Japanese shipping company the NYK Group, via its subsidiaries Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and NYK Cruises, have entered into a basic business partnership agreement with leisure and tourism company Oriental Land concerning Japan-based cruise services, which the latter aims to launch in fiscal year 2028.
In line with the basic agreement, the three companies will discuss the following matters conducted by the NYK Group regarding Oriental Land's development of a cruise business:
Consulting for the cruise business
Management of cruise ships and their operations
Oriental Land and the NYK Group will jointly work towards achieving Oriental Land’s goal of providing family entertainment cruise experiences by combining its expertise in hospitality and the NYK Group's proven cruise operations and safety technology developed through its cargo transportation and Asuka cruise businesses.
The partnership will operate Asuka III, a cruise ship currently under construction at Germany's Meyer Werft. Upon completion, the DNV-classed ship will have a length of 230 metres, a beam of 29.8 metres, a gross tonnage of 52,200, accommodation for 744 guests, and a propulsion system that will run primarily on LNG.