Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas made her maiden call at the Port of Tokyo over the weekend on April 27, as part of her Tokyo sailings. The 137,276 gross ton ship has arrived from Shanghai and is based in a Japanese port for the first time.

These Tokyo sailings range from 5 to 6 nights and visit Busan, Jeju and Nagasaki till early May, including one chartered by Club Tourism, a major tour operator in Japan. The traditional plaque exchange took place between Mr Mitsuchika Tarao, Director General, Bureau of Port & Harbor, Tokyo and Captain Charles Teige of Voyager of the Seas onboard the ship to commemorate the ship’s maiden call. The official ceremony was well-attended by around 100 governmental VIPs, media, business partners as well as Royal Caribbean representatives in Japan.

Mr Kelvin Tan, Royal Caribbean’s Regional Director, Asia Pacific said, “We are proud to bring Voyager of the Seas to Japan to let our fans here experience directly from home Royal Caribbean’s signature international and innovative cruising style. Japan is one of our top markets in Asia, and we are very encouraged by the strong response from this market for these cruises. We will continue to work with our Japanese representatives, agents and partners to bring more of such cruises to Japan.”

Voyager of the Seas is the largest ship based in Asia. She offers cruisers a wide choice of onboard activities and entertainment never seen before in Asia, such as the ice-skating rink, the Royal Promenade – a boulevard of shops and cafes – and a full-sized sports court. Other onboard innovations include the in-line skating track, water slide, rock-climbing wall, mini-golf course and golf simulator. In addition, there is a three-tier theatre, themed bars and lounges as well as a mezzanine split level nightclub.

Voyager of the Seas also offers guests the unique DreamWorks Animation entertainment programme. Guests of all ages can interact with ‘celebrity’ characters like Shrek and Fiona of “Shrek”, Alex of “Madagascar” and Po of “Kung Fu Panda” during parades in the Royal Promenade, character breakfasts in the main dining room and photo opportunities.

There are numerous dining options onboard including the three-tier dining room and specialty restaurants, namely Portofino Italian restaurant and Johnny Rockets 50s’ style diner. The choice of accommodation is also comprehensive with more than 40% more staterooms and five more categories than today’s offerings in the region, ranging from luxurious Royal Suites to unique Promenade staterooms with views overlooking the Royal Promenade.

The ship, currently in her second consecutive Asian season, will be returning to Tokyo in September as part of her new 12-Night All Japan Explorer Cruise.