New/different COVID boarding requirements for boarding Explorer in Tokyo, March/April(?) 2023

[mj_holiday]

DH and I are on Explorer next April and are very interested in your current cruise and your experiences.  Thanks for sharing.

[RachelG]

Thank you, thank you, Portolan for all your valuable information as we embark on March 28.  I am hanging on to every word!  any information about the ports is also appreciated. 

[Portolan]

A short update:  headed to Beppu (Stone Buddha's for us) today.  Solid overcast, temperature in the mid-50's, but very low probability of rain.

 

This after 3 days of castles and shrines.  In Nagoya, the first day after Tokyo, we went to the Inuyama Castle (oldest surviving castle in Japan) which was interesting in design and you could climb what were essentially ship's ladders (think very steep staircases) with low headroom (I'm 6'-1") to the top.  Well worth it to see how these towers were constructed and for the view.  Then on to the Noritake China factory.  Interesting but the castle was the highlight.  Castles in Japan are usually surround ed by moats (Inuyama wasn't) on high ground with a multi-tiered tower for observation.  Hard to see how these were useful after th advent of muskets and canons.

 

The next two days were at Kobe (as in beef) with an over night.  First day we did the Highlights of Osaka.  Two stops:  Osaka Castle (much bigger than Inuyama, but rebuilt many times into the mid-20 th century) with again the ability to go to the top aided by an elevator for the first 5 of 8 floors added in 1931 when the tower was rebuilt having totally destroyed much earlier.  Museum exhibits and dioramas on many of the interior levels.  Second stop was Shitennoji, a large temple compound dominated by a classic 5-story pagoda.  All of it rebuild many times over the years since 1) made of wood, and 2) WWII.  Overall, a pleasant enough tour.

 

The second day in Kobe, we did Highlights of Kyoto.  It was 2-1/2 hours through rush-hour traffic.  Likely would be the case any week-day.  First stop was the Golden Pavilion, a lake side temple with the upper (wood) stories covered in gilt.  Surrounded by formal gardens.  Well designed route past the pavilion with many vantage points and then through the gardens which kept the large crowds moving in an orderly manner.  Then the included lunch which was a very nice bento box meal with authentic Japanese delicacies including sashimi.  Final stop was the Hijo Castle, a very large complex with a sprawling "palace" and elaborate gardens.  Despite what the excursion description said, there wasn't time to go into the buildings, but exploring the grounds was still quite interesting.  We'd received a letter from Destination Services exposing that there wouldn't be an interior visit.  The return to the ship, again during rush-hour, was surprisingly just 90 minutes.

 

And as we are arriving in Beppu, there is a patch of sun directly over the town.

[mj_holiday]

Enjoying the port descriptions as we are getting ready to book tours for a 2024 trip.  Thank you so much for the time you spend.

[1982CruzStart]

Portolan, thank you for taking us a long with you. It brings back fond memories of our time in Japan. 

[RachelG]

Portolan, we have that same excursion booked in Nagoya.  What is lunch like?

[Portolan]

3 hours ago, RachelG said:

Portolan, we have that same excursion booked in Nagoya.  What is lunch like?

Our Nagoya excursion, Inuyama Castle and Noritake China, did not include lunch.  It was 5 hours long and ran from 11:45 AM to 4:45 PM.  Maybe you are on a similar, but longer excursion.  We were able to grab a quick bite of lunch at the pool Grill before our excursion.

[RachelG]

17 minutes ago, Portolan said:

Our Nagoya excursion, Inuyama Castle and Noritake China, did not include lunch.  It was 5 hours long and ran from 11:45 AM to 4:45 PM.  Maybe you are on a similar, but longer excursion.  We were able to grab a quick bite of lunch at the pool Grill before our excursion.

Good to know.

[labonnevie]

Hoping someone currently on the Explorer can break radio silence and update anything and everything on the current Tokyo rt cruise. Much appreciated. 

[MarcyLondon]

18 hours ago, labonnevie said:

Hoping someone currently on the Explorer can break radio silence and update anything and everything on the current Tokyo rt cruise. Much appreciated. 

I would like updates please 

[labonnevie]

Two specific questions for those onboard the Explorer now. 
We are unable to book excursions in Naze as all are sold out, with no waitlist. 
Can you access anything in that port that is worth seeing close to the terminal?

 

On disembarkation day is Regent offering a transfer to Narita that includes any sightseeing? Our flight isn’t until 5pm. 
Thanks and happy cruising. 

[bk travels]

We just arrived in Naze mid-morning today and we’re waiting for the skies to clear a bit more before venturing out. Explore is only the first or second ship to visit each port in over 3 years, so the excursions team is really scrambling to make things work for everyone. That’s why you’re having a problem.  
Regent had to cancel some excursions in Naze, including ours, but they will have 2 different shuttle routes to compensate. There is just a lack of English speaking tour guides and some of the Japanese tour operators have been unable to provide full capacity. The really nice thing is that we have been the only ship in each port which is wonderful.  People have been so happy to see tourists back. And the ship is beautiful with truly outstanding service. I’m really happy Regent made the decision to go ahead with this cruise despite some local challenges. 
We’re planning to take the shuttle to Ohama beach later. I believe there’s a turtle and cultural museum there. 

[Portolan]

Update since Beppu:

 

Usaki Stone Buddhas & Village (Regent Choice) - very good.  While several excursions had stone Buddha (singular) in their description, our excursion went to an area where there were ~60 stone Buddhas carved in groups up the side of a valley.  Now protected from the elements with open-sided structures.  Our guide had quite detailed descriptions about the significance of each group.  Highly recommend this excursion though see my comment below about the inconsistency of Regent Choice excursions.

 

Day at sea:

Culinary Kitchen "Taste the World" - 5 dishes in 2 hours!  Tuna Tataki, Pho soup, spicy peanut shrimp, lamb chop and crepes.  Great fun!

 

Busan:

"Highlights of Gyeongju & Busan" - a bit of a drive to Gyeongju, but rewarded with a detailed tour of an extensive mountainside temple complex.  Included lunch was a nice buffet at a modern hotel, including some Korean specialties.  Then a stop (still in Gyeongju) at a very large ara of hill tombs, one of which you can enter.  These never had post-burial entrances, but the modern entrance gets you to the heart of the tomb.  They have excavated (and restored to their original grass-covered hills) many of these tombs and found extraordinary artifacts, replicas of which are displayed in the hill tomb you enter.  Then back to Busan to a city overlook and finally a walk through the fish market.  Excellent excursion...and free!

 

Jeju Island:

"Sunrise Peak & Seongeup Folk Village" - rained all day and we got thoroughly drenched despite raincoats and umbrellas so experience greatly diminished, but we think this would have been quite a nice excursion on a nice day.

 

Nagasaki:

"The Splendor of Arita & Nagasaki" (Regent Choice) - quite a long drive to Arita, a village totally devoted to ceramics.  The local shrine we visited was completely decked out in beautiful ceramics.  A local alley was also decorated with kiln stones.  Lots of shops selling ceramics both used & inexpensive and extremely expensive works of art.  Lunch was a very authentic Japanese meal with a ceramic (of course) bento box and sashimi holder.  Restaurant was nicely done up with Tatami mats...but, fortunately, chairs as well.  Wine and beer included...the beer was described by the guide in advance as a "small" bottle.  It was 500ml!  Last stop in Arita was a museum of ceramics masterpieces including one which was awarded a gold medal in Paris in 1900.  Finally, back to Nagasaki for a visit to the Peace Park which, of course, is something we needed to do.  An excellent excursion.

 

Naze:

No excursion for us.  We had booked the one Regent Choice offering and were notified when we boarded that it had been cancelled because the operator didn't have enough buses/guides/something to run it.  As an earlier post noted, everything else was waitlisted and we were told that there was no ability to add capacity.  I noted that when the excursions departed there were just 7 buses compared to 18 or more I'd seen at earlier ports.  There was a shuttle bus into town and another to a beach.  Given that it rained most of the morning, I figured I'd go into town (where the map had little to indicate things to see).  It did show a shrine up a valley into the mountains so I walked a mile or so up a paved path/roadway.  Never found the shrine, but the valley was filled with cemeteries.  Then the thunderstorm started so, for the second time, I returned to the ship sopping wet from the waist down.

 

Now my comment about Regent Choice excursions.  It's hard to understand why something like the Stone Buddhas in Beppu were RC.  It was not long or distant, didn't include a meal or food, had entrance fees similar to other sites in Japan (600 yen ish), and wasn't a small group.  We still recommend it, but why was it RC?  Compared to our Busan excursion which had a much longer full-day bus and guide required, plus a meal.  Nagasaki...well, wine or beer were included with lunch which were extra on the regular excursions where lunch was included.  And, yea, a very nice traditional lunch, but we had a similar lunch on an earlier non-RC excursion.  But, like our criteria for choosing cruises, we pick the itinerary, not the cost.

[labonnevie]

I guess the Explorer is back in port now ready for the changeover. 
Any final updates you have time to share would be appreciated. 
I have two specific questions. 
How important is it to get yen at the airport when we arrive or can you use credit cards everywhere? If yen are necessary, how much do you recommend for the precruise program?
Is it necessary to get an international SIM card for your phone? We don’t need to make or receive calls onshore. Can use Google offline maps. 
Guess that’s three questions…sorry 🤔

Thanks for all the information Portolan, very helpful. 

[RachelG]

We embark today.  Really appreciate Portolan’s info.  I have yen in cash but this far have only used a credit card.

 

airport yesterday was crazy as lots of people, probably at least 25% , didn’t know about the required enter Japan and QR code.

[Portolan]

13 hours ago, labonnevie said:

I guess the Explorer is back in port now ready for the changeover. 
Any final updates you have time to share would be appreciated. 
I have two specific questions. 
How important is it to get yen at the airport when we arrive or can you use credit cards everywhere? If yen are necessary, how much do you recommend for the precruise program?
Is it necessary to get an international SIM card for your phone? We don’t need to make or receive calls onshore. Can use Google offline maps. 
Guess that’s three questions…sorry 🤔

Thanks for all the information Portolan, very helpful. 

 

We spent today on a private tour of Kamakura which also got us picked up at the ship and dropped off at the Hilton Odaiba for an overnight before flying home tomorrow.

 

WRT your questions: we didn't get yen at the airport.  We had a prepaid private transfer (we came in a day ahead of the prep cruise program start).  Tipped in dollars...no problem.  Got yen from a bank ATM about a block from the Hilton.  As a general principle, we only use bank ATMs.  There is a non-bank ATM in the Hilton Lobby.  Got 30000 yen (about $230) which lasted the trip with about 8k to spare which will be used against the hotel cost.  That covered all minor expenses.  Only consequential costs were at a store (bottle of whiskey) and a shop (ceramic chopstick holders) which were charged.

 

We have AT&T cell service which means free WiFi calling when on a network...even the very slow service on board.  Never use the cell phones for anything routine as we have a ridiculous amount of ship-to-shore phone time so we use that when needed.  Off the ship, if we have to make or receive a call or use the Internet, it's a flat rate of $10/day which includes data.  Never did that this trip.  As you mentioned, I use Google off-line maps.

 

BTW, Explorer has a dry dock coming after in reaches Vancouver (May/June-ish) and they'll be installing Starlink which ought to provide a vast improvement.  All Regent ships getting Starlink "by this summer."

 

Tipping:  you'll find by searching that by and large, Japan doesn't expect tipping except (maybe) for extraordinary service.  We weren't sure about this, but noted on our excursions that the guides were typically standing back from the bus door with open and empty hands.  On those  occasions when we tipped (for extraordinary service), the recipients seemed genuinely startled.

[PaulMCO]

Thank you @Portolanfor your great daily log.  Been to the Tokyo area many times on business and definitely appreciated your review of the tours etc and we have just booked our excursions for our 18 March 2024 cruise. 

 

We are doing the normal "free" pre-cruise Vibrant Tokyo and may opt for doing private tours (on 2 of the three days) and just use the Hilton as a base for the three nights or just opted out and take the credit.

 

Again many thanks...

[Avidtravler]

Hi PaulMCO,

Would be most interested in who you might be using for private tours in Vibrant Tokyo, and how they worked out. We are booked in October 24 and found your idea of using the hotel as a base, and booking our own tours, as a good possibility.

[mrstanley]

Did everyone need to show a Negative Covid test when boarding?

[DaveFr]

13 minutes ago, mrstanley said:

Did everyone need to show a Negative Covid test when boarding?

Yes. We boarded Explorer today in Yokohama. Everyone had to show a negative Covid test.
 

Dave

[upgrayders]

1 hour ago, DaveFr said:

Yes. We boarded Explorer today in Yokohama. Everyone had to show a negative Covid test.
 

Dave

May I assume that you showed the results on your mobile device and that the results were generated within three days of embarkation.  Thank you

[PaulMCO]

52 minutes ago, Avidtravler said:

Hi PaulMCO,

Would be most interested in who you might be using for private tours in Vibrant Tokyo, and how they worked out. We are booked in October 24 and found your idea of using the hotel as a base, and booking our own tours, as a good possibility.

Will do so.  I generally prefer a Tours by Locals guide for many of my private tours.  The reviews on the guide are generally very accurate.

 

My likely scenario --

Day 1 -- arrive evening

Day 2 -  1/2 day morning tour (outer Fish market, Asakusa, Imperial Palace Gardens)  - remainder of day relax. 

Day 3 -  Bullet train to Hakone.  9 hours (lake tour, Ropeway, Cedars) or we stay in Tokyo (go the the Ginza and Meiji Shinto shrine).

Day 4 -- do the Regent morning tour with transfer to Ship in Yokohama..

 

Yokohama is a nice city to spend a day, walked around in China Town.  Experienced my first Earthquake there waking us up in the evening with the hotel moving side to side .  Then three days later a small Tsunami (65 mile winds).

[DaveFr]

7 hours ago, upgrayders said:

May I assume that you showed the results on your mobile device and that the results were generated within three days of embarkation.  Thank you

Correct. 🙂

 

Dave

[Portolan]

11 hours ago, mrstanley said:

Did everyone need to show a Negative Covid test when boarding?

NO one on our departure 2 weeks ago was asked to provide their results per much discussion earlier in this thread.  Obviously the situation changes all the time.  

 

We boarded in Tokyo, not Yokohama, so maybe that was a factor???

Edited March 29, 2023 by Portolan

[Portolan]

For completeness, here's a brief summary of our excursions after Naze:

 

Okinawa:  Ms. Portolan did the "Bingata Experience" and enjoyed it.  She did a bird painting/dying where after the painting is done, the paint has to thoroughly dry and then later you wash it so that much of the paint washes off which won't happen until we get home.  I did the "Battle of Okinawa" which focused on memorial sites (think Vietnam Memorial, but with 350k names of Japanese soldiers (150k), Okinawan civilians (150k) and US military (50k)) and the extensive underground HQ of the Japanese Navy.  Very sobering and worthwhile.

 

Day at sea:  A second Culinary Kitchen, "Wok & Roll", where we made fried rice (using cauliflower, surprisingly similar to actual rice), springs rolls and Pad Thai.  Great fun, as usual.

 

Kochi: Ms. Portolan did the "Japanese Papermaking Experience.". The actual papermaking took very little time with not much to do while it dried.  The bridge mentioned in the description wasn't very interesting, but it also rained much of the day which didn't help.  Not recommended except as shelter from the rain.  I did the Regent Choice "Ryugado Caves & Kochi Castle" which was very enjoyable, but again nothing which distinguished the excursion from "free" excursions except the unique combination of two interesting sites.  Kochi Castle was beautiful since (finally) surrounded by blooming cherry trees.  The cave was wet (meaning still forming features)...in fact, very wet due to a raging underground river running through it.  You only get dripped upon.  Quite arduous since you climb about 12 stories as you go through the cave.  Also some low duck-walking if you are 6'-1".  But, overall a great excursion.

 

Shimizu:  We did the Regent Choice "Fish Market & Kunozan Toshogu Shrine w/lunch.". The shrine was interesting, but the fish market wasn't.  Not a " wet" market, with almost everything shrink-wrapped for sale.  The lunch was nice enough, but at $179/pp, we'd recommend other tours which went to the shrine and pass on the market and lunch.  The visit to the wet fish market in Busan , though brief, was more interesting with lots of live critters.

 

Again, I'll mention that we had mixed feelings about why some of our tours were extra-cost Regent Choice when not particularly distinguished from the included tours.  We have come to think of the excursions, en masse, of having the total cost we paid versus the total enjoyment.  All were worthwhile except the last one in Shimizu, and the papermaking experience.  In the net, some very memorable experiences!