BruceMuzz

Sally,

There are two main cruise line terminals in Hong Kong - and a few others that are occasionally used by cruise ships.

You first need to determine if your ship will be at Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui or at Kai Tak.

If you are at Ocean Terminal, there are many hotels nearby - one even in the terminal.

If you are at Kai Tak Terminal, there are no hotels in the immediate vicinity. You would need to taxi either to TST or the Island.

Japan has just passed the one year deadline before the 2020 Olympics. Already there are many new features open for foreign travelers. Many independent foreign exchange shops are now open in Tokyo.

When you stay in Japan, your hotel concierge can give you directions.

I have managed 28 different cruise ships for 14 different cruise lines over the past 37 years.

Every one of those ships had - and still has - visitors every week of the year.

Typically the visitors are arranged through head office, but sometimes they contact the ship directly.

Captain / Staff Captain typically must give final permission.

As mentioned above, details of the visitors (passport scan) must be submitted to cruise line security and port security a few days before the ship arrives.

In ports where we are more familiar with the port security people, last minute visitors can be arranged with little fuss.

As Hotel Manager, I often receive last minute visitor requests from former colleagues on other ships in port. I always manage to get them on for lunch and a tour.

As posted already, Japanese ATMs are the best places to get cash at the best rates.

If you really need foreign exchange, the post office is the best choice.

If you Google Yokohama Post Office, you will find that there are 7 different Japan Post Office locations within walking distance of Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama.

With Diamond Princess in Japan year-round, they must advertise locally - in Japanese - to keep the ship full. Diamond Princess often (not always) carries more Japanese and Chinese passengers than the other “foreign” cruise lines. The Diamond Princess product is also geared more to Asians - especially Japanese.

The other foreign mass market lines are only part-timers in Japan / Asia. Their products and services are generally considered sub-standard by the Japanese and also too expensive by many other Asians.

Japan has quite a few ferries that “cruise” around the Japanese Islands. These ferries are not elegant, but they compete successfully for the short-term Japanese cruiser. Non-Japanese speaking pax would have difficulties on these ferries. 

Although nearly all things Japanese are famous for their efficiency, it seems that Japanese Immigration never got the memo. 

After dealing with them for the past 30+ years, they just get worse every year.

Over the past several years, cruising in Japan has really started to increase. Japan Immigration was - and is - completely unprepared for the increasing number of ships visiting Japan.

Local news stories have highlighted the shortage of Immigration Officers available for ship inspections, and the complete lack of effort to improve the situation.

Generally speaking, all ships arriving in Japan from another country, and all ships departing for another country are required to have face to face inspections with all passengers - including Japanese passengers.

Some Immigration Offices in Japan also require ships on domestic legs (Japanese port to Japanese port) also have face to face inspections. Unfortunately it is completely unpredictable as to which ones will do it and when.

On smaller ships, the number of Immigration Officers (usually 4 or 5) is not bad. The face to face inspection takes about an hour.

On larger ships, the number of officers is often the same, causing long delays for pax to get ashore. Ship tours are adjusted accordingly. For private tours, you are on your own.

Good luck.

What is the best side of any ship to see Alaska?

The OUTside. 

The French supermarket near my house in Shanghai carries the full range of spirits you would find at a good bottle shop in California. Their prices are half those in California.

They also carry a vast selection of French and other European wines for about half of what I would have to pay in a California wine shop.

Whenever I check out a bottle shop in any country, I look at a few benchmark labels to give me a feel for local prices. One of those is Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne. It is available nearly everywhere in the world. 

I pay US$22 per bottle (and no tax) in Shanghai. That is lower than that the wholesale price in most US States.

You probably will not have any issues with small bottles.

You need to also realise that the Chinese do not have the religious and moral challenges with alcohol that you find in your home country. They also do not have the "sin taxes"that you pay on alcohol at home.

If you shop around a bit in China, you will find that most alcohol is far less costly here than at home.

Ships visiting San Juan typically call at the Old San Juan Piers.

Ships turning around at San Juan typically call at the PanAmerican Terminal.

Puerto Rican Immigration and Harbor Officials are notorious for changing the plan without notice.

The 2 locations are just across the harbor from each other. Wherever you dock, everyone can see where you are.

Both locations are close to town and taxis are inexpensive.

I agree with the other poster about the Russian Ports. Waste of time.

Azamara also does a far better job with the cultural side of Japan. Their lecturers and other cultural programs are far better than HAL’s.

You need to understand cruise line food cost to understand the answer.

You also need to understand cruise line labor cost.

A medium size cruise ship (2000-2500 pax) with reasonable quality food (this would not include any Carnival Corp ships) has a food cost of around US$40,000 per day. Using Sous-vide for protein items would effectively double that number.

The line cooks and butchers who produce the food that sous-vide would replace are paid just a few dollars per day.

$40,000 per day would pay for far more butchers and cooks any ship would ever need.

Those butchers and cooks would not be needed for the meals where sous-vide is used, but they are still needed for things like BBQ, breakfast, buffets.

As I stated earlier, it just doesn't make financial sense - unless you want to pay more for your cruise.

The US Public Health Service generally does not allow cruise ships to cook and serve fish caught while sport-fishing. There are a few exceptions made - but only after a great deal of paperwork is done on official forms, in triplicate, and maintained in a file for several months. The argument is that if the sport fish was somehow tainted, it could contaminate the other food being served to many passengers and result in a big public health crisis.

This is extremely unlikely in Alaska - but rules are rules.

I am spending the summer in Tokyo - arguably one of the most expensive cities in the world.

The Japanese have fresh Alaska Salmon flown in every day during the Salmon Season.

Fresh air-freighted Alaska Salmon in Tokyo costs far less than fresh Alaska Salmon in Juneau. Go figure.................

Grandma,

You really had me going on this one.

After living in Japan for the past 30 years, I was embarrassed to admit that I had never heard of Owodori Festival or hats.

Now I feel better. There is no such thing.

My Japanese friends were also confused - never having heard of such a thing.

You may actually be referring to Obon odori.

If so, yes they do sell the hats.

When you exit Customs at Narita, you will find yourself in a hall with bus / train / taxi transportation ticket desks, foreign exchange shops, and luggage forwarding companies. The most common name for the luggage forwarding services is Takyuubin.

These companies also store luggage.

You need only tell them how long to hold the bags, and where / when to deliver them.

Fill out the forms, pay the money, and you are done.

Sous Vide is very nice and convenient.

It is also more expensive than “regular” food preparation.

Unfortunately the higher cost would translate into higher fares.

Most of the people on this website (a good representation of mass market) are not too fond of higher fares.

After living in Tokyo for 30 years, and sailing into and out of Tokyo for even longer, I have never heard of a cruise ship calling at that cargo pier in Yokohama.

It is a bit remote, but there is a major highway running through the island.

You should be OK with a taxi to get to the mainland.

If you get to the Tsurimi District, just North of the Island, you can catch JR or subway into Tokyo without too much trouble.

I live in Tokyo, but will be visiting the USA next month. Should I take Japanese Yen for shopping  - or get US Dollars?

I fly Tokyo - USA or Tokyo - Europe nearly every month.

Only Business or First Class.

If only economy is available, I stay home. Life is too short.

I recommend the same to you.

A380s and 787s are the preferred planes.

Note: Do not ever, ever, fly a US Flag airline for an overseas trip.

I have lived in Japan for nearly 30 years.

Every year I fly out and in about a dozen times.

And every time I have carried some sort of prescription drugs out of and into Japan.

Not once has anyone mentioned anything about it to me.

Not in Japanese; not in English.

It just is not an issue.

Currently the Japanese Government is very worried about people smuggling gold into Japan.

Leave your gold bars at home, and you won't have any problems.

Osanbashi Terminal is closest to Nihon-Odori station on the Minato-Mirai Line.

Yamashita Pier is closest to the next and final stop on the same line; Motomachi-Chukagai.

This is also the stop for Yokohama's Chinatown.

Motomachi-Chukagai station to the Yamashita Pier is just a bit further than walking from Nihon-Odori Station to Osanbashi Terminal.

There are always taxis available.

Yamashita Pier in Yokohama is more touristic than industrial.

Hundreds of people are walking on it every day.

You will not have any problems.

10 hours ago, ridethetide said:

If the ship is not sailing to or from an American port (including Puerto Rico), why would the USPH regulations apply? It doesn't make sense that they would cancel the deck BBQ for other itineraries, such as the Mediterranean.

The USPH Service claims jurisdiction over any cruise ship that:

1. Calls at a US port - ever.

2. Has any sister ships that call at a US port - ever.

3. Carries American passengers anywhere in the world.

4. Sells cruises in the USA.

You are correct. It doesn't make any sense. But that is the way they operate.

USPH Inspectors only visit and inspect ships in US Waters - and in shipyards and dry docks in Europe and Asia where the ships are being built or renovated.

The USPH goal is cleanliness, and good health of all passengers onboard cruise ships. That is a very honorable goal. But the methods they use to enforce their sometimes over-the-top regulations are a bit draconian.

If you need more information, you can Google USPH VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) Manual 2018

Indonesia is a Muslim country that is not entirely excited about alcohol consumption.

Even though Bali is primarily Hindu, they are still part of a Muslim country.

Federal regulations in Indonesia require duty and taxes on alcohol that total somewhere between 100% and 200% - depending on the type and the origin.

On ‎3‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 1:12 AM, robcruz said:

We are on the Westerdam arriving in Yokohama on Mar. 31. Holland America changed the arrival pier from Dusanbashi pier to Yamashita pier. We have a pre-arranged taxi to take me to Tokyo. My problem is whether the taxi should wait at the Yamashita pier which doesn't seem to have immigration facilities or at the regular cruise terminal at Dusanbashi pier. HA was pretty clueless.

 

Does anyone know if Yamashita pier have any immigration facilities for cruise passengers?

 

Thank you for your help.

You should be aware that Japan Immigration Officials typically hold face to face immigration procedures for disembarking passengers onboard the ship. It doesn't matter where the ship docks. You will be going through immigration in the show lounge.