Seto Inland Sea Cruise on the Asuka II: Preparations & Day 1

From August 20–25, 2026, I took a 6-day cruise aboard the luxury liner Asuka II. I’m excited to share my experience!

Asuka Cruises offers various itineraries, and we joined the “Iwakuni & Seto Inland Sea Cruise.” Departing from Yokohama Port in Kanagawa Prefecture, the route sailed through the Seto Inland Sea, calling at Iwakuni Port in Yamaguchi Prefecture before returning to Yokohama. It was a very kid-friendly voyage complete with onboard summer festival stalls, craft workshops, and even a private fireworks display.

While there weren’t many international passengers, I did spot a few. Cruising has a passionate following with many repeaters, but as a first-timer, I was beyond excited even before setting off.

Our group of five included my mother-in-law, my child, my sister-in-law, my sister-in-law’s child, and me. My sister-in-law handled all the arrangements, so all I had to do was show up!

Ahead of the trip, we received a complete package containing brochures, the detailed itinerary, boarding passes, and luggage shipping tags, and so on. (If you book through an English website, you’ll receive English versions, which are also available on the official website.)

Dress Code & Packing

The Asuka II enforces an evening dress code after 5:00 PM, categorized into three levels: Casual, Informal, and Formal. It’s always best to check your itinerary beforehand.

My sister-in-law mentioned that a cocktail dress might be needed, so before our documents arrived, I bought an inexpensive dress on SHEIN that looked quite high-end.

However, when the official itinerary arrived, there were no “Formal” nights scheduled at all—only Casual and Informal! Perhaps because it was a family-friendly cruise?

Informal usually just requires a nice day dress, so my formal dress wasn’t strictly necessary. Still, since I had bought it, I wore it anyway. It turned out many passengers were quite dressed up that evening, so I didn’t feel out of place at all—in fact, it felt like the right choice! While underdressing is a no-no, dressing up a bit more is totally fine.

Directions & Boarding at Yokohama Port

The ship was scheduled to depart at 5:00 PM from Yokohama Osanbashi International Passenger Terminal, with check-in running from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Check-in times were staggered based on cabin deck and membership status. We were on Deck 7, so our slot was at 3:45 PM (specified in our pre-trip documents).

The closest station to Osanbashi Terminal is Nihon-odori Station on the Minatomirai Line. From JR Shinagawa Station—a major gateway in Tokyo for heading toward Yokohama—it takes about 40 minutes including transfer time. We took the Tokaido Line to JR Yokohama Station, transferred to the Minatomirai Line, and got off at Nihon-odori Station.

Walking Route:

After passing the ticket gates at Nihon-odori Station, head right toward Exit 4. Follow the signs to the elevator and take it to ground level.

Head left outside, then immediately turn left at the “Osanbashi-iriguchi” intersection.

Walking straight ahead.

You will see the ship in the distance.

There was the Asuka II—massive, stylish, and exciting! Its signature red and navy lines give it an iconic cruise look.

Keeping the ship on our left, we walked further down to the main entrance of Osanbashi Terminal. Inside, check-in counters and plenty of waiting chairs were set up.

Coin lockers were available.

At the back was a pleasant lounge area with vending machines and ocean views, where we could see the Yokohama Bay Bridge.

From the visitor’s deck outside, we had a clear view of the ship’s lifeboats and stateroom balconies.

Check-in & Stateroom

At 3:45 PM, Deck 7 check-in opened. We presented our IDs and received our boarding cards, which serve as room keys, onboard payment cards, and ID for embarking and disembarking.

The walkway to the boarding gate was lined with photos of the ship’s various destinations. To my surprise, I spotted a photo of the Moai statues! Taking a cruise to Easter Island sounds amazing—I’d love to do that someday.

Stepping onboard, we were greeted by a lavish interior that immediately raised our spirits.

Our Room: We stayed in a Category F oceanview room on Deck 7 (without a balcony), located on the lowest passenger deck. My mother-in-law had wanted a balcony room, but they were already fully booked when we reserved. Still, the room was spotless, the bathroom was clean, the window view was great, and the stay was very comfortable.

The closet had plenty of hangers and drawers. The mini-fridge was stocked with two bottled waters, two green teas, and two orange and apple juice cartons each. A kettle, tea bags, drip coffee, and two additional water bottles were provided on the desk.

Departure & Dinner

a quick stroll around Deck 6

We watched a mandatory safety drill video on our room TV at 4:20 PM. We then went to our designated lifeboat station to present our boarding cards to the crew to complete the drill.

On the open deck near the lifeboats, welcome drinks were being served. We toasted with sparkling wine (and juice for the kids)!

At 5:00 PM, we set sail. The terminal visitor’s deck was busy with people saying goodbye and ship enthusiasts alike.

We headed toward the Yokohama Bay Bridge.

We passed under it—with what felt like barely any headroom!

Dinner started at 5:30 PM. The ship offers both specialty dining and complimentary options; we chose the multi-course meal at the complimentary Four Seasons Dining Room on Deck 5.

Alcoholic beverages cost extra, but we could choose our soup and main courses.
The food was delicious.

My child has food allergies, and the staff seamlessly guided us through allergen-free choices, even modifying dishes when possible. Their thorough attention gave us complete peace of mind.

Evening Entertainment & Night Snack

After dinner, we headed to the Palm Court(Deck 11) for live music, passing the pool on the way (which I vowed to try tomorrow!).

The Palm Court had a tropical vibe, and a band from the Philippines was playing, singing English and Japanese songs wonderfully.

An elderly couple was dancing up a storm. While people in the west often dance freely, many Japanese guests—especially older generations—tend to hesitate. Seeing this couple dance made me wonder if they had lived abroad or studied ballroom dancing. Watching them enjoy themselves was heartwarming and showed how close they were.

Further forward at the bow is the Vista Lounge, which offers panoramic ocean views. It was empty at this hour since it was pitch black outside.

We stepped onto the bow deck, where the moon was gorgeous—though the wind was so strong it was hard to hold the camera steady! With the ocean completely dark except for the moonlight, my child found it a bit scary. It was a shame she was too scared to appreciate how stunning it really was.

From 9:00 PM to 11:30 PM, a late-night buffet was available at the complimentary Lido Cafe & Lido Garden, with menus changing daily.

Night one featured desserts, udon noodles, and chazuke (rice with tea). While I was too full to eat, my child happily sampled various items and loved the udon.

Although the ship features a grand bath with both indoor and open-air ocean-view baths, we used our stateroom shower on the first night. After a refreshing shower, we turned in for the night.

Stay tuned for Day 2 in the next post. Sweet dreams!