Successful Launch of MITSUI OCEAN FUJI Prompts Purchase; Ship to Enter Service in Late 2026

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, announced that it has purchased a second luxury cruise ship from Seabourn. Currently trading as Seabourn Sojourn, the 32,000 ton, 458-passenger ship, will be operated by MOL Cruises, under a new name and the MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES brand in late 2026, after completing its Seabourn deployment.

MOL, the parent company of the Japanese cruise line with more than 140 years of experience in the industry, previously announced it is positioning its cruise business as a new growth field. The successful debut of MITSUI OCEAN FUJI enabled the cruise line to advance expansion ahead of newbuild vessels in the future. Launched in 2010, the ship is a younger sister ship to MITSUI OCEAN FUJI, which was also purchased from Seabourn in March 2023.

“We launched MITSUI OCEAN FUJI in December 2024, and are very pleased with the guest reaction to the ship and onboard product,” said Tsunemichi Mukai, President of MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES. “The ship’s spacious suites, delicious food and exciting entertainment are receiving very positive reviews. While all new cruise ships take a little time to settle in, the experience on MITSUI OCEAN FUJI is continuously improving, and we are now extremely confident these two ships are the most suitable vessels to expand our cruise business and offer “FUNATABI – Beautiful encounters with Japan,” in a way only MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES can offer.”

Before entering passenger service, the new vessel will undergo a significant refurbishment in drydock and will be re-registered and launched as a Japanese flagged ship. The new vessel will offer a variety of short, domestic itineraries in and around the Sea of Japan that are easy for guests to enjoy. Like NIPPON MARU and MITSUI OCEAN FUJI, this smaller sized ship will take its guests to exciting ports of call, enabling everyone to enjoy the local culture and traditions of Japan, without the crowds of larger ships.

Details of the ship’s new name, drydock improvements and itineraries will be forthcoming. The itineraries already announced for MITSUI OCEAN FUJI and NIPPON MARU will remain unaffected by this purchase.