Review of Sun Princess Cruise - Japan and South Korea with post Hong Kong stop

[jstducky]

Hong Kong: If you are arriving by air, as soon as you pass through the immigration doors, there will be a bank of ATMs on the side, restrooms are nearby too. I can't recall, but most likely HSBC machines. ATMs are plentiful on the street.

 

Thanks so much!

[alwayslost]

MustGo: I think I know where you are -- by the mid-level escalators. That's a fun area. Just note, we were out very late one day and all the escalators pretty much were powered down. We had to climb all the way to the top on our own volition. Doable, but glad we were all wearing comfortable shoes.

 

jstducky:

If you are going to the flea market, I don't think I saw people taking credit cards. So street vendors and flea market, definitely bring cash. I always travel with local currency already available (since just had bad experience in 1 or 2 countries using ATMs, meaning I eventually got money but not till the 3rd or 4th ATM). Banks are a plenty and had no problem withdrawing money. There's even Citibank in HK. I don't remember the cab having the option with credit card, but I wasn't really looking since had money available. Note, Octopus not available in all stores, but some groceries. I don't think cabs take it though. So carry cash since there's a lot of small vendors, which I doubt will take credit cards in stores in the mall. Note, had no problem charging using my US based credit cards. (Without stating the obvious, I assume you have already alerted your banks that you will be going out of the country right - so you'll have no problem charging to your credit card).

 

BTW: I alerted my bank about our going to So. Korea - I was warned that So Korea is a high risk area, which I assume meant likely there's a lot of fraud. So I avoided using my credit card in So. Korea. HK and Japan -- not an issue.

 

By the way, if you're in Causeway Bay - there is a side where cabs only go to the Kowloon side and the other side I think is for the non-Kowloon side. So make sure you are waiting on the right line. Don't want to be waiting on the wrong taxi line. One trick one local suggested is just hail a cab in the middle of the street, that way they are not so picky.

 

Golf2005 - Cruise Line Board - is that part of cruise critic?

Edited July 10, 2013 by alwayslost

[alwayslost]

jstducky - meant no problem using credit cards in stores in the malls or even in "bigger" restaurants

 

By the way water: I drank water offered in restaurants in Japan with no problem (read water was clean).

 

In HK, only drank water in high-end restaurants, but for small restaurants or those "alley" places bought bottled water. Had conflicting info - place where we rented our apartment said make sure water is boiled, local friend (from the US) said never had a problem. So we compromised.

 

So Korea -- only drank bottled water - read somewhere water was not so clean. With this approach, we didn't have any problem.

[golf2005]

Yes. The Cruise Line Board is above the Ports Of Call.

[Philob]

@alwayslost: Water in HK is supposed to meet minimum "UN" standards which may be a notch or two lower than "US" (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) and for some people the difference may be MarcoGotaGo ;)

 

We do what you did, drink bottled water except when served at high-end restaurants.

[jstducky]

jstducky - meant no problem using credit cards in stores in the malls or even in "bigger" restaurants

 

By the way water: I drank water offered in restaurants in Japan with no problem (read water was clean).

 

In HK, only drank water in high-end restaurants, but for small restaurants or those "alley" places bought bottled water. Had conflicting info - place where we rented our apartment said make sure water is boiled, local friend (from the US) said never had a problem. So we compromised.

 

So Korea -- only drank bottled water - read somewhere water was not so clean. With this approach, we didn't have any problem.

 

Thanks for that tip! I'll keep that in mind. This is pretty much my policy when I go to places like Bangkok, and I'm picky about water anyway. So, I'll make sure to be careful about water in HK. And not just water - ice too since they use the same water to make the ice cubes.

 

Thanks for the info about cash vs. credit cards. Much appreciated.

[kathy9]

Great information.....thanks for posting.

We are doing many of these ports on the Azamara Journey March 2014.

I did read about the volunteer guides and I am glad to hear it worked out for you.

Regards, Kathy

[Aussie Gal]

Thanks so much for posting. We have just booked a cruise on the Diamond Princess for October, 2014 and we will be commencing and finishing in Tokyo. We are also visiting a couple of the ports that you visited including Nagasaki and Jeju in South Korea so your post was great regarding what we can see and do in those ports.

 

Jennie

[Balcony beauty]

Thank you for this wonderful information!!! Is there anything to do just around the cruise ship terminal in JeJu? Are there taxis that you can get that day? Thanks!!!

[amri638]

Thanks Alwayslost,

We are going to Transpacific on Celebrity and thanks for your detail description of the many ports .

[Duck Duck Cruise]

In Kagoshima do you recall where the Princess bus drops you off?

 

Thanks for the great info in your posts. We are on the Diamond on April 15th and will be stopping in Kagoshima.