MITSUI OCEAN SAKURA

MITSUI OCEAN SAKURA enters service with Yokohama maiden voyage

CruiseMitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) will put MITSUI OCEAN SAKURA into service on 19 September, when the ship sets out on its maiden voyage from Yokohama. The naming ceremony took place on 16 September at the Yokohama Shinko Pier Cruise Terminal. The ship was built as SEABOURN SOJOURN by T. Mariotti in Genoa in 2010 and sailed for Seabourn for 16 years. MOL announced the purchase in March 2025, and the ship's last Seabourn cruise ended in May 2026.

On 2 June it arrived at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki for a refit. There it was adapted for Mitsui Ocean Cruises’ Japanese product and moved to the Japanese flag.

MITSUI OCEAN SAKURA is the second former Seabourn ship in the fleet. It joins MITSUI OCEAN FUJI, the former SEABOURN ODYSSEY, which entered service in December 2024. As a Japanese-flagged ship, MITSUI OCEAN SAKURA now measures 34,138 GT. It is 198.15 m long and 26.0 m wide. All 229 cabins are ocean-view suites, with room for 458 passengers.

The ship will sail short and medium-length round trips from ports around Japan. Its first programme has 29 cruises over the three months to December 2026.

On board there are five restaurants, three bars, a café, a lounge, three pools, a spa and a fitness centre. Features added in the refit include Sushi Bar Shiosai, which has table and counter seating and pairs sushi with sake, and a Grand Pool Area with a footbath.

sep 17 2026