Change in itinerary for cruise to Japan February 2023

[jillyf]

Received this email today.
Good to get the change so early but it will depend on Japan opening up for cruise ships by next year. 

 



Guest Names: Cruise: SS EXPLORER 28FEB2023       Suite/Stateroom:    Group #:   Invoice #:   Travel Agency: ABERCROMBIE & KENT   Travel Advisor:     IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR CRUISE ITINERARY: SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER® NOW DEPARTING FEBRUARY 26, 2023       Dear Valued Guest and Travel Partner:   As the global public health environment continues to evolve, we remain focused on ensuring that we provide the safest and most enjoyable cruise experience possible. As such, we are modifying the course of your upcoming voyage aboard Seven Seas Explorer to remove visits to China.    To accommodate this, we are delighted to inform you that we have extended the length of your cruise to 16 nights, at no additional cost.   In further great news, we believe that the resulting itinerary will allow an unrivaled experience of the incredible region of South-East Asia. Starting in incredible Bangkok, Thailand on February 26, 2022 the sailing offers the chance to explore the country’s island paradise of Ko Kut, and the wonderful archipelagic country of the Philippines has also been added in the form of the idyl of Coron as well as it’s vibrant capital, Manila.   The revised voyage is below.    Date Port Arrive Depart 26-Feb Laem Chabang, Thailand EMBARK 6:00PM 27-Feb Koh Kut-Kood Island, Thailand 7:00AM 4:00PM 28-Feb At Sea ----- ----- 1-Mar Nha Trang, Vietnam 8:00AM 4:00PM 2-Mar At Sea ----- ----- 3-Mar Coron, Philippines 8:00AM 5:00PM 4-Mar Manila, Philippines 8:00AM 7:00PM 5-Mar At Sea ----- ----- 6-Mar Kaohsiung, Taiwan 7:00AM 4:00PM 7-Mar Keelung, Taiwan 8:00AM 6:00PM 8-Mar At Sea ----- ----- 9-Mar Kagoshima, Japan 8:00AM 5:00PM 10-Mar Kochi, Japan 10:00AM 8:00PM 11-Mar Kobe, Japan 8:00AM ----- 12-Mar Kobe, Japan ----- 3:00PM 13-Mar Shimizu, Japan 10:00AM 7:00PM 14-Mar Tokyo, Japan 8:00AM DEBARK   Shore excursions for the newly added calls will be available to book on August 26, 2022.   If you have reserved a Regent cruise and flight package, our flights team will be in contact with you soon to reconfirm your outbound flight arrangements.   An updated invoice reflecting the new itinerary will be issued by August 22, 2022.   If you have any questions, please contact your Travel Advisor or Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Reservation Department at the phone numbers below.   We look forward to welcoming you aboard Seven Seas Explorer. Regent Seven Seas Cruises Regent Seven Seas Cruises Reservations Phone Numbers: • United States / Canada: 1.844.4REGENT (1.844.473.4368) or (954) 776-6123 • United Kingdom: 023 8082 1390 • Rest of Europe: +44 23 8082 1350 • Australia / New Zealand / Asia Pacific: 1.300.455.200 • Latin America / Brazil: 0800 400-3132 or +1 (954) 940-7486   Please note that this email address does not accept replies.     This email was sent by: Regent Seven Seas Cruises 7665 Corporate Center Drive ~ Miami, FL, 33126, USA

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by jillyf
Redo

[jillyf]

I’m sorry for the way it cuts off part of the letter. Can’t seem to change it. 

[Arlopop]

How long was the cruise originally?

[Techno123]

Was Hong Kong in your original Itinerary? We are doing a B2B in October taking in many of the Ports but we change in HK plus we have a land trip there at the end.

[jillyf]

We were on the Hong Kong to Tokyo segment. It was 14 nights. 
Now it has us boarding in Bangkok to Tokyo and 16 nights, missing Hong Kong and Shanghai. 

 

[Portolan]

I have to say I had a moment of great concern when I read the early part of the Regent email where it says that your cruise has been extended as we are on the next cruise and board Explorer on the 24th.  Then I examined your new itinerary and realized that you are starting 2 days earlier rather than ending later.  I think the new itinerary looks great with Thailand and Vietnam added.  I hope you are happy with it.

 

Of course, this change must mean that the cruise preceding yours has now been curtailed 2 days.

[Techno123]

On 8/18/2022 at 11:02 AM, jillyf said:

We were on the Hong Kong to Tokyo segment. It was 14 nights. 
Now it has us boarding in Bangkok to Tokyo and 16 nights, missing Hong Kong and Shanghai. 

 

Oh dear - the Hong Kong land tour was to be the highlight of the holiday. Our cruise is 7 and a bit months after yours so 🤞🏻It will be included again then.

[RachelG]

And the big question of whether Japan will open to cruise ships by then.  We are on Tokyo to Tokyo in March--if it sails!

[Lonedaddy]

58 minutes ago, RachelG said:

And the big question of whether Japan will open to cruise ships by then.  We are on Tokyo to Tokyo in March--if it sails!

I saw on the Silverses board that Japan was going to ease restrictions soon.  We are on the HK-Tokyo in feb 24.  Curios as to what they will do with that one as CCP does not seem to want to behave and I doubt they will behave by 2024.

[rich48100]

Rachel:  I haven’t been on this board in awhile.  Glad that you are still cruising.  We just signed up for a Grand Voyage with Regent in Jan of 24 that starts in Sydney and goes to Tokyo.  Know you may not be interested in such a long cruise, but if your 23 voyage doesn’t work out, they probably have a segment that does only the Japan portion.  We have been itching to get back to cruising, and the Grand Voyage takes us to a number of places we hadn’t been.

[Damaris1900]

7 hours ago, Lonedaddy said:

I saw on the Silverses board that Japan was going to ease restrictions soon.  We are on the HK-Tokyo in feb 24.  Curios as to what they will do with that one as CCP does not seem to want to behave and I doubt they will behave by 2024.

There have been predictions for months that the government of Japan is about to ease restrictions, but so far that has not happened.  At this point, even if the government does decide to open to cruise lines, I will be very interested to see what rules are set in place by the government regarding testing, masking, and quarantine, including if a close contact tests positive.  I don't want to end up put off the ship, or in isolation either on the ship or ashore because someone in one of the excursion buses I was on tests positive.  So even if the country opens up to cruising, I still have a lot of questions about how the inevitable positive Covid cases will be handled.  I've read the information that was being given to clients who were booked for fall 2022 land trips to Japan (cancelled now) on Tauck, and it was not reassuring reading.

 

DH and I are currently booked on a March 2023 Tokyo to Tokyo cruise we very much want to go on, but the devil's in the details.;

[mom0f3]

COVID testing for entry to Japan will no longer be required for vaccinated travelers as of September 7th

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-pm-kishida-brief-about-new-measures-handling-covid-kyodo-2022-08-24/

 

 

[UUNetBill]

We were planning on going to Japan for a week on our trip last months, but due to the uncertainty with traveling there we decided to spend that time in Hawaii instead.  

 

After spending 4 hours in a mask while just transiting Narita, I'm glad we made that decision.  I've wanted to visit Japan for a long time, but the way things are right now, I'm guessing it'll be 2-3 years before things are 'normal' enough for me to want to go.

[RachelG]

On 8/24/2022 at 3:31 PM, rich48100 said:

Rachel:  I haven’t been on this board in awhile.  Glad that you are still cruising.  We just signed up for a Grand Voyage with Regent in Jan of 24 that starts in Sydney and goes to Tokyo.  Know you may not be interested in such a long cruise, but if your 23 voyage doesn’t work out, they probably have a segment that does only the Japan portion.  We have been itching to get back to cruising, and the Grand Voyage takes us to a number of places we hadn’t been.

Glad to see you are still cruising!  We are still on Tokyo cruise in March 2023– as far as we can tell.

[forgap]

We were scheduled for Tokyo to Vancouver in April 2023.  It was moved to May 2023 which was too close to our grandson’s HS graduation.  Plus I got squirrelly about the Covid restrictions and when they would be lifted.  We wanted to tour Japan before the cruise but there were too many issues about how to tour so we cancelled.  We will go on a land tour when things settle down.