Mitsui Ocean Cruises today announced the senior officers for the Mitsui Ocean Fuji, which is scheduled to debut in Yokohama on December 1, 2024.

With more than 140 years of combined experience at sea, the Mitsui Ocean Fuji will be led by Captain Kim Karlsson and joined by a team of executive officers including Chief Engineer Diyan Shopov, Staff Captain Simon Daniel Westall and Hotel General Manager Keiichiro Kawano.

Tsunemichi Mukai, President of Mitsui Ocean Fuji, remarked: “We’re incredibly proud of the senior officer leadership team we’ve assembled to oversee the Mitsui Ocean Fuji and lead the highly anticipated inaugural season. Their extensive experience, meticulous attention to detail and dedication is aligned with the high level of service we promise to deliver to our guests.”

Senior Officers:

Captain Kim Roger Karlsson has more than 35 years of experience in the maritime industry, commanding a wide range of vessels from ferries to cruise ships. For the past 20 years, he has captained various ships with Norwegian Cruise Line. Most recently he commanded Norwegian Viva for the ship’s inaugural season.

Chief Engineer Diyan Shopov brings over 22 years of practice in the maritime and energy industries, excelling in marine engineering, strategic sourcing and data analytics in the cruise industry. He most recently led a drydock refit as Chief Engineer at Queen Abu Simbel in Egypt, managing the vessel’s engines and generators, ensuring optimal performance and safety. Prior, he oversaw commissioning initiatives for Crystal Cruises Serenity. As a newbuild team member for Explora Journey in Monfalcone, Italy, he managed contractors and conducted comprehensive testing and commissioning of systems.

Staff Captain Simon Westall has a demonstrated history of working in the maritime industry with more than 28 years of experience. Most recently, he served as Captain onboard Swan Hellenic’s SH Minerva, managing a crew of 30. Prior to that, he served as Staff Captain for Saga Cruises Ltd. From 2006 to 2016, he served as Safety Officer, First Officer (Navigator), Senior Second Officer and Second Officer for Cunard Line and P&O Cruises. He began his career in the cruise industry working his way to Second Officer for Holland America Line from 2001 to 2006.

Hotel General Manager Keiichiro Kawano was born in Tokyo and joined Mitsui O.S.K. Passenger Line Ltd. currently known as Mitsui Ocean Cruises in 1985, after graduating with a degree in political science and economics. He started onboard Shin Sakura Maru and also worked on the Nippon Maru (second generation), Fuji Maru and was part of the inaugural team for current Nippon Maru in 1990. He worked his way up the ranks from Third Purser, Second Purser, Cruise Director, Chief Purser to General Manager. He also served as Director in charge of Service Management at the corporate offices. During the renovation of Nippon Maru in 2010, he was in charge of the new facility project, introducing new services and recruiting skilled crew members while working shoreside.