Aussiepam1327

We bought a big spray called Skin Vape (Google for a picture of it) in a Japanese chemist type store (an amazing experience just shopping in this store)..we brought it home having not needing to use it while on holiday but it's really good.

Hiroshima.... the cruise into this region is breathtaking and very unexpected. Quite thought provoking knowing the tragic history of the region. The midday arrival and short stopover were not the best so we selected a ship tour of Miyajima island and were pleased we did as we would have been rushed and possibly stressed doing the trip ourselves. We will definitely spend a few nights on Miyajima if we return to do a land tour of Japan as it was everything quintessentially Japan all in one small area. The website What's in Port helped me to decide whether we would explore alone, possibly use a ship shuttle bus or book a ship tour. Go With Guide was also a good resource to look for tour ideas and possibly book a qualified guide. Customs and immigration was annoying but mandatory....our stop after JeJu Island was Kagoshima and was advertised as a 9-5 stop but by the time we went through all the rigmarole and got a shuttle into the city it was 1130 so we really only had four hours in town...shame. I'm loving reliving our trip through your posts... can't wait to be on my next Celebrity ship.

Great write up. We went on Millennium Nov 23 and loved coming back after exploring all day to a elegant calm ship. Our staff were amazing and an absolute highlight. We were fortunate to have autumn weather (tshirts and thinner clothes were great for exploring but early morning and evenings we would need an extra layer) coming from Adelaide Australia, I should be used to heat, but no I hate it so we were happy to be traveling Japan in Nov. Shore tours were definitely expensive but in a few places we selected them over running the risk of getting lost, traveling longer distances etc. We explored a few places ourselves and whilst using a few Japanese terms we got by with Google translate. We did organize a personalized tour which was a highlight. Touring with a local we learnt so much more about culture, lifestyle and at castles and shrines an insight into what we were seeing. He also helped to expand our palette by introducing us to more than just sushi. Probably the only negative I have for the cruise was not enough time to explore and only seeing the touristy places....but it gave us a taste and understanding of what Japan has to offer. Soooo next trip we might ditch the ship and head inland to see the quieter more traditional areas located past the big city ports. It was a great way to sample Japan. If I could offer a word of advice for anyone thinking of taking a similar cruise to Japan.... research. Find what it is you want to see in Japan and work out the best places to see/do ...then you can plan a ship tour or do your own thing. If you don't you may end up seeing 7 shrines, 4 castles etc.. We decided to forego Kyoto as time just didn't allow for us to explore in depth instead we hired a guide that would take us on a bullet train to Himeji castle and back, show us Osaka and it's food scene etc....amazing experience.