Azamara Japan intensive

[uktog]

It’s nice to start to think more about making 2023 bookings 

The Japan intensive does appeal.  It says it embarks/disembarks at Tokyo. Has anyone done this cruise with Azamara - where exactly do they embark (I’m thinking this must be a Rome /Civitavecchi scenario) and where did you stay pre or post cruise.  I’m trying to get my head round how much help we might need with transportation etc.
Any other comments about the Azamara itinerary?

 

Thanks

[Baynanno1]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

It’s nice to start to think more about making 2023 bookings 

The Japan intensive does appeal.  It says it embarks/disembarks at Tokyo. Has anyone done this cruise with Azamara - where exactly do they embark (I’m thinking this must be a Rome /Civitavecchi scenario) and where did you stay pre or post cruise.  I’m trying to get my head round how much help we might need with transportation etc.
Any other comments about the Azamara itinerary?

 

Thanks

 

I haven't looked at the cruise, but have recently looked at several nearby areas, as my daughter was there at the US Air and Naval Bases prior to joining her ship to come back to Australia. None of the above addresses your query, but you might find this link useful :

https://www.google.com.au/maps/search/tokyo+cruise+port/@35.6233118,139.7525903,13.13z

[sovilav01]

34 minutes ago, Baynanno1 said:

 

I haven't looked at the cruise, but have recently looked at several nearby areas, as my daughter was there at the US Air and Naval Bases prior to joining her ship to come back to Australia. None of the above addresses your query, but you might find this link useful :

https://www.google.com.au/maps/search/tokyo+cruise+port/@35.6233118,139.7525903,13.13z

They have a new cruise terminal built for the Olympic close to Haneda Airport. We were booked for March 2022 but had to move to April 2023. We visited Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima on our own few years ago and have visited Naha, Nagasaki and Osaka on cruises. We love Japan and we thought a cruise around the island would be perfect to visit the west part of the country in the easiest way. I  hope you will join us!

[nanacruiser]

Hello uktog,

 

My wife and I did this cruise in Apr/May 2019 and we thoroughly enjoyed it especially the cherry blossoms. Hopefully I can provide some insight especially for all the info you pass on on these boards.

 

I will try to answer your questions, yes it is a Rome/Civitavecchia situation. At the time Azamara embarked at Yokohama and Disembarked at Yokohama, but at two different docks. We embarked at Daikoku Pier, Yokohama, Japan which is on one side of the large bridge (sorry do not know the name) but it was on an island in the harbour. We disembarked at the Yokohama cruise terminal, called the Yokohama International passenger terminal, which is on the other side of the large bridge on the shore side.

 

We went 4 days early and from Canada where able to fly to Haneda airport which is very close to Yokohama as opposed to Narita which is a fair distance from Tokyo. We took a bus to our hotel in Sinjuku area, did some some tours with a private guide arranged through the Roll call which I can provide the tour company's name. Another person arranged the the transfer to the boat on embarkation and drove 6 of us to the dock.

 

At disembarkation we took the Azamara transfer to the airport (Haneda) which is  close and flew straight home.

 

There are buses from Narita also, I will try to find the links to the scheds for you.

 

 

[Roel94]

4 hours ago, uktog said:

It’s nice to start to think more about making 2023 bookings 

The Japan intensive does appeal.  It says it embarks/disembarks at Tokyo. Has anyone done this cruise with Azamara - where exactly do they embark (I’m thinking this must be a Rome /Civitavecchi scenario) and where did you stay pre or post cruise.  I’m trying to get my head round how much help we might need with transportation etc.
Any other comments about the Azamara itinerary?

 

Thanks

Anne

 

i have. Done this cruise and doing it again.

I stayed at a five hotel that I could walk to several places. Right near the Imperial Gardens. I know people who stayed at the Imperial Hotel but honestly I saved several block of walking not staying there.

I mix ship tours with private. A couple ship tours could of done on own with more reading. One port I went to Chinatown.

somehow I had such a great time I am booked in 2023. I love Japan..very safe.

I am not sure where we docked but it did not take forever from hotel..

yiu want where tiu can take the tube to shrines etc.

 

[Roel94]

I used private limos. Personally a bus with suitcases is not me.

Pooh I flew ANA! Which was brilliant.

[Baynanno1]

3 hours ago, sovilav01 said:

They have a new cruise terminal built for the Olympic close to Haneda Airport.

Would that be the one in the link I posted, 11k road distance, taking 14 minutes from one to the other by car?

Edited November 5, 2021 by Baynanno1

[sovilav01]

2 hours ago, Baynanno1 said:

Would that be the one in the link I posted, 11k road distance, taking 14 minutes from one to the other by car?

Yes I think so because it was the one we were supposed to use next year. It’s close to Rainbow Bridge.

[Roel94]

I honestly do not remember but I do know hotel knew where it was,

also was easy to get back to town for tours on turn around day.

[azjoy]

In 2019 we ended an Azamara cruise at Harumi Port or Harumi Wharf (not the International Cruise Port).  Harumi was brand new and convenient.  The cab ride to the Conrad hotel was less than 10 minutes.  We waited in line for a cab much longer! 

 

There are a lot of good hotels in Tokyo.  I'd suggest finding an area near a train station.  

We chose the Conrad because we had stayed once before and loved it and the area.  They took great care of us both times we stayed. 

 

For transport to and from the airport, we've used the Airport Limousine Bus twice (once to Haneda and once to Narita) and found it quite comfortable.  The pickup times meant spending a little extra time at the airport but we didn't stress over it.   

[Mackdogmolly]

I would love to take this cruise! And I have a dear friend in Tokyo who I would love to see. It’s a little pricey for me though, as it is a very popular itinerary. I will be on the lookout for deals, but not that hopeful 🙁

[uktog]

Thanks to Baynanno1, solival01, nanacruiser and Azjoy thats just the information I needed.  We can see we have a lot of choice, starting with which airport we choose our flights to land at.  Its going to be a compromise how long we spend pre/post cruise in Tokyo.  I suspect we do not want to be in the heart of the action as going out at night doesn't interest us much but I will now research all the options.  Having looked at the price of limos we cannot justify that so will look at the proximities to various stations etc.

 

Mackdogmolly, we too are not prepared to push the book button at current prices but as we could do 2024  rather than 2023 we can afford to wait.  We did notice having been assured by the agent onboard that there would never be incentives on this cruise, they have now included it in the drinks and OBC perks for 2023

 

Sorry Roel94, cant follow your advice as I cannot work some of it out and without knowing where you stayed cant complete the jigsaw!

[Kitekat]

Mackdogmolly, the spring 2024 cruises are now out with 2 round Japan voyages on the Journey. Prices are said to be cheaper than 2023 (so we were told), so it might be worth looking at them.

 

uktog, we were told that Haneda was the best option for arriving in Tokyo (cruises subsequently cancelled). I have done Narita (many years back) and it is a long way out. If you are not taking a ship's transfer, then there are good airport bus services which pick up and drop off at several hotels which would be worth investigating and are much easier than the trains.

[uktog]

43 minutes ago, Kitekat said:

Mackdogmolly, the spring 2024 cruises are now out with 2 round Japan voyages on the Journey. Prices are said to be cheaper than 2023 (so we were told), so it might be worth looking at them.

 

uktog, we were told that Haneda was the best option for arriving in Tokyo (cruises subsequently cancelled). I have done Narita (many years back) and it is a long way out. If you are not taking a ship's transfer, then there are good airport bus services which pick up and drop off at several hotels which would be worth investigating and are much easier than the trains.

It is interesting, the current pricing of flights to Narita is far better than Haneda - enough to cover the costs of a very expensive limo.....  Anyway this is early planning and airlines may have different pricing next year

 

[Kitekat]

uktog, that's very interesting about the flight prices but I suspect that covid will have played some part in it. Everything still seems a bit mad still at the moment, although I do like the much emptier airports.

[Roel94]

7 hours ago, uktog said:

Thanks to Baynanno1, solival01, nanacruiser and Azjoy thats just the information I needed.  We can see we have a lot of choice, starting with which airport we choose our flights to land at.  Its going to be a compromise how long we spend pre/post cruise in Tokyo.  I suspect we do not want to be in the heart of the action as going out at night doesn't interest us much but I will now research all the options.  Having looked at the price of limos we cannot justify that so will look at the proximities to various stations etc.

 

Mackdogmolly, we too are not prepared to push the book button at current prices but as we could do 2024  rather than 2023 we can afford to wait.  We did notice having been assured by the agent onboard that there would never be incentives on this cruise, they have now included it in the drinks and OBC perks for 2023

 

Sorry Roel94, cant follow your advice as I cannot work some of it out and without knowing where you stayed cant complete the jigsaw!

Thinking spelling

peninula. Is as close as I can get.two blocks from the Imperial Hotel By the gardens. Two or three blocks to the tube station. I am not sure what airport. But I flew ANA. Not sure how to go from London.

guessing Japan is like Iceland or Norway and it is spring. So any cruise line can get what ever they want for price.

[Roel94]

5 hours ago, uktog said:

It is interesting, the current pricing of flights to Narita is far better than Haneda - enough to cover the costs of a very expensive limo.....  Anyway this is early planning and airlines may have different pricing next year

 

I think I flew into Narita.

[john1970]

I would also suggest a local guide at least for a few days. Transport etc is very good but without a Japanese speaker I think it is hard to really get a feel for the country. 

[Gypsy025]

The following is taken from our notes of this cruise 04/27 to 05/12/2019....hope it helps....

 

April 25: The flight landed a few minutes ahead of the scheduled time, 3:40 PM, in Tokyo (Haneida); after an awfully long walk from the gate, immigration and customs was Japanese efficient. Rather than take the airport shuttle, we decided to take a taxi to our hotel ($59) – great move after the long flight! The Hotel JAL City Kanai Yokohama was pleasantly good, after previous experiences with small rooms in Tokyo; a 2-night stay, including breakfast was $252.50. The weather was unexpectedly warm and sunny, but we did not take advantage of it – we were beat. After a restless nap, we were hungry, but there was no room service at the hotel. It was not a tourist hotel. All the guests were Japanese. The amenities were particularly good. The Internet was amazingly fast, the room had both slippers & sandals, a cover-up, and many bathroom accessories.

April 26: We were both awake early, to a cold, rainy, miserable day. We had breakfast, before 8 AM – lots of variety, but mainly Japanese food, not to our liking. After getting ourselves together, we decided to take a “tour around Yokohama” bus. The bus stop was close to our hotel; the first man we asked for directions escorted us the four or five blocks to the bus-stop. We did not have too long to wait for the bus – the all-day pass 500 yen each. We happened to sit next to an English couple, from Yorkshire, who were on a 1 day stop off an MSC cruise ship. After a short stop at the railway station and a shopping mall we re-boarded the bus to the stop where we originally boarded – at China Town. It was “spring break”, so there were literally thousands of well-dressed, well-behaved college kids in the city, especially in China Town. We had lunch there, then back to our hotel to catch up on sleep; on our way, we picked up a couple of sandwiches and a bottle of coke at a convenience store – for dinner. Sleep was good, but the sandwiches were a bust! We got caught up with pictures, write-ups, and blog.

April 27: This morning, we asked for fried eggs for breakfast – they were more than happy to oblige. Check out time was 11 AM, so we left the hotel soon after taking a taxi to the pier; it was about a half hour comfortable ride (Approx $26). The weather was like that of yesterday – showers and cool. The ship had experienced a bout of norovirus on the previous cruise, so boarding was delayed so that a thorough cleaning could take place. The usual Japanese efficiency took place with actual check-in procedures taking place on-board. Rooms were finally made available soon after 3 PM. Our cabin #8034 was extremely comfortable – balcony; lots of closet space. The safety drill took place at 5 PM; the ship sailing at 6 PM. The ship was having WIFI connectivity problems. There was a Seafood Buffet in the Windows Café, so we elected to dine there. We were still catching up with jetlag, so we had an early night

[uktog]

Thanks for the really comprehensive guide to your time in Tokyo, very helpful

[Gypsy025]

50 minutes ago, uktog said:

Thanks for the really comprehensive guide to your time in Tokyo, very helpful

If you would like my complete notes, email me at stingrayPBI at aol dot com

[Vivasea]

Loved reading your 'Tokyo experience'.  Considering booking Japan Intensive April 2023 as booked on following two cruises. So interested in everything Japanese cannot wait to go. thank you

[gardenbunny]

We have booked this cruise April 3, 2023 RT Tokyo.  So excited for the destination and also first time Azamara.  We have done the 2017 and 2019 World Cruises on Pacific Princess and became small ship lovers.  We have been to 88 countries and  wanted to do Japan.  Decided to wait until 2023 to let Covid get under control.

When PP was sold to Azamara, I decided to look at their website.  Decided on this cruise and also another destination for 2023 - October 23-Nov 7 for Ancient Civilizations from Athens to Rome plus Egypt and Israel on Pursuit.

Great to see these posts and that so many enjoyed the itinerary.  Looking forward to learning great tips and info in the months to come.

 

[ShopperfiendTO]

Not sure how accurate this website is, but it seems to list the scheduling for Tokyo and Yokohama separately, and for April 2023 the Quest seems to be docking at Tokyo proper instead of Yokohama:

 

Tokyo dock: https://cruisedig.com/ports/tokyo-japan/arrivals

Yokohama dock: https://cruisedig.com/ports/yokohama-japan/arrivals

 

In the end, I think you really can't be sure which port Quest will be docked at until you get a final itinerary from Azamara stating "Tokyo" or "Yokohama (Tokyo)".

 

If you can choose, you definitely want to land at Haneda airport instead of Narita airport.

 

The Tokyo port is relatively close to Tokyo Station.

 

Although you haven't asked, a tip I offer when travelling to Japan is for you to ensure you have cash on you when you land, so you might want to watch currency trends and exchange when favourable leading up to your departure.  Although the country is hyper-technologically advanced, it is still very much a cash society.

Edited November 13, 2021 by ShopperfiendTO

[NC&KY]

1 hour ago, ShopperfiendTO said:

Although you haven't asked, a tip I offer when travelling to Japan is for you to ensure you have cash on you when you land.

Why must you have it on you when you land? I always go straight to an ATM when I land and get local currency. Will that approach not work in Tokyo?