We have just returned from a Diamond Princess cruise around Japan this month - it was a 10/10 experience. The cruise had a broad mixture of cultures from around the world including people from Japan and other Asian countries, with no one dominate group. There was not a lot of Japanese food offered but you could find some in the buffet including a 'make your own sushi' station.
The shows and announcements on the ship were in English with some Japanese translation. The entertainers VOP and Monique were great and I could listen to them every night.
Ship excursions are very expensive (more so for the English speaking ones). We found it was more economical to spend a week before the cruise to visit Hiroshima, Kyoto, Hakone and Tokyo by ourselves using their excellent train service - we didn't buy a rail pass as it worked out cheaper to buy our tickets. The Japanese people are incredibly helpful but you do have to do your homework to get the best out of the experience. Many cities in Japan offer free volunteer guides to take you around for the day - we had one in Kyoto when we first arrived and he was a great help.
The ship offers shuttle buses for US$10- return when the port is not close to transport BUT don't buy your ticket until the day as many ports offer free shuttles - like in Busan. Busan also has an excellent Hop On Hop Off Bus for AU$15 (show them your cruise card for a discount). So for just AU$15- we had a 2 hour panoramic tour of the city and then got off to explore the fish market/tourist area for several hours. The ship tours cost many 100's for a couple and you only get to visit 2-3 places whereas we saw so much - fortunately we were in port for about 12 hrs. Busan is a great city and I would like to go back and see some more.
Diamond Princess Japan? My questions
in Princess Cruises
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We have just returned from a Diamond Princess cruise around Japan this month - it was a 10/10 experience. The cruise had a broad mixture of cultures from around the world including people from Japan and other Asian countries, with no one dominate group. There was not a lot of Japanese food offered but you could find some in the buffet including a 'make your own sushi' station.
The shows and announcements on the ship were in English with some Japanese translation. The entertainers VOP and Monique were great and I could listen to them every night.
Ship excursions are very expensive (more so for the English speaking ones). We found it was more economical to spend a week before the cruise to visit Hiroshima, Kyoto, Hakone and Tokyo by ourselves using their excellent train service - we didn't buy a rail pass as it worked out cheaper to buy our tickets. The Japanese people are incredibly helpful but you do have to do your homework to get the best out of the experience. Many cities in Japan offer free volunteer guides to take you around for the day - we had one in Kyoto when we first arrived and he was a great help.
The ship offers shuttle buses for US$10- return when the port is not close to transport BUT don't buy your ticket until the day as many ports offer free shuttles - like in Busan. Busan also has an excellent Hop On Hop Off Bus for AU$15 (show them your cruise card for a discount). So for just AU$15- we had a 2 hour panoramic tour of the city and then got off to explore the fish market/tourist area for several hours. The ship tours cost many 100's for a couple and you only get to visit 2-3 places whereas we saw so much - fortunately we were in port for about 12 hrs. Busan is a great city and I would like to go back and see some more.