Scenic Group Debuts Wine Group Program for Advisors

Published on Oct 31, 2025, 1:52 pm CDT

4 min read

Key points

Scenic Group launched a two-tier Wine Group Program across Scenic and Emerald itineraries
Tier 1 starts at eight staterooms and includes a private tasting, pairing dinner, savings and up to $1,000 in wine-shipping credits
Tier 2 starts at 17 staterooms and adds a private excursion on Scenic river cruises, a complimentary host suite and up to $2,000 in shipping credits
Program is valid for new group agreements signed July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 for U.S. and Latin American markets
Scenic will support wine logistics with approved partners and says benefits can stack with select offers and loyalty programs

Impact

Advisor Economics: Commissions start at 15 percent with accelerated tour conductor earnings at Tier 2
Group Size Planning: Choose Tier 1 at eight staterooms or Tier 2 at 17 to unlock higher credits and a host suite
Wine Logistics: Leverage Scenic's approved partners to arrange compliant shipping and onboard service
Offer Stacking: Confirm combinability with Scenic Select, Emerald Exclusive and loyalty credits before contracting
Contract Window: Limit applies to agreements signed July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026

Scenic Group, parent of Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises & Tours, has introduced a Wine Group Program aimed at travel advisors building wine-themed groups on rivers and yachts worldwide. The offer spans all Scenic and Emerald itineraries and packages curated tastings, private dining, and shipping support for bringing bottles on board. It applies to new group agreements signed between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 for clients sourced in the United States and Latin America, according to multiple trade outlets that reviewed the launch details.

What changed and why it matters

Scenic has formalized wine benefits into two tiers that map to group size thresholds, giving advisors clearer economics and planning levers. The company positions the offer against rising demand for culinary and wine travel, with president Ken Muskat saying the program creates a platform for immersive tastings, private dining, and "seamless wine logistics" while sailing top regions. For advisors, the headline perks start at eight staterooms and scale up at 17 staterooms, including shipping credits, a complimentary host suite on Tier 2, and accelerated tour conductor earnings.

Tier structure and inclusions

Tier 1 requires a minimum of eight staterooms, or 16 guests. Inclusions are a private wine tasting, an exclusive wine-pairing dinner for the group, savings of up to $200 per person, commissions starting at 15 percent, and up to $1,000 in credits toward wine-shipping costs arranged through Scenic's partners. These benefits are additive to the line's public offers when combinable.

Tier 2 starts at 17 staterooms, or 34 guests. Along with the tasting, pairing dinner, and savings, Tier 2 adds a private Scenic Freechoice excursion on Scenic river cruises and a complimentary Wine Host Suite, defined as category C on Scenic river ships, category B on Emerald yachts, and category DA on Scenic yachts. Shipping credits rise to as much as $2,000, and tour conductor earnings accelerate at this level.

How the wine logistics work

A common friction point for wine groups is the compliance and handling of bottles, especially across borders. Scenic says it will coordinate with approved logistics partners so wineries and advisors do not need to manage shipping themselves, an operational detail that helps ensure bottles arrive legally and are staged for tastings and dinners once on board. Advisors should validate lane-specific rules and any customs constraints that may limit quantities or timing.

Validity window and markets

The contracting window is time-boxed: the Wine Group Program is valid for new group agreements signed from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with bookings open now for the U.S. and Latin American markets. That timing allows advisors to target late-2025 through 2027 deployment across Europe's Rhine, Main, Danube and French rivers, Portugal's Douro, and Emerald's warm-water yacht regions, depending on availability.

Combinability and value stacking

Trade coverage indicates that group savings and commissions under the Wine Group Program may be combined with Scenic Select and Emerald Exclusive offers, loyalty benefits and future travel credits, subject to prevailing terms. Advisors should get combinability in writing on the group agreement and confirm any blackout dates, especially for holiday sailings or peak-demand itineraries.

Quote, demand signal

"Wine and travel have always gone hand-in-hand," says Ken Muskat, president of Scenic Group for the United States and Latin America. He frames the announcement as a response to growing interest in wine-themed travel and a way for advisors to craft groups that indulge a shared passion while the brand streamlines logistics behind the scenes.

Background

Scenic and Emerald have run food- and wine-forward events for years, but this program bundles the core elements, adds explicit shipping credits, and ties perks to clear guest counts. For river sailings, the private Freechoice excursion at Tier 2 can anchor a vineyard visit, cellar tour or blending workshop, while the complimentary host suite offsets the cost of bringing a winery principal or sommelier to lead tastings. Advisors serving winery clubs, retail shops or alumni groups should map their typical turnout to the tier thresholds, then price the program net of the shipping credits and per-person savings.

Final thoughts

For advisors with wine-interested clients, the program translates soft-benefit experiences into contractual value, with transparent tiers, meaningful shipping credits and an elevated host proposition. The contracting window runs through June 30, 2026, so the near-term opportunity is to secure prime river weeks and yacht departures while offer stacking is most favorable. Scenic Group's Wine Group Program gives advisors both a marketing hook and a margin tool for groups that want wine at the center of their cruise.