MOL names 32,000-ton cruise ship as it strengthens foothold in cruise business

December 9, 2024, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

MOL Cruises, part of Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), has named a 32,000-ton cruise ship purchased from the US-based cruise line Seabourn Cruise Line in 2023.

Mitsui Ocean Fuji in Yokohama. Courtesy of MOL

The ceremony to mark the Mitsui Ocean Fuji’s entry into service was held at the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal on December 7, 2024. The 167-meter-long Nippon Maru was also in port to greet Mitsui Ocean Fuji, the company said.

In late September 2024, MOL celebrated the handover ceremony of the former 32,477-ton Seabourn Odyssey in Yokohama.

To remind, the Japanese company purchased the 458-passenger ship in March 2023. Following the acquisition, the unit—which features a length of 198.15 meters and a breadth of 25.6 meters—was immediately chartered back to Seabourn for a year and a half.

The purchase is said to be in line with the MOL Group’s management plan “Blue Action 2035” aimed at diversifying the company’s portfolio to offset the volatility of commercial shipping markets.

An element of this plan is to focus on the cruise business, which is, in the words of MOL, “a stable and profitable” industry not affected by the same market conditions as other shipping markets. The group plans to add new vessels to the Mitsui Ocean Fuji in the future.

As disclosed, the debut voyage comprises six cruises from the Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai regions from December 2024 to January 2025, with stops in Beppu, Shingu, Kochi, Takamatsu, Kagoshima, and Busan and Jeju Island in South Korea.

What is more, Mitsui Ocean Fuji is scheduled to embark on an around-the-world cruise in April 2025. During the 100-day voyage, the ship is planned to call 24 ports.