About CRUISELECT

Q: Who is behind CRUISELECT?

CRUISELECT is part of JAPAN PRIVATE TOUR CO., LTD., a travel agency and destination management company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Tokyo. JAPAN PRIVATE TOUR designs private, tailor-made luxury journeys. CRUISELECT brings the same standard of service, and the same direct partner relationships, to train, ocean and river journeys worldwide. JAPAN PRIVATE TOUR is part of MAHA GROUP.

Q: What kinds of cruises does CRUISELECT offer?

CRUISELECT offers land, sea and river cruises. A land cruise is a journey on a luxury train, often over several days: in Japan, Seven Stars in Kyushu, TRAIN SUITE Shiki-shima and TWILIGHT EXPRESS Mizukaze, and beyond Japan, Belmond and Orient Express trains across Europe, Southeast Asia and South America. Sea cruises range from ocean voyages on luxury ships to private yachts, from the Mediterranean to Raja Ampat in Indonesia and Palau in the Pacific. River cruises travel Europe's rivers and canals, the Nile in Egypt and the great rivers of Southeast Asia.

Q: Who leads CRUISELECT?

CRUISELECT is led by Afra Rahman, CEO, and Rara Nindita, COO.

Q: Where do CRUISELECT clients come from?

CRUISELECT's key client markets are the United States, Brazil, Italy, the United Kingdom, Romania, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. In total, the group has welcomed clients from more than 40 countries.

Luxury Train, Sea and River Cruises Worldwide

CRUISELECT is a luxury cruise and rail specialist. We plan and book journeys on the world’s great luxury trains, ocean voyages and private yachts, and river cruises in Europe, Egypt and Southeast Asia. CRUISELECT is the luxury cruise and rail division of JAPAN PRIVATE TOUR CO., LTD., and works directly with ship and train operators.

Who is behind CRUISELECT?

CRUISELECT is part of JAPAN PRIVATE TOUR CO., LTD., a travel agency and destination management company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Tokyo. JAPAN PRIVATE TOUR designs private, tailor-made luxury journeys. CRUISELECT brings the same standard of service, and the same direct partner relationships, to train, ocean and river journeys worldwide.

JAPAN PRIVATE TOUR is part of MAHA GROUP, alongside The Luxury Fleet, MAHA Co. and MediTech Solutions. Its brands are Preferred Stay, CRUISELECT and wishlist Tokyo.

Head office

Tokyo, Japan

Established

2017

Credentials

ANTA No. 2-7356
IATA TIDS No. 96-151193

What kinds of cruises does CRUISELECT offer?

Land Cruise

A land cruise is a journey on a luxury train, often over several days, where the train itself is the destination. In Japan, we book the country’s luxury sleeper trains: Seven Stars in Kyushu, TRAIN SUITE Shiki-shima and TWILIGHT EXPRESS Mizukaze. Beyond Japan, we book Belmond and Orient Express trains across Europe, Southeast Asia and South America.

Sea Cruise

Sea cruises range from ocean voyages on luxury ships to intimate private yachts. Routes run from the Mediterranean to the islands of Raja Ampat in Indonesia and Palau in the Pacific.

River Cruise

River cruises travel at a slower pace. Choose from Europe’s rivers and canals, the Nile in Egypt and the great rivers of Southeast Asia.

Who leads CRUISELECT?

AFRA RAHMAN

CEO

Afra Rahman is the CEO of CRUISELECT, the luxury cruise and rail division of JAPAN PRIVATE TOUR. Raised in Hong Kong and Indonesia, Afra studied Architecture at Curtin University. A Mitsubishi Research Institute scholarship then took Afra to the University of Tokyo for a master’s in Architecture. Internships at Merrill Lynch, NHK and Taisei Corporation followed.

Travel has always run alongside the work. Afra has visited 46 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, the same ground the country’s luxury trains cross. In August 2025, Afra sailed EXPLORA I from Athens to Istanbul. That first-hand knowledge of ships, trains and the places between them goes into every journey CRUISELECT recommends.

RARA NINDITA

COO

Rara Nindita is the COO of CRUISELECT. A dedicated traveller, Rara holds a master’s degree in textile design, earned on a Monbukagakusho (Japanese Government) scholarship. Those years gave Rara a guiding principle: 神は細部に宿る, “God is in the details.”

Rara went on to work in Japan as a freelance travel reporter, including as a reporter for ANA, and saw the travel industry from the inside. Today Rara brings that same eye for detail to CRUISELECT’s operations, where every ship and train is checked before an advisor recommends it.

How we work

Why book a luxury cruise or train journey with CRUISELECT?

CRUISELECT pairs a small, responsive team with direct ties to the operators. We move fast and adapt plans easily. Our preferred partnerships can add onboard credit or amenities with selected operators. And one dedicated advisor looks after your booking from start to finish. The result is a smoother booking and a better journey.