BruceMuzz

On the ship I manage, EVERY Guest, EVERY week, pays $14,000 or more.

I must confess that as a self-described "Foodie", I am often perplexed by some of the postings on this section of the board.

Full disclosure:

A Food and Beverage Director at some of the World's Best Hotels

Never a Professional Chef

General Manager of America's First 3-Star Michelin Restaurant

At one point I had dined in every 3-star Michelin Restaurant in France

Earned a degree in Oenology at UC Davis

Hotel Manager on International Cruise Ships for many years

I Googled "Foodie". The result is below:

There is one main tender port in Mykonos - in the old town.

Taxis and buses can pull up very close to the spot where you get off the tender.

Everyone in Mykonos knows where it is.

Now you do too.

I started as a gleam in my Father’s eye.

Seas around Bermuda are only rough on even numbered years - and only during months that have the letter "r" in them.

You will be fine.

23 hours ago, Vinnyv20032003 said:

Not literally, but more of trying to plan ahead in case my passport does not arrive in the next 5 days. Please bare with me here. 

 

I sent away to get my USA passport renewed (quite awhile ago), since we are booked on a northbound one-way Alaska cruise from Vancouver to Whittier. I have yet to receive my passport back and embarkation day is quickly approaching. I am in a bind, and don't know what to do.

 

One thought I had is missing embarkation in Vancouver, and catching up with the ship at the first USA port of call (Ketchikan).

 

Vancouver's Canada Place cruise terminal states you go through US Customs boarding the ship since you are in US territory for the remainder of the cruise after departing Vancouver. You would think I would be able to board from the first USA port of call with a driver's license, original birth certificate?

 

Not looking for criticism here, just others' thoughts maybe based on their own experiences. I don't have travel insurance, I know I am at fault, I'm just trying to not lose out on a couple thousand dollars and enjoy some of the cruise. If you have ANY advice, please share. Thank you...

I'm not going to bare with you. We might get arrested.

5 hours ago, avalong said:

You're aware Star Breeze has only french balconies, right?

Actually, Star Breeze has 6 Suites that have very nice and spacious balconies.

You haven’t told us which Tokyo Airport you are flying out of.

Haneda Airport is located about halfway between Tokyo and Yokohama. From Yokohama, depending on which transportation you choose, the trip is about 30 minutes.

Narita Airport is located about 150 kilometers North of Yokohama. Transport can take from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours, depending on traffic.

There are many nice hotels located around both Airports. Many offer day rooms for travelers.

Note that the fastest commute time between Narita Airport and Central Tokyo is one hour each way. The fastest commute time between Haneda Airport and Central Tokyo is about 30 minutes each way.

Tokyo has six International Cruise Terminals.

1. Harumi - Chuo City, in the Olympic Village

2. Takeshiba - Kaigan City

3. Hinode - Near Hamamatsu-cho

4. Tokyo International Cruise Terminal - Koto City (near Haneda Airport)

5. Osanbashi - In Yokohama

6. Daikoku Terminal - In Yokohama Bay

Harumi has the best location - in downtown Tokyo - but can only accommodate ships small enough to pass under the Rainbow Bridge.

Takeshiba and Hinode also can only accommodate ships small enough to pass under the Rainbow Bridge.

The New Tokyo International Cruise Terminal is just South of the Rainbow Bridge and can accommodate any size vessel.

Osanbashi, in Yokohama, can accommodate ships small enough to pass under the Yokohama Bay Bridge.

Daikoku, in Yokohama Bay, is a cargo terminal that also accommodates the biggest ships - and handles he overflow when Osanbashi is full.

Your cruise will probably call at Tokyo International Terminal, Osanbashi Terminal, or Daikoku Terminal.

You can travel from Tokyo to Yokohama’s Osanbashi Cruise Terminal with luggage, quickly, cheaply, and easily - if you do your homework.

Japan Railways Narita Express goes between, Tokyo Station, Shinjuku Station, and Yokohama Station about every 30 minutes all day long. The fares are low, the cars are designed with baggage storage at each end of the car. Seats are assigned, and there is free WIFI onboard.

Tokyo Station to Yokohama Station is about 40 minutes.

Shinjuku Station to Yokohama Station is about 30 minutes.

A taxi from Yokohama Station to Osanbashi Cruise Terminal takes about 10 minutes, depending on traffic.

Two streets away from Osanbashi Terminal is the Nihon-Odori Subway station. This is on the Minato-Mirai Line, which passes through Yokohama Station, Shibuya Station, ending in Shinjuku. This is a commuter subway line. It is busy from 06:00 to 09:00, carrying workers into Tokyo. And again from 16:00 to 19:00, carrying the workers back to Yokohama. The rest of the day, together trains are nearly empty, with lots of room for suitcases. Fare is 450 yen per person.

If you time it correctly, the Express (same price and same route) gets you to Shibuya in Tokyo in 29 minutes, and Shinjuku in 40 minutes.

You need to ask Princess.

In Japan, like in most countries, once the ship has been cleared by authorities, any passenger is free to go ashore.

But you will be on a big mass market ship that may try to do crowd control by limiting who can go ashore when.

Only Princess Management people can tell you if they plan to do that on the day you want to go ashore.They may not even know themselves yet. There could be many last-minute factors that could cause them to decide to do this.

Good morning from sunny Tokyo.

As of 01 May, Japan does not require COVID treat results for tourists to enter - so long as you have proof of at least 3 COVID vaccinations.

Random onboard testing is not required by Japan, but might be required by the cruise line.

Japan currently does not require testing to go ashore.

The 10% rule requires any cruise ship reporting over 10% infections to leave Japan immediately. This would create a financial and logistical nightmare for the cruise line, as there are few viable optional ports to call at. The cost alone of changing every passenger’s air tickets would be enormous.

The Japan cruise season has just started, so there have been very few foreign cruise ships in Japan so far.

If you look at mass market ships in other parts of the world, many are regularly reporting 10% or more infection rates. You can then understand why the mass market ships calling at Japanese ports are being so careful.

Japan was doing quite well with COVID generally - until the tourists started returning. Now the numbers are going up again. The Japanese Government plans to relax the rules next week - but that could change due to the higher numbers.

You could take the Narita Express train (NEX) from Yokohama Station to Tokyo Station. This train is designed to carry people with luggage.

Your hotel in Ginza will be a very short taxi ride from Tokyo Station.

I was Hotel Director on several Princess ships in the 2010's. On many of our voyages, there was a slot pull contest that awarded a new BMW to the winner.

Princes was - and is - owned by Carnival Corp, and flagged in Bermuda.

The Princess Casinos were - and are - operated by Carnival Casinos, based in Panama.

Most of the BMW winners were Americans, as that is the majority of Princess' clientele.

They had the option of receiving the title to the automobile, and then paying the required taxes to the IRS later - or they could accept a cash payment, minus the income taxes owed on the cash. The ship withheld the taxes, filled out the required paperwork, and Princess paid the taxes to the IRS through Corporate in California.

If a non-US Citizen happened to win the car, we were required to follow exactly the same procedures - regardless of where that person lived or what country they were from.

Today I work for a company connected to the US Public Health Service. Although USPH is not legally allowed to have jurisdiction over ships that do not call at US Ports, they do it anyway.

If they get wind that a foreign flag ship that does not call at US Ports is flagrantly violating USPH Standards, they threaten to retaliate against any sister ships that do call at US Ports. This is very hush-hush,and very effective. Big cruise lines cannot afford the negative publicity attached to a USPH inspection failure. They cave in.

4 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

So if, for example, the ship went from Miami to Nassau and then didn't stop again until, say, France or Pakistan for that matter, would it default to Bahamian law and thus negate any fact that it left the USA? 

Seems logical - but it is neither that simple, nor that clear.

As I mentioned, this is a very grey area. No single rule or law covers this situation. Depending on what legal issue crops up, who is involved, the flag of the ship, the owner of the line, the individual legal entities who are invited - and many more details - one or more legal authorities steps forward and claims jurisdiction. On other occasions, NO legal authority wants to get involved.

Daikoku Pier is primarily a cargo pier.

There is a Yokohama City Bus that transports the cargo workers from downtown Yokohama to that pier. It is not free, but very inexpensive. 

3 hours ago, Aquahound said:

It’s funny you say that because I’m actually a SME on maritime law. What I’m having a hard time with is associating US income tax law to a non citizen on the high seas, and requiring the ship to withhold it. I’d like to see that law. 

It gets much crazier than that.

The US Navy claims jurisdiction over any ship anywhere in the world if that ship is carrying US Citizens.

The US Public Health Service claims jurisdiction over any ship - anywhere - that:

1. Sells passage tickets in the USA.

2. Calls at a US Port - ever.

3. Has a sister ship that calls at a US Port

4. Carries American Passengers.

3 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

I'm trying to wrap my head around that.  A non-US citizen on a non-US flagged ship on the high seas enroute to Europe has to pay US income taxes because the ship left a US port?  I'm struggling to understand the legality of that, and I can't seem to find in law where that is required.  Are the casino operators American?  

You need to understand Maritime Law. Often, there is a grey area in legal coverage of just about anything that occurs on an international ship in international waters.

To simplify it a bit, the legal codes of the last country / port visited - or the next country / port to be visited - take precedence.

The American IRS will tax casino winnings by any nationality passenger on a ship that departed from a US port. If a German National flies to Miami to cruise back to Europe, and is lucky enough to win over US$1200 in the Casino in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the cruise line and the casino operator are required by the US Government to withhold the estimated income tax from the winnings and report it to the IRS.

I managed ships for years and we always had to do this.

Every cruise ship in the world has a collection of electric fans that you can borrow for use in your cabin.

Why waste valuable suitcase space to take your own?

If the ship does not go to a non-EU port during your cruise, nearly anything purchased onboard during the cruise must have VAT.

If you purchase the package before the cruise, VAT does not apply.

A "lifetime cruise cabin" is good for about 25 years maximum. At that point the engines are shot, the hull is rotting, and repairs / maintenance are beyond any reasonable cost.

Then what is your $4 Mil cabin worth when the ship cannot move anymore?

Tokyo has 4 International Cruise Terminals:

1. Harumi - Located downtown, on an artificial island between the old and new Fish Markets, and now the site of the Olympic Village. Only smaller ships that can fit under the Rainbow Bridge can call there.

2. Tokyo International Cruise Terminal - Located at Oi, about halfway between Harumi Terminal and Yokohama. This is the newest and largest Terminal. Very close to Haneda Airport.

3. Osanbashi - Located in central Yokohama.

4. Daikoku - Located a bit South of Osanbashi Terminal, on an island in Tokyo Bay. This is a Cargo Terminal that handles overflow from Osanbashi, and ships that are too tall to fit under the Yokohama Bay Bridge.

Japan does not require a COVID test for cruise passengers prior to boarding a ship. But many cruise lines sailing in Japan have decided to require it to protect themselves. If a cruise ship sailing in Japanese Waters has more than 10% of pax and crew with COVID, the ship will be forced to leave Japan. Currently, most big mass market ships are exceeding 10% infection rates. If a big ship is forced out of Japan, the logistics of re-booking air tickets for all passengers would be a financial and logistical nightmare. The cruise lines are trying to avoid this by screening potential health risk passengers before sailing.

What makes even less sense is someone sailing on a big mass market cruise ship where the chair hog problem is nearly guaranteed - and then complaining about it.