Two NYK Group companies honored at 2014 Cruise of the Year Awards

Two NYK Group companies have each been recognized with an Award of Excellence at the 2014 Cruise of the Year Awards sponsored by the Japan Oceangoing Passenger Ship Association (JOPA).

NYK Cruises Co. Ltd. (head office: Yokohama; president: Hiroshi Hattori) was recognized for its SUMO cruise, which was held on board the luxury cruise ship Asuka II from December 10 to 12, 2014. And Yusen Travel Co. Ltd. (head office: Tokyo; president: Makoto Shinagawa) was honored for its 20th anniversary cruises.

The SUMO cruise was a two-night, three-day cruise that allowed sumo fans of all ages to interact with a number of sumo wrestlers. A total of 750 passengers participated in the event, which featured a special talk by the sumo wrestlers, a meal of the chanko nabe stew that is commonly served in vast quantities to sumo wrestlers, and tickets to an upcoming tournament. Moreover, media coverage of this cruise was significant and generated greater awareness of cruises among the public.

Yusen Travel's 20th anniversary cruises allowed combination tours on ferries and the luxury cruise ships Asuka II and Crystal Serenity, and were thus highly evaluated for their creativity and originality.
On December 19, an awards ceremony was held in Tokyo, and JOPA chairman Yasuo Iritani presented plaques to Yuji Semba, NYK Cruises senior managing director, and Norihiko Yamazaki, an executive officer in the cruise department at Yusen Travel.

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