On Thursday, 28 June, the French port of Rouen marked the end of a high profile three-day call by the Japanese cruise ship Azuka II, which is currently on her 20th Anniversary World Cruise. Alan Lam reports.
Arriving from Vigo, Spain, Rouen was the only French port of call during this voyage. The ship has now departed for New York via Ponta Deldaga in the Azores.
With its myriad of attractions, ranging from the legend of Joan of Arc to the Impressionist Art Movement, Rouen is a popular destination for Japanese visitors.
On the final day of the ship’s call, over 400 passengers took a trip of a lifetime to the Palace of Versailles in Paris; this was followed by a Gala Dinner, attended by about 340 of the guests.
In 2014 France was the only European country enjoyed a double-digit growth in cruise business – 13.5%. Rouen, with its two terminals, has been a main beneficiary: the port received 42 calls and welcomed about 24,700 passengers last year; at the close of this year, it expects a total of 60 calls and 35,500 passengers, a nearly 70% increase year-on-year, way above the national average.
Owned and operated by Nippon Yusen Kaisha, Asuka II was built by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki and launched as Crystal Harmony for Crystal Cruises in 1989.
