In February 2020, many people died on board the Diamond Princess due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In September of the previous year, I boarded the ship for three nights and four days, and it was my first time in 4 years to board Japan’s famous ship, the Asuka II (owned by NYK Line).
I went on an experiential boat ride for three days and two nights. I booked the “Level K Court” cabin (the cheapest room) from Yokohama to Kobe.
A suite costs more than three times that amount.
I made the reservation from my PC, and since there is no cancellation fee until three weeks in advance, I made the reservation about two months in advance.
I received the tickets and itinerary two weeks ago.
The fare is 117,000 yen (per person) and about 40,000 yen per day, and the DP ship is about 20,000 yen, it is double the price.
All meals are inclusive, but alcohol drinks are not be inclusive.
*Here are my impressions from boarding the ship. Due to the limitations of this blog, I will only have three photos. I will also post them on Facebook.
- The training of over 400 staff members was perfect. I exchanged business cards with two Japanese staff members.
- Most of the employees, including regular employees, were Filipinos.
- The room with a view of the lifeboat was a problem.The advertisement that “everything faces the sea” is correct, but this room felt unomfortable for me.
- The foods chooseing from many uique dishes were delicious, but the tea was not my favorite.
- The interior of the room, that bath (tub), and furniture were comfortable. However, the bed in this “K Court” was a little narrow in size.
- Some of the participants on board the DP had terrible manners, but I have never encountered such kind of people in Asuka.
- Compared to the DP issue 4 years ago, there were more female participants, and we had a chance to say hello, but I met some participants who seemed distant, probably because of the post-Covid-19 situation.
@ Reference 1: Among Japanese ships, Asuka II (872 passengers) and Nippon Maru (532 passengers) are very popular.
The unique feature is that the number of passengers on board is less than 1,000. On the other hand, Italian MSC, which is operating in Japan and CosTa, huge British cruise ship, is trying hard to sell to fill its seats. MSC: 5,686 people, Diamond Prince:
Those are a large luxury cruise ship that can accommodate 2,706 people. There is also the Icon of the Seas, which can accommodate approximately 8,000 people.
@ Reference 2: Mitsui O.S.K. Cruises will launch a new ship in December 2024 (a more luxurious version of the Nippon Maru with 458 passengers and 229 rooms).
Asuka III starts to service around summer 2025 (740 passengers).
*Kobe Port has the best track record for cargo transportation in Japan and has a long history, although the pier for passenger ships is smaller than expected.
The connection (berthing) to the monorail station (Port Terminal Station) after disembarking the ship was convenient and had the best access.