team this Christmas, as part of the brands’ festive giveaway.   The competition, which runs until December 24, features 12 prizes, including a Taste of Fortnum's Hamper; a Hotel Chocolat Classic Cabinet box; and a helicopter experience for two.   To be in with a chance of winning, travel agents need to visit the ‘Scenic & Emerald Cruises Totally Trade’ Facebook page and correctly answer a question relating to the cruise lines’ ships or itineraries.   One agent with the correct answer to each question will be selected at random and contacted by the Scenic and Emerald Cruises trade team.   Jonathan Davies, head of sales at Scenic Group, said: “Christmas is the perfect moment to celebrate the incredible work of our travel agent community. We know that unforgettable journeys begin long before guests step on board; they begin with the expertise, passion and dedication of our trade partners. Our festive giveaway is our way of saying thank you for the unwavering support and strong relationships that drive our industry forward.”

  The first episode of a new series fronted by Jane McDonald and filmed onboard Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises will air on January 2, at 9pm on Channel 5 and via streaming.   The six-part ‘Jane McDonald: From Pole to Pole’ documentary follows Jane as she embarks on an extraordinary expedition from Antarctica to the Arctic, on the ultra-luxury yachts Scenic Eclipse and Emerald Sakara.   The series promises stunning visuals, engaging storytelling and a unique perspective on some of the planet’s most spectacular destinations.   During episode one, Jane takes a zodiac ride around Winter Island, getting up close with icebergs and the native wildlife; discovers what’s on offer on Scenic Eclipse; and explores Livingstone Island.   Produced by JetSet TV, each hour-long episode will take in different destinations, including Antarctica, South Georgia, The Falklands, Uruguay, Brazil, Greece, Italy, Norway, Svalbard and the Arctic Circle.   During her journey, Jane will embrace the ultra-luxury experience on the 6-star Scenic Eclipse and Emerald Sakara. She will also take on a range of activities, from helicopter rides to whale watching and performing a song at the end of each episode.   Nichola Absalom, UK managing director of sales and marketing at Scenic Group, said: “We’re eagerly anticipating the launch of this six-part adventure, which showcases remarkable destinations while highlighting the numerous luxurious experiences that guests can enjoy while travelling with us. It has been a joy working with Jane, whose passion for exploration is infectious, and we can’t wait for viewers to experience the extraordinary world of luxury cruising that awaits them.”   Jane McDonald said: “This series completely blew my mind. I’ve always been a homegirl but the more I travel, the more I think that there’s more to life. I’ve been cruising for a lot of years now but the beauty of working with Scenic is that, unlike the big cruise ships, they can get into all sorts of places that I’ve never been before. This took me to places that I will never forget. I would work with Scenic again in a heartbeat.”   Subsequent episodes of ‘Jane McDonald: Pole to Pole’ will air on consecutive Fridays.

  Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises & Tours have unveiled new offers on their European river cruises departing in March 2026.   Scenic is offering all ultra-luxury Balcony and Deluxe Balcony suites at one fixed price of £2,795pp, representing a saving of more than £2,000pp. The promotion is valid on the cruise line’s eight-day itineraries in March, including seven sailings of the following itineraries:   * ‘Rhine Highlights’, departing from Amsterdam. Ports of call include Strasbourg, Rastatt, Mannheim, Koblenz, Cologne and Basel. * ‘Gems of the Danube’, departing from Munich. Ports of call include Regensburg, Passau, Schlogen, Melk, Durnstein, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.   All fares include Scenic Freechoice excursions, Scenic Enrich events, premium beverages, dining, transfers, gratuities and a butler service.   For Emerald Cruises, all balcony suites are now available for one fixed price of £2,395pp, representing a saving of just under £1,000pp.   It is available on a total of 12 departures in March next year, on itineraries comprising the Danube Explorer; Danube Delights; Jewels of the Rhine; Sensations of Lyon & Provence; Holland & Belgium in Bloom; and Tulips of the Rhine.   Itineraries include return flights, all meals on board, gratuities, overseas airport transfers and the services of an Emerald Cruises cruise director.   Dominic Keely, head of marketing - Rivers & Land - UK at Scenic Group said: “Whether it’s sailing the timeless Rhine or discovering the cultural treasures along the Danube, these offers make it easier than ever for guests to enjoy our blend of seamless luxury, immersive excursions and unforgettable moments. With this extraordinary value we’re excited to welcome more guests aboard both Scenic and Emerald Cruises next spring, as they explore Europe’s great rivers in ultimate style.”   The promotions are valid on new bookings made until February 16, 2026.

Scenic Group has made a series of investments across its trade programme to support travel agent partners ahead of peaks. It includes a new partnership with the training scheme OTT and recruitment drive for its sales and partnership team. Under the OTT partnership travel agents will have access to training modules and the opportunity to learn more about the Scenic Group brands – Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises. They will learn about the fleets of luxury yachts, onboard facilities, itineraries, land tours and excursions as well as new tours and itineraries for the 2025/2026 season. The Scenic Group OTT course is now live and there are five training modules available for agents to access. Lessons are on: Truly all-inclusive Scenic River Cruises Emerald Cruises River Cruises Emerald Cruises Luxury Yacht Cruises Scenic Eclipse, world’s first Discovery Yachts Scenic Eclipse expedition voyage The first 50 travel agents to complete a training module and pass the quiz will receive a Scenic or Emerald Cruises branded backpack. To redeem, agents need to email [email protected] with proof of completion. The launch of the new training course comes as the sales and partnership team is expanding the team across three new roles. It is currently recruiting for a new sales manager, key account manager and senior charter operations executive to drive sales growth. Nick Hughes, Director of Sales, Partnerships and Strategic Growth said: “Ahead of peaks and the critical WAVE period, we want to ensure our agent partners are prepared to support what we all expect to be a very busy sales period.” 

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To mark the 2024 Olympics, cruise operators Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises are launching a new Olympics-themed travel agent incentive. From 26 July – 11 August 2024, top sales agents and agencies can win one of three prizes. Agents can win a host of sport- and Paris-themed rewards. Prizes include gym and coffee vouchers; a Gymshark holdall; a surfing experience for two; a tandem skydive; French wines gift sets; and vouchers from Love2Shop, M&S and Amazon. Scenic Group’s team of on-the road sales managers will also be hosting agents from top-selling stores in their regions for dinners. Scenic has also promised to ‘fill the fridge’ at top selling travel stores across the UK. Guests can explore Northern France by sailing the Seine on Scenic’s 11-day Normandy & Gems of the Seine. On Emerald Cruises’ ten-day Sensations of Lyon & Provence with Paris cruise, guests will explore the Rhône and Saône rivers through the South of France during the Olympic summer. There are options for a canoeing excursion in Avignon, hiking through the vineyards of Tournon, and cycling around the village of Glun. As a city stay extension, guests can enjoy a two-night stay in host city Paris. Prices starts from £3,050 per person including flights, transfers, meals and excursions. 

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Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours just launched the Worldwide Discoveries Collection, which spans departures from October 2025 to March 2027. Scenic’s two Discovery Yachts will sail over 163 itineraries visiting 278 ports in 50 countries. Highlights include yacht cruise voyages to witness the Solar Eclipse in Greenland and Iceland; Christmas in Antarctica; and a dedicated itinerary to celebrate the 250^th anniversary of US independence. Scenic Eclipse guests can also cruise iconic rivers from Europe's Guadalquivir and Seine rivers to the iconic Thames; as well as the Delaware, York and Cape Fear rivers in North America. To celebrate the launch and Scenic Eclipse’s 5^th birthday, Scenic’s regional sales managers will be hosting agent dinners nationwide. They take place at venues in Scotland, the Northwest, the Midlands and London during the week of 9 September. Places will be randomly allocated to ten agents who make a yacht cruise booking or go above and beyond to promote the new season. Wendi Hardy, National Key Account Manager for Scenic UK, will be hosting a dedicated webinar to offer agents selling tips. Scenic Eclipse will arrive in the South of France for the Monaco Grand Prix weekend as well as Cannes Film Festival season. The Discovery Yachts are the only ships with two on board helicopters and a custom-built submersible. The ships accommodate 228 guests (200 in Antarctica), with spacious all-verandah suites. The collection training webinar is held on June 26, from 09:30. Travel agents can now register. 

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Scenic reported Q1 sales revenues, with bookings up by a third year-on-year on its river product. It cited a spike in popularity in sailings on the Danube and an uplift on Douro-specific sailings on forward year departures. It follows the addition of Scenic’s collection of new itineraries to its 2024 season. These feature extended time in ports including Bordeaux, Nuremberg, Vienna and Budapest, and new experiences as part of the Scenic Enrich programme. Scenic’s website recently underwent a revamp, relaunching in the middle of Q1. Since then, the luxury operator reported website traffic up year-on-year. Also, Scenic Group recently unveiled a design update to the luxury river cruise fleet across Europe. There is a comprehensive refresh of the ships' main deck introducing new layouts and modern furniture. “The design update of our river fleet integrates innovative features of our ultra-luxury and luxury ocean yachts into our river cruise ships,’ said Karen Moroney, director of project design, Scenic Group. The enhancements incorporate partnerships with renowned designers such as Missoni and Freifrau. ‘ Nick Hughes, sales, strategy and partnership director said: “With the new design updates, we are looking forward to continued growth in 2024 and beyond to the 2025 season.” On 3 May, Scenic launched its new ultra-luxury Europe river cruise brochure for the 2025 season It features new port deployments in Krems, Regensburg, Mohacs and Bratislava and a host of new exclusive Scenic Freechoice excursions, across 15 sailings. 

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Scenic is inviting 50 travel agents aboard the luxury Discovery Yacht Scenic Eclipse during the upcoming UK & Ireland season. Scenic will welcome agents for ship tours and lunch in the Isle of Man, Dublin, Portrush and Aberdeen in June. “Scenic Eclipse has to be personally experienced to appreciate just how ultra-luxury she is, which is why we are sending only personal invites,” said director of sales, partnerships and strategic growth, Nick Hughes. “In addition to agent lunches and tours, we are hosting three fam trips this year across Scenic and Emerald Cruises’ European river collection – more than ever before.” Scenic Eclipse accommodates 228 guests (200 in Antarctica regions) and an almost 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio and private butler service. Agents will also be able to see the onboard helicopters and new custom-built submersible Scenic Neptune. Excursions are led by Scenic’s Discovery Team, which comprise naturalists, marine biologists, and glaciologists. Scenic Eclipse ship visits: Isle of Man on Thursday 6 June 2024 Dublin on Friday 7 June 2024 Portrush on Saturday 8 June 2024 Aberdeen on Friday 14 June 2024   Scenic’s nine-day Scottish Isles: Historic Trails & Wilderness itinerary starts from £8,480pp. 

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  Scenic (www.scenic.com), the ultra-luxurious and truly all-inclusive cruise and land operator, has reported a huge uplift in sales across its ocean product, following a successful Q1 campaign and starring in the popular Channel 5 series ‘Cruising with Susan Calman’ in Antarctica.   Ultra-luxury Discovery Yacht, Scenic Eclipse, starred in two episodes of ‘Cruising with Susan Calman’ as Susan discovered the most remote region on earth, Antarctica. Viewers watched the comedian, writer, and presenter, Susan Calman, sail the Antarctic peninsula on board Scenic Eclipse, The World’s First Discovery Yachts™. The series which was intertwined with a successful Q1 campaign also led to an increase in Antarctica sales year-on-year, with more than a fourfold increase.   The episodes led to a record surge in website traffic and enquiries via phone resulting in bookings to Antarctica more than doubling compared to the previous weekend, before the first episode aired. The week commencing 12 February 2024 also cemented itself as Scenic’s top performing week  of 2024 so far across Ocean product, both in terms of overall bookings and bookings to the Antarctica region.   Nichola Absalom, managing director, sales & marketing, Scenic UK, said: “Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II are unlike any other super-yacht on the market, offering unrivalled exploration and access to some of the world’s most spectacular regions. We were delighted to see such an uplift in sales, particularly to the Antarctica region, after the two episodes of ‘Cruising with Susan Calman’ aired, which followed the announcement of our largest Antarctica season in 2025/26 at the beginning of the year.   “With the arrival of Nick Hughes as Director of Sales, Partnerships and Strategic Growth earlier this year, we are looking forward to the continued growth of Scenic ocean sales and are confident of cementing our position as providing UK travel agents with the most comprehensive offers, support and training to its valued agent partners.”   With just 200 guests in Antarctica (228 in other destinations) and an almost 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio and private butler service, both Discovery Yachts ensure an extraordinary level of personalised service for each guest. All Scenic ocean voyages are truly all-inclusive, meaning guests can leave their wallet in a safe place and relax, knowing everything is taken care of. Flights, transfers, fine dining experiences, premium branded beverages** and once in-a-lifetime immersive experiences are all included in the price.

Scenic has confirmed successful sea trials and a safety certification for a new submersible. It is awaiting delivery today of new Triton 660/9 AVA submersible which will be deployed onboard Scenic Eclipse II. The delivery of Scenic Neptune II is planned for Scenic Eclipse II’s upcoming voyages in the South Pacific, Great Barrier Reef, and East Antarctica in 2024 and 2025. It has 270-degree panoramic views and can descend up to 100 metres below the surface. Patrick Lahey, President and co-founder, Triton Submarines, said: “This represents a paradigm shift in how cruise guests experience and engage with the ocean.” Scenic Eclipse II’s inaugural season in the Oceania region begins today with its voyage from Valparaiso across the Pacific. The Discovery Yacht will arrive in Australia, where Scenic was founded, for the first time on 20 April 2024. It will sail the East Coast and Top End of Australia, Kimberley, Indonesian Archipelago, South Pacific, New Zealand, and East Antarctica over next two years. Experiences on Scenic Eclipse II also include two state-of-the-art helicopters and four seabobs will be added for these voyages. Each voyage will be led by an expert Discovery Team who will deep insights into the destination. Itineraries include 11-day all-inclusive voyage, Australia's Top End: Cape York & Arnhem Land and Passage through Melanesia: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands & Vanuatu.   

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The starring role of Scenic Eclipse on UK TV screens has led to a doubling of Antarctica bookings. It was featured on ‘Cruising with Susan Calman’ as she sailed in Antarctica on board Scenic Eclipse. The first episode led to a surge in website traffic and UK customer enquiries resulting in bookings to the region more than doubling compared to the previous weekend. Monday 12 February 2024 also cemented itself as Scenic’s top performing day of 2024 so far, both in terms of overall bookings and bookings to the Antarctica region. The majority were confirmed via trade partners. Sailing from Ushuaia on Scenic’s most popular expedition voyage, the episode saw Susan travel through the Drake Passage before reaching the polar south. Susan took a helicopter flight from Scenic Eclipse to see the glacial landscapes from above, and took a wildlife discovery cruise on one of the yacht’s Zodiacs to witness a penguin colony. Susan also joined excursions led by the Scenic expert Discovery Team, comprising naturalists, marine biologists, and glaciologists. The Scenic Eclipse discovery yachts carry just 200 guests in Antarctica with an almost 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio and private butler service. It features all verandah suites and an expansive 550sqm Senses Spa, two Vitality pools and up to 10 dining options. The new ‘Sell Three, Sail Free’ incentive is open to all travel agents who confirm three new bookings onboard selected Scenic Eclipse I or Scenic Eclipse II sailings before 29 February. The following Antarctic sailings are applicable as well as a brand new polar voyage:

• 22 Day Antarctica, South Georgia & Falkland Islands 27 November 2024
• 13 Day Antarctica in Depth 17 December 2024
• NEW: 25 Day Mawson’s Antarctica: Along the East Coast 15 December 2024
• 24 Day Antarctica’s Ross Sea: Majestic Ice & Wildlife 8 & 31 January 2025

  Scenic will also be giving away triple River Rewards & More points worth £60 for every Antarctica booking made this February. 

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