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Hankyu Ferry is still cancelling overnight sailings on its Kobe to Shinmoji route through Thursday, September 24, 2026, after engine work kept the ship Settsu off the run. The operator’s September 17 notice, updated at 4:30 p.m. Japan time, lists the remaining cancelled departures and says Settsu’s schedule from Friday, September 25 onward is still undecided.
If you hold a Kobe Rokko Island booking on one of those nights, treat it as cancelled and either move to a Yamato sailing, switch to the Izumiotsu route, or take the fee-free refund. The same operator Kobe cruise port guide covers the Rokko Island waterfront those ferries share with cruise calls, which is the dock you should recheck before you travel.
- What changed: Settsu remains cancelled on named Kobe to Shinmoji nights through September 24, 2026.
- Who is affected: Passengers and cars booked on the Kitakyushu Shinmoji to Kobe Rokko Island overnight route.
- What still runs: Sister ship Yamato resumed from Shinmoji at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 18, and the Izumiotsu route is operating normally.
- Refunds: Cancellation fees are waived for Kobe-route reservations with boarding through Wednesday, September 30.
- Next gate: Settsu’s operation from Friday, September 25 is unconfirmed; check the live status page before you travel.
Remaining Settsu Nights on the Kobe Route
Hankyu Ferry’s Kobe route links Shinmoji Port in Kitakyushu with the Rokko Island ferry terminal in Kobe. The September 17 notice says the remaining cancelled sailings are engine-work cancellations, not weather holds, and it names the dates in both directions so a booked cabin or vehicle slot is not a maybe.
From Shinmoji toward Kobe, the operator still lists Saturday, September 19, Monday, September 21, and Wednesday, September 23 as cancelled. From Kobe toward Shinmoji, the remaining cancelled nights are Sunday, September 20, Tuesday, September 22, and Thursday, September 24. Thursday, September 17 already passed in both directions, and Friday, September 18 was cancelled only on the Kobe departure.
The later operations status page, dated September 18, restates those same Settsu dates through September 24 and repeats that Friday, September 25 and after remain undecided for that ship. Do not assume a blank day on your calendar is safe for Settsu. Only the nights the operator omitted from the cancel list, plus any Yamato sailing it marks as normal, should be treated as running.
Kobe Ferry Guide, an independent port briefing site, carried the same September 17 cancellation list and the Yamato resume time, which matches the operator page. Use that as a second check, then still open Hankyu’s own notice before you drive to the terminal, because the operator can add dates.
Yamato Is Back and Izumiotsu Stays Open
The same official notice says sister ship Yamato resumed service with the 8 p.m. Shinmoji departure on Friday, September 18. The September 18 status page then marks Yamato as operating normally on the Kobe route while Settsu stays on the cancel list through September 24. That split is the planning fact: one ship is back, one ship is not.
Hankyu’s second overnight, Shinmoji to Osaka Izumiotsu, is listed as operating as usual on that status page. The refund notice also states plainly that the Izumiotsu route is outside the fee-free cancel window, which only makes sense if that line is still carrying passengers. Travelers who can start or finish in Osaka instead of Kobe should compare an Izumiotsu sailing on their date before they give up the overnight crossing.
Switching ports is a real itinerary change, not a same-dock swap. Rokko Island sits on the Kobe waterfront, while Izumiotsu is an Osaka-area terminal, so rail, bus, or car time at both ends will move. If your Japan trip is built around a Kobe hotel or a Kyushu morning arrival, price that extra transfer before you accept an Izumiotsu ticket as a substitute.
Independent ship-tracking site Advectionfog dates Yamato’s original engine failure to August 24 and says Settsu later went off the run as well, with Settsu waiting at Shinmoji through September 24. Those dockside details are that site’s reporting, not Hankyu’s. The load-bearing schedule remains the operator list: Yamato is back, Settsu is not, and Izumiotsu is running.
Fee-Free Refunds Cover Kobe Bookings Through September 30
Hankyu’s refund notice dated September 18 waives cancellation fees for Kobe-route reservations with boarding through Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The window is wider than the published cancel list, which is useful if you would rather not gamble on Settsu’s still-unconfirmed dates after September 24.
The waiver applies only to the Kobe route. Izumiotsu bookings are excluded. Online customers are told to cancel in My Page themselves. If a round trip mixes a Kobe sailing and an Izumiotsu sailing, the notice says to call the reservation center at 0570-01-8989 instead of cancelling only one leg in the app.
Take a screenshot of the original booking, the cancelled date, and the refund confirmation before you rebook. If you move to a Yamato night or to Izumiotsu, confirm the new departure terminal, check-in close, and vehicle cutoff in the fresh reservation, not in the cancelled one. A Kobe cabin does not automatically transfer onto an Osaka sailing.
Hankyu has not published a cash compensation scale beyond the waived fee in the notices reviewed for this story. Do not expect onboard credit or hotel cover unless your own booking confirmation or a later operator note says so. The current official remedy is a no-fee cancel on the Kobe route through September 30, plus the chance to ride Yamato or Izumiotsu on dates those services still run.
September 25 Onward Still Unconfirmed for Settsu
Both the September 17 cancellation notice and the September 18 status page say Settsu’s operation from Friday, September 25 is undecided. That is a live planning risk, not a hidden extra cancel list. Anyone holding September 25 to 30 Kobe-route tickets should watch the status page and the linked PDF update the operator posted with the September 18 note.
Until Hankyu names those later nights as running or cancelled, treat them as unresolved. The fee-free cancel window through September 30 exists specifically so those later bookings can still be dropped without a penalty if Settsu does not return on time. Waiting until check-in day to find out is the expensive version of the same decision.
For a longer Japan routing, keep a rail or flight backup between Kansai and Kitakyushu on the nights you cannot prove a ferry is sailing. The cruise and ferry planning hub is the place to park that backup against other port changes, but the dated proof for this disruption is still Hankyu’s own list. Recheck it the afternoon before you drive to Rokko Island or Shinmoji.
Do not transfer a Kobe cancellation onto another company’s ship unless that company names your sailing. Orange Ferry and other Rokko Island operators use neighboring berths. Hankyu’s notice names Hankyu’s Kobe route, Settsu, Yamato, and Izumiotsu. Those are the services this story can confirm.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hold a Shinmoji to Kobe ticket on September 19, 21, or 23 | Treat it as cancelled. Rebook Yamato, switch to Izumiotsu, or cancel in My Page with no fee. |
| Hold a Kobe to Shinmoji ticket on September 20, 22, or 24 | Same action. Do not go to Rokko Island for Settsu on those nights. |
| Hold a Kobe-route ticket from September 25 through 30 | Watch the status page. You can still cancel without a fee through September 30 if Settsu stays off the run. |
| Can start in Osaka instead of Kobe | Check Izumiotsu on your date. That route is operating normally and is outside the fee waiver. |
September 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are the remaining named cancel nights. Move, switch ports, or refund those bookings now rather than at the terminal.
September 25 is the first unconfirmed Settsu date. Keep the ticket only if you can absorb a late cancel, because the operator has not restored that ship yet.
September 30 is the last fee-free refund date for Kobe-route reservations. After that, ordinary cancel rules apply even if Settsu is still in the yard.
Is Hankyu Ferry cancelling all Kobe to Shinmoji sailings through September 24?
No. The operator cancelled named Settsu nights through September 24 and says Yamato resumed from Shinmoji at 8 p.m. on September 18 and is now operating normally. Use the dated cancel list, not a blanket shutdown.
Can I still sail Hankyu from Osaka while Kobe is disrupted?
Yes. The September 18 status page says the Shinmoji to Izumiotsu route is operating as usual. That is a different terminal from Rokko Island, so rebuild the land transfer.
Do I pay a fee to cancel a cancelled Kobe sailing?
Hankyu says refund fees are waived for Kobe-route reservations with boarding through September 30. Cancel online in My Page, or call 0570-01-8989 if a round trip mixes Kobe and Izumiotsu.
Will Settsu sail again on September 25?
Unknown. Both official notices say operation from September 25 onward is undecided. Recheck the status page before you travel or use the fee-free cancel window.
