debcip

As my Azamara account and I remain apparently unknown to Azamara, thanks everyone for this news as I am receiving no mailings.

Hi, Here’s the info on a recent bid experience (made bids for 2 different upgrades): - bid date 10-Jan-2024 - cruise date 19-Mar-2024 - cruise length 15 days - loyalty level Explorer - minimum bid required for upgrade (in US$) 800 per cabin / 200 per cabin - total amount bid (in US$) 3000 / 350 - cabin type initially booked Veranda - cabin type bid for Club Continent Suite / Veranda Plus - final bid cost per night (in US$) 200 / 23 - bid strength can’t remember - outcome (successful or not) not - cruise region Japan - any other useful information (E.g when told about outcome) - told 18-Mar-2024

Great seeing all the different things you’re experiencing on your trip! I may have to return! Ryszard is the best! Wasnt the apple pie amazing? interesting that you are having all the different sake cocktails! Did I miss them on. Y trip? Your on-shore and on board entertainment is also different than ours! The long hours of walking did continue for us—we walked almost 4-5 miles every day

@ChucktownSteve and @Host Jazzbeau, can you explain a bit about what you meant when noting “Royal Caribbeanization” on Celebrity and Silversea? Thanks!

@tango9 I agree about the local entertainment, locally provided marvelous sail-away entertainment, and the availability of Tomoko and the local ambassadors at the ports ( wish I had asked about the Haori!!!). Azamara really did a wonderful job with this one!

Re: the Japanese guides. Overall, I think I would say they were equally divided between excellent, very good, and ok. About 2/3 had very good English and were easy to understand, and we struggled some with the remaining 1/3

We did this in ‘18 and loved the experience as well— but for some reason they were not permitted to serve food or drink at the event-that was a little disappointing as a a glass of wine would have been lovely! I found it to be a very special night!

I know everyone’s cruise has begun but I went to Catholic school and I can’t leave a task undone—there’s one more thing to add regarding our last day in Tokyo. We had spent 3 days in Tokyo pre-cruise but did not do a lot of the typical “touristy” things. So on the last day, we did the Tokyo Highlights and Teppanyaki ship tour. This took us to the Meiji-Jingu shrine, for a walk around the Imperial Palace grounds, to the Aksakusa Temple, and to the shopping area of Nakamise Dori. There was teppanyaki lunch at a very nice steakhouse. in all honesty the day was slightly disappointing. I think we had seen a few too many shrines and temples, and there was not too much to see at the palace grounds at the moment since nothing was in bloom. The area around the temple and on Nakamise Dori was unpleasantly crowded—I was hoping to do a bit of shopping but it was all one could do to get down the street! The lunch was excellent, however! None of this was an issue with the ship or the tour guide—it was just the wrong thing for us on the last day. In retrospect, I would have opted to stay on board in the morning and get my packing underway, have lunch somewhere perhaps in the ship vicinity (there are apparently some decent restaurants in that part of town), and might have taken an independent tour of some sort at night; these are available on line. That’s it for me! Looking forward to hearing the thoughts of anyone currently on board for the second round of Japan! —Debbie

Phil, I just posted on another thread that on the Journey, the idea of future Azamazing evenings was definitely being promoted—that it was not possible in some countries but that as a whole they will be going forward. 🤷🏻‍♀️ —Debbie

Thanks for the positive response and feedback! Wishing you a wonderful cruise! It was a once-in-a-lifetime one for us!

Just off the Journey in Japan. It was mentioned by Ryszard and other staff multiple times that the intent is to continue regularly having Azamazing Evenings; that in Japan and Korea it is not currently possible due to some government restrictions

Shimizu Tje excursion this day was dedicated to viewing Mt Fuji from multiple different vantage points. First was a stop at Shiraito waterfall. This is a beautiful site which can be seen from above or more closely by descending about 100 steps (these are regular and have railings). We climbed back out the same way—not sure if there is a gentler way without steps. We proceeded to the Fuji-San Shinto shrine, where even better views of Mt Fuji are seen Finally we went to a town along the Pacific Ocean, and walked through a pine grove along a boardwalk, where the ancients used to walk as a little pilgrimage. This walk is approximately a half mile. It ends with a fantastic view of Mt Fuji from the beach!

Additional note on Kobe: The cruise ship dock was separated from the terminal exit by the on-ramps to a bridge and a commuter train. This resulted in a long and circuitous route from deck 5 on the ship, across to and underground in the terminal building and finally emerging to where the buses were waiting. It’s a 1/4 to 1/3 mile walk, without exaggeration. Be prepared!

Kobe Although this is a busy port and city, many people use this port as a way to see sights in Kyoto, Osaka or Nara. There is a shuttle bus into town, a great shopping area and a lot of street food, particularly in Chinatown. Of course there are Kobe beef restaurants, and Kobe beef takeaway in Chinatown. We did the 10+ hour Arashiyama, Golden Pavillion and Fushimi Imari Shrine excursion. This took us some of to the most popular sights in Japan—The Bamboo Forest, Golden Pavillion, and 10,000 red Torii gates. We were very glad to see all of these things; however, it is a bit of a trying experience. They are all extremely crowded, and it’s difficult to stop, look and appreciate it—felt very much like being on a conveyor belt. Get a quick glimpse, and a picture, without ever really stopping. The second half of the bamboo forest is quieter, and ends with a walk along the river, so that piece was more meditative. The large group was pretty unwieldy although the tour guide did a great job keeping us together. Some folks opted to do these sites on a private tour, and in retrospect I think that would have been the way to go with this one. They were able to have enough time to see 2 more sites. Others took the bullet train into Kyoto and got around on their own. This is a very long day as Kyoto is 1.75 hours from Kobe and the traffic is terrible—we arrived back 20 minutes after our scheduled time. So all in all, I’m glad we did it, but I spent a lot of time reminding myself to appreciate it!

I cannot get into my account at all, after many similar emails! However, when I make a call and ask about it, the Cusromer Service rep, (or Michelle on my current sailing) can see what I know are the correct numbers in my account

Takamatsu This was a half-day port. We cruised through the “Inland Sea” in the morning and all excursions were in the afternoon. Takamatsu has a very nice port area. There is a long pier along which one can walk, and it’s an easy walk into town. Excursion: Bonsai and Ritsuren Garden This was a restful afternoon after a number of heavy touring days. In addition, it was the first day of truly good weather, with sun and temps in the 60s. Ritsurin Garden is a beautiful garden largely populated with pine trees, most of which are curated and shaped. There are cherry blossoms but unfortunately only a few were bloomed while we were there. This is a very nice garden but not what I would term spectacular We then attended a tea ceremony at the garden which was lovely (most folks sat at a table but the last ones in had to sit on the floor so note this if you can’t get up or down!)—shoes had to come off for this piece. we then went to a large bonsai nursery where the 5th generation grows and cares for hundreds of bonsai trees—there are a few >100 years old!

Our cruise began 19-Mar-2024. Excursions became available on line sometime in the fall of 2023. We booked them in November. It may have been later for this cruise because Japan opened up to tourism fairly late after COVID.

Hiroshima Excursion: Kintai-KyoBridge and Shinkansen Bullet Train This was a long but worthwhile day. A bus took us into central Hiroshima where we boarded the bullet train under the auspices of our tour guide The train was remarkable—almost silent, very comfortable, clean and fast! It was a short (14 min) ride. Then on to Kintai-Kyo bridge—this spot was very crowded but we walked across together (lots of short wooden steps) then took a guided walk through the samurai village. Then had independent time when we could explore a park, take photos and get a snack from the many vendors. This was followed by a good “traditional lunch” with many many small items and included a soup and sushi which were specific to the area. Then on to the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park. This is an amazing and sobering place. We thought this pricey excursion was definitely worth it. The Shinkansen fulfilled a bucket-list item for my husband and the time at the dome and park is quite beautiful and heart rending. It was a way to get in a lot of items which were quite far from each other in one day.

Sakaiminato: on this day there was a huge immigration activity upon our re-docking in Japan. This took place in the Cabaret Lounge and took a couple of hours. No one could get off the ship until everyone was processed, so no excursions began until 11 or so. The Windows cafe stayed open so that everyone could get a snack before getting off the ship before noon. This is a port where you can walk into town. There are lots of restaurants and little shops, a tall building where you can go up to the top for a panoramic view, and a tour of the Toto toilet factory! here is a good place to make a note about the port cities. These seem to be more industrial places than some of the “walk-off” ports in Europe. They are clean and safe, but they are not picturesque from what I can tell. Many people go into the cities but then take trains out of the cities to see sites that are a little farther afield. This is a little ambitious for me! But it’s definitely do-able if that’s your thing. For our excursion today we went to a limestone “plateau” (photo and ice cream stop!) and then the Akiyoshido Cave. The natural phenomena were beautiful and a bit of a change from what we’d been seeing. This site is another one that needs a warning! The cave is very dimly lit, there are lots of steps and +/- railings, and spots are slippery. It’s not impossible to negotiate but you need to know that it’s not easy. (I’ve been to Luray Caverns in VA which are very curated, and this is significantly less so!).

Busan, Part 2 This was the night of our Destination Celebration. There were 2 performances, one at 6 and one at 9. It was a wonderful showcase of 6 different types of Korean performing arts, and a special Korean drink was offered to everyone. I asked about an Azamazing Evening on my comment card, and was told that these types of gatherings re no longer permitted in Japan or S Korea. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The port of Busan is absolutely gorgeous at night, with many types and colors of lighting displays. We were also lucky enough to be there at the time of a yellow full moon!

I am currently on the Journey, sailing for the first time since the pandemic. Both DH and I think the food is substantially better than in the past! on a slightly disappointing note, I asked about the Reistafel and was told that “since COVID” these have been disbanded.

Busan, South Korea Busan is a busy and bustling city. There were shuttle buses in from the port. Steven, the cruise director, said there is great street food in the city. Everyone on the ship was required to go through customs in and out of the port. We opted for the 8 1/2 hour ( but worth it!) ship Excursion Titled Gyeongju, The 1000 Year Old Heritage City. It centered around the Sila Period of Korean History (BCE57 to CE935). We saw the Gyeongjiu National Museum, where thousands of relics are housed; the tomb complex, where many leaders are entombed; a visit inside one tomb, where there is an exact replica of how the artifacts were found (in the 1970s); a Korean traditional lunch; and a visit to a Buddhist temple complex. Our guide, Sam, was knowledgeable and entertaining and provided an excellent experience. This is something which I obviously knew nothing about and I really loved this day and learned a lot. Note: this excursion is noted as “strenuous”. There are many steps, and those at the temple are irregular and often without railings. There is also a steep climb up an irregularly paved hill. I was concerned for many on our bus and was happy that no one had a fall!

Sakaiminato Rain returned again! It was 50-52 F/7 C and rainy in the am; cloudy in the afternoon. There was a shuttle into town from the port. From overhearing the Port Ambassador, it seems there is one Main Street in town with shops and some eateries. We took a trip excursion to the Adachi Museum of Art and gardens, which have been rated the best gardens in Japan for many years. It took about an hour to get there. It is interestingly arranged; as you walk through the museum you are able to view the gardens from different viewpoints, both through glass and in open air. The art is gorgeous and the gardens are spectacular, even though it is still winter and nothing is in bloom yet. This should be a must see if you are interested in art or nature. We then went to the (Peony) Yuushein Garden, where we had a traditional Japanese lunch of many courses, and then walked through the gardens there. Although the peonies were not yet in bloom outside, there was an indoor display of some and individual plants outside which had been sheltered from the weather. The indoor display was gorgeous. Again it was a bit too early to see much color outside but we loved and appreciated it nonetheless. Our guide today was excellent. 3 of our 5 guides thus far have been great, with two being ok. In speaking with other cruisers, seems like which guide you get can really change your experience.

@Kitekat I have an important clarification, which my husband caught! What the Port Ambassador apparently said was that all the taxis had already been hired for the next day in Sakaiminato and that she was hopeful that by 9 am more taxis would become available at the port

since folks seem interested I’ll post a little about my experience in each port as we pass through. Kanazawa: Port is about 3 miles from city center and shuttles ran q 30 minutes. Seems there was a fair amount to do and see in the city from what I heard. We opted for the ship’s excursion to the Gokayama region in the mountains, to see the Gassho-Zukuri farmhouses. This is a fascinating settlement but there was not much information provided on the site- there is a map of all the buildings but we had to do a bit of googling and reading afterwards. We then went to a paper-making workshop where we each made 3 washi-paper postcards and could watch a brief movie about the paper-making process. There was a great little shop with a small art exhibit upstairs. This was a lot of fun and interesting.