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.
MOL Cruises will place the 34,138-gross-ton Mitsui Ocean Sakura into service on Sept. 19, 2026, beginning 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 and 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, with many itineraries lasting 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
The ship was completed by T. Mariotti in Genoa in 2010 and previously sailed as Seabourn Sojourn. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines acquired it in March 2025, after which Seabourn 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, the 87-square-meter Signature Suite, includes broad windows facing the sea.
The ship has five restaurants, three bars, a cafe, a lounge, three pools, a spa and a fitness center. Dining options include the Japanese and Western menu at Restaurant Sakura, chef Kiyomi Mikuni-supervised Hokusai Fine Dining and Sushi Bar Shiosai, a concept transferred from Nippon Maru. A sea-facing footbath was added beside the Grand Pool during the refit.
Fares include standard meals and drinks, onboard activities and shore excursions, although some restaurants and menu items carry additional charges.
During the naming ceremony in Yokohama, 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.
