Hundreds of Russian Tourists Stranded on Cruise Ship in Japan

More than 500 Russian tourists are stranded on a cruise ship docked in Japan, awaiting permission from Tokyo to return home, Russia’s Embassy in Japan said Thursday.
The Spectrum of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean International, is currently in Yokohama port due to an engine problem, according to social media posts from passengers aboard the ship. 
Russia’s Embassy in Japan said 538 of the ship’s estimated 3,500 passengers are Russian citizens holding expired transit visas.
“The embassy promptly contacted Japan’s immigration service, which has expressed readiness to assist in organizing the departure of Russian citizens,” the embassy said in a statement shared on Facebook.
Japanese authorities agreed to allow the Russian tourists to travel from Tokyo to Shanghai and then back to Russia, pending a direct request from Royal Caribbean, according to the diplomatic mission.
The Russian Union of Travel Industry, citing the travel agency CruClub, said it expects Japanese authorities to provide visa-free travel for the stranded Russian tourists.
The Spectrum of the Seas, one of Asia’s largest cruise ships, was on a seven-night round-trip from Shanghai to Japan. Its return to Shanghai was delayed from Nov. 9 to Nov. 11 following the technical malfunction.
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