Asuka II in 2009.
History
Japan
Name
  • 1990–2006: Crystal Harmony
  • 2006 onwards: Asuka II (飛鳥II)
Owner
Operator
  • 1990–2006: Crystal Cruises
  • 2006 onwards: Nippon Yusen Kaisha[1]
Port of registry
BuilderMitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki, Japan[1]
Yard number2100[1]
Launched30 September 1989[1]
AcquiredJuly 1990[1]
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
TypeCruise ship
Tonnage
Length241 m (790 ft 8 in)[2]
Beam29.6 m (97 ft 1 in)[2]
Draught7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)[2]
Decks8[3]
Installed power
  • Four MAN diesel Engines
  • 32,800 kW (combined)[4]
Speed21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)[2]
Capacity960 passengers[4]
Crew545[4]
Japanese name
Kanji飛鳥II
Hiraganaあすかツー

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, 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 mi (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]

2006 onwards: Asuka II

Asuka II moored at Kobe, Japan in September 2006

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.[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]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Asklander, Micke. "M/S Crystal Harmony (1990)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2008-12-31. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Asuka II – Ship Outline" (in Japanese). NYK Cruises Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  3. ↑ "Asuka II". 20th Century Ships. Archived from the original on 2010-01-12. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  4. 1 2 3 Larsen, Robert. "M/S Asuka II". Skip-siden (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  5. ↑ "Crystal Harmony in Wetdock". Cruise Industry News. 16 October 1990. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  6. ↑ "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 (in Japanese). 16 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "One positive COVID-19 test on Japan luxury cruise ship; passengers disembarking". Reuters. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
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