KIRF's new resident will launch the first Pacific cruise in the Far East.

Russia's first Pacific cruise line since the COVID-19 pandemic will begin operations in 2026. A modern diesel-electric ship over 200 meters long, the Russian-flagged “Astoria Nova", will join the company's fleet specifically for Far Eastern routes. "The establishment of a company in the Kuril Islands not only allows us to launch a long-awaited cruise project but also makes the islands accessible to mass tourism for the first time. Our status as a resident of the Special Economic Zone - the “Kuril Islands of the Russian Federation” (KIRF) grants us investment incentives for 20 years. This will help us implement the project as efficiently as possible and offer travelers the highest level of service," noted the press service of JSC “Ruscruise”. The main ten-day route will depart from Vladivostok, travel via Sakhalin (Korsakov) to the Kuril Islands (Iturup, Kunashir), and end in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The return trip to Vladivostok will include a visit to the Commander Islands. Magadan, Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, and the Shantar Islands are also planned for inclusion in the route in 2027.