MS Asuka II explained

MS is a cruise ship owned and operated by Nippon Yusen Kaisha. She was originally built by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan, as Crystal Harmony for Crystal Cruises. In 2006, Crystal Harmony was transferred from the fleet of Crystal Cruises to that of Crystal's parent company, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, and entered service under her current name., she was the largest cruise ship in Japan.

Service history

1990–2006: Crystal Harmony

During Crystal Harmonys maiden voyage in the South American and Caribbean waters, the ship caught on fire due to a fuel leak in an auxiliary engine room some 200miles from Cristóbal. Crystal Harmony drifted without power for sixteen hours but after repairs made it to port under her own steam and disembarked her passengers in Panama. She sailed to the island of Curaçao, escorted by a tugboat, for repairs.^[1]

2006 onwards: Asuka II

After fifteen years of service, Crystal Harmony was retired from the Crystal fleet in 2005. She was transferred to the parent company Nippon Yusen Kaisha to replace the Asuka. She then underwent renovation and re-entered service as Asuka II.

She caught fire again on June 16, 2020, while at dock in Yokohama.^[2]

A new ship named Asuka III is planned for 2025.^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

2021 COVID-19 case

On 30 April 2021, the ship was en route from the Port of Yokohama and was scheduled to stop at Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures when one case of COVID-19 was detected on board. The passenger was reportedly stable and in isolation in a cabin. The ship returned to Yokohama where the rest of passengers and crew were disembarked.^[7]

External links

• Marine traffic
• asukacruise.co.jp

Upload 28 June https://web.archive.org/web/20240628152025/https://scontent-ham3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/449378257_855074659988836_6395993586161061562_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=ue-c_AKd4ywQ7kNvgEZZdap&_nc_ht=scontent-ham3-1.xx&oh=00_AYAw1ujQjhxUFsM_S9a1G4KLQt2teYVqzBmkvC-VLVlFsQ&oe=6684AD5B

Notes and References

1. Web site: Crystal Harmony in Wetdock. Cruise Industry News. 16 October 1990 . 24 October 2017.
2. News: 大型客船「飛鳥IIか 「ら黒煙 横浜に停泊中. Black smoke from the large cruise ship "Asuka II" anchored in Yokohama. Asahi. 16 June 2020. Japanese.
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20240530193901/https://scontent-muc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/177023159_953313448776506_5365972085241621395_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=wzeSYdAhDD0Q7kNvgES3n9S&_nc_ht=scontent-muc2-1.xx&oh=00_AYDtwJU3sY7PoSL1GJK_Y4KChAElW2SV9eyeufAynxYc7w&oe=668030A9
4. https://scontent-ham3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/448924702_25800680959579377_720711190077313664_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=2Mg4jgSxkHYQ7kNvgEYa7wS&_nc_ht=scontent-ham3-1.xx&oh=00_AYBBMFpGJGw5XcCurHkmO1OxtI99EuukBBK0rlTpUjIHCQ&oe=667DA32A
5. https://web.archive.org/web/20240623065209/https://scontent-ham3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/448924702_25800680959579377_720711190077313664_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=2Mg4jgSxkHYQ7kNvgEYa7wS&_nc_ht=scontent-ham3-1.xx&oh=00_AYBBMFpGJGw5XcCurHkmO1OxtI99EuukBBK0rlTpUjIHCQ&oe=667DA32A Upload on 22 June 2024
6. https://www.meyerwerft.de/en/ships/n.n._2025.jsp
7. News: One positive COVID-19 test on Japan luxury cruise ship; passengers disembarking. 30 April 2021. Reuters. 30 April 2021.