Thoughts on Celebrity Millennium for a Japan cruise?

[Traveling Fools]

1 hour ago, jbinpa said:

If going on a Japan cruise, do you recommend staying in Yokohama beforehand or in Tokyo itself? I know the latter is more expensive but how easy is it to get from Yokohama to downtown Tokyo for sightseeing?

 

Subways make it easy to travel between the two cities.  I would say it is less expensive to stay in Yokohama rather than Tokyo; just more convenient to where the ship docks.  Unless they have built a terminal, there really isn't one.....which can lead to boarding being a cluster...

 

If you intend on going to into Tokyo, you need to identify where in Tokyo you want to visit and take the trains to get you there.  If ever you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask a Japanese for help.  They will cross their arms if they either don't speak English or if they don't want to help.  Most are genuinely helpful and enjoy practicing their English. 

[Dr65]

We did the Sept 30 Millenium Japan cruise and in hindsight(20/20) we wished we had done a land vacation instead of the cruise. A lot of the ports were large industrial ports and points of interest were some times an hour or 2 metro stops away. I think not going to Hiroshima or Nagasaki was a deal killer(my fault-I knew this before hand). The shore excursions offered by Celebrity were  awful and not nearly worth the exorbitant cost. I highly recommend if you do this cruise to get private guides as much as possible. My recommendation for doing Japan by land: 5 days in Tokyo(beyond fascinating!!), 3 days in Kyoto, fast train to Hiroshima or Nagasaki fly back to Tokyo.( my 2 cents)…all of the above is just my opinion and others will disagree.

[ECCruise]

25 minutes ago, Traveling Fools said:

 

Subways make it easy to travel between the two cities.  I would say it is less expensive to stay in Yokohama rather than Tokyo; just more convenient to where the ship docks.  Unless they have built a terminal, there really isn't one.....which can lead to boarding being a cluster...

Both Yokohama (Osanbashi) and Tokyo (the new Tokyo International) have great terminals.  We embarked in one and disembarked in the other this year and both were well equipped and the experience seamless. 

[jbinpa]

30 minutes ago, Dr65 said:

We did the Sept 30 Millenium Japan cruise and in hindsight(20/20) we wished we had done a land vacation instead of the cruise. A lot of the ports were large industrial ports and points of interest were some times an hour or 2 metro stops away. I think not going to Hiroshima or Nagasaki was a deal killer(my fault-I knew this before hand). The shore excursions offered by Celebrity were  awful and not nearly worth the exorbitant cost. I highly recommend if you do this cruise to get private guides as much as possible. My recommendation for doing Japan by land: 5 days in Tokyo(beyond fascinating!!), 3 days in Kyoto, fast train to Hiroshima or Nagasaki fly back to Tokyo.( my 2 cents)…all of the above is just my opinion and others will disagree.

Thank you for these insights. The itinerary I'm looking at is as follows:

 

* Shimizu

* Sea

* Kyoto/Osaka - docked overnight

* Hiroshima

* Sea

* Busan

* Sea

* Hakodate

* Aomori

* Sea

[DaKahuna]

4 hours ago, jbinpa said:

If going on a Japan cruise, do you recommend staying in Yokohama beforehand or in Tokyo itself? I know the latter is more expensive but how easy is it to get from Yokohama to downtown Tokyo for sightseeing?

 I think it is a matter of personal preference.

 My wife is Japanese and I was stationed there while in the military for 10-years. 
 

 We are staying in Yokohama by choice as it is conveniently located for the things we have planned both pre and post cruise.  
 

 As others have said traveling within Japan is very easy.   

[cruisestitch]

Follow this thread 

 

[Bruin Steve]

We're doing back-to-back Japan on Millennium in March/April...

We're spending 5 nights pre-cruise...and staying at the Keio Plaza in Shinjuku (after speaking with family members who have been there including a nephew who spent a bit of time in Tokyo).  The Shinjuku RR station is a major hub for trains and ground transportation and the Shinjuku area is very walkable for tourists.  I think it's more convenient for a multiple day pre-cruise to stay closer in to Tokyo and not deal with traveling back and forth from Yokohama.  We only have to get to Yokohama ONCE--embarkation morning.  We have two tours booked for two of our pre-cruise days...one will pick us up at the hotel, the other has a "meeting point" in Shinjuku, only about a block from the hotel.  I don't mind spending a few dollars more for ultimate convenience.

[Traveling Fools]

14 hours ago, Bruin Steve said:

We're spending 5 nights pre-cruise...and staying at the Keio Plaza in Shinjuku

 

Shinjuku is a fun district to explore!  Be sure to visit the dog and watch the masses when the walk sign is illuminated.

 

Also take an hour and visit the Tokyu Hands Department/Hardware store in Shinjuku.  It is a really neat store!

[Abracadebra1]

I'm following, too. Looking at 12 nights Japan in 2025 on Millie. What about the few verandas on Deck 10? Is August really THAT hot? We survived Israel in August before!

[NMTraveller]

I can now comment on the ship.  The Millenium is the best ship in the fleet!

[tjunmin]

41 minutes ago, Abracadebra1 said:

I'm following, too. Looking at 12 nights Japan in 2025 on Millie. What about the few verandas on Deck 10? Is August really THAT hot? We survived Israel in August before!

Take a look here at their historic weather data and decide for yourself: https://www.tokyo.climatemps.com/index.php

 

Summer in Japan is hot and humid, but I found it bearable for sightseeing. I went there twice during summer, not on a cruise.

 

Japan is a lovely destination to visit. Here are my photos from Japan on the Millennium [photo album].

[villauk]

3 hours ago, tjunmin said:

Take a look here at their historic weather data and decide for yourself: https://www.tokyo.climatemps.com/index.php

 

Summer in Japan is hot and humid, but I found it bearable for sightseeing. I went there twice during summer, not on a cruise.

 

Japan is a lovely destination to visit. Here are my photos from Japan on the Millennium [photo album].

 

Fabulous photos.

[scouse mouse]

We are on a Japan cruise April 2024 on Millie.  Cannot wait!  Thanks for posting your beautiful pictures.

[DaKahuna]

3 hours ago, scouse mouse said:

We are on a Japan cruise April 2024 on Millie.  Cannot wait!  Thanks for posting your beautiful pictures.

 

 Take good care of her, we board May 2nd. 

 

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 10/18/2023 at 12:31 PM, FolsomMike said:

To anyone who has done this cruise…is the food quality/variety any different from a European cruise?

 

One of the things we *don't* enjoy on Celebrity sailings is that they don't add local food/beverage options on the ship when sailing in a region. Compare this to Princess/HAL, where they make a point to bring local beers/MDR food when sailing the world. 

 

On 10/21/2023 at 3:37 PM, villauk said:

Looking forward to your review. I have a couple of questions. Firstly, did you use any private guides for tours or did you take ship tours? How was immigration after you’d visited South Korea in your first Japanese port? Did you stay in Yokohama pre-cruise, if so where? I’m sure I’ll have lots more once I’ve read your review 🤭. TIA.

 

Japan especially is VERY accessible without a tour guide from most of the ports via public transportation. For example, in Osaka it's a 5 minute walk to the elevated subway, and you can just head out from there. 

 

Immigration when returning to Japan after Busan was... a mess to be honest, excruciatingly slow. I think part of this may have been that Typhoon Hagibis was heading towards Tokyo/Yokohama, and the line gave passengers the option of departing early in Aomori (instead of staying onboard to our final overnight and cruise end in Yokohama). 

 

On 10/23/2023 at 1:50 PM, jbinpa said:

If going on a Japan cruise, do you recommend staying in Yokohama beforehand or in Tokyo itself? I know the latter is more expensive but how easy is it to get from Yokohama to downtown Tokyo for sightseeing?

 

Mass transit is very easy and reliable to use in Japan. Yokohama to Tokyo is $3 or $4, and takes about a half hour. That said, I'd highly recommend staying in Tokyo, as it's one of the world's great cities. 

 

On 10/23/2023 at 3:33 PM, Dr65 said:

We did the Sept 30 Millenium Japan cruise and in hindsight(20/20) we wished we had done a land vacation instead of the cruise. A lot of the ports were large industrial ports and points of interest were some times an hour or 2 metro stops away. I think not going to Hiroshima or Nagasaki was a deal killer(my fault-I knew this before hand). The shore excursions offered by Celebrity were  awful and not nearly worth the exorbitant cost. I highly recommend if you do this cruise to get private guides as much as possible. My recommendation for doing Japan by land: 5 days in Tokyo(beyond fascinating!!), 3 days in Kyoto, fast train to Hiroshima or Nagasaki fly back to Tokyo.( my 2 cents)…all of the above is just my opinion and others will disagree.

 

I could not disagree more with this. Almost every single port we visited in October 2019 on the Millennium was walkable to mass transit and tourist sites. This was very much unlike a cruise in Europe where you're in a major industrial port requiring a shuttle just to get out of the port. 

 

On 10/23/2023 at 3:53 PM, ECCruise said:

Both Yokohama (Osanbashi) and Tokyo (the new Tokyo International) have great terminals.  We embarked in one and disembarked in the other this year and both were well equipped and the experience seamless. 

 

Is Celebrity using Osanbashi now? We'd hoped they would on our sailing, but we were at the temp terminal on the other side of the bridge, on what we derisively called "parking island." It actually made us glad we didn't stay in Yokohama, as the port was completely inaccessible by foot/mass transit from the city... only shuttles/taxis. 

[clydeozzy]

Following avidly! Am thinking about booking this for 12 Nights in April 2025. Japan is one on the bucket list!

[Frangipanni]

On 10/17/2023 at 12:48 PM, Rina155 said:

I did a  Japan cruise April 2019 on the millennium. However ours was port intensive. Really wonderful experience and yes as always the usual activities on board.
 

I believe this has been my favorite cruise, I did not care for Busan. Jeju was amazing if you have that stop. 

Hi Rina, I've just read your post re Japan.  We are booked on a 12 day Best of Japan tour on the 9th April 2024.  Can you advise me on the following:

How much currency do I need to take on board - US$? YEN? Korean?

Did you do a tour at Busan and if so, what should we visit/avoid? 

Many thanks for anything you can assist us with.

Cheers,

Frangipanni

Melbourne, Australia

[Rina155]

6 hours ago, Frangipanni said:

Hi Rina, I've just read your post re Japan.  We are booked on a 12 day Best of Japan tour on the 9th April 2024.  Can you advise me on the following:

How much currency do I need to take on board - US$? YEN? Korean?

Did you do a tour at Busan and if so, what should we visit/avoid? 

Many thanks for anything you can assist us with.

Cheers,

Frangipanni

Melbourne, Australia

Hello Frangipanni,

I ordered both the Yen and the Won for Korea.  I watched the exchange rate and I believe I ended up ordering around 1200 USD worth of Yen (two people) as we were told Japan is mostly a cash society, which for the most part it is (we did not take any ship tours, but arranged our own). Many restaurants we ate at in Japan and Korea only accepted cash.  However a few of the larger places we visited such as some caves and Tokyo Disneyland did take credit cards.

 

Did not take a tour in Busan it was on our own.  My adult son got off the ship with friends we made on board and I remained on board as the air pollution there that day was really bad.

 

Hope you have a wonderful trip and see a lot of the Sakura!  That was the most beautiful sight while we were there!  I would love to go back.  One of these days I will.  🙂

[Frangipanni]

Wow thank you for your quick & informative reply. Really appreciate your information.  We're really looking forward to our cruise & Japan too of course. Thank you again. ❤️

[NMTraveller]

On 10/18/2023 at 6:56 PM, rj59 said:

I'd take a look at Diamond Princess to compare itineraries. The ship is there year-round so they get more varied trips, often tied to Japanese festivals, like the Nebuta festival in Aomori at the tip of the mainland, which will be August 2-7 or so (I lived there for a few years, and the floats and parades were amazing). The further North you get in August, the less-hot it will be. The benefit of August is that there are festivals all over, and you'll be on a ship with a/c to come back to. The Celebrity solarium is also temperature-controlled, which is nice. 

When I looked at the Diamond Princess I saw mostly 9 nights itineraries when compared to Celebrities 12 night itineraries.  Celebrity has a better itinerary IMHO.

 

I would like to sail Princess but ...

[NMTraveller]

On 1/1/2024 at 8:14 PM, Abracadebra1 said:

I'm following, too. Looking at 12 nights Japan in 2025 on Millie. What about the few verandas on Deck 10? Is August really THAT hot? We survived Israel in August before!

Why not go in May?  Is that not the month with the best weather?

[Piper1234]

I am traveling on The Millennium (Best of Japan) in August.  The ship arrives back in Yokohama at

4:30 am.  Does anyone know how early I will be allowed to walk off the ship with my luggage?  I want to book an 11:00 am flight to Bangkok.  Thanks.

[Bruin Steve]

2 hours ago, Piper1234 said:

I am traveling on The Millennium (Best of Japan) in August.  The ship arrives back in Yokohama at

4:30 am.  Does anyone know how early I will be allowed to walk off the ship with my luggage?  I want to book an 11:00 am flight to Bangkok.  Thanks.

I've been on 70 cruises...and even some that have allegedly docked that early...BUT I cannot remember a single cruise that started off-loading passengers earlier than 7:00-7:30...One thing in your favor here is that the port prior to disembarkation, you're already back in Japan.  Even so, I would NOT attempt 11:00 am.  Getting to Haneda will take at least a half an hour, Narita at ltast an hour and a half (and that's by car, public transportation takes a LOT longer)...and that is WITHOUT traffic...which, in Tokyo, can be bad.  And figure you may need time to gather your luggage, you need time to walk off the ship and to wherever you catch your transportation ...and you need to check in, check your luggage, make it through security and gt to your gate.

 

I just would not book anything until after noon for HND...or before 2:00 pm for NRT.

[Staci0615]

9 hours ago, Piper1234 said:

I am traveling on The Millennium (Best of Japan) in August.  The ship arrives back in Yokohama at

4:30 am.  Does anyone know how early I will be allowed to walk off the ship with my luggage?  I want to book an 11:00 am flight to Bangkok.  Thanks.

 I will be doing this same cruise in 2025.....please report back 🙂

[Frangipanni]

When the ship says it arrives at Osaka at 8am, can you disembark then? Hoping to get to JR Kyoto station by 10.30am?🙏