MOL Cruises Sets 2026 Launch for Mitsui Ocean Sakura
The former Seabourn Sojourn is being converted in Nagasaki and will carry up to 458 passengers in 229 ocean-view suites, most with balconies.
Updated September 30, 2026
MOL Cruises will place the 34,138-gross-ton Mitsui Ocean Sakura into service on Sept. 19, 2026, with a five-day round trip from Yokohama to Toba and Hidaka. The all-suite ship will carry up to 458 passengers and concentrate on short- and medium-length cruises in Japanese waters.
Mitsui Ocean Sakura becomes the second vessel in the Mitsui Ocean Cruises fleet. It succeeds Nippon Maru, which retired in May after about 35 years of service.
Maiden cruise starts a 29-sailing program
The debut voyage is scheduled to leave Yokohama at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19, call at Toba in Mie Prefecture and Hidaka in Wakayama Prefecture, and return at 9 a.m. on Sept. 23. Double-occupancy fares range from 372,000 yen to 1.241 million yen per person.
MOL Cruises has scheduled 29 voyages through December 2026. The program averages about three nights and includes round trips from ports around Japan. Many itineraries last between one and three nights.
At 198.15 meters long and 26 meters wide, Mitsui Ocean Sakura can call at smaller ports, remote islands and bays that are inaccessible to larger vessels. Its Japanese registry also permits itineraries operated entirely within Japan.
Former Seabourn ship converted for Japan
T. Mariotti completed the ship in Genoa in 2010, and it previously sailed as Seabourn Sojourn. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines acquired it in March 2025. Seabourn then chartered the vessel back through the completion of its world cruise in May 2026.
Mitsui Ocean Sakura arrived at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki on June 2 for conversion to MOL Cruises’ Japanese product and transfer to the Japanese flag. It is a sister ship to Mitsui Ocean Fuji, the former Seabourn Odyssey, which entered service for the operator in December 2024.
All 229 accommodations are ocean-view suites, with balconies fitted to approximately 90% of them. The largest is the 87-square-meter Signature Suite, which includes broad windows facing the sea.
The ship has five restaurants and three bars, alongside a cafe, a lounge, three pools, a spa and a fitness center. Dining options include the Japanese and Western menu at Restaurant Sakura, Hokusai Fine Dining supervised by chef Kiyomi Mikuni, and Sushi Bar Shiosai, a concept transferred from Nippon Maru. Shiosai has table and counter seating. Sushi is paired with Japanese sake.
The refit added a sea-facing footbath beside the Grand Pool. Guests can use it while fully clothed.
Fares include standard meals and drinks, onboard activities and shore excursions, although some restaurants and menu items carry additional charges.
A naming ceremony was held aboard Mitsui Ocean Sakura on Sept. 16 while the ship was berthed at Yokohama Shinko Pier Cruise Terminal. The ship’s first captain, Satoshi Ninomiya, said, “What our company has inherited throughout its long history is heartfelt service. We are determined to carry this spirit and tradition forward aboard Mitsui Ocean Sakura.”
Nippon Maru role passes to Sakura
Nippon Maru entered service in 1990 and completed its final voyage on May 10, 2026. Its retirement and Sakura’s arrival leave MOL Cruises with two former Seabourn sister ships under the Mitsui Ocean brand.
The operator has assigned Mitsui Ocean Fuji to medium- and long-duration voyages, while Sakura expands its short-cruise schedule. One of Sakura’s early 2027 sailings will depart Kobe on Jan. 3 for a three-day Seto Inland Sea cruise, with fares beginning at 194,000 yen per person.
Under Phase 2 of its BLUE ACTION 2035 management plan, MOL has positioned its cruise business as a stable revenue business intended to offset volatility in the shipping market. The group plans to pursue that strategy with the two-ship Mitsui Ocean fleet.
