mj_holiday

That makes sense, but what is entered in the Japanese system online for the info.

For those who have recently boarded a cruise in Japan, could you please give some detail for the QR code and the entry requirements for Covid vaccinations. I watched a very well done you tube of a cruise starting in Japan. They explained the entry requirements and that a QR code is the best way. One of the things to fill out is about Covid vaccinations and something about whether or not to quarantine. Well, we just received the current Covid vaccine and the person who gave us the vaccines said they no longer fill out the CDC white cards. Do we just need to prove we got the initial vaccine and booster or that we have the latest vaccine. Any information will be helpful.

Thank you for your explanation. We would all like to avoid waiting in a line longer than necessary. But this will work only if the shore services work with it. Our last Regent cruise we arrived (11 of us) at the hotel rather late the night before we sail after a pre-cruise. We asked what time for the bus (s) to the ship, and we were told 7:30. Well we ignored that. The next morning we had a nice breakfast and saw that there were a lot of people heading to the ship. We checked out of our room around 10am and headed down to the lobby. We ended up in the chaos moving toward the bus. So a lot of people got to the ship at once no matter the boarding time.

Yes, it must have been stressful not knowing from one day to the next what the trip will look like. Thanks for taking the time to do some comparison between Oceania and Regent. I always look at Oceania but still end up with Regent since that is a known entity.

I would not worry about grabbing a bite before getting luggage and heading to the ship. Board the ship and head to pool grill or La Veranda for lunch.

Trivia is great fun. Do not be shy about walking up to a couple of people the first Trivia and ask if they need two more to make a team. They will either say the rest of their team is not there yet, or yes they could use 2 more people. The team size is limited to 6.

We were on the Voyager this last year. While not shiny and new like Explorer and Splendor, it is a very comfortable ship. We have a 2025 cruise booked on the Voyager. We were in a concierge which except for location and perks like excursion booking really isn't very different than Veranda Suites. When Navigator went through dry dock several years ago, an additional set of drawers were added in the closest. On the Voyager that extra set is much larger and we had plenty of drawer space. Viewing in the theater is much better than Explorer. I would never hesitate about booking the Voyager if the itinerary is what I want.

We will be on the Explorer in about five months, and that was selected because of the itinerary. We really like the Navigator, the suites are indeed, bigger than comparable suites on the Explorer. On the Explorer you feel like you’re in a large, very nice hotel not the water. On the navigator, you know you’re on the sea and that’s what I like.

Which pre-cruise were you on, Vibrant Tokyo?

many cruises I hope you included your tour comments on the end of cruise survey.

The first included post tour we took had no extra charge that I heard of. What I was told by the cruise consultant was something like the tour was limited in number. It was very nice and we enjoyed it. As I look at cruises now, some pre and post tours have a cost associated with them and some do not. We have enjoyed the added tours we have taken.

Beside being able to book from the Compass Rose menu (when open) there is also a small, but nice selection on the room service menu. We really enjoy the Compass Rose, there is good variety for us. So, we will get one reservation with each specialty restaurant but not overly anxious to get more since the Compass Rose is so nice.

Who really pays??? We had an issue last December when our flight home was cancelled. For a while the only flight I could get was Economy which I would not take. Our TA helped and found a BC flight. We ended up having to pay for the flight as our TA said, let the insurance and Regent work on this later. Our insurance claim was for extra night and meals, taxis, and the flight. Our insurance paid for all claimed except unreceipted tips. After we settled I informed Regent what the insurance paid. I believe Regent then worked with the insurance and repaid what they had gotten reimbursed for the cancelled flight. Regent then contacted me to say they will provide OBC to satisfy the unreceipted tips that we did not get reimbursed for. As stated above, don't worry about who is paying whom, the companies have processes that work the issues. If I would have demanded that Regent pay me for the flight or whatever; I would then need to file with insurance for the things that I did not get reimbursed for. Keep it simple, work with insurance that you purchased, they have a process for making it all paid by the appropriate company.

Gilly, thank you so much for your helpful information.

The dates for excursions, dining reservations and final payment will be found on your booking. There has been alot of info on this forum about booking your flights with Regent or on your own. The date for that is 210 days out. Your travel Agent can help with that. If you are in suites below the butler levels, you can email or call Regent a couple months before embarkation and let them know your desires for the bar in your cabin. We usually ask for an after dinner sherry, a bottle of red wine, some beer (only cans fit in the frig) and club soda. They will replenish as your cruise goes along. If you have a butler, there should be a form someplace in your online account. If you want breakfast in your suite before excursions, I would use the door hanger, and that arrives on time. If just want coffee while getting ready, call room service and the coffee come very quickly.

Thank you Rkaratsu For the information on the Pre-cruise tour. I have been hearing this and came up with the following plan. We would maybe take one or two half day tours, but we want to get to the bullet train for a ride. After hearing comments about difficulty with subways, I may need to rethink that and get a private tour for one of the days, and see if we can include learning how to take the bullet train. We are again in Tokyo for two days before heading to Alaska and that might be the time to do the bullet train.

Jessandarnie - which cruise is this?

People seem to be really worried about dirty dishes. I would bet money, that the staff has a way of knowing where the room service deliveries have been made and a crew member is on the hook to pick them up in a timely fashion.

On some past cruises when we arrived at the closing of LA Veranda, the CD would be greeting us at the gangway to let us know that La Veranda was open for another hour or so and we could head up there to eat.

We like the pool grill when we embark if the weather is nice. You can get food from la veranda or pool grill and we try to get near a side so we can sit back and people watch until our rooms are ready.

Put your phone on airplane mode and then in settings enable wi-fi calling. This will let you make/receive calls over the internet. Will need some kind of plan for off the ship like at the airport. I would think any calling on the ship phone would be some kind of urgent need.

Rharatsu Thank you for identifying Visit Japan Web site, that will help us get ready..

Much has been said about carrying prescription drugs in hand luggage. So, for those of you who have arrived in Japan for embarking on a cruise, how was the customs and immigration experience at either of the two airports?

Why go to the compass rose to order. It is my understanding that you can order from the Compass Rose menu for room service. It is a shame that pool grill is no longer open in the evenings. When I first heard the pool grill was staying open I was anxious to try it. But when ever I went to check on the menu, there wasn’t anything there I cared for.

When we did this cruise in November. We took rain ponchos and use those on a couple days when it rained. You should also have a hat. It was cool enough that we didn’t notice any humidity. we really didn’t see any insects or mosquitoes, must be related to where you are and the time of year. Two pairs of shoes that you use on excursions would be great to have so one pair can dry if you get wet. it was a great cruise and I’m sure you will enjoy it.