Photos by Takahiro Takiguchi ()
If you are looking to do something a little different and don’t mind splurging a little, how about dining on delicious cuisine while cruising around beautiful Yokohama Port?
Royal Wing Yokohama Cruise and Lunch Buffet offers you a two-hour cruise in and around Yokohama Port while enjoying a high-end Chinese lunch buffet aboard the ship. The lunch cruise departs at Osanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal, a one-hour drive from Yokosuka Naval Base.
A classical yet impressive-looking 3,000-ton cruiser, Royal Wing was originally launched as cruiser Kurenai-maru in 1959, which made regular 14-hour trips between Kobe and Beppu. With a gorgeous dance hall, observation platforms and corridors covered with fluffy carpet, the cruiser was known as the Queen of the Setonaikai Sea. But today, it simply cruises Yokohama Port as passengers enjoy lunch.
A crewmember of the ship boasted that there is no other 62-year-old cruiser in the world that is still actively working on the waterways.
In the wooden-hued dining hall with its beautiful chandeliers, you can enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet that features a wide variety of dishes, from shark’s fin soup, Kung Pao Chicken and mabo tofu to char siu (barbecued pork in soy sauce-based broth) and various soup dumplings, while enjoying a live piano performance.
When you finish your lunch, head out to the observation deck for some fresh air and a panoramic view of Yokohama Port. My wife and I really enjoyed it when the cruiser passed under the gigantic Bay Bridge, the symbol of Yokohama Port.
Terrific transportation. Beautiful views. Fabulous food. Time to book your own lunchtime cruise in Yokohama.
Royal Wing Lunch Cruise
Departure/arrival: Osanbashi Yokohama Internationl Passenger Terminal
Hours: noon – 1:50 p.m.
Fee: 3,900 yen ($32)
Tel: 045-662-6125
Osanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal
Location: 1-1-4 Kaigandori, Naka-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture (one-hour drive from Yokosuka Naval Base)
Tel: 045-211-2304
