Japanese shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has purchased a second luxury cruise ship from Seabourn.
The 32,000 ton, 458-passenger ship, currently trading as Seabourn Sojourn, will be operated by MOL Cruises, Ltd. 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, is positioning its cruise business as a new growth field.
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.
The company said details of the ship’s new name, drydock improvements and itineraries will be forthcoming, adding that the itineraries already announced for Mitsui Ocean Fuji and Nippon Maru will remain unaffected by this purchase.
