MS Asuka II (飛鳥II) 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.[1] As of August 2022[update], she was the largest cruise ship in Japan.
Service history
1990–2006: Crystal Harmony
Asuka II as Crystal Harmony
During Crystal Harmony's 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 200 miles (320 km) 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.[5]
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.[citation needed]
She caught fire again on June 16, 2020, while at dock in Yokohama.[6]
The last voyage will end on 29 March 2025 in Yokohama, to be followed be a world cruise from Yokohama (31.03.2025) to Kobe (7.12.2015).[7][8]
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.[9]
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