Scenic 2028-29 Cruises Add Ikon, Festivals and Seasonal Moments

Scenic will expand its ocean fleet from two ships to three in 2028, when Scenic Ikon joins Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II.

With three ships, Scenic will be able to cover more seas at the same time. The company says its new 2028-29 ocean and expedition cruises will span all seven continents, more than 100 countries and 600 ports of call.

A rendering of Scenic Ikon, the 270-passenger ship scheduled to join Scenic’s ocean fleet in 2028. Rendering courtesy of Scenic. — A rendering of *Scenic Ikon*, the 270-passenger ship scheduled to join Scenic’s ocean fleet in 2028. Rendering courtesy of Scenic.

For travelers, the timing of the new Scenic voyages may matter too. Some itineraries line up with seasonal celebrations and natural highlights, from Japan’s cherry blossoms to midsummer in Norway.

New Ship in the Med

Scenic Ikon is scheduled to launch in April 2028, with its first passenger cruise departing Athens on May 5. Scenic says the 270-passenger ship’s maiden season will visit 110 ports in 21 countries, including 26 new destinations in the Mediterranean, Aegean and Adriatic.

On one Ikon itinerary calling at Dubrovnik around the end of July, travelers can experience the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, which traditionally runs from July 10 through Aug. 25. During the festival, theater, music, dance and opera move into venues around Dubrovnik’s historic center.

If your visit lines up with a performance, you could see a livelier side of the city than you would on a typical port day.

Shakespeare’s Richard III at Lovrjenac Fort during the 77th Dubrovnik Summer Festival in 2026. Photo courtesy of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival.

Scenic Eclipse will also spend part of spring and summer 2028 in Southern Europe before heading north. That gives Scenic some Mediterranean overlap shortly after Ikon enters service.

Northern Europe and Arctic Expeditions

Scenic Eclipse will cruise Northern Europe and the Arctic during the 2028 summer.

One itinerary departs Bergen on June 23 for Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. That date also falls on Norway’s St. Hans, or midsummer celebration, traditionally marked by bonfires and outdoor gatherings, particularly in coastal communities.

You could start the trip on Norway’s coast during the midsummer celebrations, then continue north into the long days of Arctic summer.

Boats gather around the Slinningsbålet bonfire in Ålesund during Norway’s St. Hans midsummer celebrations. The towering bonfire is lit each year on the Saturday closest to June 23. Photo courtesy of Visit Northwest/Visit Norway.

Australia and New Zealand

While Ikon and Eclipse are cruising in Europe, Scenic Eclipse II will spend much of the 2028 season farther south.

The ship will return to Australia and New Zealand in 2028 after last cruising there in 2025.

Scenic Eclipse II reaches Australia in May and begins a series of Kimberley cruises between Darwin and Broome. That puts passengers there during the dry season, when there is less rain and conditions are generally more comfortable for exploring the Kimberley’s remote coastline.

Later in the year, the ship continues through Tasmania and New Zealand.

New Zealand then becomes the starting point for two Scenic Eclipse II voyages into the Ross Sea as the southern summer begins.

Antarctica and Patagonia

By late 2028, Scenic’s three expedition ships will all be moving into the wider Antarctic region.

Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Ikon will both cruise from South America during the 2028-29 southern summer, with voyages covering Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Patagonia.

Passengers explore Wilhelmina Bay by Zodiac with Scenic Eclipse in the background on the Antarctic Peninsula. Photo: Ben Berkeley, courtesy of Scenic. — Passengers explore Wilhelmina Bay by Zodiac with *Scenic Eclipse* in the background on the Antarctic Peninsula. Photo: Ben Berkeley, courtesy of Scenic.

Scenic Eclipse II, however, will offer a very different Antarctic trip.

The ship is scheduled for two 24-day Ross Sea voyages roundtrip from Timaru, New Zealand.

Scenic Eclipse II cruises near the Erebus Ice Tongue in McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica, as one of the ship’s helicopters flies overhead. Photo: Nush Freedman, courtesy of Scenic. — *Scenic Eclipse II* cruises near the Erebus Ice Tongue in McMurdo Sound, East Antarctica, as one of the ship’s helicopters flies overhead. Photo: Nush Freedman, courtesy of Scenic.

Most Antarctic tourism takes place around the Antarctic Peninsula, which is generally reached from South America. IAATO says about 98% of Antarctic tourism voyages operate in the Peninsula region, while only a limited number travel to the Ross Sea side of the continent.

That makes the Ross Sea cruises quite different from South America-based Antarctic voyages.

Asia, Taiwan and Japan in Spring

After its Ross Sea season, Scenic Eclipse II heads north again for a roughly six-week East Asia run beginning March 2029.

One Hong Kong-to-Osaka itinerary features Taiwan and Japan’s southern islands.

The Taipei visit falls during the city’s spring flower season. The Taipei Azalea Festival is usually held each March, while cherry blossoms and other blooms appear around the city and surrounding mountain areas. Exact 2029 festival dates have not yet been published.

Once Eclipse II reaches Japan, two roundtrip Osaka circumnavigations follow. Scenic specifically says those Japan cruises are timed around cherry blossom season.

If you travel then, you may see Japan during one of its most anticipated times of year. Although peak dates vary each year, sakura generally begin appearing in southern parts of the country in March before the bloom moves north through spring.

The three-ship fleet will also have a noticeable difference in scale. Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II are each 17,545 gross tons and 551 feet long, carrying up to 228 passengers in 114 suites. Scenic Ikon will be larger at 26,500 gross tons, 672 feet long and 78 feet wide, with 135 suites for up to 270 passengers. All three are built for polar cruising, and Ikon will retain the helicopters and submersible that have become distinctive features of Scenic’s ocean ships.

Together, the expanded fleet gives Scenic more ways to pair destinations with interesting times of year — from midsummer in Norway and performances in Dubrovnik to the remote Ross Sea and cherry blossoms in Japan.