Hotels Tokyo precruise

[Trophy199]

Can you suggest a precruise hotel before my cruise starting in Tokyo?

also how to transfer from airport to hotel and next day hotel to the ship?

thanks

[cruiseaholic78]

Welcome to CC.

A few things first where are you flying to, Narita or Haneda, if you can choose book definitely Haneda its much nearer Tokyo.

Where will your ship (which one and when) depart from Tokyo or 

Yokohama and where will you stay before boarding.

For airport to hotel in Tokyo we use the Limousine bus (its more of a coach) its convenient, luggage loaded underneath sit back and relax.

https://webservice.limousinebus.co.jp/web/en/

If you have already booked your cruise I suggest you join the roll call using the ‘find your roll call’ at the top of the CC. There you will hopefully find tips from your fellow cruisers.

For hotel to cruise ship this depends on all of the above and where you have decided to stay.

I suggest you do a bit more research first about the above and after making a few of the decisions maybe return here for some more tips.

Happy planning

Rosalyn

[BruceMuzz]

Aside from 2 International Airports, Metro Tokyo has 6 International Cruise Terminals; 4 in Tokyo and 2 in Yokohama.

Once you have determined which airport you are flying into and which Cruise Terminal you are sailing out of, come back and ask your questions again. 

[Hlitner]

Another issue is how many days you plan to stay in Tokyo?  With only one night, we would suggest staying somewhere near the cruise port (as Brucemuzz points out, there are multiple ports).   For one pre-cruise night we would suggest staying relatively close to the port (such as Yokohama if you are embarking at that port).  With more than 1 night, we think one needs to give more consideration to where in the Tokyo area best suits you wants/needs.  

 

My suggestion to the OP (besides agreeing with Brucemuzz's post) is to extend your pre-cruise visit as much as possible.  For example, on our recent cruise (from Yokohama) we spent 11 pre-cruise days in Japan and split our stays between Tokyo and Kyoto!  I would have been delighted to spend many more weeks in Japan...but there are limits :).  It is an amazing country to visit and land time gives one many opportunities not enjoyed by folks who rely on cruise days.

 

Hank

[SClakeliving]

On 10/14/2023 at 8:47 AM, cruiseaholic78 said:

Welcome to CC.

A few things first where are you flying to, Narita or Haneda, if you can choose book definitely Haneda its much nearer Tokyo.

Where will your ship (which one and when) depart from Tokyo or 

Yokohama and where will you stay before boarding.

For airport to hotel in Tokyo we use the Limousine bus (its more of a coach) its convenient, luggage loaded underneath sit back and relax.

https://webservice.limousinebus.co.jp/web/en/

If you have already booked your cruise I suggest you join the roll call using the ‘find your roll call’ at the top of the CC. There you will hopefully find tips from your fellow cruisers.

For hotel to cruise ship this depends on all of the above and where you have decided to stay.

I suggest you do a bit more research first about the above and after making a few of the decisions maybe return here for some more tips.

Happy planning

Rosalyn

Do I have to book the airport limosine bus in advance or can I purchase a ticket when we arrive by plane?

 

[cruiseaholic78]

We have never booked in advance as one never knows exactly the time of arrival and getting baggage.

 

[luckybecky]

On 10/14/2023 at 8:42 AM, BruceMuzz said:

Aside from 2 International Airports, Metro Tokyo has 6 International Cruise Terminals; 4 in Tokyo and 2 in Yokohama.

Once you have determined which airport you are flying into and which Cruise Terminal you are sailing out of, come back and ask your questions again. 

 

Reviving an old thread here... where can I find info on what cruise terminal we are scheduled for?

 

The NCL website and Cruisemapper just say "Tokyo" with nothing more specific. Granted, our cruise is a year and a half away. Is the terminal likely to be determined later? I'm already starting to think about what we could do with a day or two pre-cruise in Tokyo, and therefore what area we should consider for our hotel.

[monkey@cruise]

50 minutes ago, luckybecky said:

 

Reviving an old thread here... where can I find info on what cruise terminal we are scheduled for?

 

The NCL website and Cruisemapper just say "Tokyo" with nothing more specific. Granted, our cruise is a year and a half away. Is the terminal likely to be determined later? I'm already starting to think about what we could do with a day or two pre-cruise in Tokyo, and therefore what area we should consider for our hotel.

Here is the Tokyo Port Authority 2024 cruise schedule:
https://www.kouwan.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kanko/cruiseshipschedule2024_En.pdf

東京港客船入港予定|観光レジャー|東京都港湾局公式ホームページ (tokyo.lg.jp)

 

For NCL ships, usually dock at Tokyo International cruise terminal.

 

Free Shuttle Bus Information

　The Bureau of Port and Harbor, Tokyo, operates a free shuttle bus service for passengers boarding and disembarking cruise Cruise Ship when they enter the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal.

　The route and schedule of the shuttle bus service will be posted in the "Announcements" section of the website below as soon as they are finalized.

https://www.tptc.co.jp/cms/terminal/file/file2024/cruise_terminal/shuttlebus/0430QEshuttlebus-english.pdf

Edited May 5 by monkey@cruise

[luckybecky]

7 hours ago, monkey@cruise said:

Here is the Tokyo Port Authority 2024 cruise schedule:
https://www.kouwan.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kanko/cruiseshipschedule2024_En.pdf

東京港客船入港予定|観光レジャー|東京都港湾局公式ホームページ (tokyo.lg.jp)

 

For NCL ships, usually dock at Tokyo International cruise terminal.

 

Free Shuttle Bus Information

　The Bureau of Port and Harbor, Tokyo, operates a free shuttle bus service for passengers boarding and disembarking cruise Cruise Ship when they enter the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal.

　The route and schedule of the shuttle bus service will be posted in the "Announcements" section of the website below as soon as they are finalized.

https://www.tptc.co.jp/cms/terminal/file/file2024/cruise_terminal/shuttlebus/0430QEshuttlebus-english.pdf

 

 

Thank you so much! That is all great information. We have lots of time to plan this trip but never too early to start. 🙂

[monkey@cruise]

17 hours ago, luckybecky said:

 

 

Thank you so much! That is all great information. We have lots of time to plan this trip but never too early to start. 🙂

If you like to save 3500 yen on taxi:  Taxi to Shinagawa station Konan Exit taxi stand, 700 feet to the cruise shuttle Shinagawa pickup stand.
 

[bazzaw]

Anybody looking for a pre-cruise hotel with the cruise starting from Yokohama - I would stay in Yokohama itself. It is a great city of almost 4 million people - a great place to walk around on the waterfront - Chinatown in Yokohama is the largest in Japan . And there is a cafe there at the wharf adjacent to the cruise terminal that has Hokkaido crab Ramen to die for !! 🙂

[AKJonesy]

@Trophy199 @SClakeliving @luckybecky Another consideration is the arrival time.  We arrived in Haneda HND at 8 pm and had no idea how long customs and immigration were going to take.  Considering late night travel into Yokohama, we opted for one of the hotels at the airport because busses and trains become more limited in late evening and taxis cost way more in late evening.  It just wasn't worth the guess.  More on that in a minute.  We did not learn of our pier until quite late.  In addition, when I booked the hotel at HND, we didn't know which pier and had I booked a hotel in Yokohama I would want to know which pier so that I didn't have to use additional transportation getting to the pier.  It was quite a walk from arrivals to customs and immigration.  Walking at a very fast pace, it took about 15-20 minutes.  There were 3 arrivals around the same time so the lines became long very quickly.  Since we hustled, it took about 15 minutes through customs and immigration AFTER walking the 15 to 20 minutes.  But, if you walk more slowly and if there are other flights, then the queue could get long.  So, you have to consider this when arriving at night.  Also, the reason we stayed at airport was that we did not want to hassle looking for getting yen, figuring out the train or more.  I just knew we would be too tired to deal with it.  Also, there is NOT a lot of room on the trains for luggage.  In the end, we stayed at the Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda.  It was a lovely hotel with an Onsen included in the price.  The Onsen is a hot spring with many pools (women and men separate)  The food at the hotel was excellent, but Haneda airport has many eateries with excellent food on the NON secured side of the airport.  We took the Keikyu Bus to 100 meters of Shinko Pier.  We purchased the tickets using a cc at the manned ticketing desk which is right outside of the arrivals at Haneda.  The cost was about $6 USD which was far cheaper than the Holland America Line price of $49 PP.  More on that.  It took about 45 minutes to drop us at the closest point to the Shinko Pier (use google maps to figure it out).  Also, when you come out of arrivals after customs there is a manned Information desk straight ahead.  So, for our ticket there was no figuring out how to buy a ticket at a machine.  In the end, we never need ANY yen for our two days there.  But, we did use some of it up in various ports.  We stayed two nights at the hotel mentioned.  We walked through the Haneda Garden (mall) and ate at various eateries and we visited the Onsen twice which was so relaxing.  I was glad we stayed at the airport because I wasn't sure of our pier when I booked the hotel months in advance.  The bus that took us into Yokohama stopped at a number of places (see the schedule).  They loaded our luggage under the bus so no worrying about the train or transferring at the bus or train station which was way to complicated IMHO and I would avoid that.  Taxis from HND to Yoko are expensive and probably on par with what the cruise line is going to charge you.  We didn't want to do that because there are too many people to wait for.  So, we checked out at the last minute, took the Keikyu Bus, which arrived around 1:30pm, walked right in, dropped out luggage, checked in and left the ship to go out and explore some of the many things around Yoko.  Our ship did not leave until 8pm.  That was a wonderful experience, easy, quiet and comfortable.  Go on you tube and look up some of the things I mentioned and you'll be very prepared, which I was.   https://www.keikyu-bus.co.jp/en/airport/h-yamashita/

 

Edited Friday at 12:29 PM by AKJonesy

[monkey@cruise]

https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/index.html
Haneda Airport has three different terminals. Terminal 1 is a domestic only, Terminal 2 is mostly domestic, but it has a few international flights. Terminal 3, is only for international flights. 
If arrival gate number is above 140, an extensive walking distance to immigration hall.

 

Visit Japan Web online form vs Paper Form
If both queue the same line, the QR code doesn't speed up immigration—still need to see an official to get your passport reviewed and stamped.
If separate line for each - QR code, paper form. The QR code line will be quicker.
For customs, a separate line with kiosks for QR codes. Scan the QR code and  passport at a kiosk, confirm your answer and go to the automated gate, you only have to remove hat/mask and slowly walk out (there is camera that look at you). QR code line is quicker than paper form line.

 

Transport from Haneda Airport
Keikyu Airport Line Express to Yokohama station, operates till 11:30pm, every 15 min, 30 min travel, fare ¥370  (US $2.5)
Keikyu Haneda Airport Bus to Yokohama Sta. (YCAT), operates till 11:30pm, every 20 min, 30 min travel, fare ¥650  (US 4.50)
Taxi from Haneda Airport to Yokohama Stn. fare : ¥10,000  (US $65)

Train is commuter rail, though no luggage rack, but floor area for luggage, if taking the train during evening hours, fewer passenger .

Bus accepts touch payment by credit card (Visa, American Express, Diners Club, Discover), no need to queue at a ticketing desk.

Yokohama Bay has three cruise terminals: Daikoku Pier, Osanbashi Hall and Shinko Pier
Haneda Airport ⇔ Yamashita Park/Minato Mirai District/ Red Brick Warehouse bus route
Runs every 2 hours from 10am to 4pm, 4 times a day only. fare ¥800  (US $5.30)
Shinko Pier - 300 feet;  Osanbashi Hall - 1800 feet; Daikoku Pier - N/A no public transport access (shuttle from Yamashita Park)

[luckybecky]

@AKJonesy @monkey@cruise Thank you for all the detailed information! Excellent suggestions! We have a lot of time to figure this out. It's good to hear what worked for other people.

[monkey@cruise]

9 hours ago, luckybecky said:

@AKJonesy @monkey@cruise Thank you for all the detailed information! Excellent suggestions! We have a lot of time to figure this out. It's good to hear what worked for other people.

If NCL docks at Tokyo International, stay in Shinagawa City, north of Haneda. Yokohama is 10 miles south of Haneda. If requires taxi transport to Tokyo area, flat-rate fare taxi available from Haneda.

[bazzaw]

On 5/17/2024 at 10:26 PM, AKJonesy said:

Shinko Pier (use google maps to figure it out). 

 

I am surprised to hear that you departed from Shinko Pier - what cruiseship was this? Shinko pier is adjacent to the main Yokohama Cruise terminal. I did not know that it was used for cruiseships. In 2020, we were to leave from Yokohama pier ( I think it is called Osanbashi Pier??)  On Cunard Queen Elizabeth - but cancelled by Covid. This year we departed (also on QE) from the new Tokyo International Cruise Terminal, which is basically in Tokyo itself ( at least you can get to it on one line of the Tokyo Underground network)  

Edited Sunday at 09:13 PM by bazzaw

[bazzaw]

AAH! I found this webpage which tells what ships go to which berths in Yokohama https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp.e.sj.hp.transer.com/kanko-bunka/minato/kyakusen/nyuko/2024.html   Seems that most go to Osanbashi with some ( what appear to be smaller ships) go to Shinko pier 

[monkey@cruise]

1 hour ago, bazzaw said:

AAH! I found this webpage which tells what ships go to which berths in Yokohama https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp.e.sj.hp.transer.com/kanko-bunka/minato/kyakusen/nyuko/2024.html   Seems that most go to Osanbashi with some ( what appear to be smaller ships) go to Shinko pier 

Sihnko Pier is for small cruise ships; Osanbashi for medium and Daikoku Pier for large cruise ship because of Yokohama Bay Bridge clearance restriction.

Edited Sunday at 11:38 PM by monkey@cruise

[AKJonesy]

On 5/17/2024 at 7:19 PM, monkey@cruise said:

 

Bus accepts touch payment by credit card (Visa, American Express, Diners Club, Discover), no need to queue at a ticketing desk.

 

Note to others although monkey@cruise mentioned the above, I was told that the busses can be full.  Two stops after our HND pickup and I believe at Terminal 1 we picked up passengers that filled our bus.  There was no queue at the ticket desk and it was nice the "know" exactly what to expect and that is why I mentioned it. We "booked" our transfer for a specific time departure.  Also, if you can avoid to transfer with luggage at YCAT or the train station is Yokohama, I would do that because we were told by others that it can be very busy and hauling luggage isn't easy.  This advice is based on what was easiest for us but it may not be for you.  Osanbashi Pier is a hop skip from Shinko Pier.  I'll try to find the Yokohama things to do map source that was given to me which had a lot of information and if I can, I will post it.