Japan cruise Hokkaido and Shiretoko Peninsula

My DW and I are consider doing the 10 day Hokkaido Japan cruise on the Diamond Princess which includes Tokyo, Kushiro, Shiretoko Peninsula, Korsakov, Otaru, Hakodate, Aomori. Is this a good itinerary?

 

Listed is scenic cruising of the Shiretoko Peninsula. Does the ship sail close enough to be worthwhile? Does it matter if on port or starboard side?

 

Princess Cruises advertises that the Diamond Princess for this cruise is with a Japanese favor. Would it be good to go for English speaking passengers?

We had a wonderful b2b2b cruise around Japan last September despite the 2 typhoons and loved Diamond Princess and Japan.

 

Below are extracts from my very detailed diary notes (with the boring personal bits removed) that concern our stay in Tokyo and our Hokkaido cruise. There is a lot of port and shore excursion information. We did ship's tours as I have mobility problems and find it easier. My husband, whi is much more active did several of the ship's tours guided in Japanese because they went to places where he could see the bird life. He didn't understand the guides and they, generally, didn't speak Rnglish but there was always someone on the tour who spoke both languages and would help with timings etc.

 

It is true that the ship's tours guided in English are much more expensive than those guided in Japanese. we learned that there are very few licenced English speaking guides in Japan and consequently these ladies and gentlemen were being transported from port to port by train/plane and then put up in hotels overnight so they were able to guide the next tours. I had one lady guide in 3 different ports!

 

2. WEDNESDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER.

DAY 2. TOKYO

A.M. Warm, humid and overcast.

P.M. Warm, humid and some light rain.

 

ARRIVAL IN TOKYO.

We landed a little early at 08.35 Tokyo time. We were asked to remain on the plane until everyone else had disembarked. The wheel chair was there and I was, once again, whisked off and fast tracked through immigration and customs. Our cases were one of the first on the carousel so we were out of the Arrivals Hall by 09.15.

I had pre-booked a taxi transfer through Viator for £56. The driver was waiting with our name on a board. We were in the car and on our way by 09.25. I can't ever remember a more efficient service!

THE TRANSFER.

The taxi was immaculately clean with snowy white covers on the seats and head rests. The driver didn't speak much English but had the booking details, which I had confirmed by e-mail, and the hotel address in dual language.

It was a 90 minute ride through, initially, pleasant countryside and then more industrial areas until we reached central Tokyo.

The Japanese drive on the left which is the 'right' side for us Brits. The roads were well maintained and it was a smooth ride. I would imagine that the trip would take a lot longer during rush hour. I think we missed the worst of the traffic as it was only slow moving in the city centre.

 

If you need to buy general items there are ‘7eleven’ stores and 'Lawson's'. Both these shops sell a variety of groceries although it is very much a guessing game when it comes to what the actual content is. The majority of items only have Japanese characters (understandably) and even with the accompanying pictures things are not always familiar. Some brands have English names but I would never have guessed that the tin of 'cheap' was actually coffee creamer!

Both stores do sell some very appetising salad bowls so we are getting a couple for a picnic lunch tomorrow.

The shops also sell wine, spirits, beer and soft drinks.

 

Our overall first impression of Japan is that it is a very clean and organised country with extremely helpful people.

 

 

3. THURSDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER.

DAY 3. TOKYO- PANORAMIC TOKYO DAY TOUR

A.M. Overcast with drizzle.

P.M. Warm with some sunny intervals. Heavy showers

 

We both slept well. I found the bed to be very comfortable and the pillows were soft and fluffy.....bliss.

 

We were being picked up from the ANA InterContinental Hotel at 08.10 for the bus tour so were up early to make breakfast - toast and marmalade, fruit and yogurt - before going to reception to get a taxi.

 

TOP TIP - get a written copy of the name and address of your hotel in Japanese and carry it with you. Not all taxi drivers speak English.

 

The taxi arrived on time and it was a 10 minute journey at a cost of ¥1,200.

 

PANORAMIC TOKYO DAY TOUR.

I had pre-booked the tour through Viator and had downloaded the voucher with the pick-up instructions. The Japanese company was JTB-Sunrise tours.

We waited in the hotel lobby and a tour representative arrived at 08.10, the appointed time.....very efficient!

There were 2 other couples as well so the Rep checked our vouchers and then gave us coloured tickets which corresponded to the different tours. We then boarded the 'feeder' coach which collected some more passengers at another hotel before taking us all to the bus terminal.

Here, we were directed to the correct ticket office for our tour where we picked up our boarding passes and a ticket for the included lunch. There was a choice of beef, fish or vegetarian for the main course and the ticket had a corresponding picture....clever idea!

 

The bus was part of a fleet run by Hato Busses. Our guide spoke good English although we couldn't always hear what he said as he had a tendency to drop his voice.

 

The tour finally left the bus station at 09.10 and began with a drive around some of the Main Streets before making the first stop at the Meiji Shinto Shrine. We had 40 minutes here so people needed to walk quite quickly to see all the parts of the garden and shrine area. It was the first time that I saw anything that struck me as authentically Japanese. The grounds were immaculately kept and the shrine was beautiful. There are clean toilets, food outlets, a museum and a shop selling good quality souvenirs.

 

The second stop was at the Imperial Palace East Garden where, once again, we had 40 minutes to explore and, once again, you needed to set off at a trot to see as much as possible. These grounds are also beautifully manicured. It was a shame that it was drizzling at this point so we didn't get the full impact of the scenery.

There was a cafe, museum and possibly toilets and souvenirs.

 

The final stop before lunch was at the Asakusa Kannon Temple which was reached by walking along the Nakamise shopping street. This was much more how I had imagined the older part of Tokyo to be and I loved the little stalls selling all kinds of food stuffs, handicrafts and souvenirs. I would have loved a longer stay but we still had a lot to see and do so it was limited to 40 minutes again. The temple was impressive too and very oriental in design......obviously!

 

Lunch was at a rooftop restaurant overlooking a park and the river. I thought the food was very nice - creamy broccoli soup, a salad, a tender beef steak with a potato rosti, carrots, broccoli and a tasty sauce and, to finish, fresh fruit slices with a small cake and a scoop of delicious sorbet. There was iced water, a small glass of sake and coffee to drink. The view was lovely too.

 

After lunch we had a 1 hour cruise around Tokyo bay on a large party yacht. Fortunately, the rain had stopped so people were able to sit out on deck to see the sights.

 

Our final stop was for 35 minutes at 'Aqua City', a large modern shopping mall. I didn't bother going in the mall but sat outside in a pleasant garden.

 

The tour finished at the main railway station at 17.30. Some people returned to their hotels by metro but we had dinner out at a 'pizza' restaurant in the shopping mall across from the station. I would try some Japanese food but couldn't find a restaurant with a menu in English and the pictures were not clear enough to show what was in the dishes so we settled for the pizza place where the menu was in Japanese and Italian and I could translate some of the offerings. Actually the pizza margarita and the spaghetti with pancetta and asparagus was very good but expensive..... ¥5,400 (£30) including 2 soft drinks!

 

Our day finished with a taxi back to the hotel where we did a bit of shopping at the 7Eleven store for a picnic lunch to take with us to Mt. Fuji tomorrow. Their boxed salads look very good but we shall have to see how they taste!

 

We played scrabble and had a cuppa before I began typing this up.

 

A lovely day,

 

4. FRIDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER

DAY 4. DAY TOUR TO MT. FUJI

A.M. Warm and sunny with clear blue sky.

P.M. Hot in the sun. Some cloudy spells.

 

It really wasn't my imagination! We have both felt earth tremors....it feels as if you are lying on jelly.

 

THE MT. FUJI TOUR.

This was a very full day with a lot of time on the coach but the distances were quite long. We left our hotel at 07.25 and got back at 20.15.

 

The rep arrived on time (08.10) to take us via the feeder coach to the bus terminal. We were given the appropriately coloured voucher to hand in at the counter to get our boarding passes and seat numbers (17&18).

 

THE TERMINUS FACILITIES.

Clean toilets but only 3 cubicles for ladies.

Snack food outlets

Drink vending machines.

 

THE MT. FUJI - HAKONE 1 DAY TOUR.

The tour bus left the terminus at 09.15 for the 90 minute journey to the first stop at the Mt. Fuji Visitors' Centre. The guide commented on the various parts of Tokyo and countryside through which we passed.

We began to see the mountain range after about 30 minutes into the drive. The countryside was green and quite lush with tinges of autumn colour beginning to appear. The houses in the villages seemed quite modern.

Our guide explained that we were very lucky with the weather as it had been cool and cloudy with poor visibility over the last couple of weeks. She also told us that there had been very heavy traffic on her last visits to Mt. Fuji which had delayed the tour so she was really happy that everything went smoothly today.

 

1st STOP - MT. FUJI VISITORS' CENTRE.

We had a 20 minute comfort break here. There were clean toilets but the queue was very long, as usual, for 'the ladies'.

There was a small shop and refreshments were available.

There was a great view of Mt. Fuji from the balcony viewing area.

There were pleasant gardens and some outdoor seating areas.

 

2nd STOP - MOUNT FUJI 5th STATION.

This stop was half way up the mountain and the weather was holding for us so we got some decent photographs of the mountain and the valley below.

There are toilet facilities and several shopping and eating areas. There is also a post office and the mail gets a 'Mt. Fuji' stamp.

The only disappointments were that there was no snow at the summit and that the cloud came down as we stood by the viewing platform.

After 40 minutes the tour continued to the lakeside town of Kamaguchika.

 

3RD STOP - LUNCH BREAK AT KAMAGUCHIKA. 50 minutes.

Some people had chosen the 'included' Japanese style lunch so those passengers went with the guide to the restaurant. We had opted out and had brought a small picnic with us. The bus parking area was right beside the lake so we sat on a bench in the warm sunshine to eat while enjoying the view over the lake.

The town has several nice looking eating options and a variety of shops including ones that sell souvenirs.

There were clean public toilets near the coach park.

 

4th STOP - HAKONE AND LAKE ASHI CRUISE.

It was another longish drive to Hakone where we had a little time in the pier shop before boarding the catamaran. Once again, there were clean toilets available.

The catamaran ride across the lake took about 20 minutes and the scenery was very nice. The catamaran had inside and outside seating plus snacks and drinks available for purchase.

 

Once off the catamaran, the group followed the guide to the Mt. Komagatake ropeway (a gondola style cable car) where we were all able to travel together up to the top. The scenery on the way up was lovely but as we neared the summit we entered a fog bank so thick that we couldn't see anything. It was also bitterly cold so we had a group agreement to go straight back down....good thinking!

As ever, there is a shopping area at the bottom of the ropeway but it was closing as we got there. The toilets did stay open until our coach departed.

 

5th AND LAST STOP.

It was a further 35 minute coach ride to the Odawara railway station. Everyone on our coach had opted to return to Tokyo by 'Shinkansen' train which is a very fast service but not the ultra high speed service.

The train arrived exactly on time and we all found seats in the allocated carriages. Our seats were not pre-reserved but there was no pushing/rushing to get on board. It was a quick and comfortable ride back to Tokyo - 35 minutes by train as opposed to 2 hours+ by road.

 

Tokyo's main station (Shinjuku) is huge and always very busy. The signage isn't very clear either. I was glad that we weren't trying to find a connecting line.

 

The taxi rank was directly outside the main entrance and there was a taxi available immediately. We just handed the driver our hotel address printed in Japanese and off we went.

 

After being dropped off outside the hotel, we walked to the 7eleven to get some jam, wine (for the ship) which was very cheap and some bread for breakfast.

 

All in all.......a great day.

 

5. SATURDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER.

CRUISE DAY 1.

TOKYO TO YOKOHAMA TO EMBARK DIAMOND PRINCESS.

A.M. Warm and sunny.

P.M. Warm with sunny periods.

 

The journey by pre-booked shared taxi took exactly an hour and cost us ¥5,500 (£30) for the 2 of us.....great value especially after experiencing Shinjuku Station yesterday with the huge crowds and confusing layout.

 

The little bit of Yokohama that we saw seemed very pleasant and there are walkways and gardens alongside the quay.

 

CHECK-IN.

The terminal building is enormous and cavernous with people waiting for local ferries as well as the cruise check-in desks.

Porters met our vehicle and helped to push the trolley with the suitcases to the luggage collection point where they were whisked away.

We proceeded to the far end of the building where we each had to fill in the health declaration. Once that was done we were shown through to check-in which was done very quickly and then straight on to the ship. The whole procedure took no more than 20 minutes and our cabin was ready immediately. A great service.

 

CABIN B721 - INSIDE, DECK 11 AFT.

It is a long time since we have had an inside cabin but it was the only way we could afford to do the 3 cruises and I was a bit apprehensive but it’s fine. I know I would have preferred a balcony but 'needs must!'

 

However, joy of joys, there is a KETTLE in every cabin. This is a wonderful addition and IMHO should be a standard feature fleet wide. It is so nice to be able to 'brew up a proper cuppa' with freshly boiled water for an early morning drink. I'm so glad that I had brought our tea bags and coffee granules.

Another fixture that is new to us since our Star Princess cruise in 2012 is the big interactive flat screen TV. I do like the range of films and it was great to have the BBC World News channel. It would be nice to have a channel showing general programmes as all the other English language channels show sport.

I was quite surprised though that you can't access your on board account on the screen.

We had bath robes and slippers in the room when we arrived. I'm not sure if this is standard for everyone or we got them as we are 'platinum'. We also got a tote bag as a welcome back gift and an invitation to the 'exclusive' lounge for pre-dinner canapés and reduced price drinks.

 

SHIP'S DEMOGRAPHY.

The passenger break down was approximately:

900 Japanese

450 Australian

300 North American

120 British

Plus largish contingents from Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

 

DINING.

We use the buffet/pizzeria etc for breakfast and lunch. We found the choices in the buffet to be the usual Princess fare but with the addition of some Japanese options.

There is only the 2 sitting traditional dining available in the evening. 1st sitting is at 5.30p.m. And second sitting is 7.45p.m. The dining room doors were shut, and people turned away, 15 minutes after opening time.

Once again, I found the menus to be what we have always been used to with the addition of some Japanese dishes. There is still an 'always available' although it is now called ?? (oops...I’ve forgotten). There is the usual beef medallions, chicken breast etc.

I did find that portions were smaller but, for us, that is no bad thing. We certainly didn't go hungry.

 

MUSTER DRILL.

This was strictly enforced and all cruise cards were scanned.

Passengers needed to bring their life jacket but only put it on after the demonstration.

The exercise took a bit longer than usual because the announcements were made in English and then Japanese.

 

INTERNET AND WIFI.

Wifi is available throughout the ship as part of the Internet package. There are plenty of computers available if you don't have (or wish to use) a wifi device.

 

SHORE EXCURSIONS.

We pre-booked ship's tours for all the ports.........I know, I know, independent tours are cheaper/better/quicker etc, etc, etc....... but we chose to do these for several reasons:

We don't speak or read Japanese.

My DH and I have different interests so we can do different tours without being on our own.

I have mobility problems so constantly getting in and out of low cars is a problem so a bus is much easier for me.

 

MOBILITY ASSISTANCE.

The excursion department staff members were very accommodating when I explained my mobility problem and are going to reserve me a seat near the front of the coach and also provide me with the group number sticker the night before so I don't have to go to the meeting point but can go straight to the bus. You can't get better service than that. This method worked extremely well!

 

TOURS CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH AND JAPANESE.

Tours conducted in English are more expensive than those done in Japanese. The reason we were given was that it is difficult to get English speaking guides so they can charge more......who am I to argue although a 40 seater bus x $20pp surcharge does seem like a lot!

NB. The above was written before my first excursion in KUSHIRO where the guide told us that she had come from Otaru to guide this excursion and that involved a nine hour round trip by train and an overnight stay. All the local English speakers were already being utilised and more were needed so she had to be 'imported'. Maybe that explains some of the extra cost.

As the cruises continued it became apparent that we were seeing the same guides in the different ports. When I talked to the guides they told me that they were being transported (bus/train/plane)to the different ports as there are a limited number of licensed ‘English speaking’ guides and their services are at a premium as they are used by other cruise lines and tour operators.

It also appears that some of the Japanese tours have more interesting itineraries.

My DH is doing a few Japanese led tours as they go to places where he might see birds! My DH reported that the guides on his ‘Japanese guided’ tours didn’t speak English but there were always some bi-lingual passengers on board the tours who helped him with return times etc.

 

FORMAL EVENINGS.

There were 2 formal evenings on each cruise. It appeared that the majority of passengers respected the dress code and it was lovely to see some of the Japanese people dressed in traditional costume. One of the evenings was the ‘Captain’s Welcome Aboard Party’ where he gave a speech in the atrium and champagne and canapés were served. The second night coincided with the ‘Past Passenger’ reception.

 

ENTERTAINMENT.

There was a variety of entertainment with some specifically targeted at the Japanese passengers. This didn’t impact on the ‘English speakers’ as the activities were held in different venues on the ship so if there was something geared to the Japanese in the Theatre then there would be an alternative in the ‘Club Fusion/Explorers’ Lounge’ for other passengers.

We enjoyed the entertainment and thought the team worked hard, especially when the extra sea days were added. For me, the production shows were high energy, visually colourful and skilfully performed. The individual performers were a bit more ‘hit and miss’ although none were awful.

We love the ‘trivia’ and played up to 3 times a day (I know....we are addicted!) and were amazed that over 25 days there were hardly any repeat questions!!! We also enjoyed the different categories of Trivia so WELL DONE TRIVIA LEADERS.

 

SELF SERVICE LAUNDRY.

Each laundrette had 4 washers, 4 dryers, 2 ironing boards and irons, a sink, a vending machine for soap/bleach/tumble dryer sheets, a chair and a token machine.

The token machine has instructions in English and Japanese. You are given the option to choose how many tokens you need for washing, drying and laundry products (1 token per cycle/item).

1 wash = $3

1 dry = $3

1 laundry product = $1.50

Once you have chosen the amounts needed then you swipe your cruise card and the total is charged to your account.

 

An average wash cycle took 45 minutes and a dry cycle was approximately 60 minutes.

 

 

FEEL OF THE SHIP.

As a Brit, I did feel that I was in a minority group because...... I was. However, English was always the first language for announcements and I felt I was treated generally very well. Yes, there are cultural differences and people may act in ways that are unfamiliar to me but I accept that and have learned to enjoy those differences so I had no problems.

 

Our cases arrived fairly quickly so, after lunch in the buffet, we unpacked. As this is 'home' for the next 25 nights I made sure things were in the most convenient places.

We did a bit of exploring, had dinner (5.30 sitting in the Santa Fe Restaurant at a table for 4 although nobody else joined us), did a tiny bit of ballroom dancing (as much as mt gam my hip and knee would allow), watched the show (high energy and slickly produced) and then retired to bed to watch a film (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) until I fell asleep about 10 minutes in......oh well, at least the TV system allows you to resume from where you switched off.

 

 

6. SUNDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER.

SEA DAY

FORMAL EVENING

A.M. Clear blue sky, very warm in a sheltered spot out of the wind.

P.M. As above.

Sea conditions: - quite rough during the night but calmed down in the morning so relatively calm with a slight swell.

 

We have a tried and tested routine for sea days which we followed once again.

The alarm went off at 06.30. Now we have a kettle, DH made me a coffee to drink in bed while he went off to the gym. I got up, did my ablutions and finished writing yesterday's episode.

We went for a light breakfast......we're both trying to eat sensibly...., sorted out our internet allowance, cleared up some queries at reception, did the team Trivia and then played scrabble before going for lunch.

 

We had the 'British Pub Grub' lunch in the Savoy Restaurant (fish and chips for DH and steak and kidney pie (good, but not as good as the one I make at home!!) for me followed by bread and butter pudding.

 

We then found some comfortable loungers in the solarium for a doze and a read before getting dressed up for the formal evening.

 

There is a trivia expert in one of the teams (not ours) and they are getting unbelievable scores. We are still enjoying playing though.

 

We had our formal photos taken tonight in readiness for getting one for the frame that was delivered this afternoon. The photo and frame was a a booking offer 'freebie' so we are taking advantage of it.

 

We enjoyed our formal evening dinner and the show. I had a go on the slot machines. They are either $ notes or credit from your sea pass and any winnings are credited to your account.

 

We got back to the room quite early so we could get ready for tomorrow's tours.

 

7. MONDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER.

CRUISE DAY 3.

KUSHIRO.

A.M. Sunny, cold early on but pleasantly warm by mid-morning.

P.M. Warm with sunny intervals.

Sea conditions: some movement during the evening sailing from a strong swell.

NB. Clocks go forward tonight.

 

 

We were up early to get breakfast as Jim's tour meeting time was 07.45 in the Wheelhouse Bar.

He did the KUSHIRO'S NATURAL WONDERS - GUIDED IN JAPANESE.

Although this tour was guided in Japanese there were several other native English speakers in the party. The guide spoke no English but held up a board with the meeting times written on so we knew when and where to get back on the coach. It was not a problem and I felt quite comfortable within the group.

It took about 20 minutes to get to Kushiro ****sugen National Park. We had about 90 minutes to explore the visitor centre, walk around the wetland and visit the observation point. On my walk around I found a replica village which I could not find any information about. Overall the wetland was very quiet concerning wildlife and birds but was well worth a visit.

Then a short drive took us to the Kushiro Crane Natural Park. The pens were large with camera holes and this meant that photographs of the Cranes were taken in a natural setting. After 60 minutes the bus took us to the centre of Kushiro where passengers had the choice of staying and getting the free shuttle back to the ship, or returning to the ship straight away. I chose to go back to the ship and then went for a walk down to the Hashigauragawa River and along to the beach.

 

My tour met at 08.15, also in the Wheelhouse Bar, but my tour bus number sticker was delivered to our cabin last night

so I could go straight to the bus.......a great service.

My tour was KUSHIRO'S CRANE PARK, ZOO AND FISH MARKET - GUIDED IN ENGLISH.

Our bus left at 08.30 for a 30 minute drive to a viewing point overlooking the marshland. We had a 10 minute stop there for photos. It was nice to see the foliage just beginning to change colour as Autumn sets in.

Another 10 minute drive took us to the Kushiro zoo which is, and I don't mean this in a nasty way, a bit 'country bumpkin'. I am not a fan of zoos and hate to see magnificent beasts like giraffes caged up so I'm not a good judge but people seemed to enjoy their 90 minutes here.

There were the Japanese red cranes and some endangered owls that fellow passengers were photographing.

The zoo has a small fun fair, toilets, a gift shop and food outlets.

 

We travelled another 10 minutes to the Crane Park where we were able to get closer to the birds. The time there was 50 minutes and that gave people enough time to view the birds, visit the toilets (more modern and cleaner than the ones at the zoo), peruse the gift shop, where there were some beautiful crane-related items, and visit the ice cream outlet.

 

The last stop was in the city centre at the fish, fruit and vegetable market. Apparently there is the opportunity to sample some of the raw fish and the guide explained the different options. She also told us about the shopping mall next to the market with the discount store. Passengers were offered the chance to leave the tour at this point and get the free shuttle bus back to the ship.

We had 70 minutes at this last stop and we're back at the ship for 13.30.

 

 

KUSHIRO PORT AND TOWN.

The port is large and industrial not much to see in close proximity.

Disembarkation was deck 4 mid-ship and forward.

The tour coaches are next to the gangway.

There is a free, locally provided shuttle bus service to the town's shopping mall.

There was a 'taxi information' stand and a 'tourist information' booth which both had English speaking representatives to help people.

Latest boarding time was 16.30

The drive into town is 10 to 15 minutes through a very industrial area.

I would describe the town as 'utilitarian'. It is nothing like how I pictured a Japanese town to be. There were no pretty old style buildings, just low-rise modern, bland concrete structures on a grid pattern of roads.

There were 2 main shopping malls. I didn't go to the larger one (called MOO!) but was told that there were cultural demonstrations of origami, kimono wearing etc. put on for the cruise ship passengers so the town is glad to have the ships.

I went to the other mall which is a 4 storey building next to the fish market. Each floor had areas selling different items but, basically, the 1st floor had a small supermarket, 2nd floor was mainly clothes and shoes, 3rd floor was the DAISO STORE where everything is ¥108 (approx 70p) and the top floor was antiques and brick-a-brack.

Some people went to the fish and vegetable market where there is the opportunity to try the raw fish.

There is free wifi in the market.

 

 

JAPANESE DEPARTURE IMMIGRATION INSPECTION.

This is a compulsory inspection where all passengers have to take their cruise card, passport and signed Russian Migration card (provided and filled in, apart from the signature, by Princess and delivered to your cabin) to ‘Club Fusion’ to have their documents inspected. My DH and I went down at 15.15 and there was not a queue. In fact, there were a lot of immigration officials to deal with the passengers. Our passports were collected so that the Russian officials can check them before we enter Russia.

 

8. TUESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER.

CRUISE DAY 4. DIET DAY.

AT SEA, SCENIC CRUISING.

A.M. Sunny and fairly warm in sheltered spots.

P.M. Clouded over and a lot cooler.

Sea conditions: quite rough overnight but calm during the day.

 

NB. The clocks go forward 1 hour tonight.

 

Jim was up at 06.45 to go to the gym and I slept in until 08.45 (most unusual for me!), before having coffee in bed, shower etc. we played trivia, used some internet minutes and then went up to the solarium to play scrabble and watch the coastline. There were some whales and we saw their blow 'streams'.

Unfortunately, the sky clouded over so we didn't get the full impact of the coastal cliffs but we have had much better ‘coastal scenery’ on other cruises – Alaska, Norway, S. America etc.

 

 

9. WEDNESDAY 1ST OCTOBER.

CRUISE DAY 5.

KORSAKOV, RUSSIA.

A.M. Cool with sea mist but once that cleared it warmed up and we had clear blue skies.

P.M. Sunny with a cool breeze but warm in sheltered places.

Sea conditions: It calmed down during the night and was flat calm this morning. It got choppy again in the afternoon.

 

NB. clocks go back 2 hours tonight.

 

The alarm went off at 06.30 and after a shower etc we went for breakfast and were greeted by a beautiful sunrise through the mist.

 

KORSAKOV.

Most foreign nationals need a visa to enter Russia. This can either be obtained for independent travel from the Russian Embassy in your own country before embarking. A Princess organised group visa is used if you are on a ship's tour.

 

Ship's tour passengers collect their tour group number sticker from the Wheelhouse Bar before proceeding to the theatre to wait to be called to the tender.

You retrieve your passport from a collection point on deck 6 as you go to the tender on deck 4.

Disabled passengers are escorted to a lift and assisted with passport collection and boarding.

KORSAKOV IS A TENDER PORT.

The passports were checked by Russian officials before we got on the tender.

The tender ride is approximately 15 minutes and the landing area is very industrial. The busses were waiting for us and our guide was there to greet us. The guides all used a microphone system so we could hear what was said.

There was a small waiting area at the tender dock with a small souvenir stall and 4 portaloos.

THE WALKING TOUR OF KORSAKOV.

The bus took 10 minutes to get from the port to the town centre. We passed several 'soviet style' blocks of flats and a small park on the way.

We had 90 minutes in the town.

It was a short walk from the bus stop to the main square where there is a statue of Stalin and a fountain.

From there we were taken to the Cultural Centre building where there were a variety of souvenir stalls which accepted Roubles or $US.

There were toilets but the ladies' ones were the 'squat plate' style and there were only 2 functioning cubicles so there was a long queue as usual.

After some time in the souvenir market we were taken through to a very nice theatre where some local people performed traditional songs and dances. They were dressed in traditional. Costume and allowed people to take photographs with them after the performance.

We then had 15 minutes 'free time' to get back to the bus.

 

Once back at the tender dock, my DH asked if he could stay ashore for a while and return on a later tender and this was allowed.

 

The guide explained that this was the first year that KORSAKOV had welcomed tourists and the locals were very happy to have people visit them. They showed us the best they had which, by western standards, wasn't a lot but our guide was very proud to show us.

 

I was back on the ship for 12 noon and Jim got back in for 1.00p.m.

 

10. THURSDAY 2ND OCTOBER.

CRUISE DAY 6. FORMAL EVENING AND CAPTAIN'S RECEPTION.

OTARU

A.M. Cool but warming up through the morning. Hazy sunshine.

P.M. Thickening cloud with a few drops of rain.

Sea conditions: rocky overnight from Russia. Calm today.

 

Our passports, immigration cards, my tour sticker and our immigration inspection meeting time information had been delivered to the cabin the night before so we filled in what was needed and got everything ready for this morning.

 

We both needed to be at the Pacific Moon Restaurant between 07.30 and 07.45 for the immigration inspection and our tour meetings were at 08.30 so it was tricky to organise breakfast as well. We decided to do breakfast first at 06.45.

The queue for the immigration check moved quite quickly.

 

OTARU PORT.

Just off the ship.........

There were stalls selling local produce.

Tourist office assistants were handing out Maps and information about the city and bus routes.

There are plenty of taxis near the stalls.

The ship's tour busses are parked near the gangway.

It is a 10-15 minute walk into the town centre.

 

My tour was BEST OF OTARU - GUIDED IN ENGLISH.

We met in the Wheelhouse Bar to get our tour bus sticker at 08.30.

The bus departed at 08.55 for our first stop which was THE OLD AOYAMA VILLA. It was a 15 minute ride past the fishing port and through an industrial area but the villa was beautiful.

 

We had 50 minutes here.

 

It was a short walk from the coach park to the entrance gate and straight into a true Japanese garden. The buildings were the home of a Japanese family who became rich through their involvement in the herring fishing industry a hundred years ago. This was the type of house that I had imagined I would see a lot of in Japan with its polished wooden floors, beautiful paintings, a room for the 'tea ceremony ritual' and glorious garden.

 

People were asked to remove their shoes before entering. There was a lovely shop, tea room and toilet facilities.

 

This was definitely the nicest place we have visited so far.

 

The second stop was the aerial tramway up to the top of MT. TENGUYAMA. This was a 15 minute ride from the villa through the town centre.

We had an hour at the mountain but, unfortunately there were 4 coaches that arrived at the same time and each gondola held 20 people and took 5 minutes reach the top so there were long queues. I had 15 minutes at the summit before I needed to get the gondola down. That was a shame because the view was spectacular and there looked to be some lovely woodland walks too.

FACILITIES.

Toilets in the car park and at the lower and higher levels of the tramway.

Food outlets at the summit.

Viewing platforms,

Seats with a view.

Children's play area

Woodland paths.

 

Our third stop was in the town centre. Some people left the tour here to make their own way back to the ship. We had 90 minutes here and a chance to see the canal area and the shopping area.

Our tour got back to the ship at 1.45p.m.

 

I thought that OTARU had much more charm and character than either of the other ports that we have visited so far. I really enjoyed trying a 'rainbow tower' ice cream......a local speciality which comprises of a cone with swirls of 7 different flavoured ice creams piled one on top of the other........delicious but calorie laden!!!

There is a wide variety of shops and eating outlets in the main town.

There is a huge super store about 10 minutes walk from the ship........walk left out of the dock and follow the road until you are past the the big factory and you will see it over the main road on your right.

It is possible to have a 'rickshaw' ride round the town. There are also boat rides along the canal.

If I were to come again, I would take a taxi to the villa and then back to town where I would walk back to the ship.

 

 

DH did SHAKOTAN PENINSULA AND CAPE KAMUI MISAKI HIKE - GUIDED IN JAPANESE.

 

The bus ride to the peninsula took just under two hours and we had a toilet break of fifteen minutes both ways at the Kurokawa space shuttle centre. There were clean toilets and a shop.

The route followed the coast road and gave us the chance to see how the locals lived and worked each day.

We arrived at the peninsula at ten forty five and were given the choice of going with the guide or exploring the site on our own. I chose to go on my own.

The scenery was quite stunning with lots of short bamboo and pampas grass backed by the rugged coast line and inland mountains. The main walking area is narrow and fenced off but with shear drops to the sides. There are other more comfortable boarded and stepped walks.

At midday, lunch was served in the restaurant at the visitors' centre. This was Japanese style and had individual trays containing local sea produce which I personally found to be excellent.

There was then more time to explore the sight before boarding the coach for the return journey.

We were given the option of going straight back to the boat or being dropped off in town by the canal. I chose to get off and wandered around the town and then did some shopping (I bought wine and sake which I was allowed to bring back onto the ship).

I travelled with the Japanese speaking group which was just over half full and half of these were English speakers. The guides spoke very little English but held up signs explaining what and when. I found this trip well worth it and would do it again.

 

 

11. FRIDAY 3RD OCTOBER.

CRUISE DAY 7.

HAKODATE.

A.M. Early - rain but fairly warm. By mid morning the rain had stopped but there was still low dark clouds.

P.M. Overcast with short sunny intervals. Dry and warm.

Sea conditions: flat calm

 

We were in port from 08.00 until 22.30 so the dining arrangements were 'open seating' and the entertainment options were less as many people were expected to be ashore during the evening.

The main evening entertainment was a demonstration of Japanese drumming.

 

HAKODATE PORT AND CITY.

This industrial port is a good way from the city centre so there is a FREE SHUTTLE BUS that ran from 09.00 to 20.00. The ride is through an industrial area. It drops off and picks up at the railway station which is central.

There is free wifi, convenience shops and toilet facilities in the station concourse.

There were taxis available on the edge of the dock.

There were some market stalls on the quay side.

The city has some picturesque buildings and some nice shops and markets.

It was very clean.

Many shops and the markets close in the early evening.

 

My tour was MT. HAKODATE AND THE MORNING MARKET. - guided in English.

Although the ship didn't dock until 08.00 the tour busses were already waiting. Our tour meeting time was 08.00 in the Wheelhouse Bar and we finally left at 08.30 and drove for 20 minutes to the base of the aerial 'ropeway'.

From the ropeway car park the guide led a 40 minute walking tour of the area which was the first in Japan to accommodate people and religions from the west. Some of us elected to stay on the bus either because of mobility problems or because of the rain. The bus then moved down to the lower car park so we saw a little of the district which has beautifully manicured gardens, churches, temples and a statue of Matthew Perry, the American sailor who made contact with the Japanese government to open trade links.

 

Our second stop was a 60 minute trip up the ropeway to the top of Mount Hakodate.

The gondola holds 30 passengers and the ride takes 7 minutes in total. Unfortunately it was misty with very low thick cloud so the view was not as good as it might be on a clear day but we could make out the ship in the distance.

 

The building has several viewing points, toilets, lift, large shop with a variety of drinks, snacks and souvenirs, cafe and a small sitting area.

 

The last stop was at the fish market area for 75 minutes. It is an area of street stalls with some largish undercover sections that contain fish stalls and general goods stalls.

There are eating places where the fish etc. can be eaten raw or cooked.

There is free wifi and public toilets in one of the covered areas.

 

Passengers had the option to leave the tour here or return to the ship.

We were back at the ship at 12.30.

 

My DH's tour was A TRIP TO ONUMA QUASI NATIONAL PARK - guided in Japanese.

We left the quay at 8.40 and it took 40 minutes to get to the visitors' centre at Onijma Quasi National Park. After a quick toilet break we all went for a 40 minute walk over bridges and along a path by the side of the lake. We then returned to the visitor centre and boarded speedboats. These initially moved slowly between small islands but then increased their speed once they were out in the main lake. The ride across the lake took around 15 minutes and there was a commentary in English. We then walked to a shrine which was in a big split rock with a walk way through and around it. A short walk along the road by the side of the lake took us back to the bus and then onto the Onsen (Japanese hot spring baths) where we had the option of taking a bath or walking around grounds which were full of unusual sculptures. I did the walk first and then had a bath. We were at the baths for 80 minutes and then, following a short drive, we went to a small restaurant for lunch. This was a traditional Japanese dinner eaten at tables or on the floor and was excellent in quality and setting. We were allowed free time to wander around the town and were not far from where our day had started at the visitors' centre. None of our guides spoke any English. The bus was only just over half full, and this was equally divided into Japanese and English speakers.

I thought that the tour was very good with a mixed range of activities, walking, bathing, sightseeing and eating. The scenery around the lake was quite stunning.......a great day.

 

The Captain made the announcement that the ship would remain in Aomori, our next port, overnight and return to Yokohama on Tuesday instead of Monday. The TYPHOON 'PHANFONE' is due to reach the Tokyo area on Monday and it has been judged as a danger to the ship, passengers and crew. Personnel on board are doing their best to reorganise flights etc for people who should be disembarking on Monday. Although we are not affected, we have spoken to people who are and they say that 'Princess' are doing all they can to help with free internet minutes and phone calls as well as personal support.

Here is the perfect reason for booking the whole package through the cruise line as they do all the work of rescheduling transport etc.

 

 

12. SATURDAY 4TH OCTOBER

CRUISE DAY 8.

AOMORI

A.M. It rained in the early morning but that stopped as we disembarked and it was warm and overcast with some sunny intervals

P.M.

Sea conditions: calm

 

Yet another early morning with breakfast at 07.00 and tour meetings at 08.25.

 

AOMORI PORT.

It was quite a long walk, for me, from the ship to the coach park. We were welcomed by a drumming group and a pink Aomori sea cucumber!

The people were really welcoming and friendly. There was an information service with maps and leaflets and an English translator. There were also souvenir stalls.

There was a FREE SHUTTLE BUS into town.

There were taxis available.

 

AOMORI TOWN.

The shuttle bus stops at the triangular shaped building about 10 minutes ride over the bridge.

There is a small shopping centre in the building by the coach park. It had free wifi, toilets, food outlets and some souvenir shops.

It is a 5-10 minute walk to the main shopping area either directly across the road and straight on or you can walk along the river side but that is a little further.

It was the Japanese version of 'Hallowe'en and there were lots of children dressed in costume and parading along the main thoroughfare.

It was also 'Autumn Festival' so there were market stalls and a small theatre with traditional acts by the museum.

There was a plentiful variety of shops but a lot of them were small shops. Japanese shopping centres have a different look and feel from those in the UK, US and OZ.

 

My tour was 'THE WARRASE MUSEUM AND SEIRYU-JU TEMPLE’ -guided in English.

It was a 25 minute ride through the town and out to the hills to get to our first stop.

THE SEIRYU-JU TEMPLE. - 1 hour.

The temple complex was only built 30 years ago but it was much more how I imagined Japan to be. As it was on a fairly steep slope, I didn't make it to the statue of the sitting Buddha but, apparently, it was huge and impressive.

The pagoda, great hall and the gardens were beautiful and truly Japanese.

Visitors are expected to take off their shoes before entering the Great Hall.

 

There were toilets, 2 gift shops and a drinks vending machine but no food outlets.

 

NEBUTA MUSEUM - 1 hour.

The second stop was at the NEBUTA MUSEUM in the town centre. Apparently NEBUTA is the name of the Summer festival held annually in Aomori and the museum houses some of the fantastic floats that depict some Japanese folk tales. The museum is very modern and well worth a look.

There is a shop, cafe, toilets and free wifi.

 

My DH's tour was 'A WALK AT THE SHIRAKAMI MOUNTAINS - guided in Japanese.

We left the port at 8.30 and had a toilet break after 45 minutes of travelling. The initial scenery was of paddy fields which then quickly turned into apple orchards for which Aomori is renowned. The stop gave us the opportunity of looking at a small orchard and the precise work done by the workers which could only be described as amazingly time consuming. They put a variety name sticker on every single apple which has light sensitivity and it transfers the name onto the skin of the apple.

 

A further 45 minutes of travelling saw us arrive at the Shirakami Visitors' Centre for a 30 minute stop. The centre is modern and contains information about the formation, development, eco system, animal and bird life of the area. It is clean and a lot of the exhibits have English information attached. This was a first on this Japan trip.

The last part of the journey took us up the mountains along a narrow turning and twisting road with shear drops. Our guide from the centre spoke English and was very knowledgeable.

Once we arrived at our destination, the trek began. The walk took around 2 hours and was over very uneven, undulating ground through quite dense beech forest where we saw a variety of flora and fauna.

Lunch was in the form of a Japanese packed lunch box and included sticky rice, slices of meat and fish plus a bottle of water. We ate sitting at picnic tables and it was delicious.

After lunch We had some free time in which to explore the centre's shop, cabins and the valley.

We arrived back at the boat just turned 4 o'clock.

You need to be fit, wear comfortable walking shoes, carry layered clothing and be prepared to travel for a long time on the bus but the area and the views are well worth it. Another good day!

 

 

13. SUNDAY 5TH OCTOBER.

CRUISE DAY 9.

AOMORI - WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT SEA BUT HAVE HAD AN EXTRA DAY HERE BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF TYPHOON PHANFON HITTING TOKYO TODAY OR TOMORROW.

Edited February 7, 2015 by soccerref

Wow, what a cruise report...excellent. Funnily I had been looking at this very cruise only yesterday and so was very pleased to see your report, especially the comments regarding your DH's experiences as I would look at doing exactly the same for the same reason, seeing the birdlife. What was DH's experiences of the birdlife, did he see much, was it worth it?

 

Thanks for the report.

 

 

Rob

Thank you for your kind comments.......I'm a compulsive note taker and now I have a tablet I can write up my notes and email them to myself so the process is relatively quick!

 

I asked my DH about his experiences with finding different birds and he said he didn't find a lot of different species but he did enjoy the chance to get out in the countryside and see the rural life of Hokkaido.

 

If you really want to see birds then try Gambia. We have just come back from an 11 night hotel holiday and he was like a kid in a sweet shop......he photographed over 100 birds that were new species for him!

 

We really enjoyed Japan. It was such a different experience.

How spooky. I'm booked onto a trip to the Gambia this November!

Spooooky.......!

 

I don't knowif you have been to The Gambia before but be prepared for the total poverty of the majority of the people. We have travelled to many developing countries and found that Gambia was the poorest but, having said that, the people were wonderful and so grateful that we were in their country. The tourist industry is down by 60% and many people and facilities are struggling.

Our hotel had a resident bird expert who took my DH out on several trips for the very modest price of £75.

If you would like any more information then please feel free to email me at isabel48 at hotmail dot co dot UK

Really enjoyed your report soccerref. We were also on the Diamond last year and had a marvellous time, in spite of the typhoon disruption. I would just like to add that it is not necessary to do the ship tours everywhere. We went independently everywhere apart from Russia and found the tourist info available at the port to be excellent. The Japanese people are so friendly and helpful.

 

I would go back to Japan every year! Enjoy your trip shipsealand. We saw very little of the Shireteko peninsula, it was misty that day and the ship doesn't go very close to land.

we were on the Diamond Princess Oct 15 2014 from Tokyo to Singapore.

 

We too had an inside cabin on Plaza deck our favourite deck on most Princess ships re the International Cafe. We did not have a kettle in our room and I have just check with many of our traveling friends and they did not get a kettle either, many were in Balcony rooms.

We are all elite with Princess.

 

Loved your report but we did all 2 months of our trip to Asia either on a ship or in hotels and never did any ships tours. It was easy to arrange trips and the subway, train system was easy. Yes, we got lost a few times but people were very willing to help us and just look for people about 20 years or age most speak at least a little English.

Hi go fish 44,

It is interesting to hear that you didn't have a kettle in your cabin and it makes me wonder if the kettles were removed as the ship left Japan. Maybe we kept ours as we were on the 3rd leg of our B2B2B and our lovely steward knew we used our kettle each day. It does seem that kettles are a 'cultural' addition as I know all cabins have them on sailings from UK ports but they are removed after the ships reposition to other areas of the world. The ‘tea tray’ had a kettle and 2 Japanese style tea cups on it and I believe that the Japanese people love their tea as much as us Brits do.

I totally agree that it is very easy to do tours independently but, with the mobility problems that I faced, I found it much easier to do the ship’s tours. Hopefully, since my second hip replacement, my mobility level has improved significantly and I will be able to walk further and access lower vehicles more comfortably so will be able to do more things independently on our future cruises.

Happy cruising,

Regards SR