jajsmom Posted July 25 #1 Share Posted July 25 We're considering a trip to Japan, and possibly southeast Asia in 2026. I'm asking questions on the Princess board rather than the Asia board as I'm specifically interested in sailing on Princess. I have not seen much discussion about this here. Have you done this trip? What ports did you sail to? Any that you wished you did or didn't do? And did you do a first or last of the season to combine with a southeast Asia to/from Singapore? What is it like to be an American on a ship designed for the Asian market? I have done some preliminary research on Japan cruises and ports, but there are so many, and some of the ports mentioned Princess does not sail to, although they have a very extensive list of itineraries, which is making me more confused. I just got off the Sky Princess a few weeks ago, and the future cruise team did not seem to know when Japan cruises would be released for 2026. There is a cruise repositioning from Singapore to Tokyo in February 2026, but nothing after that time. Does anyone know when Japan cruises have traditionally been released in the past? Also, do you have a preference in time of travel? I know the season is February to November, but every month seems to have a different festival or flower or fall color, and I'd like to hear peoples opinions. Thank you. I know I have a lot of questions, but the answers will help me to narrow my research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cr8tiv1 Posted July 25 #2 Share Posted July 25 I sailed "around" Japan March 2023 for the Cherry Blossoms. Hope this link to my thread will help. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sunviking90 Posted July 25 #3 Share Posted July 25 (edited) I can’t answer most of your questions, but having returned from a transpacific repositioning from Yokohama on Royal Princess this past spring I can answer a few. February to May or after September are best as it is very, very humid and hot in Japan in the summer. We were there in April and were caught off guard by how strong the sun was. Cherry blossoms are usually in April, but seeing them will depend where you are. Obviously they appear earlier in the south. We were in Northern Japan early May and saw them there. There are calendars of when they are expected to bloom each year online if that’s important to you. They are very pretty, but I wouldn’t plan my trip around them. Japan is a LOT! There is so much to see. Don’t get too caught up in the “right” itinerary as the entire country is beautiful and the people are so lovely. I would recommend adding a land portion to your cruise too, as you’ll get a much better feel for the country. We met a number of people on our cruise who had just come off of the Diamond Princess and raved about the ship and the service. Their opinion was that it was far superior to the Royal Princess. I don’t think you will go wrong in selecting it. Edited July 25 by sunviking90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me@sea Posted July 25 #4 Share Posted July 25 Agree with all that has been said. Japan has many regions and each is so different - simply go to immerse yourself in the culture. I went in June 2023. Passengers were 300 non-Japanese. I had the BEST time! The Japanese were so friendly. One group of ladies (30) brought yukatas for anyone on the ship to try - someone grabbed my arm and dressed me in a traditional yukata from head to shoes! It was a highlight of my trip. During the evenings, I would be approached and politely asked "speak English?" I would nod my head and then enjoy a conversation with someone trying out their English. One night I was up until 2am with a line-up of people wanting 1 on 1 conversations - again, another highlight of my trip. Diamond Princess - I had sailed on this ship in December 2022 and love it! Great layout and wonderful staff. Just go to Japan - find the time that works for you and enjoy. I will say late June/July is extremely hot. That would be my only negative feedback. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cr8tiv1 Posted July 25 #5 Share Posted July 25 We were able to perfectly time the Cherry Blossoms. 🌸. Picked 2 sailings and watched the calendar. When it was time for final payment, it was a little easier to choose. Picked the later cruise since we were sailing south. Could not have asked for better weather. Fall is also a beautiful time to cruise. Totally different vibes. Spring is their “summer”. It is the start and stop for everything. School graduations, weddings, changing jobs, etc. Got to be adventurous and try the local food. Lots of markets in every city. The yen got up to 144 yen per dollar! Outrageous. The Japanese are trying to rein it in. And you are absolutely correct, the residents are so very friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ken the cruiser Posted July 25 #6 Share Posted July 25 We had a great time! Here’s a Live From thread I did on our B2B in the summer of 2023. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2947138-live-from-the-diamond-july-10-27-17-day-b2b-around-japan-and-korea/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scirocco Breeze Posted July 25 #7 Share Posted July 25 We went to Japan in Oct/Nov last year, we spent a few days in Tokyo and I wish it had been longer, and then sailed for 9 days round Japan on Diamond. This was my favourite cruise by far. If I had the money I'd do it again tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robncruise Posted July 25 #8 Share Posted July 25 We have done 4 cruises around Japan north around Hokaido and south to Okinawa and agree with everything said here. Japan is amazing but found it too hot in July Aug. Notwithstanding this July / Aug is festival time in Japan and probably the most exciting day was the Nebuta festival in Aomor. The night parade of floats was extraordinary. Was there for cherry blossom but heavy rains had ruined the display so cannot rely on precise timing of Cherry blossom cruises. Also if the Japan ports suit I would recommend an itinerary including Taiwan(especially Hualien for the Taroko Gorge) rather than Sth Korea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajsmom Posted July 25 Author #9 Share Posted July 25 You are all awesome! Thank you so much for all of your insights--I'm very excited to go now, so let Princess bring on the itineraries!!! I just spent an hour looking through all of the links provided. I'm glad we will be ok with whatever we pick, and we will definitely add some land time before and after the cruise. We will avoid the summer--we live in Florida and know heat and humidity. From looking at the 2024 and 2025 itineraries, it looks like they vary from cruise to cruise, making for a good B2B itinerary. I'm a huge fan of Rick Steves when planning for Europe, but I haven't seen anything like that for Asia. But thank you all for giving me a place to start! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sunviking90 Posted July 25 #10 Share Posted July 25 16 hours ago, me@sea said: Agree with all that has been said. Japan has many regions and each is so different - simply go to immerse yourself in the culture. I went in June 2023. Passengers were 300 non-Japanese. I had the BEST time! The Japanese were so friendly. One group of ladies (30) brought yukatas for anyone on the ship to try - someone grabbed my arm and dressed me in a traditional yukata from head to shoes! It was a highlight of my trip. During the evenings, I would be approached and politely asked "speak English?" I would nod my head and then enjoy a conversation with someone trying out their English. One night I was up until 2am with a line-up of people wanting 1 on 1 conversations - again, another highlight of my trip. Diamond Princess - I had sailed on this ship in December 2022 and love it! Great layout and wonderful staff. Just go to Japan - find the time that works for you and enjoy. I will say late June/July is extremely hot. That would be my only negative feedback. What a wonderful experience. Yes, I would welcome the chance to be on a ship full of Japanese! It was actually quite jarring for us when we got on the Royal Princess to leave Japan after being in the country for over a week. I missed the politeness and courtesy of the Japanese people greatly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john watson Posted July 25 #11 Share Posted July 25 (edited) We sailed on the first cruise including Japan Diamond Princess did since she was built in Japan. Diamond and Sapphire swapped identities at the Japanese ship builders due to a fire when under construction. After they left Japan the first time Diamond returned at least ten years later, we were sailing on her Hong Kong to Yokohama. We stopped at various ports including Taiwan but when we sailed into Japanese ports at least 4000 people would be on the quayside to welcome her back. It was like when the Beatles turned up in New York. I know we went to Kobe amongst other Japanese ports and as I recall they had a trip to a Kamikaze museum. This focused more on the divine wind and spiritual aspect of the flyers and their craft. I am not sure if they kept the Japanese baths since we sailed, however we were not allowed in as they wel under construction. The last day they let myself and daughter in, whilst the unit was not being used but construction was complete. The girl explained that when you enter all the men go to the half to the left and all the women go to the half to the right. Next day it is vice versa due to ying and yang being balanced. Once inside everyone takes off all their clothes and has a towel which they keep and walk to a huge communal bath which you all sit in and have a chat. There are also icy plunge pool and hot plunge pool which I found too hot to leave your hand in, but then you are supposed to get out and get in the icy pool and keep alternating. They also had a steam cabinet. At the end there was a huge wooden circular platform to lie down in a big ring but they conceded that swimwear should be worn as westerners would be present. Regards John Edited July 25 by john watson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ringers0815 Posted July 25 #12 Share Posted July 25 (edited) We have sailed to Japan twice on the Diamond Princess, once from Australia and another time from San Diego. We have also sailed around Japan on the Diamond Princess. We loved all of these cruises and are going back in 2025 again on the Diamond Princess from Australia sailing in February 2025. The passengers on these cruises have been mixed coming mainly from North America, Australia and Japan. They had 2 cruise directors during the "around Japan" sailing, one for Japanese speaking folks and an English speaking CD for the rest of us. The DR menu had a mix of Japanese items and the "regular" Princess menu. We never had any difficulty finding something we liked to eat and it was very good. We have always been there in March and April around the cherry blossoms season and it is beautiful and the weather is usually very nice for sightseeing. Not too hot but lots of sunshine. We had one or 2 days of rain I think in all the visits we have done. October is also a beautiful month to visit because of the fall colours. We found that it was easy to visit on our own in most ports but we also did some cruise excursions. It is fairly easy to travel on your own in Japan. They have very good transportation, it is very safe and people are friendly and willing to help. It helps to have something like a translation app on your phone as not everyone speaks english. Hope this helps. Edited July 25 by ringers0815 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombud Posted July 26 #13 Share Posted July 26 I sailed around Japan on Diamond Princess pre-shutdown and Sydney to Yokohama on Royal Princess April 2024. I'm also booked on Diamond Princess February 2026. Been from Singapore to Indonesia a few times too. So far cruises in April, May, October, and November. Haven't had a bad time FOR ME: Diamond Princess docks in Obayashi Port so that's a bit easier to disembark from. Keikyu goes directly from that port to Haneda airport for 800¥ ($5). Larger ships dock at Daikoku Pier so if you have minimal luggage the city shuttle is handy. BUT you have to handle your own luggage and it will drop off at Yokohama Park. Food: i can make my own sushi, udon, & noodles on the Diamond but not the Royal so I prefer the Diamond. Ports: been to Singapore a few times. Hotels are inexpensive. Changi Airport must be seen to be believed. Last time I was there the airport ran free tours. Hope it repeats. If so I'll stay at the airport, tour the city, than next morning head to ship. Singapore is restrictive on the amount of wine you can bring in. He figured it out 3× repeatedly adding up my ML, to make sure it was under the limit. I was way under but whatever. I'll be under next time too. DO NOT LITTER. EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO SWALLOW IT (just kidding but they're ridged). Hong Kong!! Love it! But crowded Japan is easy. The metro stop in Osaka is just a few blocks away. If going to Osaka Castle buy ticket before getting there as the line is over an hour long. Next time I'm taking train to Kyoto (15 minute train ride). What no one told me is that the free shuttle drops off in Shimizu at the train station so that's an easy train to more interesting sites. Already have 2026 planned out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtnesterz Posted July 26 #14 Share Posted July 26 (edited) 4 hours ago, jajsmom said: I'm a huge fan of Rick Steves when planning for Europe, but I haven't seen anything like that for Asia. But thank you all for giving me a place to start! As far as the Rick Steves reference. If you have Roku or watch TV on a computer, get the NHK World app and watch Japanese TV in English. I am watching Sumo right now as I type. They have beginners language lessons, travel videos, stream or on demand. It's a lot like PBS in the US, where you find Rick Steves. No commercials either, paid for by a tax on Japanese TVs. We went last fall, circle Japan. A hurdle getting there is filling out the Yunyu Kakunin Sho form. There are threads about this in the Asia section. Were we to do it over, I would do a Cruisetour. Many of the ports are far from town. The ship booked tour interpreters language ability left a lot to be desired. The better private tours have better language guides, we were told. Lucky if you find the understandability like NHK World presenters, many of whom studied in the US or UK. I think most important to remember that Japan is different from any other country we've visited. Even other Asian countries like Singapore, which we call homeland. A different way of thinking. You just need to set your mind to roll with it. Edited July 26 by mtnesterz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombud Posted July 26 #15 Share Posted July 26 (edited) Highly suggest viewing some of @ROCruiser's YouTubes in their signature. And they're right about The Pancake House If you prefer PBS search for Journeys in Japan. Plus Jaime Oliver has an ongoing series about Hong Kong. Edited July 26 by Ombud 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajsmom Posted July 26 Author #16 Share Posted July 26 2 hours ago, Ombud said: I sailed around Japan on Diamond Princess pre-shutdown and Sydney to Yokohama on Royal Princess April 2024. I'm also booked on Diamond Princess February 2026. Been from Singapore to Indonesia a few times too. So far cruises in April, May, October, and November. Haven't had a bad time Are you doing the Singapore to Tokyo on Diamond Princess? We are considering that, followed by whatever Japan tours eventually get added on. That way, we can do land tours in both Singapore and Tokyo. 2 hours ago, Ombud said: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombud Posted July 26 #17 Share Posted July 26 (edited) 7 minutes ago, jajsmom said: Are you doing the Singapore to Tokyo on Diamond Princess? We are considering that, followed by whatever Japan tours eventually get added on. That way, we can do land tours in both Singapore and Tokyo. Yes. 2/10/26 Diamond Princess Southeast Asia. Vietnam will be new for me. I was supposed to be there September 2020 but we all know how that went. Roll call has just 19 members but it's early. (See signature) Edited July 26 by Ombud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajsmom Posted July 26 Author #18 Share Posted July 26 9 minutes ago, Ombud said: Yes. 2/10/26 Diamond Princess Southeast Asia. Vietnam will be new for me. I was supposed to be there September 2020 but we all know how that went. Roll call has just 19 members but it's early. (See signature) Maybe we'll be joining you then. Waiting to see the rest of 2026 schedule released first. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombud Posted July 26 #19 Share Posted July 26 (edited) @jajsmom also loved Busan South Korea but I didn't see that port yet. I'm doing 3 nights before in Singapore and at least 1 night in Yokohama. Not flying all the way there without exploring both of those cities. Edited July 26 by Ombud 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tompep Posted July 26 #20 Share Posted July 26 We sailed for two weeks on the Diamond in June 2019 on what was then called 'Southern Island Explorer'. We spent a few days in Tokyo pre-cruise and a few days in Osaka post-cruise taking the train from Osaka to Hiroshima which was not included in the cruise. The first week of the cruise, was about 60% Japanese and 40% non-Japanese travelers, and the second week definitely 90% Japanese as that portion of the cruise went down to Ishigaki and Okinawa. This was one of our favorite cruises, and we loved the Japanese touches on the ship. We took the ship's Japanese language offerings, dance classes and I even sang in the choir. The people were great, and helped me when I didn't know which way to turn in the Bon dances. Formal nights there were plenty of kimono, although our blonde daughter also created some interest. We mostly did ship tours, but our favorite port was Matsuyama where we did a bike ride arranged with other cruise critic members. I would not hesitate to cruise Japan! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROCruiser Posted July 26 #21 Share Posted July 26 17 hours ago, Ombud said: Highly suggest viewing some of @ROCruiser's YouTubes in their signature. And they're right about The Pancake House If you prefer PBS search for Journeys in Japan. Plus Jaime Oliver has an ongoing series about Hong Kong. Thank you, Ombud, for the recommendation! I am glad you found the info on our videos helpful. That's one of the reasons we make these on YouTube, so others can benefit from them. I have also posted in my blog before YouTube, you are welcome to check them out. We have been to Japan many times and just love it there. It's safe, clean, and easy to navigate. We have decided that for the next two years, we will concentrate on Asia cruises. Happy cruising, everyone! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzsnooze Posted July 26 #22 Share Posted July 26 I got off the Diamond Princess last month. I did the cruisetour with the land portion first out of Kyoto. The cruisetour was poor for the first two day with a tour guide that spoke very poor English. They replaced her for the start of day 3. The cruise was so so. Japan had very little diversity, see shrines and Budda and beautiful landscaping and a museum. Repeat days 6-14 , different port same sites. I did Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong , Viet Nam , Cambodia and enjoyed that cruise much more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mahasamatman Posted July 27 #23 Share Posted July 27 We just did the Diamond for 18 days around Japan in June/July and while it was amazing, it was also hellishly hot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tranquility Base Posted July 27 #24 Share Posted July 27 On 7/27/2024 at 7:30 AM, cruzsnooze said: .......Cambodia and enjoyed that cruise much more. What did you do in Sihanoukville ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay S Posted July 28 #25 Share Posted July 28 Wasn't that covid cruise from hell the Diamond Princess in Japan? At the beginning of the pandemic where they kept the passengers on the ship for weeks and some died? (I assume things are okay now. ) 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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