Scenic was established by Glen Moroney in 1986. The company first offered river cruises in Europe in 2008 with the launch of Scenic Sapphire, followed by Scenic Emerald, Scenic Diamond, and Scenic Ruby in 2009. In 2012, Scenic launched the Scenic Tsar, which operated on the Moscow-St Petersburg route. In 2013, Scenic established
Emerald Waterways as a lower-cost
river cruise line. In 2014, Scenic expanded its fleet with the addition of the 169-passenger
Scenic Jade, operating on the
River Danube, and the 126-passenger Scenic Gem, servicing the
River Seine. In 2016, Scenic launched several new ships: Scenic Azure for the
River Douro in Portugal; Scenic Amber for Europe's major rivers, and Scenic Aura and Scenic Spirit for the
Irrawaddy and
Mekong rivers in Southeast Asia. In January 2016, Scenic announced plans to enter the ocean cruise market with the launch of
Scenic Eclipse, a 228-passenger ocean liner, which began service in August 2019. As of 2019, Scenic is redesigning 10 ships, including Scenic Diamond, Scenic Sapphire, Scenic Ruby, Scenic Pearl, Scenic Jasper, Scenic Opal, Scenic Amber, Scenic Crystal, Scenic Jade, and Scenic Jewel. In March 2022, Scenic suspended all Russian operations following the
Russian invasion of Ukraine. The
Scenic Ikon will be an expedition and ultra-luxury cruise ship, or "Discovery Yacht," currently under construction for the Australian company Scenic Group. It is the third vessel in this class, following the Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II, with the Scenic Ikon being an enlarged version. The ship is being built at MKM Yachts in Rijeka, Croatia, and is scheduled to enter service in April 2028. With a length of 205 meters and a gross tonnage of approximately 26,500 GT, the Scenic Ikon will accommodate 270 passengers in 135 suites. == Cruises and destinations ==