Nippon Maru

The 1990-built MS Nippon Maru was constructed in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Kobe and delivered to Mitsui OSK in September 1990.

The vessel (IMO number 8817631) is currently Japan-flagged (MMSI 431302000) and registered in Tokyo. Other Japan-flagged cruise ships include NYK Line’s Asuka 2 (1990-built) and Asuka 3 (2025).

In November 2022, Takeshi Hashimoto (President and CEO of Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd) announced that the company was considering a USD 710 million investment in two newbuild cruise ships, with options for two additional sisterships of the same class.

IMPORTANT: In June 2025, it was announced that in May 2026 the 36-year-old Nippon Maru will be retired from service and scrapped. During her service with MOL Cruises Ltd, the vessel completed more than 2,000 voyages, carried over 600,000 passengers, visited 400+ Japanese and foreign ports, and sailed approximately 5.33 million km (3.31 million mi)—equivalent to circumnavigating the globe 133 times.

History – construction and ownership

The vessel’s keel-laying ceremony was held in October 1989 at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Kobe–Osaka shipyard. Construction began under hull number 1188. The ship was launched on March 8, 1990, and delivered to Tokyo-based Mitsui OSK on September 22. The inaugural voyage departed on September 27, sailing from Kobe to Keelung–Taipei (Taiwan) and Hong Kong (China).

The vessel is operated by Mitsui OSK Passenger Line/Mitsui Ocean Cruises, a subsidiary of MOL/Mitsui OSK Lines, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies. MOL (founded in 1884) is headquartered in Tokyo and is a core company of the Mitsui Group.

MOL’s current fleet includes container ships, bulk carriers, LNG carriers, tankers, ro-ro vessels (including ferries), and two MOPAS-operated cruise ships—Nippon Maru and Mitsui Ocean Fuji (formerly Seabourn Odyssey; 2009-built/2023-acquired).

MOL Group also plans to order two new cruise ships designed with a maximum passenger capacity of around 600.

During the ship’s 2008 drydock refurbishment, Nippon Maru’s hull was repainted black. MOL’s other liner, Fuji Maru (1988-built), was decommissioned in December 2013.

Decks and Cabins

The ship has a total of 194 passenger staterooms, including 9 Suites located forward on Deck 6, immediately adjacent to the Navigation Bridge/Wheelhouse.

There are 9 passenger-accessible decks, of which 6 contain cabins.

Three midship lifts/elevators serve Decks 1 through 7.

Deck 0 is a service deck with a starboard midship tendering area and crew-only spaces (machinery, crew cabins, storage, Messhall).

Deck 1 contains the Infirmary/Clinic and additional crew facilities.

Deck 2 features the Mizuho Restaurant (midship–aft Main Dining Room), the Main Entrance/Lobby Hall (port and starboard entrances, Reception/Front Desk, Cruise Salon/Sales Office), the Smoking Lounge (midship–starboard), and one Utility Room.

Deck 3 houses the Tour Desk (shore excursion information and bookings), the Dolphin Photoshop, two Utility Rooms, and four Laundry Rooms. Aft are the two Grand Baths (men’s and women’s), each with adjacent Dressing Rooms/Lockers.

Deck 4 includes the aft Dolphin Hall (lower level), one Utility Room, and the wraparound Promenade Deck.

Deck 5 offers the Beginner’s Luck Casino Lounge & Bar, Conference Room, E-Café & Library (Reading Lounge), Card Room, Boutique Anchor, Buoy Shop, the upper level of Dolphin Hall, and the Dolphin Lounge. This deck also carries the ship’s six service boats (two tenders, two lifeboats, two rescue boats).

Deck 6 includes the Kasuga Restaurant (a-la-carte specialty dining), Shiosai (Sushi Bar), Midship Bar, Mermaid Theater (main show lounge/cinema), Umi Lounge, and the Navigation Bridge (with the Captain’s Suite and officers’ quarters).

Deck 7 features the aft Sports Deck, port and starboard Sports Verandas (outdoor gym zones), Lido Terrace, the lower Sun Deck, the wellness complex (Oasis Gym & Studio, Spa & Beauty Salon), and the bow-facing Horizon Lounge & Bar with its outdoor Horizon Deck.

Deck 8 includes the upper Sun Deck, the Walking Track, the Sliding Roof (retractable glass cover over the Lido Pool area), and the funnels/smokestacks.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

Facilities include the Main Dining Room (complimentary), a Sushi Bar (a-la-carte, featuring fresh fish sourced locally), Horizon Bar Lounge, Café and Library, Mermaid Theater (for live performances), Lido Terrace (indoor lounge on Lido Deck), the Sun Deck with swimming pool, and the Wellness Complex (SPA, Hair Salon, Gym, Sauna, treatment rooms, and two indoor baths with aft-facing views).

The ship also offers a Card Room and a Casino.

Mitsui OSK cruise fares generally range from USD 400–500 per person per night (double occupancy). As a luxury product, cruises are all-inclusive except for alcoholic beverages.

Nearly all Mitsui OSK cruise passengers are Japanese.

Onboard cuisine is predominantly traditional Japanese, complemented by Western options.

Itineraries

Previously operating exclusively in East Asia, in 2001 the ship completed her first around-the-world cruise. Nippon Maru’s itinerary program ranges from short overnight sailings to extended voyages around Japan and throughout Southeast Asia.

Mitsui OSK’s “One Night Cruise” program consists of three themed offerings, each carefully curated to provide a relaxed travel experience and expand Japan’s homeport cruise market.

In 2017, the “Tonde” fly-cruise program was introduced, offering a full circumnavigation of Kyushu Island (Japan’s third largest). The itinerary visited all Kyushu prefectures—Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Oita, Saga, Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Okinawa. The roundtrip from Hakata–Fukuoka City included calls to Beppu, Miyazaki City, Kagoshima, Tokunoshima, Misumi, and Karatsu.

The Kyushu-themed cruise became highly popular for combining sea travel with flights and trains, and for featuring regional specialties from each prefecture.

In 2018, Nippon Maru operated exclusively in Japan, offering 1- to 8-day voyages. In spring, the ship sailed to the Okinawa Islands and Taiwan. The fly-cruise program incorporated domestic and international flights to and from major cities. MOL Cruises plans itineraries combining domestic and international voyages, themed events, and local festivals. Longer voyages also visit the USA’s Pacific territories—Saipan Island and Guam Island (Micronesia). Mitsui OSK is also considering adding one or two Southeast Asian cities as alternative homeports.

MS Nippon Maru currently calls at approximately 150 Japanese ports.

The annual “Grand Cruise” is a two-month circumnavigation of Japan.

“Island Cruise” itineraries visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites—Ogasawara/Bonin Islands and Yakushima Island.

“Fly and Cruise” itineraries also include Hokkaido Island (Shiretoko Peninsula, Otaru/Sapporo, Rebun Island), Okinawa Island, and Taiwan (Keelung).

Asian-themed voyages include the “Taiwan Grand Cruise” (visiting Keelung–Taipei, Kaohsiung, Hualien) and the “Gourmet Cruise” (to Hong Kong, Keelung, Kaohsiung).

“South Pacific Islands Cruise” itineraries from Kobe include calls to Yokohama, Guam Island (USA), Tahiti Island (French Polynesia), and Hawaii (USA).

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, in 2020 Nippon Maru suspended all Mitsui OSK Cruises scheduled between March and November. The revised program—focused mainly on Japanese coastal voyages—operated between November 2020 and August 2021 and included 37 departures. Passenger capacity (398 lower berths) was limited to 40–60%, and 20 cabins were designated for onboard quarantine.