What do you think of this Japan itinerary?

[stickey_mouse]

Hello, fellow cruisers!

 

I am considering my (and my group's) first ever trip to Japan in Fall 2022. I know it's not cherry blossom season, but the timing just works best for us, at least for the time being. I'm wondering A) if October-November is a good time to visit, and B) how you would rate the following itinerary. I'm worried that it goes too far south (taking a day to sail there/back) and thus misses some of the "mainland" highlights. Are the southern stops of Ishigaki and Okinawa worthwhile? Of course, we would couple this cruise with several days on land before or after the sailing. Anyway, any opinions of this itinerary are welcome. Thanks in advance!

 

Date	Port	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Nov 7, 2022	Yokohama, Japan	--	7:00 PM
Nov 8, 2022	Shimizu, Japan	7:00 AM	3:00 PM
Nov 9, 2022	Osaka (Kyoto and Nara), Japan	12:00 PM	--
Nov 10, 2022	Osaka (Kyoto and Nara), Japan	--	6:00 PM
Nov 11, 2022	Kochi, Japan	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
Nov 12, 2022	Cruising	--	--
Nov 13, 2022	Ishigaki, Ryukyu Island	8:30 AM	5:30 PM
Nov 14, 2022	Okinawa (Naha), Japan	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Nov 15, 2022	Cruising	--	--
Nov 16, 2022	Jeju Island South Korea	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Nov 17, 2022	Nagasaki, Japan	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Nov 18, 2022	Cruising	--	--
Nov 19, 2022	Yokohama, Japan	6:30 AM	--

[BruceMuzz]

October-November is generally a great time to visit Japan. Not too hot and not too cold.

Ishigaki and Okinawa are Japan’s version of Hawaii.

Jeju Island is a legally required stop, and interesting.

If you plan to spend a few days in Japan before or after the cruise, think about staying in Tokyo.

If you purchase JR passes before arrival (very reasonable), you will be able to board a bullet train every morning at Tokyo Station, have breakfast on the train, arrive just about anywhere interesting in Japan by noon, have lunch locally, do some sight-seeing and shopping, back on the train in the afternoon, and arriving back in Tokyo for dinner. Almost like a cruise. No packing and unpacking. No luggage to carry. There are some very nice hotels near Tokyo Station that are not very pricey, making it very easy to walk back and forth to the station.

[stickey_mouse]

Would this itinerary be markedly better (other than 2 extra days, which is always a plus)?:
 

Date	Port	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Mar 14, 2022	Yokohama, Japan	--	7:00 pm
Mar 15, 2022	Shimizu, Japan	10:00 am	6:00 pm
Mar 16, 2022	Cruising	--	--
Mar 17, 2022	Takamatsu, Japan	8:00 am	5:00 pm
Mar 18, 2022	Kobe, Japan	8:00 am	--
Mar 19, 2022	Kobe, Japan	--	6:00 pm
Mar 20, 2022	Kochi, Japan	8:00 am	4:00 pm
Mar 21, 2022	Cruising	--	--
Mar 22, 2022	Cruising	8:00 am	5:00 pm
Mar 23, 2022	Sakaiminato, Japan	8:00 am	5:00 pm
Mar 24, 2022	Busan (Kyongju), South Korea	8:00 am	5:00 pm
Mar 25, 2022	Jeju Island South Korea	7:00 am	4:00 pm
Mar 26, 2022	Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan	10:00 am	5:00 pm
Mar 27, 2022	Cruising	--	--
Mar 28, 2022	Yokohama, Japan	6:30 am	--

[broberts]

The first itinerary should offer glorious fall foliage. 

[stickey_mouse]

18 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

October-November is generally a great time to visit Japan.

31 minutes ago, broberts said:

The first itinerary should offer glorious fall foliage. 

 

 

Thanks to you both! 

[Miaminice]

Another vote for the first one... a diverse and well balanced look at Japan. Although November is quite late already.

 

Nicer ports also... Kagoshima is not really a highlight and one day of South Korea (as the mandatory non Japanese port) would be enough for me.

 

I’d go with #1. Which cruise line?

Edited February 14, 2021 by Miaminice

[stickey_mouse]

1 hour ago, Miaminice said:

Another vote for the first one... a diverse and well balanced look at Japan. Although November is quite late already.

 

Nicer ports also... Kagoshima is not really a highlight and one day of South Korea (as the mandatory non Japanese port) would be enough for me.

 

I’d go with #1. Which cruise line?

#1 is Celebrity, #2 is Holland

[Miaminice]

@stickey_mouse
 

We did Japan on both 👍

Japan on Millennium 

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/Celebrity-Millennium-Japan/celebrity-millennium-japan.html

 

Japan on Westerdam 

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/HAL-Westerdam-Japan-01/hal-westerdam-japan-01.html
 

#1 being on Celebrity would be another plus for me... but that’s subjective.

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Miaminice

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have cruised to Japan twice, first time early October in 2017, second time was early September 2019. September was definitely warmer but not the hot humid weather that can occur in summer months in Japan. The warning I give is that fall can be rainy with typhoons. Our last cruise a typhoon hit Yokohama/Toyko the night before our cruise. Thankfully we were staying in Shinjuku through Princess Cruises and had transfers with them. Trains and most all transportation shut down that day. Many could not get to the ship. This was a time I was very glad that we spent the extra $$ to the cruise line because they got us to the ship. Our first cruise in 2017 was between two typhoons and we skirted around one as well. 

Regarding itineraries there are a few things to consider. First do you plan to do any pre or post cruise stay and see a bit more of Japan?  That March cruise you showed is the HAL Westerdam which I looked at but many were ports I have been to before and it does have an over night in Kobe to go see Osaka or Kyoto which is good. With being 14 days long you see a lot of ports but then it may not leave you much time for pre and post cruise stay. The good thing about that cruise is that it will be during Cherry Blossom time or Hanami of the Sakura trees. That will make it special but if you want to stay, hotels will be much higher priced and be a lot more crowded than if you stay in late fall.

I actually considered that March 2023 cruise but I want time for pre and post cruise travel. So going with a 9 day with some new ports for us on the Diamond. 

  

VOYAGE SUMMARY	PREVIOUSNEXT
Itinerary Date Day Duration Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan 10SEP22 SAT DEPART 5:00PM CHECK IN STARTS AT 1200P At Sea 11SEP22 SUN   Kagoshima, Japan 12SEP22 MON ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 4:00PM Jeju, South Korea 13SEP22 TUE ARRIVE 11:00AM DEPART 7:00PM At Sea 14SEP22 WED   Hiroshima, Japan 15SEP22 THU ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 5:00PM Kochi, Japan 16SEP22 FRI ARRIVE 8:00AM DEPART 6:00PM Osaka (for Kyoto), Japan 17SEP22 SAT ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 7:00PM Shimizu (for Mt. Fuji), Japan 18SEP22 SUN ARRIVE 12:00PM DEPART 9:00PM Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan 19SEP22 MON ARRIVE 6:30AM

[kenphy]

The cruise line (HAL) says the departure is "Yokohama(Toyko)" but it is not clear that those are two different ports.   Any suggestions on where to stay and how long a trip it is to get to the cruise terminal?   Thanks in advance!

[BruceMuzz]

There are many very nice hotels close (walking distance) to Yokohama's Osanbashi Cruise Terminal.

Even though Yokohama is officially the largest city in Japan (spoiler alert - Tokyo is not officially a city, but an Administrative District), the downtown area is quite compact. There are many more very nice hotels that might require a short taxi ride (10 minutes or so) to the cruise terminal.

There is a Tokyo subway line - Toyoko Line - that starts in Tokyo's Shinjuku District, passes through Shibuya (where it changes names to Minato-Mirai Line), stops at Yokohama Station (downtown Yokohama) then continues to Nihon-Odori Station (located 2 blocks from the cruise terminal), and ends one stop later in Yokohama's Chinatown. This train is a great way to get around the area.

[ShawninFL]

On 2/19/2021 at 5:08 PM, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I have cruised to Japan twice, first time early October in 2017, second time was early September 2019. September was definitely warmer but not the hot humid weather that can occur in summer months in Japan. The warning I give is that fall can be rainy with typhoons. Our last cruise a typhoon hit Yokohama/Toyko the night before our cruise. Thankfully we were staying in Shinjuku through Princess Cruises and had transfers with them. Trains and most all transportation shut down that day. Many could not get to the ship. This was a time I was very glad that we spent the extra $$ to the cruise line because they got us to the ship. Our first cruise in 2017 was between two typhoons and we skirted around one as well. 

Regarding itineraries there are a few things to consider. First do you plan to do any pre or post cruise stay and see a bit more of Japan?  That March cruise you showed is the HAL Westerdam which I looked at but many were ports I have been to before and it does have an over night in Kobe to go see Osaka or Kyoto which is good. With being 14 days long you see a lot of ports but then it may not leave you much time for pre and post cruise stay. The good thing about that cruise is that it will be during Cherry Blossom time or Hanami of the Sakura trees. That will make it special but if you want to stay, hotels will be much higher priced and be a lot more crowded than if you stay in late fall.

I actually considered that March 2023 cruise but I want time for pre and post cruise travel. So going with a 9 day with some new ports for us on the Diamond. 

  

VOYAGE SUMMARY	PREVIOUSNEXT
Itinerary Date Day Duration Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan 10SEP22 SAT DEPART 5:00PM CHECK IN STARTS AT 1200P At Sea 11SEP22 SUN   Kagoshima, Japan 12SEP22 MON ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 4:00PM Jeju, South Korea 13SEP22 TUE ARRIVE 11:00AM DEPART 7:00PM At Sea 14SEP22 WED   Hiroshima, Japan 15SEP22 THU ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 5:00PM Kochi, Japan 16SEP22 FRI ARRIVE 8:00AM DEPART 6:00PM Osaka (for Kyoto), Japan 17SEP22 SAT ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 7:00PM Shimizu (for Mt. Fuji), Japan 18SEP22 SUN ARRIVE 12:00PM DEPART 9:00PM Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan 19SEP22 MON ARRIVE 6:30AM

We were in Japan when the 2019 Typhoon hit also.  We were supposed to depart on Celebrity Millennium the day the storm hit.  We ended up with a 2 day shorter cruise, but still a wonderful strip.  We actually ended up with an extra day pre cruise to tour Tokyo and a less than full ship since so many flights into Japan were cancelled.  We got our on the last flight to depart Dallas for Tokyo.  There was another flight scheduled to leave 2 hours after ours and it was cancelled.  We lucked out.

[ShawninFL]

On 2/14/2021 at 8:54 AM, Miaminice said:

Another vote for the first one... a diverse and well balanced look at Japan. Although November is quite late already.

 

Nicer ports also... Kagoshima is not really a highlight and one day of South Korea (as the mandatory non Japanese port) would be enough for me.

 

I’d go with #1. Which cruise line?

I can't answer which itinerary would be better as I've never been to Okinawa or Ishagaki.  But we actually loved Kagoshima.  Did it have the cultural beauty of Kyoto or Osaka or the historical relevance of Hiroshima...No.  But it was an enjoyable stop and I would actually like to go back some day.  We hired a wonderful private guide and visited the Shengan-en Gardens and Iso residence.  It had beautiful views of the harbor and volcano in the middle of the bay which usually erupts every couple of days.  It actually went off while we were there.  We then went to downtown Kagoshima and visited some shops and ended the evening have "dinner" in a number of izakayas.  This turned out to be a wonderfully unexpected highlight of our trip. 

[Miaminice]

5 hours ago, ShawninFL said:

I can't answer which itinerary would be better as I've never been to Okinawa or Ishagaki.  But we actually loved Kagoshima.  Did it have the cultural beauty of Kyoto or Osaka or the historical relevance of Hiroshima...No.  But it was an enjoyable stop and I would actually like to go back some day.  We hired a wonderful private guide and visited the Shengan-en Gardens and Iso residence.  It had beautiful views of the harbor and volcano in the middle of the bay which usually erupts every couple of days.  It actually went off while we were there.  We then went to downtown Kagoshima and visited some shops and ended the evening have "dinner" in a number of izakayas.  This turned out to be a wonderfully unexpected highlight of our trip. 

don‘t get me wrong... almost any port in Japan makes for a great day - incl. Kagoshima. I was merely comparing the two itineraries and ranked the stops. Among all those I wouldn’t call Kagoshima a highlight although we also spent an enjoyable day visiting the gardens and the vulcano.

[lonestarmikeb]

I'm trying to talk my wife into the Celebrity itinerary. Looks like a wonderful way to see the country.

[bennybear]

On 3/28/2021 at 9:53 AM, kenphy said:

The cruise line (HAL) says the departure is "Yokohama(Toyko)" but it is not clear that those are two different ports.   Any suggestions on where to stay and how long a trip it is to get to the cruise terminal?   Thanks in advance!

We really enjoyed the Grand hotel in Yokohama,  you can see your cruise ship from your room! 

[bennybear]

I think you really need to do both.  We absolutely loved HAL’s Cherry blossom circumnavigation and the flowers were stunning.  Next trip we will try for fall colours post typhoon season.  

[sergel02]

Both itineraries sound amazing! I’ve been to both Tokyo and Seoul, but never the other cities. Okinawa and Jeju are gorgeous from videos I’ve seen, and a bit hard to get to for most travelers because there is so much to see in the capitals.