Journey to the Center of the Earth: An Asian Cruising Tale

[dltaeg]

Just want to say a HUGE thanks to @ARandomTraveler and @bonsai3s 💙

We are on the Sept 19th sailing and as a family of 6 RC excursions work out very expensive so we always DIY it. I had all my planning done just not how to get off the actual ports in Hong Kong and Yatsushiro so its a huge relief to know there are buses/taxis at both ports. 

Please keep up the posts @bonsai3s and safe travels to both of you 😁

[aussierangers]

Yes me too, I went to bed last night feeling much more relaxed about those ports, and now really looking forward to exploring Yatsushiro instead of potentially just staying on the ship.  Fingers crossed now that they get Nha Trang sorted out.

[perfect match]

I’m enjoying the continued review! Thank you for keeping it going! 
 

At my age 😱 and considering the order of my bucket list priorities, I seriously doubt I’ll get to most of the places you’ve been visiting so I’m very much enjoying my virtual visits. 

[cynt]

Great review @bonsai3sand @ARandomTraveler. Thanks for taking us along for the trip.

[ARandomTraveler]

On 8/15/2023 at 1:44 AM, mugtech said:

           Great review, wondering if anyone could tell us anything about Sichuan Red, looking forward to trying the scallops and garlic broccoli. 

We ate at Sichuan Red one time. We had the garlic broccoli which I thought was good. Not much to it, it's a head of broccoli with some garlic on top but it was well cooked and it was nice to have a vegetable other than cabbage and carrots to crunch info. 
 

We didn't have the scallops but we had some other stuff (see below), sliced pork wraps, kung pao prawns, pickeled radish and duck soup, and spicy Sichuan noodles. All of it was good. We also chose "mild," which was fine for me, but my daughter that it was spicy. 
 

If you have the dining plan, you can order up to $35/person. I'm not sure how close we got but we didn't go over $35/each and we had more food than we could eat. 

Edited August 16, 2023 by ARandomTraveler

[ARandomTraveler]

On 8/14/2023 at 10:29 PM, BecciBoo said:

Could you ask for double or triple shots in your coffee?

 

The gardens photos were lovely, I bet those Bonsi's were hundreds of years old, right?  Just gorgeous.  I myself will never get over to the orient but love your review anyway. Thx.

Yes, you could ask for more shots of espresso in your coffee. You could also ask for more shots of chocolate in your hot chocolate and red velvet tea (which I'm pretty sure was also hot chocolate) 😂.

 

 

[ARandomTraveler]

On 8/14/2023 at 11:51 PM, bonsai3s said:

Echoing what ARandomTraveler stated, it was an extremely difficult process getting off the ship.

 

Fortunately, the City of Kobe provided a free shuttle right into town...a block from "Kobe Motomachi"...a wonderful walking street full of shops and restaurants.

 

* Our goal was to taste Kobe beef...we did...it was sublime.

 

One of many Japanese vending machines.

 

 

 

 

 

I think this is the same area we got taken to, around the corner from Chinatown. If anyone has an excursion booked, you're probably better off canceling the excursion and using the free shuttle because this was the highlight of the whole tour, the other couple stops I could have lived without, especially for $134/person vs free. 

[ARandomTraveler]

On 8/15/2023 at 5:29 PM, little britain said:

@bonsai3s how’s the weather.. rocking and rolling? 🌊 

 

On 8/15/2023 at 6:38 PM, bonsai3s said:

Hi LB,

Yes, a bit of rocking and rolling...but Captain Wu (that's what everyone calls him), has been absolutely brilliant keeping us away from Typhoon Lan.

I was wondering the same thing. We've been "stuck" in Tokyo for 2 days because of Typhoon Lan (aka typhoon #7). We had plans to take a Shinkansen train (bullet train) to Kyoto on Tuesday, but the typhoon hit Kyoto and shut the trains down. We rebooked our hotel, extended the stay in the current one, rebooked the train, and waited another day only for the trains to be canceled again. Went through the whole process again today, and thankfully it looks like the trains are operating again.

 

This is the kind of trip that definitely requires a lot of planning with a bit of "go with the flow" sprinkled in there to adjust to all the possible travel hiccups that can happen along the way. Speaking of which, I need to hop online and start another travel insurance claim for my 2 night hotel stay from the Typhoon.

[bonsai3s]

On 8/16/2023 at 6:06 AM, dltaeg said:

Just want to say a HUGE thanks to @ARandomTraveler and @bonsai3s 💙

We are on the Sept 19th sailing and as a family of 6 RC excursions work out very expensive so we always DIY it. I had all my planning done just not how to get off the actual ports in Hong Kong and Yatsushiro so its a huge relief to know there are buses/taxis at both ports. 

Please keep up the posts @bonsai3s and safe travels to both of you 😁

Our next stop is Hong Kong, and the rumor is...there will be free shuttles from the Kai Tak cruise terminal to the Kai Tak MTR because of the fiasco last sailing. I will let you know.

[aussierangers]

That should be the case, the Hong Kong media was full of articles about the fiasco after your port call, and the government responded really quickly.  The two cruises following yours had all sorts of free bus options, and was giving taxi drivers incentives to be at the port.  Apparently all the queues disappeared and it all went really smoothly.

[bonsai3s]

We, along with many other passengers, started coughing and got concerned...we brought along a few covid test kits and self-tested...both negative...what a relief.

 

Kagoshima...clear skies, but the usual heat and humidity. Note: Sorry, but I have very little information today.

 

* Feeling a bit under the weather, we had no plans. We decided to walk down the terminal just to get some information.

 

* The ship docked at Marine Port Kagoshima...approximately 30 minutes from the city center.

 

* The relatively small cruise terminal had a nice (and cold) shopping area and there were several food trucks outside. (Great for the crew)

 

* For those who DIY, there were only 2 ways to get to town...1. Taxis: very few after 10am...2. Tram: About 1.5 miles...walk or taxi.

 

* Regrettably, no shuttles were provided. It would've been nice to have a shuttle to town or even the tram. Hopefully, they can correct this and will have shuttles for future sailings.

 

* We wanted to buy some cough medication and heard there was a mall about a mile away...just follow the yellow line on the sidewalk. (Or follow many other passengers and crew members walking to the mall.) We got our cough medication...walked back to the ship...and soaked our exhausted bodies in the wonderful Solarium jacuzzi. I had a mudslide and DW had a Midori Mojito. We haven't taken the cough medication. 

The distance between Kumamto and Kagoshima is short...the ship literally went around in circles last night.

[buaya123]

thank you for the sharing, as it gives me more insight to what is about to come, when i join SOTS from Yokohama back to Singapore. Looks like Sichuan Hot is 1 place to check out. How's Izumi? Any feedback? 

[bonsai3s]

On 8/17/2023 at 10:52 AM, buaya123 said:

thank you for the sharing, as it gives me more insight to what is about to come, when i join SOTS from Yokohama back to Singapore. Looks like Sichuan Hot is 1 place to check out. How's Izumi? Any feedback? 

Izumi was good, much like on other ships. You can order ala carte or pre-fix ($39.99/person)

 

We did ala carte and ordered 2 large plates of sashimi (salmon and yellow tail), futomaki, and lobster roll...finished with mochi ice-cream.

 

* Having stops in Kobe, Shimizu, Yokohama, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima...where you can readily find fresh sashimi and sushi...Izumi hasn't been crowded. JMHO, if we cruise to Japan again, we would skip Izumi.

[dancingwind]

Just wondering- is there any formal night? or just causal nights?

 

Thanks!

[bonsai3s]

On 8/17/2023 at 3:11 PM, dancingwind said:

Just wondering- is there any formal night? or just causal nights?

 

Thanks!

Yes..."Dress to Impress"...twice, held on sea days for the 12N sailings. (If there was a third, we missed it  )

[dancingwind]

Thanks- was thinking whether I should cramp a pretty dress or 2 - I am taking Sep sailing from Tokyo 🙂

[bonsai3s]

The Captain reminded us yesterday that the internet will be slow as soon as we approach/enter Chinese airspace.

 

 

[Coralc]

That's interesting! They are able to throttle satellite internet speed, I guess. Thanks. 😊

[bonsai3s]

Hong Kong...after the fiasco/debacle on the previous sailing...the government learned, reacted, and truly made a brilliant correction.  Our second Hong Kong experience was truly remarkable.

 

* Inside the cruise terminal were many english speaking guides, seemingly everwhere...helping all passengers.

 

* Buses, shuttles, and coaches were all FREE...yes, all of them. Free shuttles and large coaches were leaving constantly and taking passengers to various MTR stations and sights. (See attached photos)

 

* No more long queues, no pandemonium, no chaos...all happy passengers. (News anchors/media were there reporting live)

 

* Our goal today was to go up the tallest building in Hong Kong...Sky 100. Cost to enter, 198 HKD for seniors...views, priceless.

Located near the Kowloon Station MTR, we had plans to take the bus from the cruise terminal to the Kai Tak MTR, Tuen Ma line to Nam Cheong MTR, transfer to the Tung Chung line, and end at the Kowloon Station MTR. (Think "Amazing Race"....it would've taken us about 2 hours, one way)

 

** We couldn't believe it!...there was a free bus (a large air-conditioned coach) that went directly from the cruise terminal and Kowloon Station MTR...and back! Simply incredible. Travel time : approx. 30 minutes.

 

* The Kowloon Station MTR is massive...4 floors, hundreds of stores, restaurants, food courts...and even an ice rink. We enjoyed some delicious Dim Sum while waiting for the bus back.

 

* Tip: When exiting any MTR station, kindly look for the "Exit Direction" on the wall...A, B, C, D exits...for example, our exit for the Sky 100 building was C1.

 

 

[dltaeg]

5 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

Hong Kong...after the fiasco/debacle on the previous sailing...the government learned, reacted, and truly made a brilliant correction.  Our second Hong Kong experience was truly remarkable.

 

* Inside the cruise terminal were many english speaking guides, seemingly everwhere...helping all passengers.

 

* Buses, shuttles, and coaches were all FREE...yes, all of them. Free shuttles and large coaches were leaving constantly and taking passengers to various MTR stations and sights. (See attached photos)

 

* No more long queues, no pandemonium, no chaos...all happy passengers. (News anchors/media were there reporting live)

 

* Our goal today was to go up the tallest building in Hong Kong...Sky 100. Cost to enter, 198 HKD for seniors...views, priceless.

Located near the Kowloon Station MTR, we had plans to take the bus from the cruise terminal to the Kai Tak MTR, Tuen Ma line to Nam Cheong MTR, transfer to the Tung Chung line, and end at the Kowloon Station MTR. (Think "Amazing Race"....it would've taken us about 2 hours, one way)

 

** We couldn't believe it!...there was a free bus (a large air-conditioned coach) that went directly from the cruise terminal and Kowloon Station MTR...and back! Simply incredible. Travel time : approx. 30 minutes.

 

* The Kowloon Station MTR is massive...4 floors, hundreds of stores, restaurants, food courts...and even an ice rink. We enjoyed some delicious Dim Sum while waiting for the bus back.

 

* Tip: When exiting any MTR station, kindly look for the "Exit Direction" on the wall...A, B, C, D exits...for example, our exit for the Sky 100 building was C1.

 

 

I'm so glad to hear Hong Kong round 2 went more smoothly for you and you had a lovely day. 

 

Thanks for the update regarding the busses & coaches too. I don't suppose you saw one going to Disney or if there were any larger (6 people) taxis hanging around the port? 

[bonsai3s]

On 8/20/2023 at 6:06 AM, dltaeg said:

I'm so glad to hear Hong Kong round 2 went more smoothly for you and you had a lovely day. 

 

Thanks for the update regarding the busses & coaches too. I don't suppose you saw one going to Disney or if there were any larger (6 people) taxis hanging around the port? 

There were no busses or coaches going to Disney.

 

Taxis, this time around, were plenty...regrettably, we didn't see any large taxis for 6 people.

[BecAus]

2 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

There were no busses or coaches going to Disney.

 

Taxis, this time around, were plenty...regrettably, we didn't see any large taxis for 6 people.

I don't recall seeing larger taxi's when we've travelled to HK, not saying they don't have them but I don't remember ever seeing any.  When we had six people we took two regular taxi's as I recall.

[dltaeg]

On 8/20/2023 at 12:33 AM, bonsai3s said:

There were no busses or coaches going to Disney.

 

Taxis, this time around, were plenty...regrettably, we didn't see any large taxis for 6 people.

Thanks so much @bonsai3s and @BecAus 🙂 

[aussierangers]

Thank you so much Bonsai for keeping us so well informed.  Do you mind if I ask one last question - when you went back to Nha Trang, were there still problems with the tenders? Or did they get people off the ship quicker?  We are still deciding what to do at this port.  Thanks again and safe travels home!

[bonsai3s]

On 8/25/2023 at 8:34 AM, aussierangers said:

Thank you so much Bonsai for keeping us so well informed.  Do you mind if I ask one last question - when you went back to Nha Trang, were there still problems with the tenders? Or did they get people off the ship quicker?  We are still deciding what to do at this port.  Thanks again and safe travels home!

Tendering the second time was still a problem...not as bad as the first time.

 

* For example, Tender ticket #22 was called around 10am. The previous sailing, Tender ticket #17 was called at 12:15pm. 

 

Note: For DIY travelers, it is best to get on the early tenders. Taxis are limited at the dock.

 

* Locals will accept U.S. dollars...but only "clean" bills, no writings or ink on bills and not torn. Be careful of the currency exchange rate.

 

* JMHO, Vietnam is the cheapest country in Asia...great bargains everywhere...clothing, shoes, souvenirs, food, and as our dear friend discovered, even massages. If you haggle politely and with a smile, you can get that $100 tour for $50...in an air-conditioned taxi...small but can fit 2 adults and 2 children.