Japan, Sept 2022

[gwesq]

I really like the Muse itinerary for this Fall, getting to Japan Sept 18, 2022.  BUT - Japan is closed, and is unlikely to be allowing cruise ship traffic by this September.  Darn.

I wonder why SS is still advertising this cruise?  I've seen of other lines cancelling/rerouting cruises to Japan.  HAL & Viking are still showing cruises there this Fall as well.  What happens if japan does not open by then ?   

[docmark]

Why do you think Japan will not be open by September?

 

[cruiseej]

Silversea hasn't been cancelling cruises until 3-4 months in advance, and sometimes even less, unless it's absolutely clear they can't sail. I would think at this point, there is still the possibility of getting to Japan in September, even if it seems unlikely, so they don't want to cancel until it's certain they will be unable to visit. 

[drron29]

It is now April and from the 1st of April they have increased the numbers arriving to 7000 a day but no tourists. However they promise to gradually reopen every 2 weeks if numbers are falling and they are.

 

Some Japan old hands are predicting a full reopening at the start of August or September as the Government of Japan is getting a lot of complaints from Japanese businesses as they rely on overseas staff to operate normally. The CEO of Uniglo was particularly forthright saying keeping Japan's borders closed risks alienating their friends.

[PaulMCO]

They were advertising their March 2022 sailings up until February.  So why anything different.

 

Everyone is optimistic -- except the number this week seem to go the other way.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/04/8c50ed799bdd-japan-sees-rebound-in-covid-cases-experts-caution-against-new-wave.html?phrase=school reopen&words=

 

.

 

 

[Stumblefoot]

On 4/1/2022 at 11:15 AM, gwesq said:

I wonder why SS is still advertising this cruise?

It’s over 5-months away.  Why wouldn’t they be advertising it?  Especially when they advertised this spring’s voyages until about 5 or 6-weeks prior to canceling them.

 

On 4/1/2022 at 11:15 AM, gwesq said:

What happens if japan does not open by then?

I’m gonna take a risk and bet you actually know the answer to this question.

[Stickman1990]

42 minutes ago, PaulMCO said:

Everyone is optimistic

Are they? I’m not so sure about that as the Japanese are by nature a very cautious culture 

 

I don’t think their Government will hesitate to keep borders closed to protect their citizens - and of course that’s their prerogative 

 

Interestingly their case numbers are very similar to Australia who has only 20% of Japans population - and Australia has recently approved the resumption of cruising and international tourists without a lot of restrictions - but as I say Japan will be very cautious

 

We have Japan on our list for 2023

[docmark]

Stickman, are you saying "total" number for Japan is similar to Australia or the %? if total, then I will have high hopes for our October Japan cruise on Muse

[Stickman1990]

7 minutes ago, docmark said:

Stickman, are you saying "total" number for Japan is similar to Australia or the %? if total, then I will have high hopes for our October Japan cruise on Muse

 

Surprisingly - the same actual number - On Saturday, 48,825 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Japan and Australia has been averaging 50-60,000 for the last week (up over a couple of weeks ago) - https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/case-numbers-and-statistics#daily-cases

 

We were booked on Muse for the planned May 2022 cruise ex Tokyo but of course that got cancelled. I'd say there's a good chance for September but my point is that Japan will not rush to open borders as some countries have (hey who am I kidding - some never shut them in the first place)

 

For us we want to visit Japan again when things are relatively normal and things are open - part of the great charm of Japan is getting out and about and experiencing the food and the culture - not hiding away in a hotel in fear of testing positive before boarding a cruise!

[PaulMCO]

14 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

Are they? I’m not so sure about that as the Japanese are by nature a very cautious culture 

 

I don’t think their Government will hesitate to keep borders closed to protect their citizens - and of course that’s their prerogative 

 

Interestingly their case numbers are very similar to Australia who has only 20% of Japans population - and Australia has recently approved the resumption of cruising and international tourists without a lot of restrictions - but as I say Japan will be very cautious

 

We have Japan on our list for 2023

I should have said everyone (except the Japanese government).   All the bloggers are predicting a June reopen for tourism.  But as you have stated the government is extremely cautious.  Unfortunately they cannot completely control the entry of COVID even with a complete lock down of their own citizens.   The last variant came in with US Forces returning from their Christmas holiday vacations.

[gwesq]

14 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

 

Surprisingly - the same actual number - On Saturday, 48,825 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Japan and Australia has been averaging 50-60,000 for the last week (up over a couple of weeks ago) - https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/case-numbers-and-statistics#daily-cases

 

We were booked on Muse for the planned May 2022 cruise ex Tokyo but of course that got cancelled. I'd say there's a good chance for September but my point is that Japan will not rush to open borders as some countries have (hey who am I kidding - some never shut them in the first place)

 

For us we want to visit Japan again when things are relatively normal and things are open - part of the great charm of Japan is getting out and about and experiencing the food and the culture - not hiding away in a hotel in fear of testing positive before boarding a cruise!

I have a solution for you - book the Seward TO Osaka cruise. 🙂     

 

IF we assume Japan is still closed in September are there any thoughts about how SS will handle the rerouting?  Korea & China? Australia? Around Hawaiian Islands?   They show around 2 mos of cruising from Osaka.  

[cruiseej]

4 hours ago, gwesq said:

I have a solution for you - book the Seward TO Osaka cruise.

 

Interestingly, that cruise on the SS website shows a stop in Petrapavlovsk, Russia on the map, but the day-by-day itinerary unsurprisingly has that port call in Russia removed: 6 straight days at sea between Dutch Harbor, Alaska and Kushiro, Japan.

 

 

[Stickman1990]

4 hours ago, gwesq said:

I have a solution for you - book the Seward TO Osaka cruise. 🙂     

 

IF we assume Japan is still closed in September are there any thoughts about how SS will handle the rerouting?  Korea & China? Australia? Around Hawaiian Islands?   They show around 2 mos of cruising from Osaka.  

We’re all sorted thanks - https://www.rssc.com/cruises/EXP230920/summary - especially looking forward to all the sea days with Russia removed from the itinerary 

 

You'll have the same issue with your proposed solution - once you arrive in Japan what’s the climate for tourism going to like and potentially you run into issues flying home if you happen to contract Covid while trying to enjoy Japan for a few days after arrival on the cruise. I could never just transit to the airport while being in a Japan - too much to enjoy while there 

 

Last time Silversea cancelled Japan they just left Muse anchored off San Diego - but given it’s Sept 2022 onwards they could just cruise around Asia and then continue onto Australia as planned. I can’t imagine them being her down to Australia before November though. I guess they could do trans Pacifics or Hawaiian Islands cruises (but they'd need a foreign port inclusion for the latter to comply with US requirements) 

[gwesq]

Cruise from Seward (Anchorage, Alaska) to Osaka - SM220908014 _ Silversea.html

35 minutes ago, cruiseej said:

 

Interestingly, that cruise on the SS website shows a stop in Petrapavlovsk, Russia on the map, but the day-by-day itinerary unsurprisingly has that port call in Russia removed: 6 straight days at sea between Dutch Harbor, Alaska and Kushiro, Japan.

 

 

Different cruise. I'm talking about Sept 2022, more stops in Japan

   

Cruise from Seward (Anchorage, Alaska) to Osaka - SM220908014 _ Silversea.html

Edited April 3, 2022 by gwesq

[cruiseej]

@gwesq I'm confused; you posted the 21-day Seward to Osaka cruise. That's the same September 2022 Silversea cruise I was talking about in my post above. I was just noting that the Silversea map shows a stop in Russia, but the day-by-day itinerary shows it has been removed. 

 

@Stickman1990 The 19-day Regent cruise you picked looks pretty similar to the Silversea itinerary, with two fewer days in Alaska and one fewer day in Japan than Silversea. (Regent shows their day which would have been in Russia as "to be determined".) Our of curiosity, what made you select the Regent cruise over the Silversea one?

[gwesq]

56 minutes ago, cruiseej said:

@gwesq I'm confused; you posted the 21-day Seward to Osaka cruise. That's the same September 2022 Silversea cruise I was talking about in my post above. I was just noting that the Silversea map shows a stop in Russia, but the day-by-day itinerary shows it has been removed. 

 

The Cruise I posted (or tried to - can't get it to post as a picture) is a 14 day Seward to Osaka, Sept 8, 2022.   I think you posted the 21 day Vancouver to Osaka.  That would be easier for us but we'd rather do those extra days in Japan than in Alaska.     BUT, the reason I posted it was I misread the post, and tohught it was Stickman, so I wanted to respond to him with this itinerary.  IF ONLY Silversea could tell us Plan B if Japan closed.

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by gwesq

[Stickman1990]

1 hour ago, cruiseej said:

@gwesq

@Stickman1990Our of curiosity, what made you select the Regent cruise over the Silversea one?

We’re Crystal refugees looking for a new home - so very flexible at the moment. We had been booked on the Tokyo to Vancouver via Seward in May 2022 on Silversea but that got cancelled so I wanted to try Regent so opted for that one in 2023 and they have a 3 night pre tour in Vancouver included at no additional cost so that helped in the decision plus we have a Silver Muse cruise in Feb 2023 so we’ll get to try them then

 

At the moment we just want to get back cruising - it’s been way too long - bring it on!

[drron29]

We were booked on the Shadow Tokyo to Anchorage in 2011. You may remember there was a large earthquake and tsunami. It was a few weeks before our cruise so we sailed from Incheon to Anchorage.

SS gave you the option of cancelling with a full refund or cruise and get a very decent OBC.

So most of the Americans cancelled but the Aussies and Brits all cruised. Only 97 passengers and quite a few were SS staff. Very enjoyable

[andersas]

Hi all,

I am late to this Japan itinerary as I had never considered Silversea before.  I noticed an article in the NY Times on April 2 that quoted a risk analyst.  He suggested the Japan government would not re-open for tourists until after their lower house elections in late July, much to the dismay of all of the tourism operators.  Then the government will decide if it is safe to (gradually?) reopen .  As everyone has pointed out, Japan is very cautious and with the outbreak in Shanghai and Hong Kong, perhaps that is warranted.

So the next issue is, will Silversea executives wait until August before they decide to cancel the Japan itineraries this fall?  I note that the Silver Muse starts their Alaskan itineraries on May 19th and then moves toward Japan on September 8th.  In early November the ship moves toward Hong Kong and then in December to Australia.  That is a tough gap to fill if they choose/"are compelled" to cancel the fall 2022 Japan itineraries this spring and have to reposition the ship. 

I, for one, hope Silversea waits it out and lobbies for "special consideration" to permit this itinerary, presuming the government begins to allow (fully vaccinated and boosted) tourists to enter their beautiful country. 

[gwesq]

We are also "late" to this itinerary. HAD a trip planned on Crystal to celebrate a special birthday.  Obviously, that isn't happening, so have our SS cabin booked for that Sept 8 crossing, and the Osaka RT that follows. Need to confirm with payment this week, so we're wondering what happens IF Japan does not reopen by then.  And at this point, no one knows what they'll do, and we are not expecting an answer.  My guess (completely without any foundation), is a change to polynesia or SE Asia will happen.  Makes the most sense, I think, but then again, Who Knows!   And IF there is an itinerary change, wondering about their policy for cancelling.   I hate to spend an extra chunk of money for "Cancel For Any Reason" trip insurance, but maybe under the circumstances it's warranted.   Another, somewhat more recent article:   https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/04/b52fb8e1620f-urgent-japan-so-far-has-no-plan-to-resume-entry-of-foreign-tourists-kishida.html?fbclid=IwAR35pSkMndwplSDlI9bGDQrU7CDjdVKpuFyPOfVF7cC4v83b3lfZAee8Bpc

[Stickman1990]

13 minutes ago, gwesq said:

Need to confirm with payment this week, so we're wondering what happens IF Japan does not reopen by then.  And at this point, no one knows what they'll do, and we are not expecting an answer.  My guess (completely without any foundation), is a change to polynesia or SE Asia will happen.  Makes the most sense, I think, but then again, Who Knows!   And IF there is an itinerary change, wondering about their policy for cancelling.   I hate to spend an extra chunk of money for "Cancel For Any Reason" trip insurance, but maybe under the circumstances it's warranted.  

The Silversea policy is very clear if they cancel - and if Japan is closed they will have to cancel. The policy is clearly stated on their website.Whether they decide on an alternate cruise to a different destination is academic 

 

 

If it were me I’d leave Japan for 2022 and do it in 2023. Why? Because even if they do open up it will be partial and the experience available will be limited in some aspects. If you’re doing a comprehensive Japan tour you want to experience everything that Japan has to offer 

 

[Razgumio]

According to my conversation yesterday with the Japanese Consulate, they are NOT issuing any Visas for individual tourist. Period.

Silversea is toying with us and preventing us from making other plans.

First and last Silversea for us.

[Razgumio]

https://japanstartshere.com/2022/07/01/when-will-japan-reopen-to-tourism/

[cruisr]

I have said in various posts in this forum that one cannot get an individual tourist visa.  
 

My apologies as I am having a difficult time cutting and pasting the info I received from my TA and as it has personal information on it I cannot post it here in its entirety.

 

It did say in that email to TAs they (Silversea) were going to share this info with guests tomorrow (which is today, July 9) and I have not received anything directly from Silversea.

 

 

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, Razgumio said:

According to my conversation yesterday with the Japanese Consulate, they are NOT issuing any Visas for individual tourist. Period.

Silversea is toying with us and preventing us from making other plans.

First and last Silversea for us.

Silversea is not toying with you.  They may still able to cruise to and around Japan. They are still able to take their passengers on shore excursions.  As a passenger you are in a group.

 

However you are not allowed to remain travelling in Japan by yourself or with family after the cruise. You must fly out.  But that is not the fault or responsibility of SS.

Edited July 9, 2022 by Port Power