MSC Japan Itinerary

[nikkiw60]

We are looking at a cruise to Japan next spring and looking at 2 possibilities.

1st MSC Splendida

2nd NCL

 

Has anyone visited these ports and could give advice on the best one?

Obviously would prefer MSC! But we are travelling with friends who want to see the Cherry Blossoms!

 

 

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[DipBrat]

You won't see much of Japan on the NCL itinerary. The Kobe stop is short wheras the Osaka stop gives you a lot more time to see Kyoto. Okinawa and Ishigaki are both beach destinations though Okinawa is also of interest to lots of Americans who were stationed there and or had parents who fought there etc. The other Japan stops on the MSC cruise let you see more of "real" Japan. I don't know anything about Taiwan stops so can't compare.

 

Overall you might get better advice if you post this on the Asia board.

[nikkiw60]

I posted here to see if anyone had done the MSC itinerary, I know Bea has been in that area for example.

However I will have a look on the Japan boards.

Also I am liking what you have said about the MSC ports of call as MSC is my preference!

 

 

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[Beamafar]

Hi Nikki

 

I don't know if you've since made a decision. I was away on Poesia when you posed your question and have only just spotted it.

 

The only advice I would offer, based on my experience, is that I wouldn't choose an itinerary solely on the POCs in that region at that time of the year. The weather changed for the worse after we left Singapore; we had one POC switched for another in Vietnam and we had a second one cancelled (Shanghai). In fairness, MSC was extremely generous in giving us 50% off another cruise with no expiry date. (We may have been given some OBC, too, IIRC - €100 pp, I think).

 

We did a 14 night Celebrity cruise in Jan 2016 in the same region and missed a port, too (Kota Kinabalu) as well as having an unscheduled overnight in Hong Kong. All we got was some OBC - IIRC $50!

[nikkiw60]

Hi Nikki

 

 

 

I don't know if you've since made a decision. I was away on Poesia when you posed your question and have only just spotted it.

 

 

 

The only advice I would offer, based on my experience, is that I wouldn't choose an itinerary solely on the POCs in that region at that time of the year. The weather changed for the worse after we left Singapore; we had one POC switched for another in Vietnam and we had a second one cancelled (Shanghai). In fairness, MSC was extremely generous in giving us 50% off another cruise with no expiry date. (We may have been given some OBC, too, IIRC - €100 pp, I think).

 

 

 

We did a 14 night Celebrity cruise in Jan 2016 in the same region and missed a port, too (Kota Kinabalu) as well as having an unscheduled overnight in Hong Kong. All we got was some OBC - IIRC $50!

 

 

 

Hi Bea, we haven’t booked yet we have NCL Bliss coming up in a couple of weeks so we can see how NCL are compared to MSC...

The reason we are looking at going then is that a friend travelling with us wants to go for the Cherry Blossom.

I have found another possibility on CN for a package with 2 nights in Hong Kong then 5 nights on Splendida followed by a couple of nights in Japan.

I will tell the others what you have said about the weather and thanks for your advice.

 

 

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[Beamafar]

Sounds like you've some great choices.

 

It struck me (after I posted :rolleyes:) that MSC has to get you to Japan so you probably wouldn't miss the Cherry Blossom, anyway. Best of luck with whatever you do decide to do.

[nikkiw60]

Watch this space!

 

 

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[DipBrat]

Keep in mind the Cherry blossoms can vary year to year. With global warming they sometimes are much earlier. Last week was two full weeks earlier than typical for example. Of course if you cover a few cities you can be pretty sure of seeing them somewhere.

[nikkiw60]

Keep in mind the Cherry blossoms can vary year to year. With global warming they sometimes are much earlier. Last week was two full weeks earlier than typical for example. Of course if you cover a few cities you can be pretty sure of seeing them somewhere.

 

 

 

I know we have googled the dates and have seen what is happening re global warming It’s not for us we just want to visit the area but our friend is a botanical artist and that is why he wants to go then.

 

 

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[GOLDENBONNY]

We are looking at a cruise to Japan next spring and looking at 2 possibilities.

1st MSC Splendida

2nd NCL

 

Has anyone visited these ports and could give advice on the best one?

Obviously would prefer MSC! But we are travelling with friends who want to see the Cherry Blossoms!

 

 

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I would first wait till your NCL cruise and see if you will ever book with NCL again LOL.

We have Cherry Blossom in Toronto ,one year I went to see it. :eek:Took 1 hour to find parking and after we finally got to park we could not even see a Cherry tree forget to make a picture , because of amounts of Asians with cameras LOL I hope its not a case in Japan ;p

[nikkiw60]

I would first wait till your NCL cruise and see if you will ever book with NCL again LOL.

 

We have Cherry Blossom in Toronto ,one year I went to see it. :eek:Took 1 hour to find parking and after we finally got to park we could not even see a Cherry tree forget to make a picture , because of amounts of Asians with cameras LOL I hope its not a case in Japan ;p

 

 

 

2 weeks to go till the NCL...

As I like to do my Live from (my balcony early in the morning cos I have jet lag) thread I m going to do on the MSC board and do as a comparison thing!

 

 

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[GOLDENBONNY]

2 weeks to go till the NCL...

As I like to do my Live from (my balcony early in the morning cos I have jet lag) thread I m going to do on the MSC board and do as a comparison thing!

 

 

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Can't wait .

[emmas gran]

Hi Nikki

We have friends in Australia who are doing a land tour next April to see the Cherry blossom and the tour is April 4th to 18th. She is hoping cherry blossom is still around so maybe late April will be late for it—-I don’t know when it’s around in date terms

We are doing the cruise like Bea did and it’s Golden Week from April 28th to May 6th which I have yet to investigate

Liz

[nikkiw60]

Hi Nikki

 

We have friends in Australia who are doing a land tour next April to see the Cherry blossom and the tour is April 4th to 18th. She is hoping cherry blossom is still around so maybe late April will be late for it—-I don’t know when it’s around in date terms

 

We are doing the cruise like Bea did and it’s Golden Week from April 28th to May 6th which I have yet to investigate

 

Liz

 

 

 

Hi Liz are you going to be on the Splendida for Golden week?

 

 

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[emmas gran]

Hi Nikki

We disembark on 27th April and have a tour to Mt Fuji on 28th then fly home overnight on 29th so unfortunately we only get a couple of days in Tokyo

 

Still doing Meraviglia repositioning New York to Miami

October 2019–waiting to book flights and hotel on that one

Liz

[phissy]

Hi Bea, we haven’t booked yet we have NCL Bliss coming up in a couple of weeks so we can see how NCL are compared to MSC...

The reason we are looking at going then is that a friend travelling with us wants to go for the Cherry Blossom.

I have found another possibility on CN for a package with 2 nights in Hong Kong then 5 nights on Splendida followed by a couple of nights in Japan.

I will tell the others what you have said about the weather and thanks for your advice.

 

 

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We just returned off the Bliss. NCL Plat Plus here but, this was not our favorite ship. Food very good. Entertainment good, but on board activities and spaces are chopped up. Reminds me of a hotel not a cruise ship. Cabins are smaller than older ships. Social interactions not as much as smaller ships. If you are into gambling , this ships has it “in spades”. Huge casino on multiple levels.

Also, just returned from Asia to Seattle repositioning cruise on Jewel. Many not happy with how ports were handled and short times.

I would seriously look at MSC for the region of the world. We are booked for Mediterranean MSC cruise this spring. This may be our new cruise line of choice.

[nikkiw60]

We just returned off the Bliss. NCL Plat Plus here but, this was not our favorite ship. Food very good. Entertainment good, but on board activities and spaces are chopped up. Reminds me of a hotel not a cruise ship. Cabins are smaller than older ships. Social interactions not as much as smaller ships. If you are into gambling , this ships has it “in spades”. Huge casino on multiple levels.

 

Also, just returned from Asia to Seattle repositioning cruise on Jewel. Many not happy with how ports were handled and short times.

 

I would seriously look at MSC for the region of the world. We are booked for Mediterranean MSC cruise this spring. This may be our new cruise line of choice.

 

 

 

Thank you for your comments, we will decide after the NCL to see what we think of them. Personally the MSC is my favourite it has a couple of overnight stops included.

I am thinking that as it is Golden week it would be nice to be in the port at night time am thinking maybe fireworks and festivals.

Also the timings are 2pm to 2pm so should be able to do a couple of tours in those places.

 

 

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