Japan’s new Mitsui Ocean Sakura to sail mainly on short voyages
Saturday will see Mitsui Ocean Sakura begin service with 229 guest rooms, five restaurants, poolside footbaths and an 87-square-metre Signature Suite.
- The new Japanese vessel, Mitsui Ocean Sakura, will be used by operator MOL Cruises primarily for short sailings lasting one to three nights.
- An example of a scheduled trip is a three-day journey around the Seto Inland Sea in western Japan, planned for January 2027 with prices starting at 194,000 yen.
- The all-suite ship succeeds the Nippon Maru and features 229 rooms and five restaurants.
MOL Cruises Ltd plans to use Mitsui Ocean Sakura primarily for short sailings after the all-suite Japanese vessel enters service on Saturday.
At roughly 200 metres long, it will operate trips lasting one to three nights.
Footbaths will be available next to a swimming pool, while the ship accommodates guests in 229 rooms and provides five restaurants.
The 87-square-metre Signature Suite is the largest room on board.
Large windows allow guests to look out over the ocean.
Among the scheduled trips is a three-day journey around the Seto Inland Sea in western Japan, beginning on January 3, 2027.
Prices start at 194,000 yen per person.
The Port of Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture, which faces the inland sea, will serve as both the departure and arrival point.
The new vessel succeeds Nippon Maru following the end of that ship’s 35-year service.
Before the debut, MOL Cruises showed journalists the vessel’s interior in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, on Wednesday (September 16).
The Tokyo-based operator is an affiliate of major Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.
At a ceremony in Yokohama that day, Tsunemichi Mukai, president of MOL Cruises, said: “We want to deliver special and unforgettable experiences to our guests.”
The company’s plan to attract cruise demand covers both Mitsui Ocean Sakura and Mitsui Ocean Fuji, which debuted at the end of 2024.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
