BruceMuzz

Chinese law still specifically forbids foreign currency in China - although most of the time it is overlooked.

Chinese nationals can now legally exchange foreign currency at banks, but it is a bit of a hassle.

How would an American waiter or taxi driver feel about getting a tip in Chinese Renminbi?

In the bigger Chinese cities, there are many ATMs for withdrawing currency. Foreign credit cards may or may not work in them.

3 hours ago, yael5 said:

Thanks,  Oliver  !  So,  subway from Nihon-Odori  to Yokohama  Station,  and then,  train line JR Schonan Shinjuku   to Shinjuku station..  That's  right ? 

Not quite right.

Get on the Minatomirai Line ( 急行 Express Train) at Nihon-Odori Station in Yokohama.

The train technically ends at Shibuya Station in Tokyo.

Actually the very same train continues to Shinjuku Sanchome Station with a new designation "Fukutoshin Line".

You just remain on the same train until Shinjuku Sanchome.

When you exit the Osanbashi Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, you need to go to the Minatomirai Subway Line Station called "Nihon-Odori". This station is located just 2 blocks away from the Terminal.

You are nearly at the end of the line. One direction takes you just one stop to Yokohama's Chinatown.

The other direction takes you through Yokohama Station to Shibuya Station in Tokyo.

The Local Train will take about 1 hour to Shibuya; the Express will take about 31 minutes. The cost is the same for both trains -about 500 yen.

At Shibuya Station the train changes names  - to Fukutoshin Line. But you need not do anything. Just stay on the train a few more stops to Shinjuku-Sanchome Station.

Shinjuku-Sanchome Station is a very short taxi ride from your hotel.

There are dozens of very nice hotels within walking distance of the Osanbashi Cruise Terminal in Yokohama.

Getting from Narita to Yokohama is painless.

In the basement of the arrival terminal, you will find a desk selling tickets on Narita Express Train.

Just purchase a one-way seat to Yokohama Station. Cost is around US$40 per person.

Travel time is about 100 minutes.

From Yokohama Station you can take a taxi to the hotels near the Cruise Terminal for about 1,500 yen.

Travel time is about 10 minutes.

Not quite accurate.

The Japanese have some very conservative (and old) laws regarding communications by foreign flag ships.

C-Band communications from and to the ship are not legally allowed.

Older ships use C-Band for Satellite telephone and internet.

Newer ships use K-Band for Satellite telephone and internet communications, which is perfectly legal in Japan.

Plus, K-Band has better connections and higher speeds.

If your ship has K-Band, you will have no problems with internet (from the ship) in Japan.

On shore, however, you may have difficulty finding free WIFI / internet. This is just starting to become popular in Japan.

Your Cabin Steward, Barman, or Waiter can tell you where the fastest, closest free WIFI is to be found in any Japanese port.

As mentioned above, the cruise terminal is now at Xingang (literally "New Port").

Beijing is the best option for buying what you need.

Tianjin is OK as well.

Xingang has nothing.

I have managed cruise ships on many different lines for many years, but have never heard of NC.

No Choice?

There are many supermarkets and shops in Tianjin that carry a wide range of alcohols.

China has very little tax or duty on foreign spirits, so you should be able to find what you need for about half of what you would pay at home.

You can go easily from the B1 level of the station to the B1 level of the department store. The escalators and elevators are located between the station and the department store.

Actually there are escalators and elevators to the Ginza Line platforms.

The Ginza Line - and part of the Shibuya Station - are located inside the Tokyu Department store.

You can use their elevators and escalators to get from the lower levels of the station (Minatomirai) to the upper levels (Ginza Line)

1 hour ago, onyourmark said:

We're trying to confirm that the route below is the best for commuting on Sunday September 22 when disembarking from the Millennium to Gaiemmae station in Tokyo:

From Osanbashi Yokohama Cruise Terminal  - Walk to Nihon Odori station -  take MINATOMIRAI Express direction WAKOSHI

Change in Shibuya to Tokyo Metro Hanzomonj line (Z1) for one station to Omoto-Sando (Z2).  Is there an escalator/elevator to the Hanzomon (Z) line one level up from Fukutoshin (F16) ?
At Omoto-Sando change to Ginza line (G2) – on the same level - for one station to Gaiemmae (G3).  Exit 6 from Gaiemmae and walk to our hotel Nippon Seinenkan.

 

 

Those directions will work (with a few typos corrected). It is the Hanzomon Line, and it is Omote-Sando station.

There is a slightly easier way to do this. Hanzomon Line skips Gaiemmae, but Ginza Line does not.

The Terminus of the Ginza Line is at Shibuya Station.

Nihon-Odori Station is about 2 long blocks (mostly down-hill) from Osanbashi Cruise Terminal. Walk out the front door of the terminal, down the hill to the town. You will cross one intersection, walk past a church, and turn right at the next intersection. Nihin-Odori Station is in the middle of the block. 

Note: when you board the Minatomirai Line train at Nihon-Odori, ensure that it is an Express Train or a Limited Express.

Express is 急行 or きゅうこうin Japanese. (pronounced kyuukoo)

Limited Express is 特急 or とっきゅうin Japanese (Pronounced tokkyuu)

An Express or Limited Express will get you to Shibuya in about 30 minutes.

A local train 普通 or ふつう (pronounced futsuu) will take you over one hour.

When you disembark the MinatoMirai Line in Shibuya, look for signs to the Ginza Line.

Board the Ginza Line train (it is the terminus, so you can only go in one direction).

Unless it is rush hour, the train is not so busy at Shibuya.

The first stop is Omotesando.

The second stop is Gaiemmae.

This terminal is used only when the regular terminal is fully booked. It is not very nice and really out of the way.

Your best bet is to get anywhere in Yokohama and then take a taxi to the terminal. Taxi fare from central Yokohama is not much.

On 8/4/2019 at 9:35 PM, donaldsc said:

 

Do you have any scientific or experimental or statistical evidence to support that statement or is it just an unsupported guess on your part.  Also what professional expertise do you have to make it?

 

DON

If you go to the CDC website, you can find many studies and test results that suggest that closed environments like prisons, old age homes, schools, airplanes, and cruise ships are susceptible to increased risk of norovirus infection.

9 hours ago, DarrenM said:

I am fairly comfortable in the knowledge that you knew I was generalizing about major health inspection failures and not referring to tiny things like you mention here.

 

Though I would jail the owner if my beer was served warm.

I teach Public Health courses for cruise ship employees. I have a very thorough working knowledge of all 239 pages of the latest 2018 USPH Operations Manual. As a cruise Ship Hotel Manager, my ships received more perfect 100 scores than any other Hotel Manager in history. 

So, let's look at "major health inspection failures" that you referred to. The Carnival Fantasy failed with the worst score of 2019 - and a score so low that we see it only a few times in a decade. That is a major health inspection failure.

If you bothered to read the inspection report for Carnival Fantasy (almost no passengers read these reports that are readily available online) you would have found that nearly all the violations were of a technical nature, and had little bearing on any specific or immediate health threats.

Of the immediate health threats, a few dirty spoons and other utensils were found. In land-based restaurants this happens every day. Sneeze guards had gaps between them. Most land-based restaurants do not even have sneeze guards. A single fly was observed in 2 different food pantries. In land-based restaurants this happens every day. An outdoor restaurant on the ship had "no fewer that 15 flies" buzzing around some bread. I have never eaten at any land-based outdoor restaurant that had only 15 flies buzzing around. Usually there are far more.

So this was a major cruise ship health inspection failure - which resulted in zero reported illnesses.

Should the passengers on that voyage receive a refund?

Should the owner of the cruise line be jailed for this event?

If your answer is "yes", then just about every diner in nearly every restaurant in the UK should receive refunds, and the owners of all those restaurants should all be jailed as well. 

Should Carnival Corporation tighten up their operations to avoid all those technical issues in future?

Absolutely yes.

Should UK restaurants do a better, cleaner job in their operations by emulating the cruise lines?

Absolutely yes.

5 hours ago, Miaminice said:

 

If you read my response carefully, plus maybe the additional direct response to the OP, you‘d have noticed that it wasn’t directed towards the OP or their tattoos. On the contrary, I think it is very thoughtful of them to even ask the question.

 

My response was exclusively directed towards YOUR „they welcome their $$$“ statement/attitude. If that is the feeling you took home from your „extensive“ Japan travels, I am sorry for you. We have seen and come to love a different Japan. 

Miaminice,

You are spot on. I couldn't agree more.

After living in Tokyo for most of the past 3 decades, the mis-understanding of the Japanese culture by many westerners is just shocking. That's why wherever I go in Tokyo, I wear my famous polo shirt with 私はアメリカ人ではありません"Watashi wa America-jin dewa arimasen" embroidered on it. The Japanese are too polite to laugh when they read it, but I do catch a few snickers and hidden smiles.

Tourists really do not understand the Japanese mentality on foreigners.

When we had the Tokyo Olympics in the 1960's, it was an incredible opportunity for the Japanese to make an enormous amount of money.

But above all else, the Japanese are deathly afraid of embarrassing you or themselves.

The chances of language difficulties with foreigners in shops and restaurants was too high to tolerate.

Rather than take advantage of this great profit opportunity, more than 50% of Tokyo shops and restaurants closed for the entire Olympics to avoid any difficulties with foreigners.

Actually, ALL the best run restaurants in America would be shut down if held to the same standards.

USPH rules require a cheese platter to be served at 40 degrees f or below. No great land-based restaurant would ever agree to that.

USPH will not allow a table to be set more than 4 hours before use. Most great land-based restaurants need more time than that.

USPH will not allow a water pitcher without a cover. Most land-based restaurants don't have them.

USPH will not allow American-made ice machines as they have slotted screws in their construction.

USPH does not allow unfiltered air vents over food preparation and storage areas. Most American restaurants have them.

USPH mandates no eating or drinking in food preparation areas. American restaurant workers do it all the time.

USPH mandates minimum clearances above and below equipment to allow easy cleaning. American health departments do not.

USPH mandates minimum lighting levels in front of, above, below, and behind equipment for easier cleaning. American health departments do not.

USPH requires a ship to report any and all food-related illnesses (crew and pax) to a federal database. Special reports are required if / when illnesses reach 2% and 3% of total crew and pax. American restaurants do not do this.

USPH does not allow use of food from dented cans. American restaurants have no such requirements.

USPH requires a posted time control plan for all non-refrigerated foods - and special stickers or other visible signals attached to each serving to identify it. American restaurants do not have time control plans.

USPH requires a tile or stainless floor under any refrigerator that contains any food or beverage items. This flooring must extend a minimum 16 inches from the front of the machine. American restaurants have no such requirements.

USPH requires that no food container may be on the floor of any galley or any walk-in refrigerator. All food must be stored a minmum 6 inches above any floor. American restaurants have no such requirements

USPH requires that all food in any refrigerator with a temperature above 41degrees f must be discarded immediately. American restaurants do not have this requirement.

USPH requires that any whole eggs received above 41 degrees f must be discarded. American restaurants do not have this requirement.

USPH mandates no nail polish, no artificial fingernails, no jewelery on arms and hands of any food prep employee. American food workers have these all the time.

USPH requires hair restraints on heads, beards, goatees, mustaches of food prep employees. American restaurants have a few requirements for head coverings.

USPH requires that food employees cannot use toilets used by customers. A few American restaurants have this requirement.

USPH requires that any mushrooms used as food must be inspected and certified by an Approved mushroom identification expert. American restaurants do not have this requirement.

You need to realize that Japanese consider tattoos as unclean.

People with tattoos are not allowed to enter Onsen or public swimming pools in Japan.

Showing them is OK, but realize also that Japanese do not have a very high opinion of tattoos on foreigners.

They won't say anything -  they just think it.

Clean socks (no holes) will be fine for visiting anywhere.

Wearing shoes that come off and on easily will be a plus.

Public Health consultant for Cruise Lines.

10 hours ago, pampaul said:

I'm the type of person who needs a fan to fall asleep.  I have tried bringing a small fan onboard a couple times and both times they were taken away and I was not allowed to bring them (not sure which cruise line it was).  We're looking at booking a cruise next year with either Royal Caribbean or Norwegian.  

 

Just curious what everyone else brings to use to help fall asleep (noise wise).  Whether it's a small fan or maybe something else that I haven't even heard of.  

When ships are being built or renovated, there are often crewmembers living onboard with minimal creature comforts (like aircon). In order to make the environment more people friendly, the cruise line purchases dozens (or hundreds) of electric fans to place in crew areas.

After the ship leaves the yard, these fans are placed in onboard storage until the  next dry dock.

Any guests who have a need for an electric fan can simply request one from the Housekeeper or the Front Desk.

Yes, there are some new Norovirus tests that can be used onboard ships.

They are not very  reliable and also rather expensive to administer.

VSP doesn’t really trust the test results, and insists on their own independent tests, which need several days to get results.

In most cases, the results of the tests arrive after the patients have recovered from the illness.

Food poisoning and Norovirus infections sometimes have similar symptoms - but there are often (not always) subtle differences between them. Experienced cruise ship doctors are quite good at differentiating between them.

Scientifically, there are additional clues that help to differentiate between viral outbreaks and food poisoning. When you have large groups of people eating the same foods, food poisoning will typically affect a large number at the onset, then the numbers will drop quickly as the affected people recover. With the same groups, viral infection will affect a small number at the onset, but re-infection will expand exponentially.

On 7/27/2019 at 10:15 AM, Treatsea said:

I love to travel, as we all do, and recently I've been thinking much about travel ethics. Because I love to cruise that has compelled me to think about ethics of cruising. Recently, cruises have been getting a bad rap, with some suggesting you should never go on one. They cite things such as, worker conditions, environmental impact and impact on the destination ports.

 

I looked on here and was surprised that Cruise Critic didn't have an article on cruising and ethics. What is your take on the ethics of cruising?

Very interesting questions.

You are from the USA, so you are most likely very aware of the ethical conditions there.

Let's talk about worker conditions.

My Asian staff earn more on my ship than a medical doctor or university professor earns in their home countries.

How is that minimum wage thing working out for you in the USA? 

All my staff have full medical and dental coverage - 100% employer paid.

How is that Obamacare / Trump Care thing working out for you in the USA?

All my staff receive free flights to and from the ship.

All my staff receive free visas, training, housing, meals, uniforms, and laundry.

Sounds a bit like that terrible "Socialism" that your fellow countrymen are so worried about.

It works quite well on cruise ships.

On my ship, we have a large number of employees who have been with the company over 40 years. Can you say the same for your company?

Destination Ports

When my ship visits ports in many parts of the world, I (Hotel Manager) am visited by local Mayors, Governors - occasionally even Heads of State. Why? They want advice on how to convince more cruise lines to visit their country. Maybe they know something you do not?

Environmental Impact

Yes, unfortunately nearly everything we like to do has an environmental impact.

Did you know that the negative environmental impact of the American cows raised for your McDonalds hamburgers is greater than all the cruise ships on earth?

Did you know that Americans last year spent more money for bottled water than they did for gasoline? Those billions of plastic bottles will be with us for centuries.

Did you know that the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific, where America did much of its Atomic Testing, are far more radioactive than anyplace on earth - including Chernobyl? The natives who were illegally evicted from those islands will not be able to return for several more centuries.

I seem to remember an old saying about people throwing stones.........................

The Governments of Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, China, and Mexico have issued travel warnings for their citizens considering travel to many parts of the USA.

Are you planning to lock the doors, turn off the lights, and hie under your bed?

Since the Indonesians stopped feeding the Monitor Lizards on Komodo Island, their numbers have dropped significantly.

Twenty years ago it was not unusual to see dozens in just an hour or so.

Now it is a big deal to see 2 or 3 in an afternoon.

The surrounding islands have far more dragons running around - without all the touristic nonsense to deal with.

You can book day tours and overnight tours from Bali to Flores and Larantuka that are far more rewarding and fun.

NCL is one of those mass market lines that rarely sails in Asia.

Their staff has little Asia experience and few good Asian connections.

Port lectures are limited and unpredictable.

Excursion staff have limited shoreside experience and limited connections with tour operators.

Arranging your own tours can be done - but only well in advance.

Japanese ports offer free and paid onboard cultural events, but the cruise line needs to know how to arrange them.

NCL may or may not know how to do that.

Chinese ports do not offer anything onboard for free, so NCL would not only have to arrange that but also pay for it - not something they like to do.

NCL ships are too large to fit up the river to Shanghai. You will be docked at an industrial pier a long distance from Shanghai.

Better cruise lines with big ships offer free shuttles for the commute into Shanghai. NCL does not.

Tianjin / Xingang (port of Beijing) is not very nice. Nothing to see from any part of the ship.

Osaka, Yokohama, Hong Kong - you will have no idea  (until  the last minute) if you will dock starboard or port side.

In Hong Kong you  probably do not know if you will dock at Ocean Terminal or Kai Tak Terminal.

Ocean Terminal is a great location for touring / shopping / dining. Kai Tak is in the middle of nowhere.