BruceMuzz

19 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

Three days ago a Japanese cruise ship sailing just in the islands of Japan had a passenger diagnosed with coronavirus infection. The passenger was quarantined on the ship and the cruise was cancelled  to return to the Port of Yokohama. All passengers were to be disembarked. Prior to the curtailment of the cruise, demonstrations against the cruise  had been planned by residents of the cities/towns that were to be port calls. I don't  know what the status of vaccination numbers in Japan is. I do know that the requirements to conduct cruises in Japan by their governing body is stricter than the CDC.

 

Are cruise ships going to be welcomed by the local populace once they start sailing again - if not vaccinated?

Not sure about your source of information, but you have been mis-informed.

I live in Tokyo and pass the Osanbashi Cruise Terminal on my way to work every day.

Throughout the pandemic, 4 Japanese Cruise ships have been making weekly domestic Japanese cruises. Until this week, there were no COVID problems on any of the ships and there were no local demonstrations in the ports.

These 4 ships carry Japanese Residents only. No foreigners are allowed.

Since foreigners are not allowed to enter Japan, this is not a problem.

Passengers must provide a negative COVID test before boarding. Nothing else.

The ship you are referring to is the Asuka II, former Crystal Harmony.

The other 3 ships have not experienced any problems and have not cancelled any cruises. Asuka II will sail next week as scheduled.

Status of vaccination in Japan is nearly zero. Only medical workers have been vaccinated at this point. The entire population of Japan is scheduled to be vaccinated over the next 2 months.

With the exception of the Olympic Athletes, it is likely that no foreigners will be allowed to visit Japan for any reason in 2021.

Japan is still closed to all foreigners.

Residents who go abroad must return with the required negative PCR test, pass another PCR test upon arrival at the airport, use private transport to get home, remain in home quarantine for 14 days, agree to be tracked by a smartphone app, and are contacted every day by medical staff to ensure that all is well.   

Today the Japanese Government announced the CORONAVIRUS prevention measures for the Olympic Athletes.

They must show 2 negative PCR tests taken 96 hours before arrival in Japan.

They will be tested again upon arrival at the airport.

They will be tested every day for the duration of their stay.

Travel away from the Olympic Venue is severely limited and must be announced and approved in advance. 

Any violation of the requirements will result in immediate deportation from Japan.

17 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Are they allowing cruise ships?
 

 And to your point, one thing i agreed with early on in this crisis was when one of our local officials reported on TV that he had removed his aged parent from a congregant living facility and he recommended all to do this.  He even went on to say that people were going to be locked down so they could easily take care of their parents, in most cases.  Of course some people need advanced medical care.  This alone could have saved thousands of lives.  That is personal and social responsibility .  This is what my family did, it was good advice. 

Domestic cruising in Japan never stopped. There are several Japanese cruise ships sailing around Japan right now. All passengers are Japanese residents. There are no COVID problems on the ships. Foreigners are not allowed to visit Japan; we do not trust them to follow the rules and prevent outbreaks.

58 minutes ago, Wonderingabout said:

So you have statistics?  Is it Social distancing or is it the Masks?  

I live in Tokyo.

Tokyo Metro area has 42 million people - one of the most densely populated places on earth. Proper social distancing is nearly impossible. There is just not enough space.

Masks are strongly suggested, but not required.

EVERYONE here wears masks EVERYWHERE, ALWAYS

All businesses are open.

The government subsidizes businesses who agree to close early in the evenings.

Japan’s population is125 million. From the beginning of the pandemic, our COVID infection and death numbers have been lower than most individual US States, where the populations are far smaller.

Its all about taking social responsibility for your fellow citizens.

Discontinued a long time ago.

Foreigners cruising in Japan anytime this year does not look possible.

Although Japan’s COVID numbers are surprisingly low, the Japanese do not see it that way.

New restrictions were put in place today for Tokyo, Osaka, and a few other areas. 

Vaccine distribution is just starting this week. The general population will not be fully vaccinated until mid-summer - just before the Olympics.

Japanese domestic cruises are going on right now - but only for Japanese Residents.

With the exception of Olympic Athletes, no foreigners are allowed to visit Japan for any reason.

Japanese residents are allowed to go abroad, but must jump through many hoops to get back into Japan. 

The Japanese Government is subsidizing businesses that voluntarily reduce their hours. The economy is doing quite well and few people are losing their jobs. The Japanese public is quite happy with the current precautions, and there is no big push to open the country up any time soon.

Maybe next year..................

If you feed a 10,000 yen note into a vending machine anywhere in Japan, your change will be a combination of banknotes and coins - exactly like if you did it in a shop. For a 290 yen ticket, your change would be 1x5,000 yen note, 4x1,000 yen notes, 1x500 yen coin, 2x100 yen coins, 1x10 yen coin.

Most taxis in the major cities take credit cards. But they do not always accept Western Credit cards. In most cases the taxi will have a small sign on the side - or inside - listing credit cards accepted.

If you are not sure, just ask: "Kurejittokādo wa daijōbudesuka?" or show the driver the Japanese Translation: クレジットカードは大丈夫ですか?

Tipping  - even a very small tip - is a big no-no in Japan. Don't even try.

There are many very nice hotels close (walking distance) to Yokohama's Osanbashi Cruise Terminal.

Even though Yokohama is officially the largest city in Japan (spoiler alert - Tokyo is not officially a city, but an Administrative District), the downtown area is quite compact. There are many more very nice hotels that might require a short taxi ride (10 minutes or so) to the cruise terminal.

There is a Tokyo subway line - Toyoko Line - that starts in Tokyo's Shinjuku District, passes through Shibuya (where it changes names to Minato-Mirai Line), stops at Yokohama Station (downtown Yokohama) then continues to Nihon-Odori Station (located 2 blocks from the cruise terminal), and ends one stop later in Yokohama's Chinatown. This train is a great way to get around the area.

Do you mean to say March 2022 ??

It is a very reasonable walk from the Cruise Terminal to the Subway Station. The station was previously called Fune-no-Kogakukan, but was renamed when the new cruise terminal was built.

The Yurikamome line is a bit different from most other Tokyo Subway lines. The trains are elevated and driverless. All tickets / passes are interchangeable with the other lines.

Japanese subways and trains do not accept credit cards. Cash only.

The largest banknote in Japan is 10,000 Yen (Ichiman-en). All ticket vending machines in Japan accept a 10,000 yen note.

Currently they are not selling day passes at the International Cruise Terminal Subway Station - but that is probably due to the fact that no ships are calling there as yet. They will most likely sell them in future. Worst case; buy a local one-way ticket to Shimbashi, (290 yen) and buy a pass there.

We have Uber in Japan, but it is used mostly for delivering takeaway food (UberEats). Taking an Uber Taxi in Tokyo is actually more costly than a regular taxi before midnight, and slightly less costly than a regular taxi after midnight.

Not to worry, there are plenty taxis in central Tokyo. If you do not speak Japanese, it is helpful to have your destination printed in Japanese or English. The driver can read either one. Tokyo taxis are fantastic. The flag fall was recently reduced by 40%, making short trips very affordable.

Bangkok, Shanghai, and several other Asian ports are long distances from their respective cities, requiring long, uncomfortable, slow bus trips with 60 of your new best friends - BUT ONLY if you choose to to cruise on one of the big mass-market floating shopping malls.

If you are willing or able to spend a bit more money to cruise on a smaller, more elegant ship, that ship will take you right into many of the major cities that are inaccessible to the floating Walmarts.

Although Japan’s State of Emergency for COVID ends tomorrow (and things go back to more or less normal) the Japanese Government today confirmed that only foreign “athletes and performers” will be allowed to enter Japan for the Summer Olympics. These foreigners must have negative COVID tests to enter, go through 14 days quarantine, and have regular COVID tests during the Olympics. No foreign spectators or tourists will be allowed to enter Japan until further notice.

COVID vaccines will be administered to all Japanese citizens between mid-April and June.

The Olympics are scheduled for the final week of July and the first week of August.

It is looking more and more likely that no foreigners will be allowed on cruises in Japan  in 2021.

There are going to be some incredible Japan cruising bargains for those of us who live here.

20 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

I have no problem with having to show a proof of vaccination against Covid in order to be able to travel.  It is the same type of requirement that one must have for travel for countries that require it due to Yellow Fever.

 

I do have a problem if this "proof" must be digitally shown on a smart phone.  I don't have a smart phone.  I am not alone in this category.  I do have a flip type cell phone and I do not want to invest into what a smart phone and its service provider is going to cost.  

 

What's wrong with using the "old fashioned" Yellow Folder that many of us have tucked into where our Passports are?  Have the CDC card included with this; maybe have our physician verify it somewhere in the Yellow Folder.  

 

That Yellow Folder has worked well for decades.  It can continue to fulfill its purpose in the 21st Century,

I guess you will just have to skip Japan in future.

The Japanese Government announced today that they will shortly introduce a smart phone app / vaccine passport. Since virtually everyone in Japan has a smartphone, this should work great.

There are many ways to go from the Yokohama Cruise Terminal to Tokyo:

Cruise Line transfer - expensive

Taxi - very expensive

Shuttle bus - reasonable cost and slow

Train - very reasonable and ranging from slow to fast

Subway - very reasonable and ranging from slow to fast

Train: Best from Yokohama Station (after a short taxi ride from the cruise terminal). Most trains from Yokohama Station go through Shinagawa to Tokyo Station, or directly to Shinjuku Station.

Subway: Minato Mirai Line has a station (Nihon-Odori) about 2 blocks from the Yokohama Cruise Terminal. Express train will get you to Shibuya in Tokyo in 29 minutes for about 500 yen. If you remain on the train, it continues to Shinjuku.

Getting to the airports:

Just North of Shinagawa is the Terminus of the Tokyo Monorail, which takes you to Haneda Airport, quickly and reasonably priced.

Narita Airport Express train starts at Yokohama Station, passes through Shinjuku Station, then Tokyo Station, ending at Narita.

The odds for you cruising in Japan anytime in 2021 are not looking very good.

Japanese Government has confirmed that foreign spectators will not be allowed to visit Japan for the Summer Olympics. In all the polls, the Japanese public is supporting this decision very strongly.

Vaccines will not begin in Japan until April or May.

4 hours ago, Cruise Wonderland said:

Narita has more international flights, while Haneda is usually for domestic flights. But Haneda is nearer to Yokohama.

 

I just checked a Japan voyage on Celebrity Solstice in March 2022. Haneda transfer is $50.95 per person per way, and Narita transfer is $75.95 per person per way.

Narita still has more international flights, and Haneda WAS usually for domestic flights. But Haneda was renovated last year and an additional runway and a new international terminal were added. Now Haneda handles about 50% international and 50% domestic flights. Since the first of the year, the Tokyo Government has allowed flights to and from Haneda to fly directly over central Tokyo. 

As much as I like Narita, Haneda is now the more desirable airport. The Tokyo monorail makes it easy, fast, and inexpensive (450 yen / 20 minutes) to get to and from Tokyo - versus Narita Express train (3400 yen / 60 minutes). And the new restaurants at Haneda are generally better than Narita.

The new Tokyo International Cruise Terminal is located just South of Haneda, making it very convenient.

Harumi Terminal is very close to central Tokyo. 

A shuttle bus will take you to and from the Terminal to Ginza, Tokyo Station, and Otemachi in about 15 minutes. A taxi will do it in 10 minutes for just a few hundred yen.

There are many very nice hotels around Tokyo Station, which is located conveniently between Ginza and the Imperial Palace. From Tokyo Station, you have great access to many Subways and Trains that can get you to anyplace in Japan very easily.

If you use the search function at the top of this page, you will discover that these subjects have already been discussed in great detail on these pages. You will also discover that most of your answers are already answered.

But “What would a taxi cost to each airport?”, cannot be answered here because you have not told us there you plan to get into the taxi; a hotel?, Tokyo?, Yokohama?, another airport?, one of the three cruise terminals in the Tokyo area?, a Shinkansen station?

If you use an app like Rome2Rio, you can enter the starting and ending points of nearly any planned itinerary, nearly anywhere on Earth. The app will give you most or all alternatives, times, and costs.

The Japan Times confirmed today that the Tokyo Summer Olympics will go ahead as (re)planned, and without foreign spectators.

Yes. It remains to be seen what the IOC will decide.

As for no foreigners cruising in Japan this year, this is great news for those of us living in Japan. There are quite a few Japan cruises available right now, at great prices. And the ships are only half-full. 

11 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I think some might find this article interesting and somewhat depressing:

 

Japan planning to ban overseas Olympic spectators over COVID-19 fears: report (yahoo.com)  This will obviously put the IOC in a very tough position.  

 

Hank

 

 

Yesterday Japanese PM Suga announced that the existing COVID State of Emergency that was scheduled to expire on 07 March would be extended in the Tokyo area. He also announced that foreign Olympic athletes would be allowed into Japan - but not foreign spectators.

In all the polls, the majority of the Japanese public agrees with his decision.

Although Japan’s current COVID numbers are lower than most individual US States, that is still not good enough for Japanese sensibilities.

Overall this puts a huge delay on any chances of foreign cruise ships calling at Japanese ports. 

Japan Times today updated the status of the State of Emergency in Japan.

The SOE has now been called off in most areas. The remaining areas (larger cities) will be opened up on 08 March. Immediately after that, the Japanese Government will make it possible for Olympic athletes to begin coming to Japan to train for the Olympics.

With Immigration opening up for foreigners coming for the Olympics, other tourism visits cannot be far behind.   

On 2/23/2021 at 11:43 AM, philv said:

I hope the POA stays right where it is for the foreseeable future. It is such a unique itinerary, I'd hate to lose it, especially before my cruise in September. 😉

Norwegian Star had a very similar itinerary before Pride of America came along. But Norwegian Star was a better ship, with international crew giving far better service, offered Duty Free items and alcohol, had far better entertainment, with the added bonus of Fanning Island, and fares that were 40 percent lower than Pride of America. NCL or another line could easily offer that again. 

Japan's third COVID wave is receding very quickly now.

The number of new cases is dropping very quickly - even in Tokyo and Osaka.

The National State of Emergency has been called off in most areas of the country today.

The SOE restrictions will remain in place in Tokyo and a few other densely populated areas.

The SOE will expire on 07 March and is not expected to be extended.

It now appears that the Tokyo Olympics will happen, but perhaps with some restrictions.

Back to the subject of this thread, “Long-haul Travel”.

I flew Rome to Singapore last week on Qatar Air.

A-350 Business Class.

Plane was about 75% full.

Qatar Business Class is the best - and a fantastic price as well.(US$1650)

Very little drama or inconvenience at both ends of the flight.

Changed planes at Doha. All the Restaurants and Duty Free shops in the airport were open and busy.