The-Inside-Cabin

Arrived Shanghai 7am Ship cleared at 8:30. people going overland had passports returned. Others used copy of passport with a stamp. Took 40 minutes to get thru health check (imaging temp check). Immigration then customs. No issues. Immigration was slow. They looked at every page in my passport. We are starting our overland. We spend tonight on ship after touring Shanghai -then take early train to. Xi'an tomorrow to see Terracotta Army. There are 6 people in our group. Nice size Google and Facebook work fine without using VPN. T mobile works fine. Todays Schedule

TWO DAYS IN TOKYO – YARN, FOOD AND KNIVES (POST #39) MARCH 6, 2024 Click "Show More Posts" to show all the links to the other posts for the 2024 World Cruise Show More Posts We spend two days in Tokyo – checking out local yarn shops, enjoying a secret food tour and shopping for knives in the Kitchen District Tokyo Arrival – Day One – 28 February 2024 Mt Fuji stood out against the bright blue sky, 60 miles to our west, as we passed by Haneda Airport. Shipped cleared around 8 am. Since we planned to stay out late, we slept in and stayed onboard till 1 pm. We will be here overnight. Tokyo Internation Cruise Terminal – opened in 2020 Tokyo International Cruise Terminal Map showing area around cruise terminal. You are allowed to walk out of the terminal – shuttles are available. There is not much here – Lots of empty space – room for shops and expansion in the future. Terminal has – Wi-Fi, Shore Side Security during the day, Tourist Information Desk, Restrooms, Taxi Stands The port offers two shuttles: One will be a loop around the immediate area, with stops at a nearby mall and Hotels. The other shuttle goes to the Tokyo Teleport Train Station which is on the Rinkai Line. The Tokyo International Train Station is closer – a little over 1/4 mile and is on the private Yurikamome line, which is close to central Tokyo. This sign shows the shuttle that goes to the further metro stop. While you will save walking by going here, your train ride to Tokyo may be longer. Plan your route first. If you don’t want to go into Tokyo, this shuttle will take you around the local area. Here is a video that shows us walking to the Yurikamome line station and buying a ticket. Please spend some time on YouTube learning about the Tokyo Subway station. You can get anywhere in Tokyo quickly, but you must familiarize yourself with it before starting. The system doesn’t take credit cards for one trip passes – cash only, but they take bills and make change. Buying a day pass is possible, but Day passes don’t work on all lines and aren’t sold at the Terminal. If you have time, you can investigate downloading an app that will allow you to use your phone as a payment method. Figure this out before your cruise starts. I won’t discuss the details of navigating the Tokyo Subway and Train system here. There are numerous resources available on the web and on YouTube. This is a list of all the subways and trains in the Tokyo area. Day passes will work on the Subways and JR LIne – all the Private lines require separate tickets. A day pass may be a good value if you can complete your travels using only public lines. They weren’t for sale at the Cruise Terminal in Feb 2024 Official brochure on the Port Shuttle HERE TOKYO YARN CRAWL Walked about 500 yards to Tokyo International Train Station Shuttle to Tokyo Teleport station will save a walk but add time to your train trip as it goes further west initially. We took the Yurikamome line to Shimbasi Station and transferred to the Ginza Line towards Shibuya Station. We took some time to walk across the Shibuya Scramble, a massive pedestrian interchange where everyone crosses the intersection from all directions. Shibuya Scramble PUPPY YARN We transferred to the Private Inokashira Line at Shibuya and got off at Shimo-Kitazawa Station. The Puppy Hand Knitting Yarn Shop is across the street from the Station’s west exit. You can check out their online store HERE. You can find directions using Google Maps—Search for Puppy Yarn Tokyo. The shop is small but has a nice selection of yarns. Judy picked up Puppy’s DENIM yarn in white and dark blue. The people working in the shop are friendly but speak limited English. Puppy Yarn is easy to find Inside Puppy Yarn WALNUT TOKYO We took an Uber to our next yarn shop: Walnut Tokyo. Check out their website HERE. Search for Walnut Tokyo on Google Maps, and you will find their location and get directions. Uber works in Japan but will call you a taxi—you end up paying the fare on the meter, but the payment is on your Uber app, and you don’t need to have cash. Walnut Tokyo is on a small side street, and the Taxi will drop you off on a larger street nearby. This shop is much larger than Puppy Yarn with a wider selection. If you can only go to one yarn shop in Tokyo, Judy recommends visiting Walnut Tokyo. She bought some dark blue Alpaca, Silk & Merino blend yarn and a sweater quantity of Nomad Noos a 100% camel wool that is hand spun by women in Nepal. Walnut Tokyo is not easy to see until you are right in front of the shop. It’s on a small street on the nearby larger street where a taxi may leave you. This is one section of Walnut Tokyo. It is the largest shop of the three we visited. AMIMONO SPIN We took a taxi to Kinkos in Shibuya, thinking they would offer DHL or FEDEX service so we could return our absentee ballots, but they don’t. We walked to Amimono Spin from Shibuya, again crossing the scramble. Amimono Spin is on a narrow street and was easy to find. They have one large room filled with yarn, floor to ceiling. All the yarn in the shop had the ‘Amimono Spin’ label. Judy bought some white linen blend and one cake of white lace-weight cashmere. Amimono Spin is on a quiet street by itself. It felt like we were in a residential area This wall contains almost all of the shops inventory Judy models her hand-knit Hana sweater. – Hana is the sweater pattern name GINZA Walking back to Shibuya, we took the Ginza Subway to Ginza, looking for a place to eat. We found that most places were closing at 9 pm, so we were too late and decided to take a Taxi using UBER back to the ship. The Ginza area wasn’t very busy at 9 PM LOCAL CULTURAL SHOW We arrived back at the ship around 9:45 pm. We were able to watch the last half of the local cultural show – titled JAPANESE FUSION: A VIBRANT CELEBRATION OF CULTURE, which was a small group of performers who danced and played a variety of Japanese instruments, including O-Daiko, Shime-Daiko, and Kane to the occasional accompaniment of American pop tunes. Here are the spots we visited today DAY TWO – SECRET FOOD TOUR/ KITCHEN DISTRICT Our plan today was the Secret Food Tour HERE Our group left the ship at 9 a.m. and walked to the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal Station, where we caught the train to Shimbashi. We transferred to the JR Yamanote line and arrived at Ueno station around 10:20 a.m. Our group of ten, eight from the ship and two Americans visiting from the USA for the Tokyo Marathon met our guide outside the Hard Rock Café, and we were on our way. The tour started at 10:40, but we had to wait until 11 a.m. until the first restaurant opened. The tour was over around 2:30. Here is a map showing the location of our stops. Sushi Tsune (Atre Ueno 2F, 7-1-1 Ueno) – Tuna – Salmon – Boiled shrimp Sushi Tsune (Atre Ueno 2F, 7-1-1 Ueno) Making the Sushi Tuna , Salmon and Boiled shrimp Gyoza Ichigoro (6-8-14 Ueno) – Gyoza, Japanese Dumplings Gyoza Ichigoro (6-8-14 Ueno) Gyoza, Japanese Dumplings Our group inside Gyoza Ichigoro Kanoya (6-9-14, Ueno) – Yakitori – Negima(Chicken’s thigh with green onion) – Torikawa(Chicken skin) – Tsukune(Minced Chicken) – Edamame Kanoya (6-9-14, Ueno) Inside Kanoya Yakatori Oyama (6-13-2 Ueno) – Japanese Kuroket – Curry Kuroket Oyama (6-13-2 Ueno) Tom and Shelly enjoy Japanese Kurokets OtoOto (2F, Bamboo garden, 1-52 Ueno Park) – Tempura OtoOto (2F, Bamboo garden, 1-52 Ueno Park) Tempura Karutaya (3-29-5 Ueno, Taito-ku) – Miyako Manju (Sweet bun with white beans) Karutaya (3-29-5 Ueno, Taito-ku) Miyako Manju (Sweet bun with white beans) Kiminoen (3-29-5 Ueno, Taito-ku) – Macha and Milk ice cream Kiminoen (3-29-5 Ueno, Taito-ku) Macha and Milk ice cream Our Group after the tour – There are never more than 10 people on a tour At each stop, we reviewed the menu, but our choices were preselected and served quickly. Secret Food tours are a great way to visit an area and sample the local food. A bonus is the chance to interact with the local guide and the other guests. KAPPABASHI Dougugai Street (Kitchen Town) This large sculpture sits on top of a building at the southern end of Kitchen Town After our food tour, we walked about one mile to Kappabashi Street, where we enjoyed browsing through many of the very specialized shops selling everything from storage containers to plastic food displays, cutlery, and Japanese knives. After our cooking class in Mexico, where our chef used a very nice Japanese knife, I decided I needed to get one in Tokyo. Several stores along Kappabashi sell knives, and after some research online, I settled on a 21 cm Chef knife by Tojiro – The Tojiro Pro Damascus – Model F1032 for ¥34,650 or about $235. This is where Tokyo restaurants buy the sample food you see in many of their windows This is the shop where I bought my knife The Tojiro Pro Damascus – Model F1032 We took a taxi back to the ship. Security was shoreside and I declared my knife to the inspectors. The inspectors gave me a receipt and turned the knife over to the ship’s Security and I will retrieve the knife in Fort Lauderdale. Shoreside security was ready with this sign for people bringing knives onboard. WORLD STAGE Comedian and Ventriloquist Mike Robinson was on the World Stage this evening. He was very funny and put on a great show. Mike Robinson

We arrived in our final Japan port - Fukuoka - this evening. We can't go ashore until Tuesday morning. Nice view of Hakata Port Tower

Current Entertainment Guide for next 2 weeks

Here is a short video about the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal and how to buy a train ticket in Japan

NAHA, OKINAWA – STREET FOOD AND PUB CRAWL (POST #38) Feb 24-25, 2024 We find some great street food and enjoy Naha nightlife on a Pub Crawl on our overnight visit to Okinawa ARRIVAL Naha – Day ONE: 24 Feb The ship was cleared quickly. We have a late night planned with our Pub Crawl ashore so we took it easy in our cabin and left the ship to check out the local area around 3:30 pm. We moored next to the modern cruise terminal. There weren’t any shops inside. We had to show our cruise card and passport to enter the cruise terminal. Showing our cruise card ashore while leaving the ship was a first. An ATM and money-changing machine are in the terminal. WiFi is available. There is a taxi stand outside the terminal, but we never saw any taxis waiting. You need to use the DIDI or GO TAXI app to summon a taxi here. A little further down the sidewalk, a shuttle bus will leave about every 30 minutes to take you to Kokusai Street for ¥240 each way. We walked across the street and checked out the large statues on either side of the Main Street leading to the port. This is one of the two dragon pillar monuments constructed in 2011 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Friendship agreement between Naha and Fuzhou City China. STREET FOOD Near the Max Valu Grocery store, we spotted a Yakitori stand selling a variety of skewered chicken, quail eggs and more. All for ¥500 per package of four each. We got some of the Salted Chicken and Quail Eggs & Asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto. This stand is easy to find, right across from the Max Valu grocery store There is a small covered seating area next to the stand MAX VALU SUPERMARKET Exploring supermarkets in different countries is interesting and gives you a feel for the local culture and what types of food are popular. Once again, Google Translate makes this more interesting as you don’t have to guess about the contents of packages with only Japanese characters. Going up and down every aisle, we picked up a few items – some Ghana chocolate, giant chocolate Pocky sticks, and Lipton Yellow Label pyramid tea bags. NAHA LOCAL PUB CRAWL I found the Naha Local Pub Crawl on Viator and we booked it with tablemates, Kim and George. Check it out HERE Our tour group: Pete, Judy, Kim and George Our tour guide – Arito The normal meeting time was 6 pm, but the organizer shifted our start time to 7 pm to accommodate our guide’s schedule. We would meet in front of the Lawson Convenience store in Makishi on Kokusai Street, near the center of all the action in Naha. See the maps at the bottom of this post. Outside the cruise terminal, I requested a taxi using the GO TAXI app. After 3 minutes, the app was still searching for a taxi when a taxi arrived to drop off another fare. I canceled our GO ride and waved over the taxi. I used Google Translate to translate our meeting location into Japanese and showed it to our driver on my phone. He nodded, we piled in and were on our way. Twenty minutes later, we arrived. The fare was ¥1,400, paid in cash. We met our guide, Arito, at the Lawsons and were on our way to the first stop. It was Saturday night and the streets were crowded and full of young people having great time. Our first stop was nearby, where we found a low table in the back. It was loud and fun – everyone was having a great time. I didn’t see any other Westerners, but the place had English menus available and catered to tourists. See the map below for our routing. Our first stop: Izakaya Ryukai We had a choice of drinks. I selected the traditional rice liquor Awamori, which is unique to Okinawa and made from long-grain Indica rice. It was nice. They provide a basket for your bags and purse to keep them off the floor In the middle of our table was a large glass jar – maybe 2 gallons, filled with an amber liquid covering a dead Pit Viper snake. There was a spigot on the bottom. I learned later that this was Habushu , an Okinawa rice liquor. Everyone walking by our table took a second glance at the Habushu and of course I had to give it a taste. This was an extra ¥500 . They served it in a shot and I tossed in back in one motion – reminded me of a Vodka Shot! A shot of Habushu was an extra 500 Yen You can buy Habushu in a variety of sizes, complete with a snake, for anywhere from $10 to $400, depending on the size and probably the quality. Bringing dead Pit Vipers into the USA may not be allowed under the Endangered Species Act, so check this regulation carefully if you are considering buying a bottle to bring home. We had a selection of local food, and we all picked something different to try. It was all pretty good and we enjoyed sampling a variety of dishes. We were here about 35 minutes. We spend the next 40 minutes wandering through back alleys and narrow covered streets. This area was for pedestrians only and filled with young locals having a good time on a Saturday night. We were supposed to stop at a bar here, but it was either closed, too crowded or Arita couldn’t find it. Nevertheless, we had fun walking around and soaking in the atmosphere. We came across these street performers celebrating the anniversary of a store opening This was typical of the small bars and cafes in this area Our next stop was Izakaya Hateruma, off Main Street, Kokousai, on the second floor. We sat in the back on traditional tatami mats with our feet in a well under the table. We had to remove our shoes and put them in the plastic bags they provided. If you had to use the restroom, they had rubber sandals just off the mats you could use instead of putting your shoes back on. Our guide placed our order on a tablet, and the servers quickly delivered our food and drinks. We all ordered the local beer Orion. This is the food we enjoyed at our second stop An entertainer was on stage at the far end of the room. He played a guitar and sang various catchy tunes in Japanese while his partner played a drum. Patrons in the restaurant were completely engaged, singing along and occasionally standing and waving their arms in unison. We were the only Westerners. The crowd was on their feet, waving their arms during this song. We were here over an hour before moving on to our final stop, a coffee and beer stand which was back inside the maze pedestrian walkways. We sat at the bar, and I got a Moscow Mule while Judy got some delicious hot chocolate. The Bartender, Akita, was fluent in English and very friendly. We enjoyed chatting with him. This was a small place with only a couple of tables. Once again, we were the only obvious tourists. Our final stop was this small Coffee and Beer stand Akita was a great bartender We left about 10:40 and were back on the main street in a few minutes. After saying goodbye to our wonderful host, we found a cab that was completing a ride and we were on our way back to the Cruise Terminal, fifteen minutes away. There was a movie on the World Stage tonight, “Murder on the Orient Express”. NAHA – Day 2 – The Grand Fair – 25 Feb SHUTTLE TO SHOPPING We left the ship around 1 pm and caught the 1:30 shuttle to Kokousai Street for ¥240. They accepted credit cards and Apple Pay, so I could use my watch to pay the fare. I held it before the payment scanner for a few seconds until I heard the “ding.” The shuttle bus accepted cash or credit cards. The shuttle dropped us at the eastern end of Kokousai street closed every Sunday to allow for more friendly pedestrian access and let musicians perform there. Sunday street closures are common in Japan on popular shopping streets. One of several performers on the closed street, playing to small crowds. It was windy and cool today, so we spent much of our time in the shops along Kokousai. We walked westward toward the Lawsons, where we had started the Pub Crawl the previous night. Kokousai Street is closed on Sunday There are dozens and dozens of touristy shops selling almost anything you can imagine—a few shops selling wine, liquor and some Habushu with the snake inside. There are dozens of shops like this along the street. Ever present was Shisa, a cross between a lion and a dog, a very common feature and distinctive trait of the culture of the Okinawa islands. They were for sale in every imaginable size and style. Shisha dogs were everywhere This machine made a tasty layered cake – spun on these large spindles then baked After two hours we were almost to the Lawsons where we started our Pub Crawl. As the wind started to pick up, we spotted a line of waiting taxis and decided to head back to the ship from here rather than walk back to the shuttle bus. Taxi fare was ¥1000. MAPS This is the route we took on our Pub Crawl

NAHA, OKINAWA – STREET FOOD AND PUB CRAWL (POST #38) February 25, 2024 CATCHING UP WITH MY DETAILED PORT BRIEFS Click "Show More Posts" to show all the links to the other posts for the 2024 World Cruise Show More Posts We find some great street food and enjoy Naha nightlife on a Pub Crawl on our overnight visit to Okinawa ARRIVAL Naha – Day ONE: 24 Feb The ship was cleared quickly. We have a late night planned with our Pub Crawl ashore so we took it easy in our cabin and left the ship to check out the local area around 3:30 pm. We moored next to the modern cruise terminal. There weren’t any shops inside. We had to show our cruise card and passport to enter the cruise terminal. Showing our cruise card ashore while leaving the ship was a first. An ATM and money-changing machine are in the terminal. WiFi is available. There is a taxi stand outside the terminal, but we never saw any taxis waiting. You need to use the DIDI or GO TAXI app to summon a taxi here. A little further down the sidewalk, a shuttle bus will leave about every 30 minutes to take you to Kokusai Street for ¥240 each way. We walked across the street and checked out the large statues on either side of the Main Street leading to the port. This is one of the two dragon pillar monuments constructed in 2011 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Friendship agreement between Naha and Fuzhou City China. STREET FOOD Near the Max Valu Grocery store, we spotted a Yakitori stand selling a variety of skewered chicken, quail eggs and more. All for ¥500 per package of four each. We got some of the Salted Chicken and Quail Eggs & Asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto. This stand is easy to find, right across from the Max Valu grocery store There is a small covered seating area next to the stand MAX VALU SUPERMARKET Exploring supermarkets in different countries is interesting and gives you a feel for the local culture and what types of food are popular. Once again, Google Translate makes this more interesting as you don’t have to guess about the contents of packages with only Japanese characters. Going up and down every aisle, we picked up a few items – some Ghana chocolate, giant chocolate Pocky sticks, and Lipton Yellow Label pyramid tea bags. NAHA LOCAL PUB CRAWL I found the Naha Local Pub Crawl on Viator and we booked it with tablemates, Kim and George. Check it out HERE Our tour group: Pete, Judy, Kim and George Our tour guide – Arito The normal meeting time was 6 pm, but the organizer shifted our start time to 7 pm to accommodate our guide’s schedule. We would meet in front of the Lawson Convenience store in Makishi on Kokusai Street, near the center of all the action in Naha. See the maps at the bottom of this post. Outside the cruise terminal, I requested a taxi using the GO TAXI app. After 3 minutes, the app was still searching for a taxi when a taxi arrived to drop off another fare. I canceled our GO ride and waved over the taxi. I used Google Translate to translate our meeting location into Japanese and showed it to our driver on my phone. He nodded, we piled in and were on our way. Twenty minutes later, we arrived. The fare was ¥1,400, paid in cash. We met our guide, Arito, at the Lawsons and were on our way to the first stop. It was Saturday night and the streets were crowded and full of young people having great time. Our first stop was nearby, where we found a low table in the back. It was loud and fun – everyone was having a great time. I didn’t see any other Westerners, but the place had English menus available and catered to tourists. See the map below for our routing. Our first stop: Izakaya Ryukai We had a choice of drinks. I selected the traditional rice liquor Awamori, which is unique to Okinawa and made from long-grain Indica rice. It was nice. They provide a basket for your bags and purse to keep them off the floor In the middle of our table was a large glass jar – maybe 2 gallons, filled with an amber liquid covering a dead Pit Viper snake. There was a spigot on the bottom. I learned later that this was Habushu , an Okinawa rice liquor. Everyone walking by our table took a second glance at the Habushu and of course I had to give it a taste. This was an extra ¥500 . They served it in a shot and I tossed in back in one motion – reminded me of a Vodka Shot! A shot of Habushu was an extra 500 Yen You can buy Habushu in a variety of sizes, complete with a snake, for anywhere from $10 to $400, depending on the size and probably the quality. Bringing dead Pit Vipers into the USA may not be allowed under the Endangered Species Act, so check this regulation carefully if you are considering buying a bottle to bring home. We had a selection of local food, and we all picked something different to try. It was all pretty good and we enjoyed sampling a variety of dishes. We were here about 35 minutes. We spend the next 40 minutes wandering through back alleys and narrow covered streets. This area was for pedestrians only and filled with young locals having a good time on a Saturday night. We were supposed to stop at a bar here, but it was either closed, too crowded or Arita couldn’t find it. Nevertheless, we had fun walking around and soaking in the atmosphere. We came across these street performers celebrating the anniversary of a store opening This was typical of the small bars and cafes in this area Our next stop was Izakaya Hateruma, off Main Street, Kokousai, on the second floor. We sat in the back on traditional tatami mats with our feet in a well under the table. We had to remove our shoes and put them in the plastic bags they provided. If you had to use the restroom, they had rubber sandals just off the mats you could use instead of putting your shoes back on. Our guide placed our order on a tablet, and the servers quickly delivered our food and drinks. We all ordered the local beer Orion. This is the food we enjoyed at our second stop An entertainer was on stage at the far end of the room. He played a guitar and sang various catchy tunes in Japanese while his partner played a drum. Patrons in the restaurant were completely engaged, singing along and occasionally standing and waving their arms in unison. We were the only Westerners. The crowd was on their feet, waving their arms during this song. We were here over an hour before moving on to our final stop, a coffee and beer stand which was back inside the maze pedestrian walkways. We sat at the bar, and I got a Moscow Mule while Judy got some delicious hot chocolate. The Bartender, Akita, was fluent in English and very friendly. We enjoyed chatting with him. This was a small place with only a couple of tables. Once again, we were the only obvious tourists. Our final stop was this small Coffee and Beer stand Akita was a great bartender We left about 10:40 and were back on the main street in a few minutes. After saying goodbye to our wonderful host, we found a cab that was completing a ride and we were on our way back to the Cruise Terminal, fifteen minutes away. There was a movie on the World Stage tonight, “Murder on the Orient Express”. NAHA – Day 2 – The Grand Fair – 25 Feb SHUTTLE TO SHOPPING We left the ship around 1 pm and caught the 1:30 shuttle to Kokousai Street for ¥240. They accepted credit cards and Apple Pay, so I could use my watch to pay the fare. I held it before the payment scanner for a few seconds until I heard the “ding.” The shuttle bus accepted cash or credit cards. The shuttle dropped us at the eastern end of Kokousai street closed every Sunday to allow for more friendly pedestrian access and let musicians perform there. Sunday street closures are common in Japan on popular shopping streets. One of several performers on the closed street, playing to small crowds. It was windy and cool today, so we spent much of our time in the shops along Kokousai. We walked westward toward the Lawsons, where we had started the Pub Crawl the previous night. Kokousai Street is closed on Sunday There are dozens and dozens of touristy shops selling almost anything you can imagine—a few shops selling wine, liquor and some Habushu with the snake inside. There are dozens of shops like this along the street. Ever present was Shisa, a cross between a lion and a dog, a very common feature and distinctive trait of the culture of the Okinawa islands. They were for sale in every imaginable size and style. Shisha dogs were everywhere This machine made a tasty layered cake – spun on these large spindles then baked After two hours we were almost to the Lawsons where we started our Pub Crawl. As the wind started to pick up, we spotted a line of waiting taxis and decided to head back to the ship from here rather than walk back to the shuttle bus. Taxi fare was ¥1000. THE GRAND FAIR The Lido Deck was transformed into a “County Fair” this evening. A variety of games were offered at no charge. Everyone would get tickets for participation with the winners getting more. The tickets were placed in a drum and then winners were drawn from time to time, awarding prizes such as Pinnacle Dinners, Spa treatments and more. Here is a YouTube Short showing the setup in the afternoon before the party started. The event officially started at 7:30 pm with a nice crowd. We showed up at 6:30, pulling two tables together to make room for our Table 89 tablemates. We all decided to have dinner here and skip the MDR. There was a lot of food: popcorn, cotton candy, candy apples, ice cream were always available – and waiters were delivering Corn Dogs, Mini Burgers, Deep Fried Mac and Cheese Balls, Tacos and probably a few more items I may have missed. There was plenty to go around. Complementary beverages were available from a premixed assortment of Long Island Ice Teas, sparkling wine, and similar drinks, but it wasn’t an open bar. Michael Roach was in charge of the guessing table – you had to guess how many objects were in the jar -Answer? 287 The Grand Fair directions Deep Fried Mac and Cheese Balls Cotton Candy Henjie serving up the cotton candy Alexandra and Capt Frank Chef Neil with the Candy Apples HAL President, Gus Antorcha and Michael Smith, Senior VP Guest Experience and Product Development were on hand but didn’t make any general announcements. Gus and Pete The Lido Pool was full, but not crowded – you could move around easily and there were always a couple of empty seats. We stayed late, past 10 pm, when the staff started putting everything away. Fun time! MAPS This is the route we took on our Pub Crawl

As we sailed away from Kobe many people were waving signal flags with the symbols Uniform and Whiskey - we looked it up - this means -have a pleasant voyage! Pub102bk.pdf

From the Kobe Port Cruise terminal

We arrive in Kobe in about 30 minutes - 8 am local time. Plan to take the bullet train to Himeji and visit Himeji castle. We bought the train tickets independently and will take the bullet train to travel 30 miles in 15 minutes! Found a free Himeji Castle guide HERE

We have both been using PACSAFE bags for years. They no longer make the ones we use, but you can find good or new ones on Ebay - search for Pacsafe Citysafe CS200 Anti-Theft Travel Purse/Handbag

We spent about 1 hour waiting for the clouds to clear - used a 500 mm telephoto lens to bring the mountain in closer. I took the picture of Judy - then she took the picture of me and I used Photoshop to merge us into the same picture. We were about 100 feet away taking the picture -- it was so windy- no one else was around

Fuji came in and out of the clouds today. Very Windy. Not a good hair day!

While we are on the subject..... On a scenic cruising day - Glacier Bay, Panama Canal, etc. you will occasionally see people sleeping for hours on lounge chairs in the crow's nest in prime viewing spots. Sleep in your cabin!

Omaezaki was canceled due to the weather. We could have moored OK, but there was a high probability that high winds would have delayed our departure, jeopardizing our overnight visit to Kobe. It's like a snow day! The party will continue onboard!

Judy says Thanks!

We got it back after we left Mexico and before Hawaii. Each cruise is different. You will get it back if you need to do a face to face immigration. Otherwise the ship will keep for a while.

Never take a world cruise based on seeing any particular port. There is probably a 10 pct chance the ship could miss Antarctica due to weather and a 50 percent change on Easter Island.

Don't know - I didn't try and get one - I would get a card if it was avail at cruise terminal - but for one or two days - don't know if its worth in. It saves some time buying tickets each time

Tokyo Quick Look - day one Shipped cleared around 8 AM We slept in and stayed onboard till 1 PM since we planned to stay out until 10 PM Tokyo Internation Cruise Terminal - opened in 2020 Not much here - Lots of empty space - room for shops: Wi-Fi Security Tourist Info Desk Restroom Taxis Walked about 500 yards to Tokyo International Train Station Shuttle to Tokyo Teleport station will save a walk but add time to your train trip as it goes further west initially. Tokyo Subway and Train System do not take credit cards (except to buy day pass - day passes only for sale at select stations and don't work on all lines and trains) - they take Yen paper notes and make change - More on Subway later. There are dozens of subways and trains - most are independent - making day passes harder You could buy a rechargeable IC card or use your phone - but that is beyond the scope of this post. We walked to Tokyo International Train Station on the Yurikamome Line, which is a private line - day passes won't work here. Tokyo Teleport is on Rinkai line - another private line - no day passes. Transferred from Shimbasi Station to the Ginza Line to Shibuya Station and walked across the Shibuya Scramble - a massive pedestrian interchange where everyone crosses an intersection from all directions Shibuya Scramble Transferred to Private Inokashira Line going to Puppy Hand Knitting Yarn Shop Took Taxi, using Uber to summon to Walnut Tokyo Yarn Shop Took Taxi to Kinkos, then walked to Amimomo Spin yarn shop I walked back to Shibuya Station - and then took the Ginza Line to the Ginza area - I arrived around 9:30 PM - and most everything was closed. Judy models her hand-knit Hana sweater. - Hana is the sweater pattern name Took taxi using Uber back to ship More details later Buying subway ticket

We are getting ready to leave the ship now -1pm leaving late so we can stay out late - Ginza at night! maybe more.... I will be doing a detailed post

Here is what the port offered during our Feb 2024 visit Zuiderdam was the first HAL ship to call at this terminal- opened in 2020

We are the first HAL ship to moor at the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal View from the ship

Arrival Tokyo. Mt Fuji at 6:30 am local. Covered with snow. Climbing season for hikers is from July to Sept