The Scenic Group marked the steel cutting of the Scenic Eclipse II in Croatia via a press release, as the ceremony took place at the end of April. The ship will be a sister to the Scenic Eclipse, which debuted in 2019. 

The company also announced it would build five vessels in the next six years in Croatia, but did not elaborate on a timeline for deliveries. 

A newly formed company, MKM Yachts, wholly owned by the Scenic Group, will now take full responsibility for all new ocean ship builds starting with the construction of Scenic Eclipse II.

MKM Yachts confirmed an agreement with the Croatian Government to commence shipbuilding operations in a dedicated separate section of the existing Maj 3 Shipyard in Rijeka.

“This outcome has been the result of a massive effort by our entire Croatian team, and in particular, our new Managing Director of MKM Yachts, Sasa Čokljat,” said Glen Moroney, owner and Chairman, Scenic Group. “The Croatian Government has committed to supporting the redevelopment of the shipyard and assist in the funding of our newbuilding program, which will comprise five custom built vessels over the next six years. All vessels will be of the highest 6-star standard with the ability to navigate the polar regions.”

Čokljat said that the new cruise line business model will allow MKM Yachts to take over a portion of Rijeka’s shipyard and use existing infrastructure and knowledge of Croatian shipbuilders, working in collaboration with Scenic’s expert team.

“I believe that the niche for the construction of research cruisers represents a sound direction for the revival of Croatian shipbuilding, with a new face for the future. We can be proud that the construction of one of the best ships in the world in its class takes place right here in Rijeka,” said Čokljat.