Seto Inland Sea Cruise on Asuka II – Day 5

This post covers Day 5 of our Asuka II cruise.

Day 5 was here in the blink of an eye. Our trip is almost over… To think we’ll be sleeping in our own beds tomorrow night… No matter where or when I travel, whether it’s for a month or three, time always seems to fly.

Link to Day 1 post
Link to Day 2 post
Link to Day 3 post
Link to Day 4 post
Link to Final Day post

To my complete dismay, I overslept a bit…

By the time I woke up, it was 5:30 AM, and the sun was already up… A huge blunder on my part. I rushed up to the deck anyway.

While I missed the sun rising over the horizon, there was a lovely scatter of clouds that made the view quite beautiful in its own way.

For breakfast, we returned to Lido Cafe & Lido Garden on Deck 11. We were out in the Pacific Ocean by then, so the ship was swaying, but my niece seemed to have gotten her sea legs. I was glad to see she was doing fine.

Rice topped with yukari (shiso seasoning) and umeboshi (pickled plum), paired with cold tofu, had become my go-to breakfast staple for this trip.

Here is the view from the window seats at Lido Cafe & Lido Garden. The window-side tables were arranged for two or four people. Since we had a larger group, we always sat at the bigger tables further inside. I really wish they had larger tables by the windows too!

After breakfast, we went out on deck to take photos of the ocean. Since we were on our way back toward Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, you could see land sometimes from the left side of the ship, but from the right (starboard) side, it was vast, endless sea.

The view from our cabin window was also breathtaking. We’ve been blessed with clear skies since Day 1. I love those soft, fluffy clouds floating by.

I had a head spa appointment at 12:30 PM, so I went to lunch early.

Breakfast and lunch were both international buffets that day, featuring plenty of ethnic dishes. I grabbed a bit of everything, including couscous and Filipino food. Everything was delicious!

I absolutely love ethnic cuisine. In Japan, you can enjoy food from all over the world—India, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, and beyond. Japan is truly a food lover’s paradise.

At 12:30 PM, I headed to my head spa appointment. The ASUKA AVEDA Salon & Spa is located on Deck 12, right across from the Grand Spa. Slots fill up fast, so if you want a treatment, I recommend booking as soon as you board.

The massage felt so good that I was half-asleep the whole time (lol). It feels like a waste when you fall asleep because you miss out on the relaxing sensations, but it just goes to show how skilled the therapist was! My hair turned out shiny and silky, and all the tension in my scalp was completely gone. I was thoroughly satisfied.

The staff here need a wide range of skills, and their standards are exceptionally high. Beyond head treatments, facials, and full-body esthetics, they also have to be licensed beauticians who can do cuts, perms, hair coloring, makeup, and even kimono dressing. It must be a small, elite team—truly impressive.

Curious about their work lifestyle, I asked her about it. She mentioned they spend three months on board, followed by two months off. It sounds like such a unique and fun job! Though it seems to be quite a competitive field to break into.

The crew on Asuka II all seem to get along wonderfully, creating a fantastic atmosphere on board. Everyone you pass greets you with a warm smile, which is wonderful. No matter how luxurious a ship is, unpleasant staff can ruin the whole experience—at the end of the day, it’s all about the people. In that regard, Asuka II hits it out of the park.

The Bingo Tournament started at 2:00 PM. Due to the high turnout, it was split between two venues: the Hollywood Theater and the Galaxy Lounge. You could choose whichever you preferred, so we went to the Hollywood Theater.

When I think of bingo cards, standard paper ones usually come to mind, but these were made of leather?? It was my first time seeing them—probably synthetic leather, but they had a premium feel nonetheless. Since they’re reusable, they might actually be more cost-effective in the long run. You toggle the numbers on and off by sliding small red tabs beneath them.

Most of the prizes were Asuka II merchandise—T-shirts, handkerchiefs, mugs, plush mascots, and more. There was even a rare bath towel that only two people could win.

My niece won a bear mascot, and my kid won a tote bag! Out of the five of us, having two winners felt pretty lucky.

After bingo, we browsed the onboard shops for souvenirs. The items, including socks and T-shirts, were quite cute. My mother-in-law kindly bought socks for the adults and T-shirts for the kids.

A cute T-shirt and socks that my mother-in-law bought for us! Cute, right? (Though the photo was taken after wearing and washing them!)

For our final dinner on Asuka II, we returned to the Four Seasons Dining Room. After two consecutive nights of Japanese cuisine, tonight was Western style. We could choose from three options for both the main course and dessert. For my main, I chose the Japanese Black (Kuroge Washu) beef tenderloin, and for dessert, I went with passion fruit sorbet. Lately, I prefer a refreshing sorbet after a rich, hearty beef dish.

For reference, the other dessert options were a melon parfait with coconut ice cream and a Shine Muscat grape tart. In my younger days, I definitely would have picked the melon parfait! My kid happily gobbled it up. Ah, to be young again… though surprisingly, my mother-in-law can handle rich sweets just fine. Her digestion is far better than mine, so I suppose it’s not entirely an age thing! Either way, a strong stomach definitely elevates the joy of dining.

The first dish was a horse mackerel (shima-aji) and summer vegetable tartare, served on a plate designed to look like the ocean! It featured illustrations of Asuka II and what looked like seagulls—so adorable.

The fish pictured is sweetfish (ayu) confit, which was delicious.

The Wagyu tenderloin was roasted over binchotan charcoal and served with a Madeira sauce. I prefer tenderloin over ribeye or sirloin because it’s less fatty. It was absolutely divine.

All the appetizers were delicious as well. It was a wonderful meal!

After dinner came the fireworks display! The fireworks were set off from the coast of Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture—a private display arranged exclusively for the cruise passengers. Watching them bloom against the moonlit night sky was breathtaking. They launched around 1,000 fireworks over 15 minutes; though brief, it was immensely enjoyable.

Afterward, we headed to the pool deck for the Ennichi (summer festival).
The festival was geared mostly toward kids.

My child was thrilled to get some cotton candy!

These were character masks given out for free. While Mickey and Hello Kitty are familiar faces, the two rows beneath Hello Kitty feature “Chiikawa”—an extraordinarily popular character series in Japan. My kid picked Chiikawa too. Those round, innocent eyes are just adorable, aren’t they?

There was also a yo-yo balloon fishing booth.

Between the ring toss, a scent-guessing quiz, and various other activities, everyone was having a blast.

Partway through, there was a Bon Odori dance session—a traditional, classic dance usually performed during the August Bon festival. After doing a full loop around the festival area, we enjoyed a late-night snack at Lido Cafe & Lido Garden, followed by bath time at the Grand Spa.

Soaking in the open-air bath, I realized this would be my last time taking in the ocean view from here. The moon was exceptionally beautiful again that night. With the gentle sea breeze, it was pure bliss.

My next post will cover the final day of the trip.

Sweet dreams!

Link to Day 1 post
Link to Day 2 post
Link to Day 3 post
Link to Day 4 post
Link to Final Day post
If you’re interested in learning more about the ship, check out the official Asuka II & Ⅲ site here.