pacrimheather

I was just in Shimizu last month, and I am also a Odawara Hakone Goodwill Guide that covers Mt. Fuji - Lake Ashi - Hakone area. You will spend a lot of transit time if you go all the way to Lake Ashi/Hakone area, and it really is a roll of the dice as to if/when you can see Mt. Fuji. I think if it were me, I would do the "Best of Shimizu". You'll be able to see Mt. Fuji from there too and spend more time seeing things and less time riding on a bus.

I think it depends on what ship you are on. We were on Voyager of the seas a few years ago and docked reasonably close to town. Last year on Ovation of the seas we got a free shuttle into town.

 

 

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Naha opened their new cruise terminal in the Tomari area in the spring of 2014. Here is a link to some more info. (Scroll through the first pages to get to the cruise section.) http://www.nahaport.jp/image/pdf/portsales(e)09.pdf

Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. The people are very welcoming and do their best to help you if you get lost--often personally guiding you to your intended destination. Most signs are bilingual these days. Taxi drivers are reliable and honest. You never have to worry about someone accosting you to buy something or ripping you off. I find it the least stressful place to travel in Asia for these reasons. Relax and enjoy!

hello

Can anyone tell me what port we will dock in at Okinawa. My husband wants to visit the aquarium but does not want to go on excusion for a day just to see the fish etc, so could someone tell us how far from port, do we need to get a taxi bus or can you walk ?

Thank you.

The "Okinawa" cruise port is actually Naha. The aquarium is located towards the opposite end of the island in Motobu. Unlike other parts of Japan, Okinawa doesn't have JR trains. There is the monorail that runs from the airport to Shuri Castle. Beyond that you are looking at either a taxi or rental car. So, I wouldn't recommend it. It just takes too much time/money, and you risk not making it back to the ship in time if you get stuck in traffic.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Okinawa+Churaumi+Aquarium,+Kunigami+District,+Okinawa+Prefecture,+Japan/2-1+Tond%C5%8Dch%C5%8D,+Naha-shi,+Okinawa-ken+900-0035,+Japan/@26.4447905,127.5465784,10z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x34e4fa3152619e3d:0xea08a6700fdd9ffe!2m2!1d127.877932!2d26.694158!1m5!1m1!1s0x34e56997fc2326d1:0x6e3daeaeb74c6eb9!2m2!1d127.6702409!2d26.2107346

Is there an onsen (hot springs bathing house) in Tokyo that anyone would recommend?

The post popular onsen destination from Tokyo is Hakone. I recommend you check out the Odawara Hakone Goodwill Guides (volunteer). You can apply for someone to take you around for the day and explain the etiquette, culture, history, etc.

Hi Heather,

Does #2 apply to RCL Ovation of the Seas?

On April 14 2017 it leaves Singapore (not China).

Will it stop in South Korea?

Some? refer to Ovation of the Seas as "China-Based"

I'm confused after reading may news reports and ANY confirmed info would help.:)

THANKS!!

Funny you should ask. One of the panelists was a senior international VP with Royal Caribbean. When clarifying this issue, he specifically cited Ovation of the Seas as an example of a ship that would NOT be redeployed. So, I feel pretty confident that this information is correct as of yesterday. The rule was effective March 15. It's possible the cruise line may run into issues regarding how the "rule" is interpreted, but I haven't heard of this being an issue for any ship--so far. Therefore, barring any unforeseen development, I think you can count on enjoying you cruise itinerary as planned--unless you are a Chinese citizen. Those individuals will need to stay on the ship when docked in Korean ports, because China will not reauthorize reentry if their passport says they went shore in S. Korea.

RE: Potential Korea Port Changes

Cruise Port Navigation is participating in the annual cruise industry conference this week including various sessions where the topic of China’s new rule regarding Korean ports was addressed by top executives of various cruise lines and Korean ports.

Here is what we were able to confirm.

1) There is NO kind of "political unrest" or demonstrations in Seoul that would cause a call on Incheon to be canceled. On the contrary, there is general relief that the impeachment process has concluded. [However, we can tell you from previous experience in general that since docking in Incheon requires passing through locks, weather conditions such as strong winds or compromised visibility can cause a ship to have to abort its planned call. This has happened more than once to us when I was onboard a cruise ship scheduled to call on Incheon.]

2) The new "rule" only applies to China BASED ships from March 15. So, if you are on a ship like the Volendam or Diamond Princess that is cruising the region but does not have a predominantly Chinese passenger base, your ship will NOT be redeployed to another port. It will call on Korean ports as planned. If there happens to be a few Chinese passengers onboard, it will be up to them to decided how they want to handle going ashore (or not) when calling on Korea.

3) This situation is not going to change soon. At the very least, nothing can be negotiated until after a new South Korean president is elected in May. However if previous spats between China and its neighbors is any indication, it may take a couple of years before the situation returns to normal.

We hope this helps everyone who may have made independent arrangements shore, etc., in knowing how best to plan.

My sense is that this is a political issue between China and S. Korea. That's why RCI and Princess changed the ports for their CHINA-based ships from Korean to Japanese ports. I haven't read anything about ships who passengers demographics are not Chinese changing at all.