Best of Japan - Millennium 5/2 - 5/15

[DaKahuna]

We were given the option of returning to the ship with the bus or terminating our tour and returning on our own.  We chose to go do some other things before returning to the ship. 

 

First on our list was to have lunch.  In the A-Factory across from the museum there was a restaurant on the 2nd floor.  We took our place in the queue, which is done by sitting in the next available open chairs.  There were two people ahead of us and the wait for a table was about 15 minutes.   We both choose the daily special which was a spaghetti with shrimp, bacon, and vegetables and in a broth more than a sauce.  My wife went with ice coffee and I chose to have a beer.  It was good and filling. 

 

 

We then walked up past Aomori train station to a multi story department store and did some shopping before deciding to head back to the ship.  We were really interested in looking for only one item and did not find it.  

 

We decided to walk back to the ship, which was about a 30 minute walk along the water for almost all of it.  I managed to take a couple of pictures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alan2504]

4 hours ago, lyneem said:

Hi , I will be in Japan for the cruise leaving oct 6th 2024. How do I buy this suica app and will it work on a samsung phone ? and exactly what is it?

It only works with iPhones not Android unless your phone was purchased for the Japanese market. An alternative which we used was to pre-purchase a welcome suica card from Japan experience (they'll deliver it before you leave) it comes preloaded with 24hrs of travel on the Tokyo trains JR

[DaKahuna]

Good evening fellow CC members. 

 

I took a nice little nap this afternoon, shortly after my last post, and we missed the Martini party in the Suite lounge.   OH well, one can only do so much. 

 

Dinner this evening in Luminae was delightful.  

 

Our amuse-bouches was interesting - beef and some sort of cheese.  I did not like the first bite but then I took a sip and wine and finished it off! 

 

 

the wine 

 

 

For starters we were not imaginative at all — French Onion Soup for DW and Caesar Salad and shrimp cocktail for me — scroll back for pictures - it does not change. 

 

Four our main course we both had the Rack of Poke, which is a fancy name for a bone in pork chop. We both agree it was delicious, prefectly prepared and very flavorful. 

 

 

Four our desserts my wife with with a chocolate dish 

 

 

And I had the Vanilla Baba 

 

 

 All in all it was a delicious dinner. 

 

After dinner we walked forward and found the Casino closed until approximately 1030 pm, and the show did not start for another 45 minutes.  Oh woe is we.  

 

Fortunately there is this unique place on Celebrity ships, especially on M and S class that is so inviting and entertaining that it cannot be passed up when you have time to spare. 

 

I am speaking  of the Martini Bar on deck 4 of course.  We had the place practically to ourselves. 

 

My wife started with the Lemon-Basis-Ade she had the other night

 

 

I went with a Sidecar 

 

 

After finishing those off we decided to have another .. This time i ordered her a lychee Martini.  She loved it.  I think I have found her new martini bar drink. 

 

 

While i had a drink I have read about many times on CC but have never had until tonight — a French 75 .. It was not bad at all

 

 

My DW stopped at two but I decided to indulge myself and had, what has become my nightcap of choice, an espresso martini.  

 

 

We finished our drinks, slipped the bartend a tip and off to our cabin we went. 

 

I am not caught up on today’s activities and ready to call it a night. 

 

Don’t forget I am looking forward to meeting those onboard and following again tomorrow between 1400 and 1430 ( 2:00 - 2:30 pm) tomorrow at the Sunset Bar.  I’ll most likely be in a ball cap with Outer Banks on the front. 

 

[Provence55always]

Those martinis look delicious, I am definitely upgrading to the Premium Package at the next sale. I usually stick to gin and tonic but our son has introduced us to cocktails and margaritas which are very nice. Thank you for all the information it has been very helpful in planning our cruise next April.

[cruisetonowhere10]

8 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

Good evening fellow CC members. 

 

I took a nice little nap this afternoon, shortly after my last post, and we missed the Martini party in the Suite lounge.   OH well, one can only do so much. 

 

Dinner this evening in Luminae was delightful.  

 

Our amuse-bouches was interesting - beef and some sort of cheese.  I did not like the first bite but then I took a sip and wine and finished it off! 

 

 

the wine 

 

 

For starters we were not imaginative at all — French Onion Soup for DW and Caesar Salad and shrimp cocktail for me — scroll back for pictures - it does not change. 

 

Four our main course we both had the Rack of Poke, which is a fancy name for a bone in pork chop. We both agree it was delicious, prefectly prepared and very flavorful. 

 

 

Four our desserts my wife with with a chocolate dish 

 

 

And I had the Vanilla Baba 

 

 

 All in all it was a delicious dinner. 

 

After dinner we walked forward and found the Casino closed until approximately 1030 pm, and the show did not start for another 45 minutes.  Oh woe is we.  

 

Fortunately there is this unique place on Celebrity ships, especially on M and S class that is so inviting and entertaining that it cannot be passed up when you have time to spare. 

 

I am speaking  of the Martini Bar on deck 4 of course.  We had the place practically to ourselves. 

 

My wife started with the Lemon-Basis-Ade she had the other night

 

 

I went with a Sidecar 

 

 

After finishing those off we decided to have another .. This time i ordered her a lychee Martini.  She loved it.  I think I have found her new martini bar drink. 

 

 

While i had a drink I have read about many times on CC but have never had until tonight — a French 75 .. It was not bad at all

 

 

My DW stopped at two but I decided to indulge myself and had, what has become my nightcap of choice, an espresso martini.  

 

 

We finished our drinks, slipped the bartend a tip and off to our cabin we went. 

 

I am not caught up on today’s activities and ready to call it a night. 

 

Don’t forget I am looking forward to meeting those onboard and following again tomorrow between 1400 and 1430 ( 2:00 - 2:30 pm) tomorrow at the Sunset Bar.  I’ll most likely be in a ball cap with Outer Banks on the front. 

 

Looks amazing…I’m not opposed to tipping on top of the included gratuities.  Is this standard practice for you?  Based on service?  And, a couple bucks for a visit?  At home we tend to overtip and have good relationships with bartenders at a place we frequent as we have a level of mutual appreciation/respect, so that’s our typical, but on ships with included gratuities I’ve always done it at the end of the cruise which can get…complicated, messy, missing employees.  Looking for advice.

[DaKahuna]

5 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

on ships with included gratuities I’ve always done it at the end of the cruise which can get…complicated, messy, missing employees.  Looking for advice.

 

 the best advice I can give is you do you, not what someone else thinks you should do.  Tipping is something that is very individualized so each person seems to have their own manner of tipping.  

 

 We do not hang out at a lot of bars but the ones we do if we receive fast couterous service, the I will tip a $1.00 or two to the individual service my drink, whether it’s a wait staff or the bartender.  It’s just what we do.  

 

 Tipping as we go, with the exception of individuals we interface with every day seems to work out best for us.  

[cruisetonowhere10]

Just now, DaKahuna said:

 

 the best advice I can give is you do you, not what someone else thinks you should do.  Tipping is something that is very individualized so each person seems to have their own manner of tipping.  

 

 We do not hang out at a lot of bars but the ones we do if we receive fast couterous service, the I will tip a $1.00 or two to the individual service my drink, whether it’s a wait staff or the bartender.  It’s just what we do.  

 

 Tipping as we go, with the exception of individuals we interface with every day seems to work out best for us.  

Thank you.  Sounds like our MO as well…I like to recognize when someone does a good job for me in the moment.  Cruises have had a different vibe but I’m happy to hear that ppl do this.

[hcat]

4 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 the best advice I can give is you do you, not what someone else thinks you should do.  Tipping is something that is very individualized so each person seems to have their own manner of tipping.  

 

 We do not hang out at a lot of bars but the ones we do if we receive fast couterous service, the I will tip a $1.00 or two to the individual service my drink, whether it’s a wait staff or the bartender.  It’s just what we do.  

 

 Tipping as we go, with the exception of individuals we interface with every day seems to work out best for us.  

We do the same....esp when we hardly ever receive upcharges for drinks above Classic..like Baileys!

[DaKahuna]

Today is our 4th and final sea day.  The captain warned us last night that today’s weather would be bad.  The seas are a little rough, there is wind and rain - it’s the northern pacific - we’ve seen worse.  

 

There is nothing on our agenda today other than meeting @Traveler+ and her husband for lunch.  Then an impromptu meet up for those that care to join, around 1430 at the Sunset Bar - Although the weather may necessitate a change to the Rendevous lounge. 

 

[scorfman]

Sorry for the delay on these...

 

Trip day 10, Cruise day 9

 

Today is another sea day, travelling between Busan and Hakodate.

We started the day with breakfast in the MDR. Nothing of note. Service was a bit slow this morning, but no matter.

 

The wife went to a dot art seminar and came back with a nicely decorated drink coaster. We also went to another in the Beyond the Podium series: How to Ikigai. The speaker, Tim Tamashiro, is quite entertaining and inspiring. We really enjoyed this one and took the opportunity after to meet him and get a signed copy of his book "Ikigai, Do what you love. The wife and I agreed that if not our true Ikigai, cruising is right up there.

 

Most of the rest of my day was spend writing entries for the past few days here on the cruise blog, napping, snacking, eating, and just wandering around. We did splurge on dinner at Tuscan grill as a proxy for our upcoming 30th anniversary. We started with their bread which was good as always. We then moved to half portions of gnocchi and short rib with pasta. Both were excellent. We paired that with  Limoncello Spritzers which she loved a lot more than I did. We each got a couple glasses of Riesling per usual. For mains, I had a porterhouse medium rare, with broccolini and garlic mash. The steak was well cooked, and the garlic mash was a standout, of all things. Super creamy and delicious. The wife had a skirt steak, which she loves, but owing to too much bread she didn't finish. Funny though, when dessert came around her appetite had a second wind. I got a pistachio Crème Brulle with a chocolate gnash base. Loved it. The wife had Italian doughnuts with spumoni ice cream. Not a hit with her. At the waiter's suggestion we got a Limoncello Cheesecake to split. Really good, and recommended to all. After that we rolled back to the room and crashed out.

 

The weather was nice. Partly cloudy and around 70 all day.

[DaKahuna]

I am headed to the Rendezvous lounge.  The weather is not condusive to gathering at the Sundeck Bar! 

[scorfman]

Trip day 11, Cruise day 10

 

After continuing to cruise through the night and morning, we awoke and had a leisurely breakfast in the MDR. The ship didn't dock until 10:30 so we enjoyed watching the arrival into Hakodate.

 

 

We'd heard about the possibility of immigration and customs mayhem here, since we were re-entering Japan. We wanted some predictability so we booked a Celebrity shore excursion: "Hakodate Sightseeing." We met in the Celebrity Theater at 10:15 and left the ship as soon as it was cleared. I heard stories of people taking a couple hours to get off the ship because of immigration. On Facebook I even saw that people ignored their assigned debarkation time, which worked, but that really delayed those who played by the rules and probably delayed things overall for everyone. It was clear from comments that Celebrity didn't enforce the assignments. Do better on this, Celebrity. At any rate, the process was you had to fill out an immigration form for each person (the visitjapan QR codes can't be used here) and a customs form per family. The immigration card was presented, passport scanned, and fingerprints and picture taken. Then over to customs to hand them the form. From there we walked onto the bus. It took maybe 10 minutes to get through.

 

It was a 2 minute ride to parking for the Seafood and Morning Market. The seafood market was typical, and compared to the one in Busan, really not much. The Morning Market was in the same location, and we walked through quickly without purchasing anything. We spent the remainder of the free time finding a nearby geocache, and wandering over to the train station to get an Eki Stamp and watch life. We found some cherry blossoms still in bloom and took some photos.

 

 

Onward to Goryokaku Tower. It was maybe a 15 minute drive to the tower, then we walked a couple minutes to the ticket lobby, waited for tickets, then were whisked to the top in an elevator. The views of the city and Goryokaku Fort were spectacular and we spent 10 or 15 minutes there, before taking the stairs down one level, then the elevator back to ground.

 

 

We got our eki stamps there, browsed the store for a hot second, then decided to see how far we could get into the Fort before having to turn back. We made it into the center of the fort to the Hakodate Magistrate's Office where we purchased a goshuin. I don't think these ones we purchase at places like this, and castles, are true goshuin since they are not from a temple or shrine, but I'll look into that later. The park is very scenic and we took lots of pictures and video on the way in and out. We made it back to the bus right on time and we departed for the next stop.

 

 

After a short drive we parked at the Mt. Hakodate Tramway. A very brief walk to get to the ticket lobby and within 10 minutes or so we were on our way to the top of the mountain. The views on top were breathtaking and we took it all in. We encountered a man here at a prime photo spot who put getting the perfect picture over being cordial with others. Just let us know we're in the way nicely, and I (nor your partner we overheard) will think you're being a bit rude for someone on vacation.

 

 

While we were taking the tram up, the bus also drove to the top where we met it for the drive back down. The twisty winding road made for a nice scenic drive back to the ship. Our guide pointing out sights and giving some history the whole way. On the way to the ship we passed by the "Bay Area" and the red brick warehouses and decided after the tour dropped us off to walk back and eat/shop. In hindsight we should have asked the tour guide to be dropped off there.

 

Back at the port we set off on a 15 minute walk to the Hakodate Suitengū Shrine in hopes of getting a goshuin. It was unattended though, so we walked another 5 minutes to the Hakodate Butsuganji Temple. We were greeted by a very nice attendant and purchased a goshuin. She asked us to sign a guest book and based on the many prior pages it's almost never visited by westerners. Definitely a different experience here than at other temples and shrines.

 

We then walked 20 minutes or so back to the Bay Area. It turns out there were a few nearby shrines there, but we didn't really plan for this and just stuck to the main area. We were hungry so we stopped in one of the locally famous Lucky Pierrot burger joints for a late lunch. We ordered a #1 Chinese Chicken Burger Combo with an Oolong Tea and "Lucky Potato" Fries. The burger was great, the fries were "different". The oolong tea was really strong but after diluting with a glass of water it was nice. We also ordered a #2 Lucky Egg Burger. This was our least favorite. It was good though, and perhaps the messiest thing I've ever eaten. They have free napkins though. Last, we got a #3 Pork Cutlet Burger which was my favorite of all. Yes, when we were done we had to waddle out, after stopping to check out their gift section.

 

 

From there we just wandered around the Red Brick Warehouse shops until it was time to get back to the ship. No purchases here either, but I have a feeling in Tokyo we will do some damage. Back on the ship, we had a "late" dinner at the buffet. We were tired and opted for the pasta bar. I had spaghetti Bolognese and it was very bland. I ate about half. The wife had some fettucine with peas and ham, which she did not like at all and just pecked at. I think maybe our taste buds were exhausted from the burgers. On the way out we ran into our new friends from Miami we toured with in Busan. They invited us to have dessert with them and we sat and chatted for a good long time and enjoyed some ice cream. What a nice way to end the day.

 

The weather today was once again just great. Sunny and 70's. As for the tour, it was good if only for getting us off the ship promptly, but it was just fine for seeing the main sites quickly with time to explore the town a bit afterward.

[scorfman]

Trip day 12, Cruise day 11

 

This morning we arrived in Aomori to the sights and sounds of a local troupe of entertainers. What a great show from our balcony as they waved flags, sang, danced, drummed, and otherwise made sure I was awake early. The wife had gotten up at least an hour before to workout.

 

Before embarking on our tour for the day, we had, once again, the Ultimate Platter for Elite level + Captain's Club members before heading to the theater at 8:00am to catch our Celebrity Tour: Hirosaki Sightseeing. In just a few minutes we were off the ship and on the way to Hirosaki. The drive was about 70 minutes and it was an interesting drive. We passed a lot of the apple orchards the area is famous for, as well as some hops growing, and miles of rice paddies. The guide said they get something like 25-30 feet of snow here in the winter! Lot's to see and the guide gave the usual facts and figures and other tidbits on the way.

 

We arrived at Hirosaki Castle Park and walked 10 minutes from the bus, stopping to admire the castle gates, take a lavatory break, and get eki stamps. We reached the ticket office soon thereafter. This guide had a very low voice and a lot of folks got frustrated trying to hear the plan, get tickets, and the time to get back to the bus. That was common throughout the tour and caused unneeded frustration and confusion. He set us loose to self-explore the grounds and castle for a whopping 1.5 hours I think! Way too much time in our opinion. We climbed to the top level of the tower, took our time, climbed down and bought a goshuin from the store. We leisurely followed the path to the meeting spot with an hour to go and we arrived later than most. Only a few of us climbed up the Castle.

 

 

So, we browsed the store, got some apple chips and juice (yum!), consumed those and then loitered for 30 minutes more. Eventually we all lined up to be counted before proceeding on. We were missing one and I don't know if we ever found them before we walked 10 minutes to our next stop, Neputa Village.

 

After arriving we were given tickets and led into the start of the museum. The guide was way too quiet and a number of people just turned around and went back out as the way to proceed wasn't obvious. We were near the front and saw the way forward. I have to admit it was nice to be basically alone as we walked the museum route. The Naputa floats were a sight to see. At the end there is a craft village with artisans doing lacquer work, carving, making small papier mâché crafts, etc. Neat to watch. We ran across something we had to buy for one of our kids here.

 

Past the crafts area, there was a really nice Japanese garden we spent quite a while looking through, and feeding the koi.

 

 

Before we knew it, it was time for the Shamisen show, where a local player performed 2 amazing songs. This performance made up for all the other shortcomings of this tour and is not to be missed. After that we piled back in the bus for the ride back to the port.

 

 

Rather than embark the ship, we decided to walk over to the ASPAM and then the  Nebuta Museum WA Rasse. We intended to go in and visit, but were starving at this point so we walked around the beach area (wife collected some sand as she does on every trip to a beach). We didn't really find anything to our liking there so we walked to the train station/mall area. Inside we found a little ramen restaurant called Dragon Noodles that fit the bill. The wife had a bowl that she absolutely loved and I opted for some fried chicken. Both were excellent and wife was smiling. After that we just took our time and walked back to the ship.

 

 

While waiting for dinner we went to see Alma at the sunset bar and got a couple of our usuals before dinner. We also competed in a Curling Tournament which was a hoot. This is the first time they have offered this on this ship although we've seen it on others in the past.

 

We opted for dinner in the MDR again today. I had some broccoli soup and the wife had a Caesar salad. For mains I had the chef's special Yakitori and she had short ribs with polenta which she enjoyed. Desert was an overly sweet apple tart with vanilla ice cream for her, and Pecan ice cream for me. We didn't do much after dinner.

 

Again for the weather it was a nice day of partly cloudy and in the 70's. The great weather seems to be following us on this trip, at least for the port days, which is what counts most. As for the tour, I have mixed feelings. I like the sights we saw, but the pacing of the Celebrity tour was way off. Hindsight says to definitely do a private tour for this, or self-explore with a driver. Note though that all the Celebrity tours have included the various entry fees.

 

One more port day to go after a sea day next!

[scorfman]

@monkey@cruise or anyone with advice, the one thing I didn’t finalize was how to get from Osanbashi port to our hotel in Shinjuku right between Shinjuku and Yoyogi stations.

 

We would be fine taking the train but fear it will be in the middle of the morning rush and we will have 2 suitcases and a handbag each (stairs!.) We don’t really want to spend on a taxi and the only other alternative I can think of is a limo bus from (?) back to Haneda and then another Limo bus from there. Any ideas?

[monkey@cruise]

7 hours ago, scorfman said:

@monkey@cruise or anyone with advice, the one thing I didn’t finalize was how to get from Osanbashi port to our hotel in Shinjuku right between Shinjuku and Yoyogi stations.

 

We would be fine taking the train but fear it will be in the middle of the morning rush and we will have 2 suitcases and a handbag each (stairs!.) We don’t really want to spend on a taxi and the only other alternative I can think of is a limo bus from (?) back to Haneda and then another Limo bus from there. Any ideas?

1. Taxi - 50 min, ¥18000
2. Taxi to Yokohama City Air Terminal - 10 min, ¥2200, airport bus to Haneda Airport ¥650
   a) flat-rate taxi to Shinjuku Area : ¥8,300 https://www.haneda-tokyo-access.com/en/haneda-airport/taxi.html
   b) Haneda Airport bus to Shinjuku Station West Exit, 35 minutes  ¥1,400, runs every 25 min
  https://webservice.limousinebus.co.jp/web/en/Top.aspx
3. Metro from Nihon-Odori Station -> Shinjuku-sanchome Station, 50 min ¥720, requires 1500 feet of walk from cruise terminal,   and appr.  2000 feet of walking  from Shinjuku-sanchome Station to your hotel.

Note: not all metro stations have ground elevator access and taxi stand. 
The metro starts from Yokohama Chinatown station, stay at the end of the train car to avoid the crowd. Take the metro to Hoya, Wakoshi, or Kawagoeshi, stay on the metro and exit at Shinjuku-sanchome Station

The elevator to Nihon-Odori Station is on Citadines Harbour Front Yokohama Hotel ground floor (Honmachi Dori), behind the city bus stop.

 

Shinjuku-sanchome Station exit directory: Take the elevator near Exit E8 from Fukutoshin Line platform.

 

Elevator on right side and left is EXIT 8 escalator.

 

If your hotel is on the west side of Shinjuku Station, here is the walk through the bridge.

 

 

Metro station elevator ground location.

 

Elevator to the bridge to across Shinjuku Station

 

Shinjuku area map:
http://www.kanko-shinjuku.jp/pdf/map_001_2.pdf

 

Have Fun !
 

 

 

 

 

 

[monkey@cruise]

Just a quick question

Is Hakodate immigration and customs clearance now process inside the pier terminal? Before was onboard and very very slow. Does all passengers redo face photo and both index fingers scan, and new visitor sticker on passport page?  Thanks

[monkey@cruise]

9 hours ago, scorfman said:

 

We arrived at Hirosaki Castle Park and walked 10 minutes from the bus, stopping to admire the castle gates, take a lavatory break, and get eki stamps. We reached the ticket office soon thereafter. This guide had a very low voice and a lot of folks got frustrated trying to hear the plan, get tickets, and the time to get back to the bus. That was common throughout the tour and caused unneeded frustration and confusion. He set us loose to self-explore the grounds and castle for a whopping 1.5 hours I think! Way too much time in our opinion. We climbed to the top level of the tower, took our time, climbed down and bought a goshuin from the store. We leisurely followed the path to the meeting spot with an hour to go and we arrived later than most. Only a few of us climbed up the Castle.

 

 

So, we browsed the store, got some apple chips and juice (yum!), consumed those and then loitered for 30 minutes more. Eventually we all lined up to be counted before proceeding on. We were missing one and I don't know if we ever found them before we walked 10 minutes to our next stop, Neputa Village.

Did you notice the Hirosaki Castle is 3 level just the renovated Ninomaru tasumi yagura watchtower?  Normal castle is 5 level. Google the reason.😜

[debfed65]

42 minutes ago, monkey@cruise said:

1. Taxi - 50 min, ¥18000
2. Taxi to Yokohama City Air Terminal - 10 min, ¥2200, airport bus to Haneda Airport ¥650
   a) flat-rate taxi to Shinjuku Area : ¥8,300 https://www.haneda-tokyo-access.com/en/haneda-airport/taxi.html
   b) Haneda Airport bus to Shinjuku Station West Exit, 35 minutes  ¥1,400, runs every 25 min
  https://webservice.limousinebus.co.jp/web/en/Top.aspx
3. Metro from Nihon-Odori Station -> Shinjuku-sanchome Station, 50 min ¥720, requires 1500 feet of walk from cruise terminal,   and appr.  2000 feet of walking  from Shinjuku-sanchome Station to your hotel.

Note: not all metro stations have ground elevator access and taxi stand. 
The metro starts from Yokohama Chinatown station, stay at the end of the train car to avoid the crowd. Take the metro to Hoya, Wakoshi, or Kawagoeshi, stay on the metro and exit at Shinjuku-sanchome Station

The elevator to Nihon-Odori Station is on Citadines Harbour Front Yokohama Hotel ground floor (Honmachi Dori), behind the city bus stop.

 

Shinjuku-sanchome Station exit directory: Take the elevator near Exit E8 from Fukutoshin Line platform.

 

Elevator on right side and left is EXIT 8 escalator.

 

If your hotel is on the west side of Shinjuku Station, here is the walk through the bridge.

 

 

Metro station elevator ground location.

 

Elevator to the bridge to across Shinjuku Station

 

Shinjuku area map:
http://www.kanko-shinjuku.jp/pdf/map_001_2.pdf

 

Have Fun !
 

 

 

 

 

 

This is very helpful! Thank you for posting! 

[macaroni]

All this information has been so appreciated as we will be on this itinerary next April 2025. Would be interested in the arrival procedure back to Tokyo….what time self disembarking begins, how long thru any Immigration or custom lines and what transportation options there are to Haneda Airport and how long it takes. Are there taxis readily available or should we prebook? There will be 6 adults traveling together. Thank you again.

[monkey@cruise]

17 minutes ago, macaroni said:

All this information has been so appreciated as we will be on this itinerary next April 2025. Would be interested in the arrival procedure back to Tokyo….what time self disembarking begins, how long thru any Immigration or custom lines and what transportation options there are to Haneda Airport and how long it takes. Are there taxis readily available or should we prebook? There will be 6 adults traveling together. Thank you again.

- Self disembarking begins after port authority gave the green light.
- No immigration, only customs.
- Porters are available in terminal to assist luggage (no tipping, it's an insult in Japan culture)
- Was on Mille last fall and March, selected 8:30am disembark, 15-20 min from gangway to taxi queue.
- Many taxis available, but small size.  If you are travelling in a large group or carrying many luggage, prefer arrange private transfer.
- To Haneda Airport: taxi to YCAT (Yokohama City Air Terminal), 10 min, 2200 yen fare. Haneda Airport Bus from YCAT to Haneda, 30 min, 650 yen, or private transfer/taxi from cruise terminal to Haneda Airport.
 

Edited May 13 by monkey@cruise

[scorfman]

5 hours ago, monkey@cruise said:

Did you notice the Hirosaki Castle is 3 level just the renovated Ninomaru tasumi yagura watchtower?  Normal castle is 5 level. Google the reason.😜

Yes very interesting? There is even a video inside showing them moving it!

[scorfman]

6 hours ago, monkey@cruise said:

Just a quick question

Is Hakodate immigration and customs clearance now process inside the pier terminal? Before was onboard and very very slow. Does all passengers redo face photo and both index fingers scan, and new visitor sticker on passport page?  Thanks

Yes now inside the terminal. There we a lot of officers and stations and it went fast for us. New finger print, photo, and sticker also.

 

thank you so much for the transport info to Tokyo. Thanks to you we will try the metro!

[hcat]

all great posts...

Scorfman.. you are getting so much out of your tours.. Love the pics!  esp Castles and flowers..

 

Truthfully not tempted by some of shoreside food !

[Northern Aurora]

15 hours ago, scorfman said:

@monkey@cruise or anyone with advice, the one thing I didn’t finalize was how to get from Osanbashi port to our hotel in Shinjuku right between Shinjuku and Yoyogi stations.

 

......

 This post will be too late for @scorfman but in 2018 when left the Millennium we spent five very busy days in Tokyo.  Our Shinjuku hotel (the Hilton) arranged a private driver who picked us up from Osanbashi and drove us to the hotel.  I don't remember the price, but it wasn't anywhere as high as we had been led to expect.  There are other hotels in the world that when I contact them for a price for a private driver/transfer the price is actually very reasonable.

[Northern Aurora]

6 hours ago, monkey@cruise said:

Just a quick question

Is Hakodate immigration and customs clearance now process inside the pier terminal? Before was onboard and very very slow. Does all passengers redo face photo and both index fingers scan, and new visitor sticker on passport page?  Thanks

 

We did Hakodate immigration on one of our cruises this spring, and it was done in a long rectangular room in the cruise terminal.  Very quick and smooth, but I will admit that we are Zenith loyalty members who cruise in Suites so we were escorted off the ship and directly into the terminal.  Another photo, finger prints and another stamp in the passport.  Their country, their rules.  We just go with the flow.