Meyer Werft today celebrated the keel laying of the Asuka III with a special ceremony at its shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Attended by officials of Asuka Cruise and Meyer Werft team members, the event included the lowering of the first steel block of the new vessel, which was ordered in 2021.

According to an update shared by the German shipyard, the assembly of the hull of Asuka Cruise’s new cruise ship is now underway.

When completed, the 345-ton structure will be 12.8 meters wide, 24.6 meters long and 7.4 meters high, Meyer Werft added.

Custom-designed to serve the Japanese cruise market, the Asuka III is scheduled to enter service ahead of the 2025 summer season.

Sailing along with the Asuka II, the 744-guest vessel will offer a series of local itineraries in Japan and Asia.

Asuka Cruise also recently revealed that the new vessel will be named Asuka III. According to the company, the name was chosen to keep the continuity of its development.

“The Asuka III inherits the values ​​cultivated by the original Asuka and the Asuka II, not only introducing a new cruise ship, but also a unique entity that connects people and regions, and connects the Japanese culture,” the brand said in a prepared statement.

Asuka confirmed that the 51,950-ton ship will fly the Japanese flag, with Yokohama serving as its port of registration.

According to Asuka Cruise, the vessel’s interiors will display numerous works of art and crafts inspired by the local culture.

Especially commissioned for the ship, the collections will transform the Asuka III into a “moving museum at sea,” the company added, and include pieces signed by Hiroshi Senju, Noriko Tamura and Kazumi Murose.

Among the works is a three-deck lacquer mural that will serve as the central piece in the vessel’s main atrium.