KOBE - Japan’s newest luxury cruise ship, Asuka III, offers passengers the experience of a high-end hotel at sea, combining private balconies, fine dining, Japanese-style bathing and personalized service on voyages around the country.
"Providing passengers with a comfortable voyage is our highest priority," said Toshimitsu Kamiya, the 50-year-old captain of the ship, which entered service on July 20, 2025.
In mid-June, passengers boarded Asuka III for a three-night, four-day round trip from Kobe to Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, receiving lavish hospitality in surroundings designed to make the vessel feel like a traveling hotel.
The ship departed Kobe at 5 p.m., arrived in Gamagori at 10 a.m. the following morning and remained there until 10 p.m. After spending the next day at sea, it returned to Kobe at 9 a.m. on the fourth day.
Published fares for the June cruise started at 360,000 yen per person for two passengers sharing a balcony cabin. Prices rose to 1.9 million yen per person for the Royal Penthouse, the ship’s highest accommodation category. Single-occupancy fares ranged from 480,000 yen for a Solo Balcony cabin to 3.8 million yen for the Royal Penthouse.
Asuka III is the first newly built oceangoing passenger ship commissioned by NYK Cruises in 34 years, following the original Asuka, which entered service in 1991. The company introduced Asuka II in 2006 and now operates both Asuka II and Asuka III.
Built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, Asuka III has gross tonnage of 52,265 and measures 230 meters long and 29.8 meters wide. It is registered in Yokohama and is the largest cruise ship registered in Japan by gross tonnage.
The vessel has 351 passenger cabins, capacity for 680 passengers and a crew of about 490, providing a relatively high level of staffing for the number of guests. Its cruising speed is up to 20 knots, or about 37 kilometers per hour.
Every cabin faces the sea and includes a private balcony. Accommodation is divided into penthouse, suite and balcony classes, ranging from rooms designed for solo travelers to two Royal Penthouse cabins offering dedicated butler service.
Some Midship Suites are decorated around themes representing Japan’s 47 prefectures, while the standard Asuka Balcony cabin received an international award for cruise-ship interior design in 2024.
The ship contains six restaurants serving French, Italian, Japanese, grilled and buffet meals. Passengers can select where and when they eat, rather than being restricted to a single dining room and fixed seating time. Some specialty restaurants require reservations or additional seating charges.
Japanese features include a large observation bath and an open-air bath at the bow, allowing passengers to watch the sea while bathing. Other facilities include a three-story atrium, swimming pool, two whirlpool baths, theater, lounges, sports courts, golf simulator and spaces equipped for remote work.
Art is displayed throughout the public areas and cabins. The main atrium contains an 8.8-meter-high lacquer artwork by Living National Treasure Kazumi Murose, while a fresco by contemporary artist Hiroshi Senju is displayed in the Gallery Cafe.
Asuka III is also Japan’s first cruise ship capable of operating on liquefied natural gas. Its engines can use LNG, heavy fuel oil or marine diesel oil, giving the operator flexibility while reducing sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions when LNG is used.
The ship conducted Japan’s first ship-to-ship LNG refueling involving a cruise vessel at Hakata Port on July 14, 2025, six days before entering service.
It is also equipped with a dynamic positioning system that can hold the ship in place without dropping anchor, reducing potential damage to the seabed. Rotating pod propulsion units improve maneuverability, while an onboard system allows the vessel to connect to electricity supplied from land and shut down its engines at suitably equipped ports.
The ship’s construction price has not been publicly disclosed. Early industry estimates placed the project at up to about 60 billion yen, but NYK Cruises has kept the final cost confidential.
Source: 産経ニュース
