NCL Japan Questions

[NC_Cruisin]

My family is looking to visit Japan in 2025. I noticed NCL has Asia cruises that depart from Japan. I have just a few questions that I am hoping you all may be able to help me with. As a little background, we have never been to Japan. We have been on several Caribbean cruises (not NCL) and have always driven to port. I have always booked directly through the cruise websites, never used a TA. For this particular cruise, we would like to book flights through NCL so that our trip is packaged together. My questions are:

 

1. The NCL website is showing only one cruise departing from Tokyo in 2025, currently that cruise is in March. What is the possibility more Japan cruises will populate for later in 2025?

2. What is your experience with booking flights through NCL? Will they handle transportation to the cruise port for embarkation and back to the airport for debarkation? We are looking at booking two staterooms, will they accommodate our flights so that all of us can be on the same flight?

3. I have a 16 year daughter that is used to sailing Carnival, does NCL Jewel have similar activities on board to keep her entertained? I am having some difficulty locating the onboard activities for each individual ship.

 

Any guidance, input, experiences you can provide are greatly appreciated. 

 

Thanks!

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, NC_Cruisin said:

1. The NCL website is showing only one cruise departing from Tokyo in 2025, currently that cruise is in March. What is the possibility more Japan cruises will populate for later in 2025?

2. What is your experience with booking flights through NCL? Will they handle transportation to the cruise port for embarkation and back to the airport for debarkation? We are looking at booking two staterooms, will they accommodate our flights so that all of us can be on the same flight?

For #1, I'd say it's likely they'll have more than one sailing. Japan is really popular in the spring and fall, so in all likelihood, there will be more sailings.

For #2, there's no guarantee you'll all be on the same flights unless you use NCL's airfare booking service, which is separate from their BOGO aka "second guest flies free" offer. But they will handle transportation to and from the airport and cruise port.

Hope that helps!

[NC_Cruisin]

6 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

For #1, I'd say it's likely they'll have more than one sailing. Japan is really popular in the spring and fall, so in all likelihood, there will be more sailings.

For #2, there's no guarantee you'll all be on the same flights unless you use NCL's airfare booking service, which is separate from their BOGO aka "second guest flies free" offer. But they will handle transportation to and from the airport and cruise port.

Hope that helps!

Thank you so much, that is very helpful. I will look into NCL's airfare booking service to see what I can find. 🙂

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, NC_Cruisin said:

3. I have a 16 year daughter that is used to sailing Carnival, does NCL Jewel have similar activities on board to keep her entertained? I am having some difficulty locating the onboard activities for each individual ship.

At the top of NCL.com you can pick Explore, then scroll down to Cruise Ships.  From there you will see all the NCL fleet.  Click on Jewel and then What’s Onboard.  You can see dining, entertainment, staterooms, activities, etc.  Keep in mind some of the things could change between now and 2025…especially entertainment.

[www3traveler]

II would suggest that you find a local travel agency.  They will be able to help you with your bookings, flights, pre and post cruise hotels, all the ground transportation needed.  They will be more than happy  to research all of your questions.

 

The Jewel is not a very fancy ship.  There will be activities for your daughter not nothing like water slides, laser tag and things like that.

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

@NC_Cruisin

 

The Jewel tends to spend about 5-6 months from October to March based in Japan so there are gaps still to be filled in for 2024-2025.     The Jewel usually leaves Japan late March/ early April to return to do Alaska so when that cruise appears you know when the Jewels time in Japan will end.   

It does return to Japan from Alaska cruises in October so there will be more cruises from October 2025 I would imagine.

[Cruise5life]

 I personally wouldn’t let a cruise line book my flights.  You just never know what you’ll get for flights.  
I’d also arrive atleast a day ahead of time.   If not 2. 
I have an Asian cruise in 2025 and an greek isle cruise in 2024 and I’m flying in 2 days early.   Just to much that can happen.      

[natefish95]

6 hours ago, NC_Cruisin said:

My family is looking to visit Japan in 2025. I noticed NCL has Asia cruises that depart from Japan. I have just a few questions that I am hoping you all may be able to help me with. As a little background, we have never been to Japan. We have been on several Caribbean cruises (not NCL) and have always driven to port. I have always booked directly through the cruise websites, never used a TA. For this particular cruise, we would like to book flights through NCL so that our trip is packaged together. My questions are:

 

1. The NCL website is showing only one cruise departing from Tokyo in 2025, currently that cruise is in March. What is the possibility more Japan cruises will populate for later in 2025?

2. What is your experience with booking flights through NCL? Will they handle transportation to the cruise port for embarkation and back to the airport for debarkation? We are looking at booking two staterooms, will they accommodate our flights so that all of us can be on the same flight?

3. I have a 16 year daughter that is used to sailing Carnival, does NCL Jewel have similar activities on board to keep her entertained? I am having some difficulty locating the onboard activities for each individual ship.

 

Any guidance, input, experiences you can provide are greatly appreciated. 

 

Thanks!

I went on the Jewel twice this year and will be doing the Japan-Alaska transpacific on the Jewel next year. 

 

I love the Jewel and would compare it to a Spirit class ship size wise and ease of getting around. 

 

More cruises will almost certainly be populated after March 2025. It's still a pretty long way out and they're probably going to send Jewel back to Alaska in Summer 2025, so they have some logistics to work out. Regarding flights, I never let a cruise line book flights for me because I like to be in charge of my own itinerary. If something goes wrong or I need to make a change, I can do that myself directly with Delta instead of there being a third party involved which can complicate myself (I'm flying Delta over to Japan using credits I have). 

 

Regarding onboard activities, Carnival definitely does not have nearly as many daily activities (on my most recent NCL Jewel cruise, there were no comedy shoes). They still do the normal trivias, games, etc, but the staff is not as great as the Fun Squad in my opinion. NCL does have a teen club, but on a Japan cruise, I don't think there will be as many teens onboard (if your kid doesn't participate in the teen club on Carnival this might be a non-issue). 

 

You'll want to check pricing, but the NCL Jewel has a few two bedroom suites (one master bedroom and a smaller room that is good for kids). Might be cheaper than doing a balcony and interior. 

 

Let me know if you have any other questions. I love the NCL product. It is better than Carnival in some areas, but worse in others. 

[julig22]

I've been booked on the Tokyo-Alaska transpacific for April 2024 since November 2021 - when I first noticed it.  But according to CruiseMapper, the Jewel won't be going to Asia after Alaska next summer.  Going to the Caribbean. It looks like the Spirit and Sky are scheduled in early 2025, but info only goes through April 2025. The Spirit is currently scheduled for long-term charter, so wouldn't be available if that contract was extended.

As to entertainment, there aren't any extra activities (go carts, etc) on either ship and due to size, the Sky isn't able to have large-scale production shows. 

 

Note - even thought I booked early, the itinerary has changed several times.  Was originally going to Petropavlovsk for example, cancelled for obvious reasons. And the itinerary for all the cruises, before and after, has been changed over time - often disappearing from the website.

Edited October 18, 2023 by julig22

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

@natefish95

 

...   (on my most recent NCL Jewel cruise, there were no comedy shoes). 

 

You couldn't have had the right Cruise Director then!!!   Most of them wear Comedy Shoes for the effect.   Their clothes can be very funny too.

[cruiser2015]

5 hours ago, Anoynmous Phoenix said:

@natefish95

 

...   (on my most recent NCL Jewel cruise, there were no comedy shoes). 

 

You couldn't have had the right Cruise Director then!!!   Most of them wear Comedy Shoes for the effect.   Their clothes can be very funny too.

No. No.

The secret is you have to pick them up in the ship's gift shop. And you get the latitudes discount!

[cybergremlin]

You also have the option of starting in South Korea or Taiwan and end up in Tokyo, we are leaving from Taipei in Feb 24 and then spending a few days in Tokyo after leaving the ship

i would also echo what others have said and book flights yourself so you have full control of them

[DCGuy64]

11 hours ago, Anoynmous Phoenix said:

@natefish95

 

...   (on my most recent NCL Jewel cruise, there were no comedy shoes). 

 

You couldn't have had the right Cruise Director then!!!   Most of them wear Comedy Shoes for the effect.   Their clothes can be very funny too.

LOL, I'm picturing the circus now with the clowns and their enormous floppy shoes! 🤣

[NC_Cruisin]

14 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

 I personally wouldn’t let a cruise line book my flights.  You just never know what you’ll get for flights.  
I’d also arrive atleast a day ahead of time.   If not 2. 
I have an Asian cruise in 2025 and an greek isle cruise in 2024 and I’m flying in 2 days early.   Just to much that can happen.      

Thanks for the insight 🙂  For your 2025 Asia cruise, did you book your flights and then a hotel nearby that will provide a shuttle to the cruise port? One of my main concerns about booking local in Japan versus through the cruise line is the language barrier. 

[NC_Cruisin]

12 hours ago, natefish95 said:

I went on the Jewel twice this year and will be doing the Japan-Alaska transpacific on the Jewel next year. 

 

I love the Jewel and would compare it to a Spirit class ship size wise and ease of getting around. 

 

More cruises will almost certainly be populated after March 2025. It's still a pretty long way out and they're probably going to send Jewel back to Alaska in Summer 2025, so they have some logistics to work out. Regarding flights, I never let a cruise line book flights for me because I like to be in charge of my own itinerary. If something goes wrong or I need to make a change, I can do that myself directly with Delta instead of there being a third party involved which can complicate myself (I'm flying Delta over to Japan using credits I have). 

 

Regarding onboard activities, Carnival definitely does not have nearly as many daily activities (on my most recent NCL Jewel cruise, there were no comedy shoes). They still do the normal trivias, games, etc, but the staff is not as great as the Fun Squad in my opinion. NCL does have a teen club, but on a Japan cruise, I don't think there will be as many teens onboard (if your kid doesn't participate in the teen club on Carnival this might be a non-issue). 

 

You'll want to check pricing, but the NCL Jewel has a few two bedroom suites (one master bedroom and a smaller room that is good for kids). Might be cheaper than doing a balcony and interior. 

 

Let me know if you have any other questions. I love the NCL product. It is better than Carnival in some areas, but worse in others. 

Thanks for this infromation. From the feedback I am gathering, I will definitely book flights on my own. We typically cruise during the winter months on 7-8 day cruises so she is used to not having a ton of kids on board, but she does like to go to the basketball courts and hang out with the other teens.

[Cruise5life]

1 hour ago, NC_Cruisin said:

Thanks for the insight 🙂  For your 2025 Asia cruise, did you book your flights and then a hotel nearby that will provide a shuttle to the cruise port? One of my main concerns about booking local in Japan versus through the cruise line is the language barrier. 

I haven’t booked anything yet or 2025 . It’s too soon to book flights.    
but I did book all my travel for Italy aug 2024.  Flights booked a year in advance.   And hotel booked 16 months in advance.   Also booked transportation.      
English is very common in japan.  You shouldn’t have any issues.  

[ECCruise]

2 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

English is very common in japan.  You shouldn’t have any issues.  

We thought the same thing but having spent 6 weeks in Japan this year didn't really find that.

 

Yes, at the big hotels, especially international chains, that is likely the case.  But venturing even a little outside of the tourist centers we found very little English spoken or understood.  Many restaurants, 7-11s and Lawsons, and transportation like taxis we either used Google translate or winged it because it was "lost in translation."

[yakcruiser]

It has been suggested that a person have addresses printed out in Japanese of destinations they would like to go. I understand that the taxi drivers don't speak much English. I will find out next May. Most Asian cruises are port intensive, and you will be so busy exploring your daughter won't have much time for hanging out.