Japan to Reopen to Cruise Ships After 2 1/2-Year Ban

Japan to Reopen to Cruise Ships After 2 1/2-Year Ban
A boat navigates near the Diamond Princess cruise ship anchored off the Yokohama Port near Tokyo on Feb. 4, 2020. Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

TOKYO—Japan will lift a more than 2 1/2-year ban on international cruise ships that was imposed following a deadly coronavirus outbreak on the cruise ship Diamond Princess at the beginning of the pandemic, transport officials said Tuesday.

The Transport Ministry said cruise ship operators and port authorities’ associations have adopted anti-virus guidelines and that Japan is now ready to resume its international cruise operations while receiving foreign ships at its ports.