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Shanghai; Busan; Nagasaki; Osaka; Yokohama


leostar

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My last cruise went to Nagasaki, Busan and Shanghai. We did not get to go to Osaka because of the earthquake. If you do a search here you should find lots of information, although the search function is not working well at the moment.

 

Here is a bit about what we did:

 

Nagasaki - wonderful port. At the terminal you can get a map and an all day tram ticket. The trams are right there. We went all over on the trams and walking - to the site of the bomb, the museum, to the cable car that goes high up overlooking the city, back to the other side of the harbour, to a shopping area, and up to the Glover Gardens.

 

Busan - the city has a free shuttle bus which makes two stops, one up the hill with the communication tower and the next downtown near the fish market and shopping. We went to the fish market and then wandered around downtown, had lunch and then made our way up the escalators to the tower, visited and waited for the bus back to the ship.

 

Shanghai - I have posted about this here and on TA: http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g308272-i2804-k4760209-l35718986-Cruise_Port_into_the_centre_of_Shanghai-Shanghai.html

 

The city or the ship (I think the city) run a shuttle bus to the Bund. From there you can walk to a lot of places. We were there several days on our own and it is easy to get around using transit.

 

If you contact me on TA, I will send you some more info.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Going on a Sea Princess Cruise in March, 2012. Anyone got any info on the above Ports, Others are Guam and Rabaul.
Found out how to get to Tokyo from Yokohama by train, going to Asakusa and back, looks like it will only cost under A$50pp all up, Train from Yokohama to Shinagawa Stn, then subway to Asakusa, which is one of the oldest villages and a lovely temple, some Geisha girls are in this area as well. return via Ueno and hopefully see Cherry Blosssoms. The rail system is fantastic. Hope to do this in the morning and catch the 2pm train back to Yokohama in the arvo (1/2 hr trip). In Busan, Nagasaki & Osaka just taking local transport everywhere, found some great sites on the web. If you want to know what I have found let me know.:)
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  • 3 weeks later...

If you check out the Roll call for Sea Princess under Cherry Blossom Leostar

I have listed some information that I have found in my research that may interest people wanting to do their own thing in Ports. :D

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have listed what I have found out in Cruise Critic under Roll Call with Sea Princess, it was the first time I had used it and did not realise that a thread was for the one ship destination, I put up leo star and Jaws already had a thread, so there are two, I have asked for mine to be deleted and have put all that I found out under the under the Jaws thread. Hope it helps someone!:)

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In Nagasaki, we took the tram to the Peace Park.

 

Shanghai is a remarkable city. I don't know where the Sea will dock. The Ocean was docked on the Bund across from the Pudong area. You could walk from the ship to the tourist areas on Nanking Road.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Going on a Sea Princess Cruise in March, 2012. Anyone got any info on the above Ports, Others are Guam and Rabaul.

 

I was in Busan last week, loved it! I recommend going over to Haeundae Beach area, (any taxi will take you, it isnt far). It's a very lively beach resort vibe, very cool. the fish market near the train station is worth a visit, the seafood buffet restaurant there is a great lunch stop - it's on the 2nd floor of the biggest building there, you cant miss it. One of the best things about Korea is the hot spring bath culture and Busan has an amazing (and huge) one. For about $12, you can go in and spend hours in their hot and cold therapeutic pools, get a scrub down, massages, you name it. I got addicted to these baths, highly recommended.

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I'll second the suggestion to visit a Korean style spa (zimzilbang) while in Busan. In March, there won't be too much activity by the seashore since it is definitely the low season (and can still be quite chilly).

 

I got addicted to the hot/cold pools in these spas while living in Seoul. For the price, the experience can't be beat... but be forewarned you need to leave your inhibitions at the door since the wet areas are usually unisex, no swimsuits allowed, and only very small towels are provided. They also have large common areas for everyone to socialize, watch TV, eat, and experience various dry heat rooms (typically in a t-shirt/shorts uniform provided by the spa).

 

This is a family event in Korea and isn't creepy like some "spas" in the USA. If you're adventurous, it's a cultural experience that shouldn't be missed.

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  • 1 month later...
I was in Busan last week, loved it! I recommend going over to Haeundae Beach area, (any taxi will take you, it isnt far). It's a very lively beach resort vibe, very cool. the fish market near the train station is worth a visit, the seafood buffet restaurant there is a great lunch stop - it's on the 2nd floor of the biggest building there, you cant miss it. One of the best things about Korea is the hot spring bath culture and Busan has an amazing (and huge) one. For about $12, you can go in and spend hours in their hot and cold therapeutic pools, get a scrub down, massages, you name it. I got addicted to these baths, highly recommended.

 

we would love to do the hot spring bath, how do you arrange it.(busan)

Mike

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There is really nothing to arrange in advance to go to a korean spa... you just show up and pay an entrance fee. Most places provide a uniform for the dry areas and the wet areas are clothes-free (no swimsuits). Towels are usually provided as well.

 

Probably for a foreigner's first experience, the spa at the Shinsegae Centum City department store would be your best bet. You can read about it on tripadvisor to get a flavor for the experience.

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Normally the wet areas are gender separate and fully nude. Towels are usually provided, but they are normally the size of hand towels in the USA... not enough to wrap around you. Don't be intimidated by it, however... just go with the flow! People will hang out, chat, read, etc - it's a social event.

 

The areas that are co-ed are fully clothed, normally you wear a uniform (shorts and t-shirt) that is provided by the spa.

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Thanks for your reply - just more questions is you don't mind - does it mean the steam rooms and saunas etc are not unisex? I am thinking that my partner and I want to do this together, but no point if we are going to be separated. Does it depend on the spa itself?

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No problems at all with the questions. Glad to help.

 

All of the spas I went to in Korea and the few that are in the USA have the steam rooms in the unisex (wet) area. Most also have a dry sauna in the unisex area as well.

 

In the co-ed area, there will be a series of hot rooms, some just as hot or hotter than a typical dry sauna, so you can hang out with a partner there and get a serious sweat going. To get a feeling for the typical setup, you can check out the websites for two of the major Korean spas in the USA - King Spa (Dallas and Chicago) and Spaworld near Washington DC:

 

http://kingspa.com/

 

http://www.spaworldusa.com/index.html

 

So I'd expect that you'd have to be separated in the wet areas, but can hang out together in the dry rooms, lounging areas, restaurant, etc. DW and I usually go together and spend about 1/3 of the time separated in the wet area and the other 2/3 together in the dry areas. I often see groups of couples visit (like double dating), this way they have friends to hang out with when they're in the wet area.

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I currently live in Korea and go to the public bath houses/saunas which are called Jjimjilbang. You can google it for more information. There are natural hot springs in Korea which are nice, but a Jjimjilbang is not a natural hot spring. Basically you walk in, pay the entrance fee, you may also need to "rent" their outfit if it is not included in the price. The outfit looks like hospital scrubs but are shorts not pants. Some people purchase their own as there has been reports of people saying they get parasites from the rental ones. (just saying). It is a family outing and most Jjimjilbang have play areas for the kids.

 

Here are the areas of a Jjimjilbang in the ones I have been to. The wet areas are separated by sex. Women and small children (including young boys like 5 and under) are in one wet area, men in another. The wet areas clothing is usually not allowed. There is a snack bar/store and lockers when you enter the locker room. Then behind the glass doors are hot tubs, showers, massage tables, etc. Older Korean ladies (I have only been in the ladies side) are there working on giving massages, body scrubs, and hair washings to whomever is willing to pay. Yes the customers lay on the tables totally nude. The unisex areas have a sleeping room, a tv room, different sauna temps, rocks, herbal smells, etc. Some also offer hair salons, etc. There are also other Jjimjilbang that offer Japanese treatments like mud baths, etc.

 

 

A "hot springs" is not the same. Some hot springs also have water parks. For example Onyang Hot Springs is the oldest hot springs in Korea (you can google it). You may want to google Busan hot springs. Note B & P's are interchangeable along with T & D's. So Busan and Pusan are the same place. In case you see it spelled with a P.

 

I went to Busan last spring in conjunction with the Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival. Haeundae Beach is the most famous beach in South Korea, however, don't get your hopes too high unless you have never seen a beach before. It is very small and not much too it. I liked my trip, but for as much as people rave about this beach, for me growing up around beaches, I was not impressed. I have pictures/video from the trip but youtube also has them.

 

Enjoy your trip. I have been living here (this time) for 18 months. I lived in Seoul for 3.5 years seven years ago. I do enjoy Korea.

 

I would recommend this website: http://english.visitkoreayear.com/english/main.asp

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I went to Busan last spring in conjunction with the Chinhae Cherry Blossom Festival. Haeundae Beach is the most famous beach in South Korea, however, don't get your hopes too high unless you have never seen a beach before. It is very small and not much too it. I liked my trip, but for as much as people rave about this beach, for me growing up around beaches, I was not impressed. I have pictures/video from the trip but youtube also has them.

 

I fully agree about Haeundae beach... it's not much when compared to good Florida or Caribbean beaches. During the peak summer vacation season, it's also so mobbed you can hardly find a place to sit.

 

Nice to see another Korea fan on this board. I lived in Seoul (Yeouido) for three years and would love to get an opportunity to return.

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{quote]Nice to see another Korea fan on this board. I lived in Seoul (Yeouido) for three years and would love to get an opportunity to return.

 

 

I am military, currently at Osan (Air Force Base) for 2 years. I was at Yongsan (Army Base) for 3.5 years. My family is still back in Tampa which is where I will be in 6 months. :-) Korea is great if people get out and explore. I have an extended Korean family here as my step-mom is Korean (and she & my dad still live here).

 

I always tell people who do not have many days in Seoul but want to see as much of Seoul as possible to jump on the Seoul City Tour Bus. It's $10 to get on and off as much as you want and stops at 26 popular tourist locations. (Yes Korean buses are cheaper as are taxis, but tourist are more comfortable with an English speaker on this tour bus.) The guide stays on he bus and it is your choice to get off or on the bus at each stop. Not only does the guide speak English, Japanese, Chinese, etc. There is a headseat in each seat that tells you all about the history of each of the 26 stops, what you can see there, etc. They also give you map and guides of the area. A bus comes by the designated bus stop every 30 mintues if you decide you want to hop back on the bus to go to another loation. This bus is too far away from Busan for this traveler but is always good to share in case you know anyone coming to Seoul. http://en.seoulcitybus.com/

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Going on a Sea Princess Cruise in March, 2012. Anyone got any info on the above Ports, Others are Guam and Rabaul.

 

I just googled Busan City Bus Tour and they have one there too... I would recommend this. The buses run ongoing so when you get off at a stop, you just get back on the next bus of your choosing. This does mean you have to carry all your belongings with you. Also, if you want to skip a stop, you can, just stay on the bus. The buses just pull up to the bus stop, open the door to let people on/off, and then closes the door and keeps going.

http://www.citytourbusan.com/citytour_2010/eng/

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Going on a Sea Princess Cruise in March, 2012. Anyone got any info on the above Ports, Others are Guam and Rabaul.

 

 

I don't usually make my facebook albums public, but I made this one public for a few days. It is my pictures from the Chinhae cherry blossom fetival and Busan. The pictures of the beach are Haeundae beach at 6 am (had to go out and get coffee). The little strip you see is the "entire" beach area. I am standing center and take pictures in both directions. There are also pictures of the UN Cemetary and the fish market area. We toke a double decker boat out from the fish market around the area which I did really enjoy. Get some of those shrimp snacks to feed the seagulls! LOL.

PS: I am the one wearing the hat in the pictures, the other girl is a coworker who went with me.

 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1850996308448.2099763.1046956203&type=3#!/media/set/?set=a.1850996308448.2099763.1046956203&type=3

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  • 3 weeks later...

I would not recommend the trip from Busan to Osan unless you were staying for several days. The bus ride I took from Osan to Busan was 5 hours! In Korea the buses are faster than cars because of the bus lane. You just can not predict traffic. We did stop twice at rest stops for bathroom and snack breaks.

 

There is a high speed express train between Seoul and Busan. It looks like it can make it to Seoul in under 3 hours. On the map, the closest stop on the express train to Osan would be Cheonan-Asan which is maybe a 30 minute car ride to Osan. There are subways as well that you could take to Osan. It is just my opinion, but Osan is not that great to visit. I am sure he would love to see what has changed and if you have the time, go for it. But if your time is limited, you might want to visit something closer to Busan.

 

 

http://info.korail.com/2007/eng/est/est01000/w_est01100.jsp

 

http://www.seoulkoreaasia.com/KTX.htm

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