Japan to Alaska (April) or Alaska to Japan (Sept)

[Mudhen]

Now for something besides the dread Coronavirus!

We're considering either one of these voyages for 2021. Can't really count on or nail down anything for this year ( although we've got one on the books for Nov.) so we're looking ahead

to 2021.

We like the itinerary of both of these, but don't know which one would be better, either weather wise or direction. Does anyone have any pros, cons, thoughts on either of these?

Thanks in advance.

[SusieQft]

Personally, I prefer sailing from East to West because my bio clock is a little over 24 hours, and short days are very difficult. 

[Stickman1990]

We’re on the September cruise - it will be our first Regent cruise and first time in Alaska - plus we love Japan so look forward to spending some time there in fall 

 

We went with this option mainly to fit with our other cruise plans plus we like East to West as it gives us better time adjustments As clocks get moved back

 

 

[Pcardad]

Isn't April waitlisted?

[DeepFreeze63]

We did Tokyo to Vancouver on the Mariner embarking Tokyo on 27 April 2019 and had the same itinerary as the April 2021 cruise on the Explorer - loved our itinerary. Japan (our first visit) was still in bloom and much more than just cherry blossoms. We luckily had magnificent weather in Alaska and were happily greeted by the locals as one of the first ships of the season.

My other thoughts:

The seas should be rough in the Bering Sea for either crossing. We were on the Explorer in January 2017 in the Pacific off Mexico and had very rough seas and the Explorer handled it well (I'm not a good sailor).
I also prefer sailing East to West. And, having a tour at the end of the cruise rather just after a long air flight (we did "Sunrise over Tokyo) from home is more comfortable.

We've done about six trips to Alaska and late September is normally TOO late for us. The Alaskan weather although unpredictable is more likely to be awful!

It's hard for DW and I to "forget" about the status virus. As over-80 travelers with heart & asthma conditions, we probably won't cruise again until there is a vaccine which might be Spring 2021 but....

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

3 minutes ago, DeepFreeze63 said:

It's hard for DW and I to "forget" about the status virus. As over-80 travelers with heart & asthma conditions, we probably won't cruise again until there is a vaccine which might be Spring 2021 but....

I can’t believe that this will ever be approved by Regent.
As many have said, a future vaccine may not work for them. 
sheila

[Mudhen]

3 hours ago, Pcardad said:

Isn't April waitlisted?

Yes, a lot of it is....however that never stopped us. The November cruise we're still on the books for, was REALLY waitlisted across the board, but we managed to get a great cabin. 

Looking like east to west might be winning, but only doing homework/research at the moment.

Thank you all, for your responses.

[Pcardad]

Get on the list if you want it - the April trip heading East has been waitlisted in all categories since last July. The line is moving but slowly and should speed up at time of final payment. A deposit will help you get higher up the list.

[Stickman1990]

4 hours ago, Pcardad said:

Isn't April waitlisted?

I suspect some people’s circumstances may have changed since they booked it

Things are pretty dynamic these days 

 Getting on the waitlist is the key 

[GOARMY]

We are on the April-May segment.  Signed up last Fall (Pre-Covid-19).  Popular segment.  Thus, waitlisted  for the Category we wanted.  At that time, long-waiting lines, according to our TA.  Post-Covid realization set-in, and the lines thinned out.  Result:  now in the Category we want; continue waiting for a specific Suite number.  Hopefully, not in vain.    

 

Previous Posters have hit on the reason(s) we picked East to West, and earlier in the Year.  Doing the 3-day Add-on at Tokyo.  Cherry blossoms, and all that.   Most-important:  terminus at Vancouver, B.C.  Short flight back to SEATAC, and nearby home. 

 

Considering the current uncertainty, perhaps next September has a greater possibility of actually-going.  

 

Recent history:  We were at San Diego on March 13th.  Getting ready to board "Splendor", upon which we hoped to celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary with dear friends and our TA while transiting the Canal en route to Miami.  That did not happen.  In retrospect, blessing in disguise.  It was only a 2+hour flight back to SEATAC the next day.   My brother and his wife experienced the HAL Zaandam mess.   Stuck in their Suite on lock-down for almost three weeks.  Now, they are safely back home--only four miles from us.  

 

A series of river cruise segments aboard Uniworld boats in France scheduled for this Summer was canceled two weeks ago.  Canceled by Uniworld, not us.   

 

Our next cruise was to be aboard  "Navigator" this October for a BtB, NYC-Montreal; return NYC.   Due to reason(s) and concerns not all-related to the Pandemic, we have to cancel.  Very-much doubt that cruise will happen, in any event.  

 

So--that leaves next April with "Explorer".  Still hoping.  BTW:  There is a Roll Call for this segment.  

 

Best to all.   Stay home; stay safe.   

 

GOARMY!

 

[SusieQft]

1 hour ago, GOARMY said:

Previous Posters have hit on the reason(s) we picked East to West

I hate to break it to you, but the last time I checked Japan was west of Alaska, and the April voyage is West to East.  You will have some 23 hour days instead of some 25 hour days.  Unless you go the long way, of course, avoiding the International Date Line.  But that would take a lot longer.

[GOARMY]

Gosh-darn, Susie, thanks so much for waking me up on this aspect.  Sorry for the transposition of East-West; West East. 

 

That said:  the gist of remainder of Remarks remain pertinent.  There is just so-much going on in our immediate family's situation.  Cruising is taking a way-back place.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

[ronrick1943]

8 hours ago, DeepFreeze63 said:

We did Tokyo to Vancouver on the Mariner embarking Tokyo on 27 April 2019 and had the same itinerary as the April 2021 cruise on the Explorer - loved our itinerary. Japan (our first visit) was still in bloom and much more than just cherry blossoms. We luckily had magnificent weather in Alaska and were happily greeted by the locals as one of the first ships of the season.

My other thoughts:

The seas should be rough in the Bering Sea for either crossing. We were on the Explorer in January 2017 in the Pacific off Mexico and had very rough seas and the Explorer handled it well (I'm not a good sailor).
I also prefer sailing East to West. And, having a tour at the end of the cruise rather just after a long air flight (we did "Sunrise over Tokyo) from home is more comfortable.

We've done about six trips to Alaska and late September is normally TOO late for us. The Alaskan weather although unpredictable is more likely to be awful!

It's hard for DW and I to "forget" about the status virus. As over-80 travelers with heart & asthma conditions, we probably won't cruise again until there is a vaccine which might be Spring 2021 but....

We also did this cruise on the Mariner.  One of the best cruises we've taken and wait until you see ho9w the Ports in Japan greet you and send you off (outstanding).

[GOARMY]

ronrick1943:

 

Could it be we were born in the same year?

 

Have visited various Japanese Ports twice-previously on Voyager, but none included Tokyo.  That is why we signed-up for this cruise. 

 

Recall an early-morning docking--think it was at Kobe.  A High School Band and Drill Team at dockside serenading us in with great American tunes.   Then, a poignant day-long excursion to Hiroshima.  

 

We can only hope for another chance at Japan while wife and I are "fit" for foreign travel. 

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

  

[ronrick1943]

12 hours ago, GOARMY said:

ronrick1943:

 

Could it be we were born in the same year?

 

Have visited various Japanese Ports twice-previously on Voyager, but none included Tokyo.  That is why we signed-up for this cruise. 

 

Recall an early-morning docking--think it was at Kobe.  A High School Band and Drill Team at dockside serenading us in with great American tunes.   Then, a poignant day-long excursion to Hiroshima.  

 

We can only hope for another chance at Japan while wife and I are "fit" for foreign travel. 

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

  

If your date is 1943-----------😃

[1982CruzStart]

On 4/10/2020 at 3:27 AM, Stickman1990 said:

We’re on the September cruise - it will be our first Regent cruise and first time in Alaska - plus we love Japan so look forward to spending some time there in fall 

 

We went with this option mainly to fit with our other cruise plans plus we like East to West as it gives us better time adjustments As clocks get moved back

 

 

We are also booked on this cruise in part because Vancouver is our home gateway and we will finally be able to drive to port to board a ship and and not have a long flight to start a cruise. Also in part because it included Alaska and we have been trying to take an Alaska cruise as my DH has not been on one yet.   For numerous reasons we have had to cancel every Alaska cruise we have booked.  

We are looking forward to spending time in Tokyo again.  The other ports in Japan are not ones we stopped at before so that is an added bonus. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I don't want to put a damper on anyone's renewed enthusiasm for cruising in the future, but here we are in the position of having booked the Mariner 2021 WC more than 18 months ago now, and being on the cusp of cancelling because we don't believe that  cruising in many parts of the world will be viable by the January-May 2021 timeframe.  For us, it may never be viable for us again (mid-70's and the usual collection of health problems), vaccine or not.

 

If it weren't for those doubts, the choice would be tough.  Cherry blossoms in the spring in Japan, wow!  That might trump everything else, despite the "wrong" direction.

[Travelcat2]

I was looking at it from the perspective of Alaska rather than Japan.  Alaska will be super icy in April - no bears - the ship will likely  be unable to get to Tracy Arm etc.  

 

Just checked the average weather for both months in Tokyo and Juneau:

 

April - Tokyo 66/50

April - Juneau 48/34

 

September - Tokyo 82/70

Juneau - April - 57/46

 

Not sure if the temperatures matter but it is something to consider.

[GOARMY]

Reference some earlier postings:

 

ronrick:  Yes, 1943 was my birth year.  

 

As to average temperature variations, Tokyo/Juneau:  Minor consideration in our decision-making process when selecting the Tokyo-Vancouver segment.  Four previous cruises to/from Alaska over the past 20 years.  And, in an earlier life in federal law enforcement, spent portions of five years--early to mid-1990s--at Anchorage, Seward, Juneau, and Fairbanks during various times of the year on a criminal investigation.  So, our plan (hopefully to come to fruition) is to remain on board during that phase thus precluding  necessity of donning a parka for an excursion.   

 

Its those cherry blossoms in Tokyo which is the major draw; plus ending at Vancouver puts us a short air hop back to Seattle-Redmond.    

 

Given the current situation, let us hope both segments remain a "go".  

 

GOARMY!

 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The April trip doesn't get to Alaska until the very end of April, so most of that part is in early May.  We found May in Alaska quite pleasant in May, and Vancouver can be quite lovely in May.

[Gcto]

We had booked the April cruise a while ago, but then changed to the Vancouver to Tokyo trip last September. We figured that it was easier to adjust to the time on the Vancouver to Tokyo trip and then arrive in Tokyo "rested" and without jet lag, thus being able to enjoy the additional days in Tokyo. Plus, based on research, weather should be better in September (don't quote me on it, though :-) ) and having a portside cabin a bit more sun. Ocean Temp should also be a little better, but I don;'t think it makes a big diff. 

Hope all will be working out...