Japan Intensive - do tell

[Roel94]

On 3/24/2023 at 4:23 AM, Heartfelttraveler said:

Question for those that are traveling now or very soon from the USA.

What airline did you fly?

What was your route?

Did you arrive prior to embarkation date?

I usually purchase my airfare the first month they go on sale.  For me that is coming up in the next few months.  We will fly to Tokyo and home from Singapore.  (Maybe home from Thailand.)

Look at ANA..

used twice ..very impressed

[Drebay]

Busan, SKorea 

 

Overall: Nice town with way too many sites to hit in a single day. Would gladly return. 

 

Arrival:  Normal is how I would describe it - i.e. no band, etc. Also, first Port on the trip where we had another ship in port at the same time (MSC mega ship). 

 

Access: Shuttle (didn’t use) starting at 10:00 with last departure from town at 20:30. 45min to Nampodong (Gukje market). 
 

Ship excursion: Didn’t use. 
 

Sites we saw: (I) Gyeong-ju - capital of the Silla Kingdom and UNESCO World Heritage Site. 9B in Drive o/w but worth it, saw the Buddha Grotto, main temple complex and burial site and burial mounds. Very impressive and made all the better with peak cherry blossoms!  (II) traditional Korean bulgogi bbq lunch. Super yummy!  Only westerners in the place. For those that have never had it, traditional Korean BBQ is a main dish served with numerous (unlimited) side dishes. Lunch for 6 had, without exaggeration, 30+ bowls and baskets on the table. (III) Gamcheon Cultural Village - revitalized shanty town turned artists and tourist locale to the benefit of inhabitants under UN Urban Redevelopment guidelines. Picturesque, sprawling multicolored hillside village right in the middle of town. We spent an hour wandering in not ideal weather (somewhat chilly and drizzling) and loved every second of it. Somewhat crowded due to end of day timing coinciding with a couple of MSC buses. 

[Drebay]

8 minutes ago, Roel94 said:

Look at ANA..

used twice ..very impressed

JAL always been my goto and use them a lot. Honestly, decision should probably be based on which program you collect miles on. Either JAL or ANA as the local carriers are excellent. 
 

We flew nonstop from JFK and arrived a week before departure. Remember that the Mar19 sailing has an apocryphal tale - group scheduled to fly in a day early. Missed their connection and were forced to overnight in DFW. Meant arrival on cruise day and almost didn’t make it because of traffic from Narita. Were very close to being left behind.  Don’t want it to happen to me, but the reality on this itinerary is if you miss the ship in any port - you would easily beat the ship to the next port simply by taking the train. 

Edited March 27, 2023 by Drebay

[Roel94]

11 minutes ago, Drebay said:

 

Sakaiminato, Japan

 

Overall:  Didn’t spend anytime in town as we went to Matsue - the castle and river boat excursion were interesting and much fun.

 

Arrival:  Fairly low key compared to recent ports, but sail away saw a fun performance from a junior high swing band that used enthusiasm to overcome any lacking skills!

 

Access: Shuttle (didn’t use) starting at 8:30 with last departure from town at 16:00. 15min to Sakaiminato Station. 
 

Ship excursion: Matsue castle and Moat Cruise. Fun!  Castle is 5 floors with VERY steep stairs (be forewarned) where you have to remove your shoes (and carry them in a plastic bag, making the stairs even more challenging. Also, there are stairs and some fairly steep hills up to the castle. Believe the rating as strenuous). Wouldn’t rave about the guide. She was fine and we really used the excursion simply as the most convenient way to get to Matsue. Moat cruise was fun for our group. Some people didn’t like it as it required sitting on the floor (although the traditional Japanese Kotatsu heater - was welcome). Also, the boats go under 4 very low bridges where they winch down the roof and passengers have to huddle down.  Those that didn’t enjoy it seemed to be those that were unaware in advance. We thought it was fun and hilarious (especially watching all of us try and get up again afterwards). We had a wonderful pilot, who sang traditional folk songs at various points. 

 

 

Will not do this due to,the stairs. But I enjoy the town and getting a good walk in..this time I will go to fish market.

 

 

I loved what I saw of Niigata ..need more time there.For those who drink sake upstairs is a cute bar which you put money in machines and sample sakes. Yiu cn drink as much as you want. Fun way to spend 30 minutes.

[Roel94]

2 minutes ago, Drebay said:

JAL always been my goto and use them a lot. Honestly, decision should probably be based on which program you collect miles on. Either JAL or ANA as the local carriers are excellent. 
 

We flew nonstop from JFK and arrived a week before departure. Remember that the Mar19 sailing has an apocryphal tale - group scheduled to fly in a day early. Missed their connection and we’re forced to overbite in DFW. Meant arrival on cruise day and almost didn’t make it because of traffic from Narita. Were very close to being left behind.  Don’t want it to happen to me, but the reality on this itinerary is if you miss the ship in any port - you would easily beat the ship to the next port simply by taking the train. 

I very much remember thst well.cut my day short and sat around cabin for hours waiting for sail away so I could do  pictures. Think we left after 8. 
was shocked they waited that long..and group should fly in earlier than day before.not a well planned tour.

 

I live in small town America so I fly to,ORD then to Toyko or home from there.

 

to the person flying out of Singapore I lived Singapore Air 

[Drebay]

12 minutes ago, Drebay said:

 

Busan, SKorea 

 

Overall: Nice town with way too many sites to hit in a single day. Would gladly return. 

 

Arrival:  Normal is how I would describe it - i.e. no band, etc. Also, first Port on the trip where we had another ship in port at the same time (MSC mega ship). 

 

Access: Shuttle (didn’t use) starting at 10:00 with last departure from town at 20:30. 45min to Nampodong (Gukje market). 
 

Ship excursion: Didn’t use. 
 

Sites we saw: (I) Gyeong-ju - capital of the Silla Kingdom and UNESCO World Heritage Site. 9B in Drive o/w but worth it, saw the Buddha Grotto, main temple complex and burial site and burial mounds. Very impressive and made all the better with peak cherry blossoms!  (II) traditional Korean bulgogi bbq lunch. Super yummy!  Only westerners in the place. For those that have never had it, traditional Korean BBQ is a main dish served with numerous (unlimited) side dishes. Lunch for 6 had, without exaggeration, 30+ bowls and baskets on the table. (III) Gamcheon Cultural Village - revitalized shanty town turned artists and tourist locale to the benefit of inhabitants under UN Urban Redevelopment guidelines. Picturesque, sprawling multicolored hillside village right in the middle of town. We spent an hour wandering in not ideal weather (somewhat chilly and drizzling) and loved every second of it. Somewhat crowded due to end of day timing coinciding with a couple of MSC buses. 

One editorial comment on the Destination Celebration (fka Azamazing Evening). This is a 15 night cruise called a Japan Intensive with 12 of 13 ports in Japan. Yet, the Destination Celebration was an evening of SKorean entertainment. No knock to the performance (which was interesting and fun), more an observation….

[Roel94]

Kitakyushu..

 

after years of face to face  And more than once in Japan todays was a nightmare for crew And guests. First was Amanda wake up call starting this with tours first. Then by decks. This became a problem finally as tours took so long that de ms were being called later And later. I think I was to be called around 10 orv1030. Finally I just went and stood in line so I could get ready for the day,

 

I believe this went on until after 11 or 1130.they even moved tiur meeting places.

 

I am so glad I just took a walk into town for lunch and stores.to have to rush today would of been awful. 
 

I ate local as always.saw lots of people shopping who were not from ship.

 

next cruise will do museum if open and try a different lunch.

 

I have a mix of local guides,DIY and ship tours. I seen 100,s of cherry trees. Today the least.Maybe in two weeks. Busan had the most. But I keep hearing they were early .

 

 

[nonrev1]

Thank you DeBray for your great information!  

[Kitekat]

Loving all the information as we are doing this same cruise next year. All the trips, food and experiences are so interesting and useful. Please keep it coming! 

Thank you so much!

 

[Drebay]

Kitakyushu, Japan

 

Overall: Another surprisingly charming little city. It’s essentially the halfway point for the Intensive and a somewhat slower, less ambitious day was welcomed!  It was peak bloom (literally posted as such on signs around the city) and the park was resplendent with lots of locals enjoying their Hanami outings.

 

Arrival:  Small welcome. Tents setup quayside with the normal local tourist info plus some unique experiences (we didn’t partake for full disclosure) including tea ceremonies and kimono “try-ons”. Departure was another charming junior high band. Immigration was apparently problematic for many. We were very lucky - although it wasn’t our scheduled time (plan was Azamara tours followed by deck numbers) we simply showed up at the cabaret at 9:30 after trivia and we were invited in by the crew. For anyone that knows the “true Japan” probably not a surprise that it was an organizational/bureaucratic nightmare.  When we were there, 2 out of the 8 machines weren’t working and those that were, were not well positioned and required some contortions to fingerprint/face pic. Add in limited English capabilities and you could foresee this wasn’t going to go well. Having said all that, we were on shore by shortly before 10:00.

 

Access: no shuttle and none needed.  Ship was a 400m walk to the Mojikō train station, which is 3 stops and less than 15min to Konkura Station in downtown Kitakyushu.
 

Ship excursion: Didn’t use. 
 

Sites we saw: (I) Kokura Castle - so by the time you’re done with two weeks around Japan you can get somewhat “castled out” (think a few weeks in Europe and cathedrals). While by no means original (very few are in Japan) we especially enjoyed Kokura as it had some interesting exhibits (as well as a super cute children’s museum), “modern steps”, you could keep your shoes on and an elevator. (II) Kokura Castle Park - as mentioned, peak cherry blossom and so beautiful.  Peak blossom not only means beautiful trees but also a festival which included many food trucks (a craft beer table!), performers (including a performing monkey!) and so many locals picnicking and enjoying the beautiful weather and blossoms. (III) Shopping arcades - the area around the station is a maze of covered shopping arcades with places to eat/drink, shops, vendors and markets. Much fun to explore and our highlight was a great lunch of yakiudon (fried noodles - the local speciality) at a “we’re the only westerners here hole in the wall” with the most enthusiastic and charming staff (loving the chance to practice their English). Staff followed us outside for pictures after lunch. 

[D. B.]

On 3/23/2023 at 12:23 PM, Heartfelttraveler said:

Question for those that are traveling now or very soon from the USA.

What airline did you fly?

What was your route?

Did you arrive prior to embarkation date?

I usually purchase my airfare the first month they go on sale.  For me that is coming up in the next few months.  We will fly to Tokyo and home from Singapore.  (Maybe home from Thailand.)

For our April 3rd. departure we are arriving March 29th. on United nonstop from SFO to HND.

  Haneda is much closer to the cruise port terminal than Nirita.

 We will spend time on our own around Toyko before the cruise.

[Heartfelttraveler]

7 hours ago, Kitekat said:

Loving all the information as we are doing this same cruise next year. All the trips, food and experiences are so interesting and useful. Please keep it coming! 

Thank you so much!

 

Which date are you doing in 2024?  We are April 18, 2024.

[Kitekat]

32 minutes ago, Heartfelttraveler said:

Which date are you doing in 2024?  We are April 18, 2024.

We are on Az Journey 3 April 2024 - Cherry Blossom Intensive, B2B with Asia Intensive on 18 April. Really looking forward to it although it's a little on the back burner as we are on Quest cruising the east coast of South America to Antarctica and back to Rio for new year, followed by Iguazu Falls...

[flb]

We are booked to sail on the Quest on the April 18 Springtime in Asia cruise.  There has been a lot of discussion on the roll call for that voyage about the need for a Vietnam visa.  While on the Pursuit in January I asked them to message the Quest and the Documentation Officer onboard the Quest.responded: "A visa on arrival will be provided for the guests onboard the ship, it’s validity will be lasting for all the ports of call in Vietnam. The cost of this is US$20.00 per person.

If you wish to stay overnight or disembark in Vietnam, an individual visa should be applied at a variable cost.

*information is subject to change"

 

Now some people are being told by Azamara that we need to get our own visa before we sail.  You may have heard that Aamara's website is down for transition to their new system and it is impossible to call them.

 

Can I ask a favor from one of you who are on the Quest now that will help all of us in the April 18 sailing?  Could you please ask the people on the Quest and verify what the true story is with Vietnam visas.  Your fellow Cruise Critic members would very very appreciative.

[roberts2005]

Help needed

 

we are on April 18th cruise. Which includes Vietnam.   Can someone ask the front desk if the ship is arranging for the Vietnam visa.

 

thank you

[Roel94]

15 hours ago, Drebay said:

One editorial comment on the Destination Celebration (fka Azamazing Evening). This is a 15 night cruise called a Japan Intensive with 12 of 13 ports in Japan. Yet, the Destination Celebration was an evening of SKorean entertainment. No knock to the performance (which was interesting and fun), more an observation….

So much better than the week before in Japan.loved the Fan Dnce

[Roel94]

On 3/28/2023 at 8:13 AM, roberts2005 said:

Help needed

 

we are on April 18th cruise. Which includes Vietnam.   Can someone ask the front desk if the ship is arranging for the Vietnam visa.

 

thank you

Ship did all the visas needed. You have forms to fill out  and at times  face to face. 
 

just breathe and stand in-line 

[ECCruise]

On 3/28/2023 at 8:13 AM, roberts2005 said:

Help needed

 

we are on April 18th cruise. Which includes Vietnam.   Can someone ask the front desk if the ship is arranging for the Vietnam visa.

 

thank you

We've had double confirmation that they changed the policy early in February and we need to secure our own visas for Vietnam. Ship is not doing them. 

[Drebay]

Hiroshima, Japan

 

Overall: Hiroshima is a wonderful city.  The juxtaposition of the emotionality of the Peace Park and the stunning natural and cultural beauty of Miyajima always moves me. 

 

Arrival:  Nothing really, feels like we’ve peaked on arrival ceremonies! LOL. Nothing that I saw at sail away either (but we were tired after a long day and weren’t really looking either). 

 

Access: Shuttle provided, essentially to the Atomic Bomb Dome / Peace Park (<10min walk - Apple Maps “Hiroshima Prefectural Office North Building” and the stop is on the street between that and the “Citizens Hospital”). 8:30 am first, ~20-30min drive and 20:30 last back).
 

Ship excursion: Didn’t use. 
 

Sites we saw: (I) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum - moving and emotional experience for (I think) obvious reasons.Truly almost everyone who emerges needed to take a minute and recenter. Excellent design as well in terms of the architecture and exhibits. (II) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park - lovely with a number of additional exhibits and memorials (recommend the victims’ memorial and Children’s) and I’m including the dome as part of the park (technically separate and across the river). (III) Miyajima / Itsukushima Shrine - the holy island and its most popular attraction the shrine with the Otorii (red gate in the water). Essentially this is the symbol of Japan (the gate) and the island is pretty and very quaint and very touristy/crowded. Think Disney does Japan (almost literally as it’s clear that Epcot Japan is modeled after some of the iconic images of Miyajima including the Otorii and the five story pagoda). Be prepared to fend off the deer looking for food and the tourists as well!

 

Logistics:I’ll add some info on what worked especially well for us this trip (and the route worked in reverse for others on the cruise). If you are looking to combine the two World Heritage Sites in a Hiroshima day (it’s hard to do more in one day)  use this route (or it’s reverse).  Shuttle to Peace Museum/Park/Dome ->  visit Peace sites -> Hiroshima World Heritage Sea route (Google it, it’s a direct high speed ferry between the Peace site and Miyajima -> Miyajima -> direct Ferry from Miyajima to Ujina Port ferry terminal. Note that the direct Ujina ferry uses a different (smaller) terminal on Miyajima (if you’re facing the big JR ferry terminal on Miyajima, it’s to the right). Azamara docks in Ujina port, just on “the other side of the ferry terminal”. It’s a bit of a hike (about a mile) between the ferry terminal and the ship pier (you can take a streetcar about halfway). I couldn’t really figure out in advance where the ship docks, but if you search for “Tower of Paradise” the ship docks just to the right of the park/green space on the map. 

Edited March 29, 2023 by Drebay

[Drebay]

Takamatsu, Japan

 

Overall: Honestly at this point in the cruise (2/3 point with the big Kyoto day coming up) we were looking for a quiet day and we took it here. Nice sailing in the Inland Sea in the morning and a quiet (stunning) visit to the gardens in Takamatsu were the only things on our agenda.

 

Arrival:  Small welcome. Tents setup again with some samurai and other tourist info types around. White Party was in the evening so a little more action (including the girls high school acrobatic troupe who greeted guests on their return to the pier, performed on deck and were adorable later having dinner in the MDR).

 

Access: no shuttle and none needed.  Ship directly in town at a transportation nexus, with the pier, ferry terminal, bus station and main train station all within a few hundred meters of each other.
 

Ship excursion: Didn’t use. 
 

Sites we saw: (I) Ritsurin Gardens - WOW!  Fabulous traditional Japanese garden. Don’t know why this one isn’t on the list of the “Big Three” gardens in Japan. Probably because it’s a bit smaller (certainly than Konrokuen in Kanazawa that we saw the week before), but it’s a stunner nevertheless. Didn’t hurt that it was sunny in the high 60’s at peak bloom!  I mean this place will check all your Japanese garden boxes for sure. Easy access with either the direct train or bus.  (II) Shopping arcade - some in our group walked back via the covered shopping street and reported a very nice assortment of shops and local eateries (including an almost overwhelming tea shop). 

[uktog]

@Drebay your posts are just wonderful and so informative for those of us planning this route next year, thank you.  I needed structure and succinct explanations like you give.  Just so helpful

[nonrev1]

Thank you so much.  You are really helping those of us on the April 3 cruise.  I will definitely post some of our adventures.  We have quite a few of the same things planned - but differences, too.  We have a Good will Guide  for Ritsurin Gardens and our day in Takamatsu.Did you use any Good Will Guides?   

[nonrev1]

I do have a question.  We have had a lot of back and forth whether we needed a K - ETA for Korea since we were arriving by ship and in transit. Did they require one?  Thanks. 

[Roel94]

22 hours ago, ECCruise said:

We've had double confirmation that they changed the policy early in February and we need to secure our own visas for Vietnam. Ship is not doing them. 

Easy to get..my agent got mine 

[Roel94]

On 3/27/2023 at 5:59 PM, Drebay said:

One editorial comment on the Destination Celebration (fka Azamazing Evening). This is a 15 night cruise called a Japan Intensive with 12 of 13 ports in Japan. Yet, the Destination Celebration was an evening of SKorean entertainment. No knock to the performance (which was interesting and fun), more an observation….

The show was much better than the one in Japan. Both on ship..

the fan dance was great