Tokyo Disney prior to Celebrity Japan Cruise

[helenkpa]

Has anyone, pre covid,  gone to Disney prior to their Cruise?  I am currently booked on the 12 night Japan Cruise in October.  Fingers crossed that we will be able to enter Japan by then.  I love Disney as much as I love cruising and Toyko is the only park I have not visited and I planning on staying 3 nights prior to the cruise.  How far is Disney from the port?  I am trying to decide if I can leave directly from Disney or leave the night before and book a pre-cruise hotel with Celebrity. 

[phxbne]

Tokyo DisneySea is my favorite Disney park - we’ve been to all except Shanghai. Three nights there is perfect - we have been twice and stayed once at Sheraton and once at Hilton Tokyo Bay. I would stay at either again.

There is a train station - Mahaima - right at the parks, so there are probably rail options.

there are also regular shuttle buses to Narita and Haneda, so perhaps you could take one of them and then to the port.

 I think it is close enough that you could spend the night at Disney which would give more park time and one less packing up.

Sounds like a great start to a great cruise!

[BruceMuzz]

On 3/4/2022 at 6:27 PM, helenkpa said:

Has anyone, pre covid,  gone to Disney prior to their Cruise?  I am currently booked on the 12 night Japan Cruise in October.  Fingers crossed that we will be able to enter Japan by then.  I love Disney as much as I love cruising and Toyko is the only park I have not visited and I planning on staying 3 nights prior to the cruise.  How far is Disney from the port?  I am trying to decide if I can leave directly from Disney or leave the night before and book a pre-cruise hotel with Celebrity. 

First we need to know which Tokyo Cruise Terminal your cruise is calling at.

 

Harumi Cruise Terminal is right downtown. Taxi / bus  / subway to Disneyland is about 15 minutes.

 

The new Tokyo International Cruise Terminal just opened near the Rainbow Bridge and Haneda Airport. Taxi / bus / train / subway to Disneyland is about 40 minutes.

 

Osanbashi Cruise Terminal in Yokohama is about one hour away by taxi, train, subway, or bus.

 

Getting into Japan will be your biggest challenge. We are just recovering from our 6th COVID wave. This one was imported by the US Military. As a result, Japan is very reluctant to allow any more foreigners into the country.

This month a few foreign businessmen and a few foreign students will be allowed in on a trial basis. If they do not push the infection numbers up, the Government may ease the entry rules a bit more.

 

[luckybecky]

On 3/7/2022 at 4:44 AM, BruceMuzz said:

First we need to know which Tokyo Cruise Terminal your cruise is calling at.

 

Harumi Cruise Terminal is right downtown. Taxi / bus  / subway to Disneyland is about 15 minutes.

 

The new Tokyo International Cruise Terminal just opened near the Rainbow Bridge and Haneda Airport. Taxi / bus / train / subway to Disneyland is about 40 minutes.

 

Osanbashi Cruise Terminal in Yokohama is about one hour away by taxi, train, subway, or bus.

 

Getting into Japan will be your biggest challenge. We are just recovering from our 6th COVID wave. This one was imported by the US Military. As a result, Japan is very reluctant to allow any more foreigners into the country.

This month a few foreign businessmen and a few foreign students will be allowed in on a trial basis. If they do not push the infection numbers up, the Government may ease the entry rules a bit more.

 

 

The departure port is Yokohama. 

 

Do you have any sense of whether things may improve by the fall? Or is it just a wait and see game?

 

We are also on an October cruise with Celebrity (not sure if the same one as OP) and wondering if we will be able to make the trip.

[BruceMuzz]

Japan is still experiencing the 6th COVID wave.

The US Military bases are still locked down with huge outbreaks.

Japanese Government will begin allowing foreign students into Japan to study - on a very limited basis - next week.

Foreign businessmen are still not allowed to visit Japan.

Foreign tourists are still not allowed to visit Japan.

On Monday 14 March, the Japanese Government will raise the cap on people entering Japan from 5,000 per day to 7,000 per day. These are mostly Japanese Residents returning home.

Japanese cruise ships are currently sailing around Japan - with Japanese passengers only.

 

I will be returning to Japan next month.

I am already filling out the multitude of papers required for my re-entry.

Only 4 Airports in Japan are allowed to accept passengers from abroad.

When I fly into Narita Airport, with my negative PCD test results, and paperwork, I will be met at the jetway by a Government Health Nurse and personally escorted through the entire process of entering the country:

- Antigen Test

- 2 tracking Apps on my telephone

- QR Code set up before the flight 

- Sign a pledge not to violate any of the current quarantine rules

- Show proof that I have private transportation to my home or to a government quarantine hospital (no public transit allowed)

- My escort walks me to my private transport and witnesses my departure from the airport

This process takes about 5 hours

 

At home: I cannot leave the house for 14 days

- Each morning I must enter my temperature and blood pressure into one of the tracking Apps

- One of the tracking Apps records my foot steps and transmits it to the Health Department

- Every day I will receive one or more prompts to register my location on a GPS tracking APP

- Every day I will receive a Video call from the Japanese Health department, recording my location

- Every day I will receive a Voice call from the Japanese Health Department, checking my condition

- Once per week I will be visited by a Japanese Health Department Nurse, checking my condition 

 

If I fail to comply with any of the requirements, I can be deported.

 

Although Japan is very slowly opening up to foreigners, it does not appear likely that foreign cruise ships will be allowed into the country anytime soon.

[helenkpa]

I am hopeful that Japan will be open to tourists by my trip in October.  The cruise starts October 14th, and I need to pay in full by July. All I can do is plan as if I can go and hope for the best. Tokyo Disney is my final park to visit and due to Covid my trips in 2020 and 2021 were canceled...they were not cruises. I saw the cruise around Japan on the Celebrity website and thought it would be a great way to tour Japan.  

[caligirl49]

On 3/7/2022 at 2:44 AM, BruceMuzz said:

First we need to know which Tokyo Cruise Terminal your cruise is calling at.

 

Harumi Cruise Terminal is right downtown. Taxi / bus  / subway to Disneyland is about 15 minutes.

 

The new Tokyo International Cruise Terminal just opened near the Rainbow Bridge and Haneda Airport. Taxi / bus / train / subway to Disneyland is about 40 minutes.

 

Osanbashi Cruise Terminal in Yokohama is about one hour away by taxi, train, subway, or bus.

 

Getting into Japan will be your biggest challenge. We are just recovering from our 6th COVID wave. This one was imported by the US Military. As a result, Japan is very reluctant to allow any more foreigners into the country.

This month a few foreign businessmen and a few foreign students will be allowed in on a trial basis. If they do not push the infection numbers up, the Government may ease the entry rules a bit more.

 

How do they know who brought in the new covid virus????  Are they 100% sure it was US Military???? In the US we get it from all over, especially people coming illegally over the southern border without being tested.  Japan probably doesn't have that issue to deal with.

[BruceMuzz]

53 minutes ago, caligirl49 said:

How do they know who brought in the new covid virus????  Are they 100% sure it was US Military???? In the US we get it from all over, especially people coming illegally over the southern border without being tested.  Japan probably doesn't have that issue to deal with.

In japan we have a similar problem.

The US Military is entering and leaving the country without being tested.

There is NO way to be 100% sure who and where the sources of infection are.

The biggest COVID outbreaks in Japan over the past 2 years have been on US Military Bases.

The second-biggest COVID outbreaks in Japan over the past 2 years have been the Japanese Employees who work in the US Military bases, who then spread it to the surrounding towns.

All of this suggests - but does not prove - that the US military is the primary source.

[Hlitner]

On 12/31/2022 at 4:58 PM, BruceMuzz said:

In japan we have a similar problem.

The US Military is entering and leaving the country without being tested.

There is NO way to be 100% sure who and where the sources of infection are.

The biggest COVID outbreaks in Japan over the past 2 years have been on US Military Bases.

The second-biggest COVID outbreaks in Japan over the past 2 years have been the Japanese Employees who work in the US Military bases, who then spread it to the surrounding towns.

All of this suggests - but does not prove - that the US military is the primary source.

Keep in mind that Japan no longer requires anyone to get tested as long as they have had 3 COVID shots.  The US Military are all required to be vaccinated (at least for the time being) although that is no guarantee that there are not some who are carrying the virus.  

 

I will admit to being very surprised that Japan lifted their testing requirements for travelers.  That is certainly the worldwide trend, but we expected Japan to be extra cautious.   It does seem that most (if not all) of the Western cruise lines are still keeping some type of testing requirement (prior to passengers embarking) which makes sense, considering Japan's 10% rule.   The cruise lines need to be very careful to take every precaution to avoid major COVID outbreaks on their ships.

 

Hank

[okpaddy]

Thank you BruceMuzz for the information and local perspective. I am hopeful of visiting Japan in April 2024 and cruising back to the USA. Please keep posting on conditions and attitudes from Japan. It is very helpful to understand the situation and have a source for updates. I would also appreciate recommendations on where to stay and transportation around Haneda Airport and Yokohama cruise port .

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year 

[BruceMuzz]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Keep in mind that Japan no longer requires anyone to get tested as long as they have had 3 COVID shots.  The US Military are all required to be vaccinated (at least for the time being) although that is no guarantee that there are not some who are carrying the virus.  

 

I will admit to being very surprised that Japan lifted their testing requirements for travelers.  That is certainly the worldwide trend, but we expected Japan to be extra cautious.   It does seem that most (if not all) of the Western cruise lines are still keeping some type of testing requirement (prior to passengers embarking) which makes sense, considering Japan's 10% rule.   The cruise lines need to be very careful to take every precaution to avoid major COVID outbreaks on their ships.

 

Hank

The US Military is required to be vaccinated, but they were caught bringing in un-vaccinated troops.

They were also caught putting infected troops on commercial flights into and out of Japan.

Everyone was surprised when Prime Minister Kishida agreed to open up the country to foreigners. He and his party have had a very difficult time with COVID and the economy. Opening up was his way of trying to turn things around. It has not worked out very well.

National elections will probably be called in 2023.

The election results might cause Japan to re-think allowing foreigners in during the COVID problems.