Following the delivery of the “Asuka III”, built at the Meyer Werft shipyard, the Japanese cruise line NYK Cruises is planning to commission another new vessel. The contract could once again go to Papenburg.
It was quite a unique development: right in the middle of the Covid-19 lockdown, the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg secured the contract to build the “Asuka III” for the Japanese shipping company NYK Cruises. It was the company’s first order from a Japanese client. Now, following the launch of the “Asuka III”, the company is planning to commission a second newbuild soon. Will Meyer Werft be chosen again?
According to a media report by Nikkei Asia, the newbuild is set to replace the “Asuka II”, which was built in 1990 for the luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises and has been in service for NYK since 2006. According to the report, the publicly listed NYK Group intends to invest $610 million in the project.
Details of the ship, such as its size and passenger capacity, are to be finalised at a later date. The report states that the order is not expected to be placed before April 2028. The shipyard is also to be selected at a later date. If the order were to be placed in Papenburg in spring 2028, Meyer Werft could deliver the ship in 2032 or 2033.
In response to an enquiry from HANSA, a spokesperson for Meyer Werft stated that they remain in regular contact with the shipping company NYK, “which is very satisfied with the ‘Asuka III’ delivered by Meyer Werft. We do not comment on contract negotiations.”
Oriental Land has also placed an order with Meyer
An existing business relationship could potentially tip the balance in favour of Meyer Werft as the shipbuilder: NYK also works with the Oriental Land Company, providing business consultancy and acting as ship and operations manager, to establish a cruise line in Japan under licence from Disney. Oriental Land, operator of the Disney Tokyo Resort, in turn placed an order in July 2024 with Meyer Werft for a cruise ship based on the latest Disney newbuilds. The ship is due to be delivered at the end of 2028.
Another possible indication of a close link between the projects: according to media reports, NYK is not expected to begin planning its next newbuild until the Oriental Land project with Meyer Werft is in full swing. There are also said to be close links between Meyer Werft and the Japanese company NYK, according to sources within the shipyard.
According to information from the editorial team, the contract for the “Asuka III” was preceded by ten years of negotiations and discussions before the ship was finally ordered. It is reported that the main challenge for the Japanese client at the time was the exchange rate between the yen and the euro.
NYK’s “Asuka III” named “Ship of the Year”
Meanwhile, the Japanese cruise market is experiencing strong demand. NYK’s competitor, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, is set to take delivery of a further vessel at the end of 2026, following one in 2024. Both vessels are former luxury cruise ships belonging to the US shipping company Seabourn. Due to the rapid increase in capacity and demand, competitors in Japan are engaging in particularly fierce price competition.
A comprehensive report on the “Asuka III” can be found in the HANSA special edition “Ships Made in Germany”. The editorial team has named the German-Japanese project “Ship of the Year 2025”. The free, English-language special issue is available for download here.
