In 1990 in Nagasaki (Japan) the construction of a cruise ship started at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, she was to be named "Asuka". At 192 meters long, her size is modest compared to other ships of the time, however she is a unique vessel and she was designed for a niche market, the Japanese cruise industry under NYK-line. Launched in 1991, she sailed for NYK-line until 2006, when she was replaced by the larger 241 meter Crystal Harmony, renamed Asuka II (see photos below). Asuka was sold to Phoenix Seereisen in Germany and after a refit she was renamed Amadea.
In 2001, I managed to photograph the Asuka on a rare visit to Antwerp, I didn't know it back then but years later this ship would continue to appear in my ships photography list.
In May 2022 I finally met the ship again when she came trough the new waterway from the sea to the center of Rotterdam. I was there with friends and we waited for her to sail trough the Maeslantkering gates in the port of Rotterdam.
We then went to the cruise terminal at Kop van Zuid to see her arrive at the terminal. She is surprisingly still sailing as Amadea for Phoenix Seereisen in a time when a lot of ships of her age and even younger went for scrap during the Covid19 crisis of 2020 and 2021.
First some monochrome analog shots that I scanned later on my Epson V600 scanner:
And here is the rest of the shoot that day:
THE END
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