Asuka Cruises Plans New Ship to Replace Aging Asuka II

Asuka Cruises is preparing plans for a new cruise ship to replace Asuka II, with an order not expected before April 2028 and investment potentially exceeding 100 billion yen ($610 million), Nikkei Asia reported. The project would follow the mid-2025 introduction of Asuka III from Meyer Werft and continue fleet renewal at NYK Cruises, the NYK Line subsidiary that operates the Asuka brand.

No shipyard, dimensions or passenger count has been disclosed for the prospective newbuild. Nikkei said detailed planning is likely to begin after NYK Line’s separate cruise venture with Oriental Land moves into full operation in 2028.

Replacement plan centers on Asuka II

Asuka II has operated for Asuka Cruises since 2006, after being built for Crystal Cruises at Mitsubishi Shipyard in Japan in 1990. The ship measures about 50,000 gross tons and 241 meters and runs on four MAN/Mitsubishi diesel engines. Nikkei reported that those engines and other components are considered outdated in 2026.

The ship is the older half of Asuka’s current two-vessel fleet, which also includes the LNG-powered Asuka III. Both ships are based in Yokohama.

Asuka II succeeded the original Asuka, a smaller 29,000-ton cruise ship built at Mitsubishi that later left NYK and is now in service with Phoenix Reisen.

NYK will manage a Disney-branded ship for Oriental Land

NYK Line is also working with Oriental Land on a Disney-branded cruise operation in Japan. Oriental Land, which operates Tokyo Disney Resort, announced an agreement with Disney Cruise Line and is building a Wish-class vessel for the new business.

Under that arrangement, NYK Line will provide business consulting services and act as ship and operations manager. The Disney vessel is under construction in Germany as a 140,000-ton ship and is scheduled for delivery by Meyer Werft in the fourth quarter of 2028.