Asian cruise companies are offering fresh alternatives for Aussies

This year Australian cruise specialist Cruise Traveller was appointed the representative of new premium Japanese line Mitsui Ocean Cruises, created when it acquired two retired Seabourn ships.

The company hopes to tap into the huge interest in Japan among Australians. The 458-guest Mitsui Ocean Fuji sails itineraries that cover most Japanese regions as well as Taiwan and South Korea. Mitsui Ocean Sakura will launch in late 2026.

It’s an interesting move. Japan’s other modest cruise lines are aimed at Japanese passengers. Similarly, South Korea’s Eastern Cruise, which launched last December, relies on the domestic market.

Several other Asian cruise lines, hitherto unknown internationally, are making bold moves and, while they won’t suit everyone, offer curious alternatives to mainstream cruise lines.

Saudi-owned Aroya Cruises launched its first (repurposed) ship Aroya in December 2024 and plans to add two more. At first it operated Red Sea cruises and focused on customers from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, Egypt and Jordan.

Yet in mid-2025 Aroya homeported in Istanbul for a Mediterranean season and took marketing aim at a wider range of international guests. Its distinctive Arabian design and opportunity to puff on a shisha are refreshing pluses; its ban on alcohol, pork and “indecent” dress might not be for everyone.

There are other Asian cruise lines you probably haven’t heard about. Malaysian company StarDream Cruises operates ships out of Singapore under two brands – Star Cruises and Dream Cruises – on itineraries to South-East Asia, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

India’s first cruise line Jalesh was scuttled by COVID-19, but its chief executive went on to head up Cordelia Cruises, launched in 2021 with a single ship, a repurposed Royal Caribbean vessel now called Empress.

Cordelia has already hosted 500,000 Indian cruisers, acquired two more ships from Norwegian Cruise Line that were rebranded as Cordelia Sun and Cordelia Sky, and extended itineraries beyond the domestic into South-East Asia and Sri Lanka.

But China is the nation to particularly watch. True, cruising there is in its infancy, with outfits such as Astro Ocean Cruises running an old P&O ship, strangely renamed Piano Land, on short cruises to Japan and South Korea.

But then there’s Adora Cruises, a joint venture with Carnival Corporation, which saw the first entirely China-built cruise ship Adora Magic City sail out in early 2024 to great success. It takes domestic passengers year-round out of Shanghai on cruises to China, Japan, South Korea and the Russian Far East. A second ship, Adora Flora City, will follow soon.

I’d bet that some Asian cruise lines won’t be relying on domestic passengers or repurposed ships for much longer. Some will become international brands to challenge the status quo.

Certainly, China is a fast learner. Huaxia International Cruises has a joint venture with Viking Cruises under which it operates chic ship Viking Yi Dun, which takes international English-speaking guests on dedicated China itineraries. Let’s see what’s next.