It was the first time the Kanrin Maru, completely made by the Japanese, crossed the Pacific Ocean after the Japanese first saw a steamship, which was only seven years before; later, Yukichi described the voyage of the Kanrin Maru as a great honor that the Japanese should be proud of.
後に福澤は、蒸気船を初めて目にしてからたった7年後に日本人のみの手によって太平洋を横断したこの咸臨丸による航海を日本人の世界に誇るべき名誉であると述べている。