Pushka

Thank goodness we use chopsticks frequently at home. I'd planned to buy some good quality ones in Japan. I think the Japanese use a slightly finer chopstick than the usual thicker point ones in all Chinese restaurants. We practised at the beginning by picking up peanuts. They are slippery little suckers, to quote a famous line. Rice isn't too bad as it clings and clumps together. Thankyou for all the Citadines/Yokohama tips. I'm taking careful notes.

Sadly no. We have to wait until April.

Yeah. Going on another virtual cruise on the Millie in Japan. Made my Sunday morning. 😁. We have a similar pattern to yours on booking business flights with points with weird routings, coming from Australia. We use Denpasar in Bali as a pivot point. Cheapie flight to Bali then Busimess to Europe/LHR and transit stop in the middle. But for flights of over 25 hours to get to Europe and UK etc (our son and DIL live in Tunbridge Wells, UK) then lie flat is a must at our age. Japan was a breeze and we snared two business class seats on JAL direct to Haneda from Sydney the minute they opened up. Day time flight Then did the same on return date. Night time flight. We are off in April. We are staying at Citadines also and booked the room with a washing machine and dryer as we are touring Tokyo and Kyoto for 10 days prior to the cruise. So any tips on that will be great, we are spending three nights there. Many flights from Australia were cancelled for the Typhoon with many worried they may miss the cruise. I have poured over @Miaminice @DaKahuna @Lunastella reports, the information provided by @monkey@cruise and agree these reports have been fabulous so a big thankyou to everyone. (I don't like major surprises and love over planning trips)

Thats quite reasonable then as I'm sure many would order so many and others miss out for their first. I don't like lobster anyway so I've never eaten it on the ship but I do have a laugh at the queues in the buffet sometimes. Now. If that was chocolate I'd be queuing too.

I’ve always looked at CC but decide the benefits just aren’t there for us. Usually Aqua class is as we love eating breakfast and dinner in Blu. And we really like the buffet on embarkation day and take food and drink into the sunset bar.

Goodness I see the issue with High Tides! 😳

How interesting about Busan. I wasn't really excitied about it, but now I am. We have a celebrity tour booked but maybe I am rethinking that. We like the HoHo buses as well. Was telling my husband we were going to Busan in South Korea. (I do all the planning😂). He was in South Korea for the 1988 Olympic Games and Busan (known as Pusan) was where they held Yachting events. For the kids he bought back the most amazing toys. Shopping is good there.

We are on the same cruise. 😁

Roll call is starting to pick up at last.

The roll call is a little, um quiet so here is good.

25 April. Arrive at 9am and depart at 6pm. I think high tide in the morning. And you are a legend. 🏆

I can do this now! Thankyou for all the pictures which work for me. Now, a full day in Hiroshima and want to do both Miyajama and Peace Park. 😁

A shame we aren't on the same cruise as we share many common plans.

It was excellent. The chefs are clearly Indian ethnicity. And it was nice and spicy which we love. And we have excellent Indian and also Thai restaurants here in Adelaide STH Australia due to large Indian and Thai community here and also throughout Australia. Just so nice to get all the different tastes. My go to in the Celebrity Buffet is the daily Indian meal while husband has the sushi, which sadly, has gone to its own restaurant.

We enjoy Indian food and that doesn't usually appear on the menu. We asked the attendants if there was ever Indian food available in Blu, and they said no. Then the head waiter asked us were we going to be back again next evening, which we were. That night we were treated to a fabulous Indian buffet just for our table with multiple different dishes. Really was a case of the other tables saying 'I'll have what they are having' 😂 We certainly did not expect this, and nor did we ask for it. But we were very appreciative of their kindness.

April 20. We arrive into Kobe at around 12 noon from memory so we will be quickly off the ship and onto the Monorail. Sounds like that evening is the night the drummers are onboard so likely we will try get back around 6.30pm. The Celebrity tours for Kobe (and also therefore Kyoto and Osaka) - there are only three offered for both days. So pretty much everyone will be DIY I also think people will overnight offshore in Osaka/Kyoto as it's the only chance they will get. Thankyou for asking exactly what the Port Liner is, otherwise I would have assumed it was the cruise shuttle. And thanks to @Lunastella for posting this in the first place. It will help us get ahead of the crowd by not using the free shuttle.

I was just researching the same plan and also Himeji castle last night using ChatGPT and they referenced the Port Liner. Then had to ask it what the Port Liner was. The Monorail. We will be doing this in Kobe to get to Himeji Castle. We have a half, overnight then full day in Kobe but we don't go to Osaka port at all so we are doing a land trip and staying in Kyoto.

That's interesting about Carp in Japan. In Australia they are regarded as a total pest as they grow to huge proportions and are swamping our rivers and destroying the habitat for our native fish. Carp were introduced into Australia since European settlement. We never eat them as they are horrible to eat. Extremely bony. If we catch one we cannot by law throw it back into the water but have to leave it on the bank. Government is also investigating how we can remove them entirely from our fresh water streams.

The ship excursion - celebrity - just doesn't sound like it gives enough time to Hiroshima as it combines it with lunch which we do not want. There is a combined Miyajama - Peace Park excursion but again it is only 5 hours so clearly they rush both sites.

The cruise port authorities don't worry about visas as you are already in India. If there was disorganisation it was at the cruise line terminal which is in a building so I don't understand why people were in the sun. We were onboard within a few minutes of arrival to port.

Depends on whether the deposit was put onto a specific cruise in Australia. Which was then cancelled. If that's the case then I'd be contacting the credit card company for refund. If it's an open deposit, which it seems it was, then you can still use it which is what the cruise would argue. And really, that's true. It's your preference not to use it. I understand why you don't want to use it but that doesn't help with consumer rights.

Not with Celebity but with Viking last May. There is a gate where the taxis drop you off, it's well known and obvious, and at the gate there is security as it's an industrial port. Have your cruise paperwork ready as it will be checked, along with passport. Then they take you to the cruise terminal area, with luggage which you then drop off at the terminal where further checks are done by the cruise line eg visas. It works quite well if you have the paperwork handy.

You are a gym junkie like my husband. He is a much better person if he goes regularly. And the gym at sea is his favourite place on the ship. 😂 So gym question. Do they supply the hand towels still? Or do we need to bring one. He works out Hard!

The air changes are inconvenient and I'd contact Viking about that, but the tour changes are excellent. A much better experience for you.

If there are two of you then you will both need it. It seems to work flawlessly even if your battery is low. Just tap the phone at the gates and go.