monkey@cruise

Only go through customs, don't carry any food items off the ship !! By law you must carrying your passport while travelling on shore. All public transportation except taxi shut down at midnight, you know the Cinderella folklore 😜

If you stay at the InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 Hotel, you won't miss your cruise.😜

When I received my immigration ticket, I did asked Customer Relations who determined the priority, all they told everyone that it was Japan immigration's and they have no control, priority only given to shore excursions and confirmed private tours. Later my cruise friends who were in Suite told me the true story. Let's be open and honest, may be they were afraid of upsetting some passengers. I felt bad for those passengers who had to wait 3-4 hours for immigration.

I did ask Celebrity onboard Guest Relations regarding on immigration preference, they only admitted the shore excursion but not the status quo, they just BS was Japan immigration assigned the clearance timeslots.

Yes, preference given to Suite and Shore excursion passengers.

Space Beppu is a community space opened since April 2023, seems a new unique attraction, opening hours is 11am - 5pm.. For me, Beppu is known for onsen.😜

Sorry my mistake, the cruise terminal should be "Beppu International Tourism Port" , 600 feet north of Sun Flower Beppu Terminal. Access by train: 10 min walk to Beppudaigaku Station, train runs every 40 min, 4 min to Beppu staion and walk 12 min to Space Beppu

Muroran and Hakodate are one of the worst, Celebrity Millennium with 2200 passengers take 3-4 hours.

Yokohama Port authority web site showing Shinko is active for smaller cruise ships. HAL Westerdam docked at Shinko on 27th April. After Tokyo Olympics, Tokyo International is City of Tokyo primary cruise terminal. Oi is a container terminal with 6 berths used as secondary.

International and local cruise ships usually dock at Sun Flower Beppu Terminal, it's about 4km north of Space Beppu. A bus ride is 20 min.

Three cruise terminals in City of Yokohama: Osanbashi, Daikoku and Shinko. Three cruise terminals in City of Tokyo: Tokyo International, Harumi and Oi.

United is a member of the Star Alliance carrier. Star Alliance Asian Carriers: All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Eva Air, Air India, Air China, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways.

Celebrity had changed Kagoshima port time to 10am - 6/7pm lately. If the ship must clear immigration, do expect loosing > 2 hours port time except suite passengers. All the view buses stop operating after 4:30pm. Do you know no public bus access to Sengan-en except City View buses? Because the City View buses making loop trip, so is a 15 min ride from Sengan-en to Ferry Terminal, but 40 min vice versa. When we were in Kagoshima in March, our port time limited us for a single attraction, some went to Sakurajima, some visited Sengan-en, some rode the City View buses. Also these tourist buses are not HOHO, but a medium size public buses, limited seats and capacity, do expect remain standing while riding. Visit Sakurajima Island only: Ferry to Sakurajima costs 200 yen; 【One Day Bus Pass】500 Yen (Available for sales on the Sakurajima Island View Bus). The Sakurajima Island View bus makes a 60-minute loop trip around Sakurajima Total cost: 200 + 200 + 500 = 900 yen only. If you calculate that your travel costs will be lower if you buy individual tickets for each journey, then it's not worth buying a Pass.

Many Japan passes are moving to digital to reduce cost and manage. Osaka Amazing Pass and Kobe Loop-bus pass moved to digital version. Anyone who like to see Kagoshima city from a bus, just take the city view bus (not a HOHO), a 80 min circle run and cost 230 yen.

I was in Kagoshima in early March. Paper Cute (1,200 Yen) is only available at tourist information desks in city center. They have digital version Cute. Paper One-day pass (600 Yen) is available at city tourist center or from City View bus driver, is an unlimited riding on Kagoshima City View buses, streetcars and transit buses. The One-day pass is easier to purchase and moneywise especially a limited time in port after immigration clearance.

When I was on a Celebrity NE Asia cruise from Singapore to Japan. Three weeks before sailing, Celebrity emailed all passengers stating that anyone without Vietnam eVisa will deny boarding in Singapore, anyone who had eVisa but incorrect information, will stay onboard while in Vietnam. You mother requires a multiple entry Japan Visa, because South Korea visit.

Hong Kong is 13 hours ahead Central Time zone. Distance between IL and HK is 7800 miles, is more than 9 hours time zone. Because of jet stream, west bound flight time is longer than east bound. Before Russia/Ukraine conflict, flight path fly over North Pole for shorter distance.

Only Custom clearance when disembark in Yokohama. Will your cruise stop at Kochi before Busan? If so, Japan immigration exit in Kochi terminal, will get your new visitor sticker at Hakodate immigration. If flying out from Haneda airport, only 30 min by taxi or 60 min by taxi/airport bus.

Taxi - under 30 min without traffic, fare 11,000 yen.

Flyer Asian carriers, leg room is better. SEATGURU dot COM is a website that features aircraft seat maps, seat reviews, and a color-coded system to identify superior and substandard airline seats. The in thing on flight is seat assignment, some passengers are too cheap to pay advance seat selection or web check in to select seats, and expecting someone will move seats for them. Don't Budge !

Though airplane etiquette is only recline your seat when necessary. But during long haul flights, lots of passengers will recline the seat all the way back to rest, that will encroaching your personal space and your comfort on the tray.

I did travel on Business, Premium Economy and Economy on different carriers between Central Canada and Hong Kong. Mostly I used points for my flights, so I have exposed to different environment. There are small tips to survive long haul on Economy. - Avoid North American carriers, I met some Chicago cruisers in Singapore and Hong Kong, mostly they flew on JAL (Japan Air Lines) - Eva Air is one of the top notch on Business Class, their flights from North America to Asia are late night departure, Jason Wu design unisex pajamas amenity. - P/E seats are < 2 inches wider than Economy, if your adjacent economy seat is empty, raise the armrest to make your own P/E seat. - Wear loose clothing with layers. - Wear slip on shoe. - Wear compression socks. - Try to travel at night, also Weekday flights usually had lesser passenger load and fares are less. - Don't sit near the bathroom. - Aisle seat for easy stretching legs when needed. - black-out eye mask. - Airbus 350 or Boeing 787 are high tech aircrafts, better flight environment. The biggest challenge for you will be overcome the 13 hours time zone jetlag and climate. Singapore temperature is 35C or 95F with 95% humidity. Hong Kong temperature is also warm mid-twenties C or 77F, also high humidity in 80%.

Kyoto is an inland city. Most cruise ships dock at Tempozan Cruise Terminal in Osaka, 30 miles south of Kyoto.

If you calculate that your travel costs will be lower if you buy individual tickets for each journey, then it's not worth buying a Pass. The Kansai Pass does not cover trains that are operated by Japan Railways (JR).. In Kyoto station, most trains are JR lines. City metro and buses are not, bus fare is 230 yen, metro fare is by distance, as far I know, Nijō Castle, Nanzen-ji Temple and Imperial Palace located near a metro station.

From Yokohama Port Authority: Osanbashi Cruise Terminal in Yokohama.