NCL Jewel-Tokyo to Alaska live review (maybe...)

[vacation44]

I remember reading about your last trip on the Jewel and really enjoyed your writing style.   

 

I will definitely be following along on this trip and have a wonderful time!

Edited April 3 by vacation44
Edit

[schmoopie17]

I see there were tsunami warnings for parts of Japan yesterday. Hoping your trip isn't impacted,

 

On a related note...I knew a girl in high school named Sue Nami.

 

(Okay...not really. Just catching up after a quiet April Fools.)

 

Edited April 3 by schmoopie17

[MAsquared]

Excited to follow along!  I love solo travel but have not done a solo cruise.  

I hope everything is fine with the tsunami warnings as well.

[mking8288]

This is another itinerary on our bucket list ahead for 2025 or 26, thank you for sharing and taking your time to do this & post.  Can you share how WiFi networks in Japan are, local cellular & data services, and onboard, ship's WiFi and whether StarLink has rolled out ... in addition to dining, shows & other onboard activities.  Post these if and when you can. Wishing you a great cruise ahead, safe & healthy traveling abroad. 

 

👍 With thanks & much obliged 👏

[DCGuy64]

On 4/2/2024 at 4:33 AM, natefish95 said:

It's 4:26am here at DCA. I've dropped my bag off at Delta and I'm waiting for Chick Fil-A to open. I'm also about to begin my 24 hour journey over to Japan to tour around on land before boarding the NCL Jewel in Tokyo on April 10th, which will then take us to northern Japan and then over to Alaska, ending in Seward on the April 22nd. 

 

Full disclosure up front-I have no idea if I'm going to keep up this, but I figured I would at least start it and try to keep up. If I fall off posting, or the wifi connection isn't great, I'll fill y'all in afterwards! 

 

For starters, I will not be as great as a lot of the other trip reviewers on here. There might be typos. My grammar may not be the goodest, and my pictures may not be award-winning, but you're reading this so you must be at least a little interested in this trip. 

Thank you for taking us along on your journey. Have you ever been to Japan before? We cruised there last year and had a fantastic time. I hope you do, too!

[yakcruiser]

I can't wait to hear about your adventures. I am doing a similar cruise in the opposite direction on the Spirit in 35 days.

[natefish95]

5 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Thank you for taking us along on your journey. Have you ever been to Japan before? We cruised there last year and had a fantastic time. I hope you do, too!

This is my first time to Japan and first time in Asia! Loving it so far. 

[natefish95]

6 hours ago, mking8288 said:

This is another itinerary on our bucket list ahead for 2025 or 26, thank you for sharing and taking your time to do this & post.  Can you share how WiFi networks in Japan are, local cellular & data services, and onboard, ship's WiFi and whether StarLink has rolled out ... in addition to dining, shows & other onboard activities.  Post these if and when you can. Wishing you a great cruise ahead, safe & healthy traveling abroad. 

 

👍 With thanks & much obliged 👏

While in Japan, I’m going to use my AT&T international plan, which is $10 a day for unlimited talk, text, and data. Working well so far!

[natefish95]

Morning folks! It’s about 6am here in Japan and I just woke up. Let’s catch up from where I left off. 
 

I flew ANA down to Osaka in priority class mostly because it included a free checked bag and I wanted to see if they really do serve a meal for a 50 minute flight. I’ve flown between NYC and DC a lot which is a similar difference and you’re lucky if you even get a drink. 
 

Happy to report I did in fact get a bento, a full sized water bottle, and some Coke Zero. 
 

I had no idea what anything was in the bento but ate most of it anyways and it was decent. Afterwards I checked one of the papers served with it, and it explained what each square was. Forever grateful I have no food allergies and can just dig in. 
 

Landed in Osaka-Itami on time. Grabbed my bag and headed to bus stop number 10 to get the HK airport limousine bus to Namba. This bus was 650 yen ($4) and I paid using my Suica card in my Apple Wallet. A taxi would have been $50-100 according to my Uber app. 
 

The bus’s second stop is the Namba station and it was then only a 5-10 minute walk to my hotel, the Fairfield Osaka-Namba. 
 

Lovely hotel with everything you need. I’ve heard Japanese business hotels are cheaper, but I’m a Marriott guy. The room even has a famous Japanese toilet. Y’all…all I’m going to say is that it was an EXPERIENCE. 
 

I passed out about 9pm and had a much needed 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. 
 

Today the plan is 7-11 breakfast, taking the metro to Shin-Osaka station and back (want to see what the trip is like and if it’s doable with a big suitcase or if I should get a taxi on Sunday), and then going to Spa World to relax and maybe get a massage or body scrub. Depending on when I’m done there, I’ll walk around and see Osaka castle and see what I see in that area. 

[natefish95]

ANA bento on a 50 minute flight 

 

 

 

the “oscillate” button was unexpected….

 

[Retired23-]

Thank you for sharing!  I can't wait for you to post more.  My family and I will be on the Spirit in October cruising Japan and Jeju Island.

[LatinaInTexas]

On 4/2/2024 at 3:33 AM, natefish95 said:

It's 4:26am here at DCA. I've dropped my bag off at Delta and I'm waiting for Chick Fil-A to open. I'm also about to begin my 24 hour journey over to Japan to tour around on land before boarding the NCL Jewel in Tokyo on April 10th, which will then take us to northern Japan and then over to Alaska, ending in Seward on the April 22nd. 

 

Full disclosure up front-I have no idea if I'm going to keep up this, but I figured I would at least start it and try to keep up. If I fall off posting, or the wifi connection isn't great, I'll fill y'all in afterwards! 

 

For starters, I will not be as great as a lot of the other trip reviewers on here. There might be typos. My grammar may not be the goodest, and my pictures may not be award-winning, but you're reading this so you must be at least a little interested in this trip. 

This sounds VERY interesting! Looking forward to following along!

[Maleficent's Dad]

Great stuff so far!  Loving this report!

[natefish95]

Took the Osaka metro to Shin Osaka and came to the conclusion I’ll be taking a taxi instead of dealing with all of that with a 60 pound suitcase. 
 

Morning rush hour was so crowded but most signs were in English and the Apple Maps transit feature was helpful. 
 

Since I was at Shin-Osaka, I purchased my Shinkansen(bullet train( ticket for Sunday. I was able to buy a Green class (first class) ticket for $125 including a dedicated space to put my large suitcase. 
 

I’ve run into a bit of an issue with ATMs. I tried using the 7-11 ATMs but the transaction wouldn’t go through. I called Bank of America and they said my card is fine but they didn’t recognize the transaction type. Went to another bank in Namba and it wouldn’t read my card. I found a place to exchange money, so I’ll just go there even though I’m sure the rate won’t great. 
 

i also struggled to find a pharmacy to get something for my headache. That type of stuff isn’t at 7-11. Finally found an open pharmacy in Namba and got some “Eve” (there’s another product name called “Adam”. 
 

Despite language barriers, everyone has been super nice! 

[natefish95]

One quick note: I used my Delta AmEx to buy the Shinkansen ticket and Japanese Advil with no issues. I’ve heard some credit cards don’t work well here, but that one has been doing just fine so far. 

[laudergayle]

12 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

I see there were tsunami warnings for parts of Japan yesterday. Hoping your trip isn't impacted,

 

On a related note...I knew a girl in high school named Sue Nami.

 

(Okay...not really. Just catching up after a quiet April Fools.)

 

@schmoopie17…I think I recall seeing you many years ago as Stand Up at my cousins wedding.  Was that you?🤣

Edited April 4 by laudergayle

[laudergayle]

Thank you @natefish95.  Totally enjoying your review and “tips”. Thank you…and following.  

[natefish95]

Going to spa world today was a great choice! 1500 yen to enter and you get use of all the spas, saunas, and hot tubs you could imagine. I got a 30 minute body scrub for 3600 yen which was well worth it. I feel like a smooth baby dolphin. 
 

For those in DC, King Spa Chantilly is a great place to go for a body scrub and relaxation. 

 

No gangsters, please (or tattoos)

 

A fresh OJ vending machine for 500 yen (did not try it out)

 

[YVRteacher]

Why can’t people with tattoos go to the spa?

[natefish95]

5 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Why can’t people with tattoos go to the spa?

From what I’ve read, and been told by some others, tattoos are associated with gangs I believe (like the yakuza), so they don’t want anyone with tattoos visiting. There are special onsens that do allow people with tattoos. 

[natefish95]

After my spa day, I went back to the hotel, showered and took the metro over to Osaka castle and walked around the grounds for a bit. I don’t know if you’d call this full bloom, but the cherry blossoms are definitely in bloom. 
 

 

 

I am such a great planner (not) that I totally knew I needed to be her at sunset. Perfect timing.

 

 

[natefish95]

I walked around a bit and then hoped back on the metro to Namba to walk around Dontonburi and Shinsaibashi street. So. Many. People. This place makes NYC look like a quaint town 

 

 

 

I found a Mickey D’s and decided to pop in and try some local items. The fries taste the exact same and the burgers were quite good. The melon ice cream thing was awful though. 
 

The drink was a large but it’s about the size of a medium drink in the U.S. 

 

 

 

 

20,000 steps and 7.4 miles later, my day is done. Tomorrow I’m going to Nara to see some deer and then a food tour in the afternoon. 

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, natefish95 said:

I walked around a bit and then hoped back on the metro to Namba to walk around Dontonburi and Shinsaibashi street. So. Many. People. This place makes NYC look like a quaint town 

 

 

 

I found a Mickey D’s and decided to pop in and try some local items. The fries taste the exact same and the burgers were quite good. The melon ice cream thing was awful though. 
 

The drink was a large but it’s about the size of a medium drink in the U.S. 

 

 

 

 

20,000 steps and 7.4 miles later, my day is done. Tomorrow I’m going to Nara to see some deer and then a food tour in the afternoon. 

Is this an indoor "street?" Are there mirrors that make it look longer or is it really that jammed up with people for what appears to be several football fields? 

 

Thanks for trying out McD's! It's always so interesting to see what other countries have. I know some aren't into trying out Americanized fast food, but I find it an interesting meal or two. 

 

Those cherry blossom and sunset photos - phenomenal! Thanks for sharing nature's beauty with us from across the world!

[goldmom]

22 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Is this an indoor "street?" Are there mirrors that make it look longer or is it really that jammed up with people for what appears to be several football fields? 

 

Thanks for trying out McD's! It's always so interesting to see what other countries have. I know some aren't into trying out Americanized fast food, but I find it an interesting meal or two. 

 

Those cherry blossom and sunset photos - phenomenal! Thanks for sharing nature's beauty with us from across the world!

Welcome to Japan.  That is what the streets look like.  I think that's probably inside the train station.  The stations are like underground cities!  Buses in Japan are especially fun, there is literally not even an inch between you and the next person whether you're standing or sitting.  But Japan is a fascinating place and definitely worth a visit!

 

Loving this review and look forward to following along.

[DCGuy64]

2 hours ago, natefish95 said:

From what I’ve read, and been told by some others, tattoos are associated with gangs I believe (like the yakuza), so they don’t want anyone with tattoos visiting. There are special onsens that do allow people with tattoos. 

That's correct. It's primarily onsens that cater to Westerners that allow them. Personally, I think tattoos are disgusting and trashy-looking. No offense to anyone who has them, but I was glad I didn't have to see any of them when we visited an onsen last April.

 

17 hours ago, natefish95 said:

This is my first time to Japan and first time in Asia! Loving it so far. 

I am so glad you are having this opportunity to visit Japan. Your pictures are stunning and gorgeous. Thank you so much for posting these and sharing them with us. I speak Japanese and it was incredibly gratifying to be there last year and speak the language with the locals. They were so kind. I found the food to be mouthwatering. Make sure (if you haven't already) to get some karaage, some ramen, and some yakiniku. I don't eat sushi, but I found Japan to have tons of other things to eat that were delicious. Keep enjoying your vacation. I'd be interested to know if you ever have performers show up at the pier to send you off. During our cruise in April 2023, we regularly had dancers, drummers and high school bands perform for us during our sailaways. What an unforgettable memory that was! EDIT: I'm also interested to hear what you think of 7-11's over there. Very different from the USA, that's for sure! They have "konbini" (convenience stores) everywhere, not just 7-11, but Family Mart and Lawson seemingly on every street.

Edited April 4 by DCGuy64