BruceMuzz

Things are not looking very good for any foreigners to visit Japan in 2022.

The new program for foreign Business people and Students to get into Japan was cancelled when Omicron Virus appeared.

In recent weeks, there have been a few Diplomats and Japanese Residents who have brought Omicron back with them from the USA and Africa.

Additionally, the US Military was caught putting infected US troops on commercial flights into and out of Japan, and now there is a massive COVID outbreak at the US Military Bases in Okinawa. 

Now the US Military in Japan has more COVID cases than the entire Japanese population. All US military have been restricted to their bases until further notice.

Japan continues to have the highest vaccination rates in the developed world, but new COVID infections have topped 200 per day this week, so we are expecting the borders to remain closed for quite some time. 

Japan isn’t really having any struggles - other than the US Military problems.

But the people trying to visit Japan are really struggling.

Option A is superior because it lets you spend more time in Kyoto / Kobe. It also is a bit earlier in the Autumn, which will probably give you better, warmer weather. Due to the Cabotage laws, your ship must call at a non-Japanese port. Option A takes you to Busan, which is quite interesting; shopping, dining, sight-seeing.

Option B takes you to Jeju Island in South Korea. Jeju is South Korea’s version of Okinawa. Very nice, but not too much to see or do. The November timing is somewhat risky for weather.

Option C loses due to the Ishigaki and Jeju stops.

Okinawa and Ishigaki are nearly identical. They are both really beautiful semi-tropical islands with nice beaches. No need to spend 2 days for that. Jeju Island is a third semi-tropical island stop with little to see or do. The November timing is somewhat risky for weather.

Having said all that, it is looking less and less likely that you will be able to visit Japan or Korea in 2022. Hope you have a Plan B - and maybe Plan C. 

I really hope you get the opportunity to visit my part of the world next year. But at this point, it is not looking very good.

This week the Japanese Government renewed the restriction on any foreigners visiting Japan for any reason. This restriction will continue in effect well into 2022.

The US Military bases in Okinawa now have more COVID Cases than all of Japan.

Additionally, with all the problems America is experiencing - and the incredibly high COVID infection and death numbers coming out of the USA - Japan is considering placing a longer ban on US Passport holders visiting Japan.

There is a rapidly increasing chance that no Americans will be allowed to visit Japan anytime in 2022.

If it does work out for you - and I really hope it does - your option A is the best choice.

Sorry for the negativity, but please do not get your hopes up for a Tokyo visit in 2022.

Although Japan was beginning to open the door just a bit for Business Visitors and Students, the new Omicron arrival slammed the door shut again.

There is a very good chance that American Passport holders will not be allowed to visit Japan - for any reason - for quite some time.

At this point, even Japanese Passport holders and Permanent Residents are struggling to get out of and back into Japan.

As of 06 December, no international cruise ships have received permission to visit Japan in 2022.

Some US States have opted to charge State Sales Tax on onboard purchases made while the ship is in port in that state. 

You might be surprised to learn that most islands in the Caribbean are different countries. Each of those countries has specific rules about what to do with people who enter their country with contagious diseases.

The cruise lines are legally required to report any infectious disease cases onboard before entering the sovereign waters of nearly every country. At that point, the country in question decides what the cruise line must do with the affected person / people.

Not only are the rules different in many different countries, but they are constantly changing with regard to illnesses like COVID.

You may have a difficult time finding exactly what a cruise ship is required to do with infected people in a specific country on a specific date in the future.

Here in Tokyo the Pandemic is nearly over. 

Japan with a population over 126 million is reporting about 200 new cases per day.

Tokyo, most populous city in the world (42 million), and one of the most dense in population, is seeing fewer than 20 new cases per day. 

Total Vaccination is around 80% and climbing quickly.

Japanese Government has authorized booster shots after 6 months from the final one.

Most businesses in Japan have survived. The Government paid the riskier ones to close or reduce hours, allowing them to continue paying salaries and making a profit. Now everything is open again.

Japan is now aiming for zero new cases. No foreigners are allowed to visit. Everyone wears masks always. Every business makes temperature checks of every person wanting to enter.

COVID vaccines and negative PCR tests are required for doing nearly everything.

Vancouver, Canada to Honolulu is an international voyage.

If you go through US pre-arrival Immigration and Customs in Vancouver (before boarding the ship, like they do for Alaska cruises) there may be a chance for you to debark early in Maui.

If you don’t go through the US process in Vancouver, the chances of leaving the ship in Maui get very slim.

Generally speaking, Maui only has CBP Officers at the airport. If you need to go through Immigration and Customs either at the cruise terminal - or at anchor - in Maui, the cruise line would need to convince and pay the CBP extra to come over to process you. CBP is normally reluctant to do this. If they do, the costs of their visit would probably be passed on to you. This could get very expensive.

Good news: Japan is currently seeing and reporting its lowest infection and death numbers of the Pandemic. Vaccination rates are second highest in the world, and everyone continues to wear masks always. The Government is now allowing very limited numbers of Businessmen, Students, and Interns to apply for entry. The applications can only be done by corporations who will be completely responsible for all costs related to any infections. The application process is very lengthy and difficult. Anyone allowed to enter must still be quarantined and tested frequently. Nobody has yet been approved for entry.

Yesterday the Japanese Health Authorities announced that they will study and consider allowing limited tourism groups to enter Japan after the first of the year. But they cautioned that if it is allowed, these groups must be carefully controlled and monitored. This means full vaccination, tests before and after entry, masks always, more testing, and traveling in groups only.

Japan Ministry of Health also announced that they are preparing for an expected sixth wave of infection after the New Year.

Currently, every individual entering Japan for any reason must agree to own, buy, or rent a smartphone. Two tracking Apps are required to be installed on the telephone, 

Starting next month, a third App, a digital Vaccine Passport, will also be required.

Right now, most people who do not have a smartphone are not allowed to enter Japan for other reasons anyway, but that will change sometime next year.

India is one of the rare exceptions that allows cruise passengers to stay onboard a ship in Indian waters without a visa - but that only applies in a very few parts of India.

Most countries - USA included - require a visa for all non-citizens.

Your Fiancee will not be allowed to board the ship if she has no US Visa.

8 hours ago, ovccruiser said:

I don't think they can use a bleach product on ships, there is too much stainless steel and bleach will corrode stainless steel. The smell you get is, as already been stated by others, the cleaning solution they can use, just spray a bit of deodorant in the bathroom and you can have you own sweet smell 😂

As the Chief mentioned, we regularly - and often - use diluted chlorine bleach in galley and pantry areas. But chlorine bleach can cause major damage to furnishings and soft goods in cabins and public areas.

Instead most cruise lines use a Canadian product that contains activated hydrogen peroxide to clean cabins and public areas. Sold as Virox and Vican (among other brand names) it has all the benefits of chlorine bleach, is unfortunately very costly, does not damage furnishings and soft goods, neutralizes all the viruses, but unfortunately must air-dry to be completely effective. As mentioned, one version of this cleaner leaves a milky residue and has a smell resembling vomit. The other leaves no visible residue and has a slight urine smell. A very similar product is marketed to the public as “Oxy-Clean”. Oxy-clean is less powerful, less costly, and less effective in treating viruses. But it does not leave a residue and does not leave any objectionable odor behind.

Flying Tokyo-Chicago this afternoon.

Had my PCR test late last night at a lab in Shinjuku.

Got the negative results at 08:00 this morning. Certificates in English and Japanese.

2,500 yen.

Cruise ship vacuum toilets have 3 challenges that you do not face at home.

1. Every toilet room has a drain in the floor to prevent any floods. This drain empties into a “grey water” tank many decks below. There is not enough space to install an “S trap” like the one you have at home to prevent nasty odors coming up. Instead there is a “bell trap” that uses water to block the odors. If the water in this trap spills out or evaporates, the gases from the grey water tank will come into your cabin, with a urine-like smell.

2. Nearly every section of a cruise ship has controlled air pressure for a number of good reasons - including emergency fire and smoke control. Sometimes the air pressure in the section where the grey water tanks are located goes higher than the air pressure in your cabin, forcing the grey water smells up the pipe into your cabin. (Another good reason to keep your balcony door closed).

3. Most cruise lines use very expensive versions of a Canadian-made cleaning chemical containing activated hydrogen peroxide to prevent virus outbreaks. These are essentially non-chlorine bleach. Properly used, they are sprayed onto a surface and allowed to air dry. One version leaves a milky residue and smells a bit like vomit; the other version is clear, but smells a bit like urine.

The ship I work on cruised throughout the Mediterranean all Summer. Our passengers were mostly from North America, with a smaller number from Europe and Asia. Despite rapidly and frequently changing regulations in several countries, we had no problems.

At this point, many mass market ships have reduced crew onboard, forcing them to close entire sections of guest cabins. Even if the cruise line wanted to upgrade you, there may be no serviced cabins available.

My first COVID Vaccine was in Tokyo, where they required my passport number.

My second COVID Vaccine was in Sicily where they required my passport number.

I have had more than 50 PCR tests this year; Tokyo, Athens, Rome, Palermo, Napflion, London, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Valletta, Lisbon, Doha, Kusadasi, and a few more I have forgotten. Every one required my passport number.  

I fly frequently into and out of Japan, where a negative PCR COVID test is required.

I can book a PCR test at hundreds of labs in Tokyo, and get results in just a few hours.

The going price is US$24.

How is it possible that the same test in America takes so much longer and costs so much more money?

I just finished a four month contract sailing around the Greek islands. My ship spent every day in a different Greek port, sailing between them at night.

We received many complaints from guests who wanted to spend an evening in a Greek port.

You can have that experience.

Patmos is a really interesting place - not the Disneyland experience of Santorini or Mykonos.

Evening in Patmos is a great way to see a real Greek Island port city at night; have a nice dinner and a few drinks at a local cafe. What you won't see is the horde of tourists that departed on the other cruise ships a few hours before you arrived.

Why do some cruise ships arrive late in the day and stay for the evening?

Often, it is a logistics challenge. The ship needs to sail a certain distance and does not have jet engines mounted on the sides to make it go faster.

Turkey is now open to cruise ships. But be aware that visiting Turkey from Greece will require additional PCR Tests in both directions, foreign exchange, passports being held by the ship, and the Greek 24%VAT gone from onboard purchases.

All of the better cruise lines - including the one I work for - offer the tests onboard.

They swab you the final morning for the cruise and give you the results in the afternoon.

I have just returned home to Japan after 4 months in Europe.

As a fully vaccinated Japanese resident, with negative PCR tests before and after my flight, it was very difficult getting back in.

Only residents are allowed to enter Japan, so there were only 24 passengers on my 777 plane.

Processing / testing at Haneda Airport was very efficient, but still took 4 hours.

Before embarking the flight in London, I had to install 2 new Japanese Health Reporting Apps on my mobile telephone. Once installed, I received QR codes that I had to show at check-in before being allowed to board the airplane.

I was quarantined in a Government Hotel in Tokyo for 3 days, then released for an additional 11 days quarantine at home. I had to get home in a private car; public transport was forbidden. I had to install 2 tracking Apps on my mobile telephone, agreeing to make at least one video telephone call with the Japanese Ministry of Health every day, and inputting my temperature, oxygen blood level, blood pressure, pulse rate, and any symptoms every morning into the tracking Apps.

Anyone entering Japan without a smartphone is required to purchase or rent one for the duration of their stay here.

It is looking more and more unlikely that Japan will allow foreigners to visit any time soon.

Correction: Spain is now one of the countries whose Government has allowed Windstar and other cruise lines to have independent touring.

It helps to understand the legalistics and logistics of Satellite Television for ships.

Cruise ships are technically able to capture many television broadcasts through the air, but if they re-broadcast them to paying passengers, they are breaking the law.

They must receive broadcast television programming via satellite to remain legal. Receiving this satellite programming requires a very expensive license to unscramble the signal and re-broadcast it to paying passengers.

The license to re-broadcast the 3-hour Superbowl game, for example, will cost each ship about $40,000 this year.

Much of this is also dependent on the ship's location when these sports events happen. If you are sailing in Asia, for example, you may be surprised to know that many Asians have little to zero interest in American Sports games. Most satellites over Asia do not even offer the possibility to watch American sports - at any price.

You must also consider the technical aspects of watching live streaming sports on the ship's WIFI system. Some of the newer and more advanced cruise lines have quite fast connections that make it possible to live stream movies and sports via internet. Unfortunately, HAL is not one of those new and more advanced lines.

12 hours ago, Funatabi said:

I agree with you. There are 2 issues, as I see it.

1) One is a reasonable price. I don't work at or own a testing lab, so don't know what is involved with testing to make it so expensive. In my view,  I think a lot of places are price-gouging because they know that we travelers are  over  barrel and at their mercy . With more people traveling, I am afraid the prices for tests might go up. 

 

2) The right test. This is an issue that has to be checked thoroughly. While there are so many kinds of tests availabe, and some cheaper than others, I need to make sure that I get the kind of test that is good to board my cruise. I would hate to find out that,  in order to save money, I got the "wrong test" that won't be accepted at embarcation.  

 

I have a few more months to go, so things might change by then. In the meantime, I am trying to learn as much as I can about which test is sufficient, and then find a place that charges a reasonable fee.

A big part of the testing cost is the machinery necessary to do the test.

The ship I work on has 2 PCR test machines that can process 3 tests each at one time. We can get the results in about 45 minutes.

Each machine cost 43,000 Euros.

Flying out of Tokyo, when my company is paying, I get the more expensive PCR tests. When I am paying, I go for the less expensive ones.

I cannot see much difference between them.

Some of the less expensive labs take a bit longer - 24 hours or so. Locations are not as convenient as the more costly places. And I might have to jump through a few more hoops to get the results.

If the results are in Japanese, the people at the airport can read them. Even if they couldn't, the QR Code on the form can easily be read in several languages.

Otherwise, no difference.