Travel to Japan?

[pke-atlanta]

I just read today that the nuclear facility in Japan will take at least 9 more months to secure. I know last month several lines cancelled or re-routed ships to skip the Japan ports. I have the Silversea trip from Hong Kong to Tokyo booked for October 2011 and am particularly interested in the Japan ports. Although Silversea doesn't tell me anything has changed for their Fall cruises to the area, I'm a little anxious.

 

Has anyone else heard any rumors about the Fall season in Japan and whether the country will be skipped?

[CtheW0rld]

i don't think anyone 'knows' at this point. this is such an unpreceedented situation. the experts have said they have disaster models and planning for one reactor, but never expected to have to deal with 6 at one time.

 

i would consider any plans for travel to japan as 'soft'.

[Keith1010]

I am sure that the cruise lines who have scheduled stop in Japan are reviewing the situation and deciding what to do.

 

Keith

[Philip217]

It has now been 25 years since the Chernobyl accident, that released thousands of times more radiation than Fukushima, over large areas of Eastern Europe.

The radiation around Chernobyl today is still much greater than the radiation today at Fukushima.

 

Tokyo is nearly the same distance from Fukushima as Vienna is from Chernobyl.

Osaka is nearly the same distance from Fukushima as Budapest is from Chernobyl.

 

Over the past 25 years have you heard anyone cancelling their visit to Vienna or Budapest, or cancelling their Danube River cruise because these places are too close to Chernobyl?

 

I haven't.

[pke-atlanta]

Well, I have my answer. Silversea contacted me that my itinerary for Oct 5-17, 2011, has completely changed to eliminate all Japan stops. In fact, it has so completely changed that the only original port on the schedule that is still on the revised itinerary is Hong Kong. Now sailing Hong Kong to Singapore with stops in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. :-(

[Keith1010]

Sorry to hear that the itinerary changed.

 

Keith

[CtheW0rld]

Well, I have my answer. Silversea contacted me that my itinerary for Oct 5-17, 2011, has completely changed to eliminate all Japan stops. In fact, it has so completely changed that the only original port on the schedule that is still on the revised itinerary is Hong Kong. Now sailing Hong Kong to Singapore with stops in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. :-(

 

sorry to hear it has changed. it still sounds like an interesting itinerary. i loved vietnam, i hope you do also.

[NC Garden Traveler]

FYI. Oceania has changed the itinerary for its Spring 2012 cruises to avoid Japan. I think it is very unfortuante, but my guess is that the cruise lines are responding to several pressures:

1. Slow bookings due to passenger anxiety.

2. The financial risks and loss of customer goodwill if they had to make itinerary changes 3-9 months from now versus making a decision to "cut and run" now (the change disappoints me now, but I have time to make other travel plans if I don't like the changes, whereas I'd be very pissed if they delayed making the change until 2-3 months prior to the scheduled departure date).

3. Their belief that most passengers want a cruise that is "safe" and that the final passenger count will be higher if the avoid Japan.

 

My hope is that the anxiety about traveling to Japan will subside quickly and cruise lines will issue itineraries in the next 12 months that include Japan. It will be interesting to see how the cruise lines respond to cancellations by folks like me who booked a cruise because of the desire to visit Japan.

[Keith1010]

We are on the Crystal Serenity and next Spring they modified their stops in Japan and we will have stops in a couple of ports in Japan including two overnights in one of the ports so we were very pleased to still be stopping at a couple of the ports.

 

Keith