Star Cruises' SuperStar Virgo will embark passengers at Yokohama (Tokyo) and Osaka starting in July on a seven-night itinerary that visits Kagoshima, Shimizu (for Mount Fuji) and Shanghai.
Earlier, Star had announced the ship would be sailing from Shanghai on five-night cruises to Osaka and Kagoshima. With the new week-long itinerary, passengers can also embark in Shanghai.
The deployment 'reaffirms our commitment to this important source market for Star Cruises,' said president Ang Moo Lim. 'Our Japanese guests will now be able to enjoy the most popular tourist destinations in China and Japan with all the comforts and convenience found only on a cruise vacation. With weekly departures from Tokyo and Osaka, we are confident this new itinerary will further boost the outbound cruise travel industry in Japan.'
More than 15.6m Japanese took a leisure trip abroad in 2016.
Beginning in April, Japan will also get its first look at Dream Cruises when Genting Dream makes maiden calls at Naha and Miyakojima in Okinawa from its dual homeports in Hong Kong and Nansha, Guangzhou.
'With pristine beaches, crystal clear waters and myriad cultural and historic attractions, Okinawa, Japan, is a natural and popular choice for Genting Dream this summer,' said Thatcher Brown, president of Dream Cruises.
As an option for Japanese travelers to experience Dream Cruises, Genting Dream will begin homeporting in Singapore for one year starting Dec. 2 to cater to the regional fly/cruise market.
The ship will sail from Marina Bay Cruise Centre, and this marks the first time Singapore has hosted a large-scale, 151,300gt cruise vessel for an extended period and the first homeport for Genting Dream in Southeast Asia.
Singapore is a popular and well-developed travel hub for the region. Genting Dream will offer two-night cruises to nowhere and five-night cruises to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Phuket or to Surabaya (Java) and Bali.
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