Cruise ship services provided by two NYK Group companies have expanded and continue to focus on markets in the United States and Japan.
Crystal Cruises Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary established in 1988, operates in the United States, generally considered to be the home of luxury cruises. The company currently has two large, luxury-class cruise ships, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. These ships are highly regarded around the world, and the company has won the prestigious Travel & Leisure magazine's World's Best Large-Ship Cruise Line award for 14 consecutive years, an unprecedented achievement in the industry.
In order to introduce the experience of travelling on cruise ships to the Japanese market, NYK Group subsidiary NYK Cruises provided luxury-cruise services aboard Asuka in Japan and around the world from 1991 until February 2006. In response to an excess demand for accommodation, Crystal Harmony, a larger cruise ship that had been operated by Crystal Cruises Inc. in the U.S. market, was refurbished and debuted in February 2006 under the new name of Asuka II.