Cruise ship swings by Saipan as part of annual voyage

Japan’s largest cruise ship, the M/S Asuka II, made its annual voyage to Saipan yesterday morning, bringing 400 passengers and 470 officers and crew members for an overnight stay on island.

The 240.96-meter long vessel (about 790 feet), owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha, arrived after 10 hours of travel from Guam and docked at the seaport by 9am.

Asuka II’s visit is part of a 10-day cruise that began in Yokohama, stopping over at Kobe, then spending three days at sea before reaching Guam and subsequently Saipan before it heads back to Japan.

The ship’s arrival comes over a week after the aborted passenger landing last March 15 of another cruise liner, Queen Mary 2.

Commonwealth Ports Authority Port of Saipan manager Mary Ann Q. Lizama said yesterday that a floral shower was provided “as the ship was coming in,” while the Marianas Visitors Authority made arrangements for the local performers who entertained the ship’s passengers and crew at the port. Saipan Shipping served as the ship’s husbanding agent while R&C Tours was the tour agent.

Lizama led a four-member party of reporters that boarded Asuka II for a tour conducted by first purser Yukiko Shindo.

Originally built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries out of Nagasaki for Crystal Cruises fleet, Asuka II can accommodate up to 800 passengers and has eight passenger-accessible decks.

Majority of their passengers, Shindo said, are Japanese retirees.

Shindo, who has been working for Asuka II for over six years now, described their voyage from Guam to Saipan as “very calm, nice, and quiet.”

According to Shindo, Asuka II usually visits the Marianas toward the end of the year. During their December trip, however, the ship went to Asia, visiting China and Hong Kong in time for New Year.

The ship, scheduled to depart Saipan today at 7am, is expected back in Yokohama, Japan on March 30 where she only has two days before leaving for its famed 100-day cruise, bringing passengers to a tour of Asia, South Africa, South America, United States, and Canada before heading back to Japan.

The cost for the 100-day cruise, Shindo said, can go as high as $2,500 per night per person or over $4,000 for couples staying at their most expensive suite, the Royal Suite. Meanwhile, a regular cabin would cost about $600 per night, which Shindo said is the “most reasonable” cost. Rates are inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner but not alcoholic beverages.

Lizama said that the Ports Authority receives three to four cruise ships a year and Asuka II has been visiting the island regularly that the agency decided to have the ship’s logo painted on the port’s bridge.

“She’s always a sight to see. Saipan is her home and it’s always going to be a home that they can come back to,” she added.