What is the update for cruise in the fall of 2021?

[Lori in AZ]

Hello!

 

I am mulling over whether to book Celebrity Best of Japan cruise for October 2021.

 

Is anyone going, too?

 

What is going on in Japan and Asia? I understand that the Summer Olympic is not open to tourists but what's about fall season for cruisers? If we fly a couple days before the cruise embarks, will we be required to quarantined longer than 24 hours while awaiting the test? We both are fully shot up and we will be willing to take a booster if necessary before we go in the fall.

 

Thanks for any info you may share.

 

Lori in AZ

 

 

[BruceMuzz]

Foreigners cruising in Japan anytime this year does not look possible.

Although Japan’s COVID numbers are surprisingly low, the Japanese do not see it that way.

New restrictions were put in place today for Tokyo, Osaka, and a few other areas. 

Vaccine distribution is just starting this week. The general population will not be fully vaccinated until mid-summer - just before the Olympics.

Japanese domestic cruises are going on right now - but only for Japanese Residents.

With the exception of Olympic Athletes, no foreigners are allowed to visit Japan for any reason.

Japanese residents are allowed to go abroad, but must jump through many hoops to get back into Japan. 

The Japanese Government is subsidizing businesses that voluntarily reduce their hours. The economy is doing quite well and few people are losing their jobs. The Japanese public is quite happy with the current precautions, and there is no big push to open the country up any time soon.

Maybe next year..................

[Lori in AZ]

Thank you Bruce for your reply. I appreciate this.  I used to be active on Cruise Critic board long time ago when it was hopping. Now, it is dead. Very strange.

 

I guess I might change the date to spring time.

[Host Bonjour]

On 4/13/2021 at 12:17 AM, Lori in AZ said:

Thank you Bruce for your reply. I appreciate this.  I used to be active on Cruise Critic board long time ago when it was hopping. Now, it is dead. Very strange.

 

I guess I might change the date to spring time.

 

Hi Lori,

 

We've really missed how things used to be too, it's been a rough year for sure, but we're looking forward to getting back on the sea, and chatting with everyone about our plans and experiences here on Cruise Critic. We believe we're moving in the right direction, certainly in a better place than we were a year ago at this time. 

 

It's been pretty active on many of our boards, some of the cruise lines, Italy, Spain, UK, Greece, various discussion topics (including a jokes/humor topic) and cruise executives have stopped by to visit and answer member questions, this past week we had a special live event with our editors and another executive. 

 

It's definitely different though, but our members have stuck together supporting each other, talking about future plans and past memories, and sharing updates in their part of the world, which has also been helpful. Like you, we're looking forward to being at sea again, and we're grateful for everyone in our community, so we're glad you're around. And you know once everything gets going again, these boards will be sizzling again! 😉🔥

 

Stick around and stay well Lori! 🚢 We know you're going our way.

[BruceMuzz]

Japan is still closed to all foreigners.

Residents who go abroad must return with the required negative PCR test, pass another PCR test upon arrival at the airport, use private transport to get home, remain in home quarantine for 14 days, agree to be tracked by a smartphone app, and are contacted every day by medical staff to ensure that all is well.   

 

Today the Japanese Government announced the CORONAVIRUS prevention measures for the Olympic Athletes.

They must show 2 negative PCR tests taken 96 hours before arrival in Japan.

They will be tested again upon arrival at the airport.

They will be tested every day for the duration of their stay.

Travel away from the Olympic Venue is severely limited and must be announced and approved in advance. 

Any violation of the requirements will result in immediate deportation from Japan.

[Host Bonjour]

Thanks for the update Bruce.

 

Things are probably going to be different (as it has been) in different countries in various parts of the world for a while. It will probably also continue to change unexpectedly, but hopefully it's moving in a better direction.

 

Sounds like Europe *might* be opening to American travelers this summer, but that could change as quickly (and/or unexpectedly) as the announcement was made. Whatever the case, it might only make sense to plan a Europe trip in the near future, and definitely having the ability to get a refund or rebook at a future time with penalties for cancellation.

 

Still not much news from the major cruise lines.... and so we wait. It'll be worth it. 😉

[stormz]

Any news on SE Asia?   Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand. We have booked Amawaterways Mekong River Cruise late November 2021.   AMA just canceled these trips through 9/30/21. Hoping to know more before I have to large balance in late August.   What a conundrum! Hoping a lot changes in the next three months. 

[stormz]

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by stormz

[BruceMuzz]

Yesterday the Japanese Government extended the State of Emergency to 20 June in most of the more populous areas of Japan.

No foreigners - except a limited number of Olympic Athletes - are allowed to enter Japan.

Residents of Japan are still allowed to travel in and out, with lots of paperwork and additional precautions.

Japanese Residents who have visited India, Nepal, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka are not allowed to return to Japan.

Japanese Residents who have visited Florida, Tennessee, Michigan, or Minnesota will be allowed to enter Japan - with additional testing and a required 14-day quarantine at a government facility. The traveler pays for the quarantine stay.

[Expat Cruise]

  I live in the Philippines, have business interests in Japan and many friends. Sorry to say the odds of a cruise that is not 100% Japan residents is zero. I cannot even get a waiver to travel for business. My business associate asked for a special business visa so I could go to his factory.... he was told to check back in 2022... maybe spring.....

 

[Expat Cruise]

On 5/9/2021 at 9:49 PM, stormz said:

Any news on SE Asia?   Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand. We have booked Amawaterways Mekong River Cruise late November 2021.   AMA just canceled these trips through 9/30/21. Hoping to know more before I have to large balance in late August.   What a conundrum! Hoping a lot changes in the next three months. 

All still closed to guests. Thailand was trying to open and is doing a test on the Island of Phuket... it is not going well at this point. Sorry your cruise will be cancelled.

 

[BruceMuzz]

Japan will most likely remain closed to foreigners until sometime in 2022 or 2023.

The foreigners coming in for the Olympics did not exactly impress the Japanese.

 

Currently Japan - with 126 million population - has a slightly better COVID record than the state of Illinois - with 11 million population. You might see that as a very positive result for Japan. The Japanese people and government don't see it that way. Their standards are quite high.

 

The Japanese Prime Minister is forced to step down because he has failed to handle COVID as well as he should have. The Japanese government is already predicting tighter regulations and a continuing ban on foreigners entering Japan for any reason.

[stormz]

Ultimately all Amawaterways SE Asia trips were canceled through the end of the year.  They just seem to cancel month by month, what a shame.   
 

[BruceMuzz]

I have just returned home to Japan after 4 months in Europe.

As a fully vaccinated Japanese resident, with negative PCR tests before and after my flight, it was very difficult getting back in.

Only residents are allowed to enter Japan, so there were only 24 passengers on my 777 plane.

Processing / testing at Haneda Airport was very efficient, but still took 4 hours.

 

Before embarking the flight in London, I had to install 2 new Japanese Health Reporting Apps on my mobile telephone. Once installed, I received QR codes that I had to show at check-in before being allowed to board the airplane.

 

I was quarantined in a Government Hotel in Tokyo for 3 days, then released for an additional 11 days quarantine at home. I had to get home in a private car; public transport was forbidden. I had to install 2 tracking Apps on my mobile telephone, agreeing to make at least one video telephone call with the Japanese Ministry of Health every day, and inputting my temperature, oxygen blood level, blood pressure, pulse rate, and any symptoms every morning into the tracking Apps.

Anyone entering Japan without a smartphone is required to purchase or rent one for the duration of their stay here.

It is looking more and more unlikely that Japan will allow foreigners to visit any time soon.

[BruceMuzz]

Good news: Japan is currently seeing and reporting its lowest infection and death numbers of the Pandemic. Vaccination rates are second highest in the world, and everyone continues to wear masks always. The Government is now allowing very limited numbers of Businessmen, Students, and Interns to apply for entry. The applications can only be done by corporations who will be completely responsible for all costs related to any infections. The application process is very lengthy and difficult. Anyone allowed to enter must still be quarantined and tested frequently. Nobody has yet been approved for entry.

 

Yesterday the Japanese Health Authorities announced that they will study and consider allowing limited tourism groups to enter Japan after the first of the year. But they cautioned that if it is allowed, these groups must be carefully controlled and monitored. This means full vaccination, tests before and after entry, masks always, more testing, and traveling in groups only.

 

Japan Ministry of Health also announced that they are preparing for an expected sixth wave of infection after the New Year.

[BruceMuzz]

Things are not looking very good for any foreigners to visit Japan in 2022.

The new program for foreign Business people and Students to get into Japan was cancelled when Omicron Virus appeared.

In recent weeks, there have been a few Diplomats and Japanese Residents who have brought Omicron back with them from the USA and Africa.

Additionally, the US Military was caught putting infected US troops on commercial flights into and out of Japan, and now there is a massive COVID outbreak at the US Military Bases in Okinawa. 

Now the US Military in Japan has more COVID cases than the entire Japanese population. All US military have been restricted to their bases until further notice.

 

Japan continues to have the highest vaccination rates in the developed world, but new COVID infections have topped 200 per day this week, so we are expecting the borders to remain closed for quite some time. 

[njhorseman]

12 minutes ago, BruceMuzz said:

 

Japan continues to have the highest vaccination rates in the developed world

No... 15 countries have higher vaccination rates than Japan, including the UAE, China, Singapore, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Iceland and Canada.

Source: Johns Hopkins University. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/international

[BruceMuzz]

As of 01 April 2022, Japan remains closed to all foreigners.

The 6th COVID wave is just now subsiding in most of the country.

The US Military Bases in Japan still have big COVID numbers and remain locked down.

 

I return home to Japan next week.

I still must complete many pieces of paperwork, show all my vaccination and booster certificates, show my Japanese Vaccination App on my mobile telephone, have negative test results before and after arrival, and have home quarantine for 5 days.

This time I will be allowed to use a special public transit train to get home from the airport.

I still must activate 2 Apps on my mobile telephone, allowing the medical people to track me every day.

I must also enter my temperature, blood pressure, and heart beat into the App every morning, receive a video call every day to prove that I am in my house, answer a voice call every day to report my condition, press a GPS button on my mobile telephone every day to report my location, and have a weekly home visit from Government Medical Staff to ensure I am OK. 

 

At this point, no foreigners are allowed to enter Japan for any reason.

Japanese cruise ships are sailing around Japan with Japanese passengers only.

The government has increased the number of Japanese Nationals allowed into Japan; 10,000 per day.

 

It does not appear that foreigners will be allowed to visit Japan anytime soon.

[BruceMuzz]

Greetings from Tokyo on 02 May, 2022.

Spring is here. Weather is great.

Foreigners are still not allowed to enter.

Some tourism-based companies in Japan are urging the Government to relent and allow small numbers to visit.

The Government still shows no signs of easing restrictions.