On October 12, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Mitsui O.S.K. Cruises (MOL) announced a new cruise brand, “MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES. At the same time, they also announced the name of their new ship, the first of which is the MITSUI OCEAN FUJI, which will be launched in December 2024 and begin round-the-world travel in 2025.
The company’s goal is to build a portfolio that can remain profitable even during shipping recessions and to strengthen its stable cruise business accordingly. The first of the new ships is scheduled to be launched in December 2024, and the second and third in 2027 or later.
The cruise business is in a rapid recovery phase after the Corona disaster, and the number of cruise passengers as well as the number of cruise ship calls is growing. 2023 is expected to see 1826 calls (566 by Japanese carriers and 1260 by foreign carriers), which is about 60% of the 2019 number.
The first new ship, MITSUI OCEAN FUJI, will have all rooms set aside as suites, with seven types of suites: “Garden Suite” (2 rooms), “Signature Suite” (2 rooms), “Luxury Suite” (5 rooms), “Penthouse SPA Suite” (4 rooms), “Penthouse Suite” (23 rooms), ” Veranda Suite” (167 rooms), and “Ocean View Suite” (26 rooms) (229 rooms in total). The maximum room area is 85m2, 90% of which have a veranda of up to 33m2, and some rooms have a bathroom with jets. In addition, since all rooms are suites, personal butlers and attendants have been set up to provide a meticulous attention to detail and service experience.
Initially, the ship will operate mainly 2- to 3-night cruises as an unveiling, with cruises of about one week to enjoy the season at ports of call popular with inbound passengers, followed by a round-the-world cruise in 2025.
The 100-day cruise will depart on April 12, 2025, and will travel to 24 ports of call in 16 countries and 14 world heritage sites.
© Source travel watch