Japan's 'biggest' cruise ship, LNG-powered Asuka III, officially handed over to NYK

Japan’s “biggest cruise ship ever”, the LNG-powered Asuka III, has been officially delivered to NYK Cruises, a subsidiary of Japanese shipping group NYK.

The Asuka III was handed over by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft to NYK Cruises on April 10, following its technical and nautical sea trials conducted in the North Sea on March 18.

The trials were completed after the ship was transferred some 40 kilometers down the Ems from the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg.

Said to be “one of the most energy-efficient cruise ships ever built”, the cruise ship represents “an important milestone on the way to reducing emissions and carbon intensity”, the shipbuilder stated.

“The delivery of the ASUKA III is on schedule today and is an important milestone for us,”Bernd Eikens, CEO of MEYER WERFT Group, commented. “The entire Meyer Werft team, together with our partners, has worked hard to bring this ship to life and today we have completed another great ship. Many of the interior elements will only be brought on board in Yokohama, the ship’s home port, but it is already apparent that it