ShipFish

On 4/19/2020 at 4:47 AM, hubofhockey said:

The only thing we're a little apprehensive about is eating Japanese food straight for two weeks.  On the cruise, we would eat western breakfasts onboard and most dinners on board as well.  We'll figure it out though,

I wouldn’t worry too much in this regard. If you so wished, it is very possible to visit Japan without ever eating “Japanese” food. And that’s still eating good quality food, no fast food. Some of it might occasionally be a little strange (such as some of the Japanese ideas of what belongs on pizza) but food in Japan is generally of high quality regardless of which cuisine it is.

Not that I would recommend missing out on experiencing actual Japanese food whilst you’re over there, but expect a lot of variety.

On 4/7/2020 at 3:26 PM, trvlwrld said:

We are planning a cruise to Japan, but have only been to Nagasaki.  There are several different itineraries, and we will only be doing Japan once due to the long flight. We have traveled extensively in Asia, so are not doing anything but Japan.  What are the must-see Japanese ports?

Like anywhere, I find it difficult to say which are the “must-see” Japanese ports as it depends so much on what you are interested in. 

Firstly, many of the Japanese ports are less interesting close to the ports. With some exceptions, expect to be travelling to get to the top sites.

The big ports with a bit of everything:

Yokohama/Tokyo - You have the shopping of Tokyo, the urban sights of Tokyo and Yokohama, some of Japan’s top museums and attractions, and the possibility of travelling to Hakone and Mt. Fuji for the scenery.

Osaka/Kobe - Two quite different ports which provide access to the same regional attractions. Of course, Kyoto is the most famous of these, easily accessible from both, and has several places worth visiting. There is also Nara which definitely worth visiting for shrines, temples and the Nara Deer (I’m biased admittedly, but I do prefer it over Kyoto). Osaka itself has great shopping, as well as your urban Japan city life plus some great museums and attractions. Kobe is a smaller city, but it has its European and Chinese influenced areas, and good transport connections to the rest of the area.

A Few Other interesting ports:

Himeji - If you’re interested in Japanese castles then Himeji is one of the best. (It is also easy to visit as a day trip from Kobe) There is a few other museums around, as well as some nice parks & gardens.

Hiroshima - Although most famous for its Peace Gardens and Museum, it is also the port for the ferry to Miyajima with it’s shrines and floating torii gate.

Kochi - Another one to see if you’re interested in castles (although it’s a much smaller example) as well as for religious sites. However, if you’re interested in nature there is the gorges and waterfalls of this area to visit.

Kagoshima - Even without leaving the ship you have the views of Sakurajima (an active, usually smoking, volcano), which is worth visiting for its geopark. There is also the hot sand beach and hot springs or the area for those interested in having a spa day.

Ishigaki - Pretty beaches and the traditional architecture of Taketomi, another island a short 15 minute ferry ride away, makes it worth visiting and a different experience from most other ports in Japan.

This is just a few of the ports which come to mind, but if you have some particular interests for what you like to see in ports I can probably offer some more suggestions?

5 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

I seem to remember seeing a posting some time ago that indicated you could not get off the ship after embarking in Sydney, Au. So the rules for some countries may be different

That is correct. If you can get back off the ship after embarking depends on local regulations.

Outside of the US one, extremely rough, guide is that if you are being processed by immigration when boarding (ship’s next port will be another country) then you are unlikely to be able to go back ashore (ie: embarking most Asian or Australia-based cruises).

5 hours ago, joeyancho said:

Supposedly they were all sent home,   but who knows.

The crew from the Diamond are still in quarantine at the moment, they haven’t made it home yet, let alone to another ship.

The only crew who could have moved between the two would be crew who left in ports prior to the quarantine on the Diamond; however in normal circumstances, with the exception of guest entertainers, it’s not that common for crew to be transferred between ships.

6 hours ago, rsato said:

Does anyone understand (or have heard) why Japan allowed the Diamond Princess to port with now 64 confirmed coronavirus cases but does not allow the HAL Westerdam with supposedly one patient with suspected (not confirmed) coronavirus cases to dock? Both ships were on Japanese itineraries with many Japanese nationals and had recent stops in Hong Kong.

One factor may be that the Diamond Princess and the Westerdam are two different types of cruises in regards to immigration - they are not the same “Japanese itineraries”.

Diamond Princess was on a round trip from Yokohama to elsewhere in Asia with only a small minority of passengers embarking during the cruise. 

Westerdam was originally on a round trip from Shanghai and had been due to only transit a few Japanese ports prior to the itinerary changes. This means the majority of guests joined the ship outside of Japan.

Have been reading your suggestions with interest. We are doing the same trip and our thoughts were to base ourselves in Osaka and do day trips from there in terms of luggage management. Don't mind going back to the same place by train over a few days if we feel there is more to see.

Any accom suggestions for Osaka near the train stations would be appreciated and also Kobe.

I don’t have hotel recommendations as such, but if you want to stay in Osaka and use it as a base for day trips then you would probably be best look for a hotel around Umeda (Osaka Station) as this is going to give you the most convenient access for traveling around and for Osaka itself.

One tip if you’re travelling around is to have a look at the different rail passes and tickets available. Hankyu (one of the regional private rail companies) does a two day pass for 1400 yen (about 13 USD) per person which goes to Kyoto, Arashiyama, and Kobe. Or JR does a two day Kansai pass for 4500 yen (however it does cover a wider area).

ShipFish

 

Would you happen to know when the last train would be leaving from Kyoto back to Kobe? We will be in port on a Tuesday and Wednesday.

Last train (normal train) from JR Kyoto to JR Sannomiya is currently at 23:54 (arriving 0:46). Of course, by that time the Port Liner will have already stopped for the night so you would need to get a taxi from the station to the ship (last train on the Port Liner leaves Sannomiya at 0:15).

Last Shinkansen appears to be the 23:09 from JR Kyoto which would get you to Shin-Kobe at 23:38.

A very good website for checking Japanese train times is Hyperdia which is available in English. Google Maps directions also works very well in Japan for checking train times and routing.

Thank you very much ShipFish! I truly appreciate it and will look for some guides to Kyoto as I would love to travel there while in port at Kobe. Your thread here has been helpful and I have even placed some of the imparted wisdom from you into my “notes” on my ipad!

You’re welcome :D I’m glad to hear all my rambling has been helpful! It is possible to do Kyoto independently (for starters, there is trains to Kyoto from Sannomiya on the JR line every 15 minutes or so during the day), but Kyoto is a big city and you would need to do a lot of planning on what you want to see and how to get there. That’s why if you’ve never been there before I would recommend a tour guide: the main sights are not close to each other (nor to the main JR Kyoto Station). It’s very easy to spend more of your day traveling from A to B than actually seeing the sights.

 

Itinerary

 

• Day 1 ...
  Shanghai
  
• Day 2 ...
  Cruising
  
• Day 3 ...
  Osaka
  
• Day 4 ...
  Osaka
  
• Day 4 ...
  Kobe
  
• Day 5 ...
  Tokyo (Yokohama)
  
• Day 6 ...
  Tokyo (Yokohama)
  
• Day 7 ...
  Cruising
  
• Day 8 ...
  Cruising
  
• Day 9 ...
  Shanghai

Firstly, a small tip you may not be aware of: if you’re sailing on the 15th September, then the 17th (which should be your first day in Osaka) will be a national holiday. Tourist places will be open but probably busy, and some museums will be closed the day after due to staying open for the holiday. Just something to bare in mind when you’re making plans.

Although I can’t help you with tour guides, if you would like I can provide information on where to visit for your time in Osaka & Kobe. Do you have any special interests? Is your interest more in traditional Japan or modern Japan?

I will be traveling in April on Celebrity’s Japan sailing. I am not afraid to take trains etc, but would like to know is it safe enough to explore on my own as a single woman or should I obtain a guide or organized tour. Thank you!

Japan is definitely one of the safest countries in the world to travel as a single woman. It’s not perfect by any means, but basic common sense and it is very unlikely you will have any problems.

In my time living in the country, and also traveling around on vacation, the worse I ever had was some very low level harassment (just unwanted comments - but that wasn’t in a tourist place, plus I’ve had worse many times in Europe). This summer a friend had his wallet stolen but that was only after he left it unattended on a table in a hotel; however, we were more shocked that it WAS stolen! Spending too long in Japan changes your idea of what is normal ;)

The only thing with the question if to get a guide or not is that it depends on how comfortable you are being in a foreign language environment (although all your ports are regular cruise ports and have a reasonable level of English for Japan) and what you plan to do. If you plan to go further afield then a guide might be handy (such as going to Kyoto from Kobe - or to some of the sights outside of Naha which can be more difficult to get to unless you are driving).

In 2017 Princess had a Circle South America cruise booked as either 80 days round trip from Sydney or 72 days round trip Auckland but otherwise no shorter segments sold.

I’m pretty certain that cruise was split into two segments as it was possible to book it finishing or starting in Buenos Aires.

Would you happen to know, in Naha, how to get from the terminal (HAL) to the Tsuboya Pottery Village area?

If you’re at the Cruise Terminal then a taxi is probably your best option unless there is a shuttle to Kokusai-Dori. Tsuboya Pottery is just South of Kokusai-Dori, but towards the Makishi Monorail Station end. You could walk it from Terminal but you would be looking at approximately 45 minutes walk. There are signs from Kokusai-Dori to there, but they are not the best (I got slightly lost, although I was walking from the monorail, not the terminal). However, if you are walking there you’ll find the pottery museum is very near one of the ends of the undercover shopping street which begins from Kokusai-Dori.

If you want to walk:

Head straight from the Cruise Terminal to Kokusai-Dori, then turn left and follow that street. You’ll have to walk quite a way down but eventually you’ll come to an undercover shopping street heading off south from Kokusai-Dori (right hand side of the road). Follow this. There is actually three undercover streets, with a junction between all three part way down where you will want to head on to the left most street (still heading South). Follow this and it should bring you out just across the road from the Pottery Museum and the rest of the area.

It would be quicker to cut through some of the side streets, but that’s rather confusing to direct...

Hi, We are travelling on NCL Jewel during Golden Week in Japan in April 2019. These are the ports: Kobe, Japan Naha, Okinawa, Japan Ishigaki, Japan Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan I am wondering if there are any places to go that are in walking distance from the cruise ports in these stops?

It does depend slightly one what you class as walking distance :)

Kobe, as already mentioned by another poster, has the Port Liner right at the Cruise Terminal. This will take you to Sannomiya Station where you can get regular train services to Osaka, Kyoto, Himeji, etc. However, walking from Sannomiya you are in a large shopping and food area. North-West of Sannomiya there is the Ikuta Shrine is a short walk (5 to 10 minutes) from the station, and another 10 to 15 minutes beyond there you will find the area of older foreign residences (Kitano Ijinkan) many of which have small museums and attractions. There is also the Mt. Rokko cable car if you keep heading north to Shin-Kobe which will take you up to the herb gardens. If the weather is nice and you’re feeling very energetic you can walk back down to Kobe via the waterfall. Otherwise from Sannomiya you could also head West through the shopping streets to Motomachi (10 to 15 minute walk) where you’ll find Chinatown as well as Merikan Park with it’s Earthquake memorial, Maritime Museum and the Port Tower.

Naha... it depends on where you dock. If you’re at the cargo pier then there is no where to walk to nearby. You would need to get a shuttle bus (unfortunately I don’t know where NCL’s drop off point would be. I know that Princess and Royal Caribbean use completely different places...) or to take a taxi in. However, if you’re at the Cruise Terminal then there are things to do within walking distance. The main tourist street (Kokusai Dori) is about a 20 minutes walk away, on the way to which you will pass the Fuzhou Gardens. Closer to the Port you can walk through the park along the waterfront to the Naminoue Shrine and the city beach.

Ishigaki doesn’t have much to do within close walking distance of the tender pier. There is a small museum and the shopping area. From the terminal building you can get the ferry over to Taketomi which is a very nice island for walking or cycling. Otherwise, Ishigaki is a good option for getting a hire car and exploring the island. One day is plenty of time to see many of the main scenic spots.

Keelung has lots of small things to do near by. Again, it depends which berth you are at for what is closer/easier to walk to. Around the Maritime Plaza you have the Oceanic Culture Museum & the Keelung Story House both which have English explainations. There’s the Night Market with it’s Temple also close by. You can also explore Zhongzheng Park with it’s Ghost Festival museum (There is also a history museum but it has almost no English) and continue to the temple at the top of the hill with it’s giant goddess statue and nice views over Keelung Harbour. If you are up for more hiking than walking there are several paths up to some of the old fortifications around Keelung which also give nice views over the city.

I hope this has been some help :) Let me know if you have any further questions and I can try and help.

There’s actually quite a bit to do around Kobe depending on what interests you. I can try to offer some suggestions if you are looking for something in particular? I studied in Kobe for a few months so I’m familiar with the area and some of the cities nearby.

However, I would second the suggestion of going to Himeji for the day to see the castle if you have never been. Do you know which port you are docking at? Unless you are particularly interested in riding the Shinkansen you can easily get a rapid train from either Sannomiya or Kobe stations to Himeji which will take approximately 40 minutes each way and cost just under ¥1000 one way (around 9 USD).

Found something by accident a couple of days ago which may be of interest to some of you. An Instagram feed from someone onboard the Statendam to Pacific Eden drydock with photos of the conversion in progress.

https://instagram.com/seafarerswife/

the officers and crew are on B1 visas, not H1 work visas.

Actually, at least the lines I'm familiar with, most officers and crew are on C1/D visas (seafarers transit visa), there's only a limited number working on B1 visa which tend to be technical, corporate or entertainment staff.

I suspect that the answer to your question would be based on a number of factors such as the Captain involved, sailing time/location of next port, whether the arrival time at the airport for the late flight is kown or not, whether the passenger(s) used Princess Air or not, and how much was known about how late arriving the person(s) involved will be. Probably a lot of other factors that I didn't list also are possible/probable factors.

All of these and you can add factors regarding the port that they are boarding in too: is there issues that mean the ship must leave on time (tide, weather), is it departing from a country where legal/paperwork requirements force a strict cut off time for boarding?

It was mentioned above the factor of how much is known about how late arriving the person(s) will be: take sure you have a cell phone number listed in your booking contact information and have this phone on you. Often once it gets down to the last few cabins left to arrive the ship will try to contact to find out where they are - calling someone who replies that they are "on etc street/bridge and approximately x minutes from the port" is more likely to be waited for if it is possible to.

They put in the same kind of effort towards their jobs as the room stewards and the wait staff. Just because we can see & experience direct evidence of some of the staff does not mean that others don't work as hard.

The photographers are there on the same contract as other crew and they have the same kind of working hours and conditions.

Another thing; if Carnival ever decides to lower the price of the prints, we might just buy some. But we are not paying $5 to buy something that costs less than 5¢. If the prints were a $ or $2, we would probably buy at least 4-5 prints, heck maybe even 10 or more.

I find it interesting that you make these two points as, in my opinion, they seem to contradict each other.

Photography, both professional photographers ashore and the services on ship, is more than just the cost of the print. Yes, the cost of the paper and chemicals for that photograph is less than 5¢ but that doesn't take into account the work and experience that goes into that photograph. It's not just a case of someone pushing a button on a automatic camera and it prints and displays itself - you have to remember that those photographers are out there for hours in all weather manually maintaining image quality, then someone will spend several hours printing all the images individually, and then photos then need to be displayed in the gallery and staffed. Digitization has sped up the process, but it hasn't removed the requirement for experience and expensive equipment. You talk about photographers working hard so you apparently recognize this, so it seems strange to claim there's only the paper cost.

I mean, if you're going to say that the paper cost is only 5¢ so I'm only going to pay you a small bit over that, can I say the same to my lawyer about some documents they sorted out for me the other week? :D "Well, you just printed these on your printer and signed them, which is about 5¢ each... so I'll pay you $2 each". I don't think it'd go down too well :D

If you talk to the photographers on the ship you'll find most have a lot of pride in what they do, and an honest belief in that their work should be sold a price which represents the work they put into their product.

Hi any one going on this cruise out of Singapore. Cannot find roll call or any info.

This is our first cruise. We are interested in port excursions should we book through the ship or do it ourselves. A little hesitant as we will be calling at Cambodia, Vietnam, etc. any suggestions please???

Check the roll call "Treasure of Asia 18th August 2014". This is the roll call for the full round-trip from Fremantle to Fremantle. I don't think there's one just for those joining in Singapore, but that group should be able to help you with tours and advice.

Thanks for doing this live post, I'm looking forward to hearing more. We've been looking at going on the Grand later this summer so very interested.

I was wondering if you would be able give the list of senior officers onboard currently which would have been in the patter on the first day? :)

I carefully edited about 20 pictures, cropped to 4x6, and had them

printed. Some were landscape, and some were portrait.

 

The photostaff thoughtfully printed them all as landscape. The places

I print on land 'auto-rotate'.

Hmm, I would doubt that was the photostaff on purpose, it sounds more like a software glitch that didn't get caught during the printing process. The printing software they use will normally auto-rotate but can sometimes play up depending on how the photos were taken/previously edited. Easy to fix if caught, but if lab staff aren't paying attention or in a hurry it can easily be missed.

o Most digital pictures are a different size (length or width) than the standard print sizes. With the kiosk, you can select what portion of the picture to print (as well as zoom in if you want). The photostaff will just print the part of the image that is centered.

o With the kiosk you can "enhance" your photo to take care of poor lighting, contrast, etc. The photostaff will print the photo as is.

If you wish anything particular done in the way of cropping ask the photostaff when you make the order - they can take requests to crop and edit photos (within reason - as you say, some photos have to be cropped as the image ratio does not match the print ratio).

And as for brightness and contrast the photostaff should do that without asking when they print them on their systems (again, within reason: they won't save a photo which is completely blown-out/under exposed) - if you get prints back and they aren't good enough quality (too dark, colour off, marks on print) then talk to them. Sometimes, especially if they have been printing hundreds of passenger prints that morning, quality errors do occur and get missed but they're always happy to reprint them.

A friend of mine went on a helicopter tour in Grand Cayman a few years ago. Unfortunately, I don't know the details other than that it was something that he organized privately a couple of weeks beforehand.

Bit of a rhetorical question really.... Looking to plan our holidays for next year. There are very few cruises which tie in with Christmas, Easter and half term holidays in the UK. Most schools follow the same patterns for holidays might be useful if someone involved in planning itineraries took these dates into consideration. People with children ought to be tied to these dates and those with or without children who work in education definitely are, yet it seems that a huge customer base is being missed here. Spent time today searching for something to fit in with dates yet a lot of cruises sail on the last day of term or return after term starts :(

 

Perhaps if someone from cruise lines reads this it might be taken into consideration for future years. Looks like my half terms are not going to be spent at sea next year!

I know the conversation has wandered on, but going back to the original question (more or less). I don't know if it'll be any help to you but Princess have run a summer half-term cruise from Southampton for the last couple of years at least (7 day cruising from Saturday - Saturday). We were on it last year and was looking at doing it again this year but unfortunately other family commitments meant we were unable to.

I have often wondered what the parents of infants in arms, or very young children do about tipping. I understand they must bring their own formula, diapers, baby food etc. The children are too young for the kids center. Yet they pay full fare. Aside from the room steward, I don't see that they have any interaction with the staff. Certainly not the dining room staff if they prepare and bring their own food and maybe eat in the Horizon court. I am WAAAAY past the age to deal with the issue myself, but curious.

One option used is to just remove the auto-tips for the child (Parents kept theirs on) and then tip where the parents feel is necessary such as extra service being done for the child. This is what a couple I met on a cruise a while back was doing. Not certain how that would work for tips and the tip pool however.