The third stop of our tour was the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise, which is also called the Hakone Pirate Ship. The Hakone Sightseeing Cruise that we got started at the Hakone Ropeway area in Togendai-ko and ended at Hakonemachi-ko, a relaxing and tranquil 25-minute ride.
Our so-called pirate ship was not really a pirate ship, but a golden ship called Queen Ashinoko that is fit to be pirate booty. The body of the ship makes it stand out in the blue vastness of Lake Ashinoko. The 315-ton Queen Ashinoko is fairly recent as it made its maiden voyage only on April 25, 2019. It is 35-meter long and 10-meter wide and can accommodate 541 passengers, 87 of which are comfortably seated in the deluxe cabin. True to its royal name, Queen Ashinoko is fitted with golden materials from floor to ceiling and offers its passengers amenities that remind one of being on land. It has a 10-person capacity elevator, three restrooms, and a shop that offers food, drinks, and souvenirs (golden, of course).
Queen Ashinoko has four floors of space. The shop is on the first floor. The basic cabin and the deluxe cabin are on the second floor. The third floor features the basic deck and the deluxe deck. The fourth floor has the basic observation deck and the deluxe observation deck.
The Lake Ashinoko cruise was spellbinding for a while, before it rained. I had to retreat from the viewing deck to the second and first floors. I also sat down only for three minutes before I wandered around the ship to take in its beauty (and also look for Virg! We got separated when we entered the ship).
Hakone Sightseeing Cruise Timetable (subject to change without prior notice):
| Time | Time |
| 930am | 220pm |
| 1010am | 3pm |
| 1120am | 420pm |
| 1200pm | 5pm |
| 110pm |
Hakone Sightseeing Cruise Fare:
Customers Travelling One Way
| Route | *Fare |
| Hakonemachi-ko to Togendai-ko | Adult – 1,050 yen (US $9.59) Child – 520 yen (US $4.75) |
| Motohakone-ko to Togendai-ko | |
| Togendai-ko to Hakonemachi-ko | |
| Togendai-ko to Motohakone-ko |
Special cabin fare is an additional charge of 500 yen (US $4.57) for adults and 250 yen (US $2.28) for children.
Customers Travelling Round Trip
| Route | *Fare |
| Hakonemachi-ko to Hakonemachi-ko | Adult – 1,930 yen (US $17.64) Child – 940 yen (US $8.59) |
| Motohakone-ko to Motohakone-ko | |
| Togendai-ko to Togendai-ko |
Special cabin fare is an additional charge of 770 yen (US $7.04) for adults and 400 yen (US $3.66) for children.
Adult means junior high school students and above. Child means elementary school and under.
Exchange Rate: US $1.00 = 109.43 yen