Princess Cruises base in the Land of Rising Sun

Princess Cruises has announced that it will continue with deploying the Diamond Princess again onto its Japan routes. The line will also introduce cruises as short as three nights to appeal to local travelers seeking a quick get-away.

Beginning next April, the Japanese-built Diamond Princess will operate sailings from Yokohama (for Tokyo) and Kobe. Twenty departures on a mix of itineraries will visit more than 20 destinations in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Russia. Sailings will range up to 17 nights. The 2015 cruise season will begin in 2015 with a special Golden Week itinerary, following sailing around the region in East Asia. Being based in Kobe, it will continue with a new route, sailing in 10 days cruise that includes the northern destinations in Japan, such as Aomori, Hakodate, Otaru and Abashiri. More programs throughout 2015 will take off, following the above-mentioned routes.

Diamond Princess recently underwent a $30m refurbishment at Singapore’s Sembawang Shipyard that added Izumi Japanese bath, the largest of its kind at sea, as well as a Kai Sushi restaurant, new shopping areas and other features.

Dining room menus serve international Princess cuisine, while additional offerings cater to Japanese tastes, and an a la carte sushi bar will be opened. Other amenities such as the spa treatments are tailored to Japanese preferences, and on-board collateral items and stateroom information will be translated into Japanese.