12 day Japan cruise stops in Busan, Korea. Regular stop? Get off the ship?

[zitsky]

Does anyone know if the Busan stop on the Japan 12 day cruise is a regular stop?  It looks like it gets in around 7am and leaves at 6pm (I think).  Can you get off the ship for an excursion or is it just a maintenance stop to fulfill some legal reason?

 

Edit: I did a search and found only 6 posts that didn't seem relevant.  Maybe I'm missing something.

Edited June 24, 2021 by zitsky

[Miaminice]

It is usually the required non-Japanese stop for this cruise.

And yes, you can get off the ship. 

 

The Jagalchi Fish Market is interesting. Can easily be reached when taking the shuttle into town.

The Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is very nice but further away (about 45 minutes by car).

[bigbenboys]

We have dock and tour at least 2 times in Busan. Our cruises were out Hong Kong on Millie. Check in your cruise planner to see if there are tours available.

[Paulhc]

I've been to Busan on business several times. Very nice city with some interesting things to do. There is a great Buddhist temple on the ocean very close to the city and the previously mentioned fish market is also interesting. If you google tours in Busan several companies come up and looking at the options can give you a good feel for what is available to do in the area.

[bigbenboys]

Photos from Busan

[zitsky]

Thanks for the pics and the advice.

[Northern Aurora]

We were on the Millennium in 2018 when the itinerary was impacted not by one, but by two typhoons.  The ship docked in Busan a day late.  It is an interesting port but just be aware that folks need to take a shuttle into the city.  

 

The Millennium had to make that port stop for two reasons.  First, they were re-provisioning food stocks.  And second, Japan is very careful regarding immigration and work permits.  Apparently it is easier for the documentation officers to have ship crew from certain countries join the ship for their contract in South Korea.  Slightly fewer than 100 crew members left as their contracts ended, and the same number were waiting to board.

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, Northern Aurora said:

We were on the Millennium in 2018 when the itinerary was impacted not by one, but by two typhoons.  The ship docked in Busan a day late.  It is an interesting port but just be aware that folks need to take a shuttle into the city.  

 

The Millennium had to make that port stop for two reasons.  First, they were re-provisioning food stocks.  And second, Japan is very careful regarding immigration and work permits.  Apparently it is easier for the documentation officers to have ship crew from certain countries join the ship for their contract in South Korea.  Slightly fewer than 100 crew members left as their contracts ended, and the same number were waiting to board.

 

What month was this?  When is hurricane season in the Pacific?

[Northern Aurora]

37 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

What month was this?  When is hurricane season in the Pacific?

 

 

I clearly am not a meteorologist, but it seems to me that both hurricane and typhoon seasons are changing somewhat from the former "normal" expectations.

 

We were on a B2B.  The first leg was Vancouver to Yokohama with the second leg a Japan Explorer itinerary.  We departed from Vancouver on September 14th.  On this leg we docked in Yokohama a day earlier than scheduled due to Typhoon Trami.  The second leg started on September 30.  This was the leg which was impacted by Typhoon Kong-Rei which caused the delay in reaching Busan.