NYK Cruises Announces 2026 Summer and Autumn Asuka III Cruise Schedule

NYK Cruises has announced the full schedule of 31 summer and autumn 2026 cruises to be operated by the cruise ship Asuka III.

The lineup includes itineraries timed with Japan’s summer festivals, such as courses that allow guests to watch the Tateyama Bay Fireworks Festival, the Kanmon Straits Fireworks Festival, and the Kumano Grand Fireworks Festival from onboard the ship, as well as a “Summer Hakata & Busan Cruise” scheduled to coincide with the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival in Fukuoka, Japan.

For northern Japan and the Hokkaido area, multiple itineraries will visit various parts of Hokkaido by combining ports located in the east, west, south, and north of the island. For the Seto Inland Sea area of western Japan, itineraries such as the “Autumn Seto Inland Sea Wakayama & Shodoshima Cruise round-trip from Hakata,” the “Autumn Seto Inland Sea Beppu Cruise round-trip from Kobe,” and the “Autumn Seto Inland Sea Hyuga & Matsuyama Cruise” will be offered, allowing guests to enjoy the scenic seascape of island-studded waters and views of bridges during the autumn excursion season.

For remote islands in Japan, in addition to Amami Oshima and Tanegashima, the first-ever Ogasawara Cruise by Asuka III will be operated. Six one-way “travel-style” cruises, in which the embarkation and disembarkation ports differ, will also be available, including the “Early Summer Yokkaichi & Yokohama Cruise departing from Kobe” and the “Summer Toba & Kobe Cruise departing from Yokohama.” These itineraries are designed to make it easy to combine pre- and post-cruise stays using Yokohama, Kobe, and Hakata (Fukuoka) as bases.

In addition, for cruises departing between June 15 and July 18, a special anniversary menu commemorating the start of service will be offered at some onboard restaurants.

Bookings will be accepted from 10:30 a.m. on December 12, 2025, through the company’s cruise desk, its official website, and travel agencies that handle Asuka III cruises.