MOL promotes the new cruise brand “MITSUI OCEAN CRUISESSM” and its ship “MITSUI OCEAN FUJISM”

November 14, 2023

(Shoichiro Yamashita, Head of MOL Cruise Business Innovation Project Unit at Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific) Photograph courtesy of Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines,participated in Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific 2023 which was held in Hong Kong in October. Shoichiro Yamashita, Head of the Cruise Business Innovation Project Unit, spoke at the press conference. The new cruise brand MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES and the cruise ship MITSUI OCEAN FUJI (note 2), which will be launched in December 2024, were introduced and it was also announced that MITSUI OCEAN FUJI will embark on an Around the World Cruise in April 2025

During the panel discussions, Yamashita, Senior Executive Advisor Anthony Kaufman, and Akira Shimizu, Member of the Board and Executive Officer of MOL Cruises, Ltd. (Director: Yusuke Ueno, Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo), discussed the recovery of the cruise business following COVID-19 and the industry’s future growth potential.

In its new management plan, “BLUE ACTION 2035”, formulated in March 2023, MOL Group set out to transform its portfolio into one that can remain profitable despite any volatility in the commercial shipping market. The cruise business is positioned in the travel and leisure sector with a stable and profitable businesses model. In addition to MITSUI OCEAN FUJI, MOL Group plans to add to its fleet of cruise ships through new shipbuilding and to strive to enhance MOL Group’s corporate value and realize the Group’s vision.

Seatrade is one of the largest cruise industry events in the world where cruise industry professionals gather to build networks and exchange information. In addition to Hong Kong, Seatrade Cruise Global (March, Miami, USA) and Seatrade Europe (September, Hamburg, Germany) were held in 2023. Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific was held in Hong Kong from October 24 to 26th, and more than 300 people from 23 countries participated.