Japan’s Venus Cruise brand will shut down its cruise business in early 2023, according to a statement from the one-ship line.

The company said that the 720-guest Pacific Venus will sail a farewell voyage at the end of the year, cruising from Kobe on Dec. 27, calling in Okinawa and returning on Jan. 4, 2023.

“We sincerely thank you for your patronage over the years,” the company said, in a brief statement posted on its website.

It did not elaborate on the reason for shutting down its business nor the future of the ship.

The ceasing of operations comes after a 33-year history, with the Pacific Venus being one of just three Japanese-flagged cruise ships.

The one-ship line is owned by a consortium of Japanese ferry operators, and the 1998-built Pacific Venus is the newest of the three Japanese-flagged ships, having been built in Tokyo at Ishikawajima (now IHI Corporation).

Prior to the pandemic, the company carried around 25,000 annually on roughly 80 sailings, including short preview cruises and also longer grand voyages.

The one-ship operator plans to carry around 25,000 passengers on 80 sailings in 2013 on a variety of itineraries sailing from a selection of Japanese homeports, starting at one-night preview cruises.

The company was launched in 1989 and started cruise service in 1990 with the Orient Venus, which was sold in 2005 and now operates as the Aegean Paradise.