According to media cruise train Seven Stars in Kyushu by JR Kyushu is enjoying great success. Not surprisingly other JR companies are trying to capture a piece of the pie. JR East will start their own cruise train Train Suite Shiki-Shima on May 1, 2017. 4 Days/3 nights journey starts at Ueno (Tokyo) and travel far north as Noboribetsu, Hokkaido. This type of leisure train is run by individual JR companies and usually run within their own company region. However, Train Suite Shiki-Shima will travel between JR East and JR Hokkaido.

Hokkaido has many tourist spots and due to size of Hokkaido this type of vacation package train aimed at upper middle and upper class people can be great success for JR Hokkaido. However, newly opened Hokkaido Shinkansen bleeding 4,800,000,000 yen or US$ 42.5 million annually, JR Hokkaido is no position to pay for new trains like this.

JR East has released information about Train Suite Shiki-Shima including fares. 4 Days/3 nights journey which includes Hokkaido by Maisonnette Type Deluxe Suite will cost 950000 yen per person (US$ 8695 or £ 7645).

Any FTers interested? I forgot, FT is about getting service for free, not about paying for service.