Quasi-Live Westerdam Oct 1st Japan

[Dobby36]

4 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

.  If you want to make sure that you are completely covered, you can request a larger size robe from your stateroom attendant.  It might be a good idea as the ladies/gents locker room is across the spa lobby, past an elevator bank, and you get to walk Infront of the stairs that lead up to Deck 10.  So, if you want to feel really secure with a robe that completely covers you, consider asking for the larger size from your room steward.

 

Using the regular size robes are not problematic when using the tile loungers, or Therapy pool, or regular pool because you are wearing a bathing suit.  But when you are having a spa service like a massage, you generally are not wearing very much at all.  😲

thank you for this note! I’m over six feet (and not skinny either) so I always felt the standard robes felt teeny on me….but never occurred to me to ask if they had larger ones! Mind blown.  Haha! Thanks much.  

[Ferry_Watcher]

On 10/15/2023 at 10:37 PM, Riversedge said:

I am really enjoying your posts.  We will be on the Westerdam for the month of February.  Would you mind posting the list of ports you will be visiting during the next two weeks?  I’m hoping it’s some of the same that we will be doing.  You are a wealth of information.  Thank you!

In addition to Kushiro and Yokohama we will visit the following Japanese cities:

Miyako

Hakodate

Aomori

Sokocho, South Korea

Sakaiminato

Sasebo

Nagasaki

Kagoshima

Kochi, and then return to Yokohama 

[Ferry_Watcher]

Continuing on with our sea day, while I was having my spa treatment, DH attended Cruise Director Nick's presentation of the next 3 ports-of-call: Miyako, Hakodate and Aomori.  We have excursions booked for the 1st two ports, but need to decide what to do in Aomori.  

In Miyako, we may have time after our excursion to take the train out to a well regarded beach, renown for it's beauty.

 

The weather on our sea day once again was sunny and warmish.  We sat out by the stern pool area until the sun set.  Then it was back to the stateroom to change for Dressy Night, and a cocktail at the Pinnacle Bar ( which with this new group of passengers, quite busy).  We were in-between jazz sets, so we didn't go there until after dinner.  We did pop in at the Rolling Stone Lounge for their last 20 minutes of their R&D set, which was very good, and surprisingly not crowded. I am curious on how different this group of passengers/ their interest will differ from the Seattle to Yokohama crowd.

 

Dinner in the main Dining Room was fine, and when we arrived at 6:30/6:40, everyone was being handed a pager.

[Riversedge]

57 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

In addition to Kushiro and Yokohama we will visit the following Japanese cities:

Miyako

Hakodate

Aomori

Sokocho, South Korea

Sakaiminato

Sasebo

Nagasaki

Kagoshima

Kochi, and then return to Yokohama 

Thank you so much.  Looks like Nagasaki and Kagoshima are our only ports on the list.  What about a visa for South Korea?  Did you get one in advance or is HAL doing it for you?  Thanks!!

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, Riversedge said:

Thank you so much.  Looks like Nagasaki and Kagoshima are our only ports on the list.  What about a visa for South Korea?  Did you get one in advance or is HAL doing it for you?  Thanks!!

We visited South Korea during our Westerdam cruise this past spring.  During our cruise it was announced that those with USA Passports did not need an ETA to visit South Korea if on a cruise ship.  We had obtained a South Korean ETA (online..directly from the South Korean government for only a few dollars) which was never needed.  

 

I do not know if South Korea has again changed their rules, but it is very easy (and inexpensive) to obtain a South Korean ETA as long as you use the official Korean government web site (other sites may charge a big extra fee).  And by the way, here is the info from the current US Dept of State:

 

"From April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, the Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) is not required for US citizens traveling for short-term business or tourism purposes."

 

Hank

 

[TheMichael]

On 10/15/2023 at 12:45 AM, Ferry_Watcher said:

Dessert was a 'not so Baked Alaska which was supposed to have Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, but it was a massive soft meringue, over mashed up cake and some sort of ice cream, and not much of that.  I'm really not complaining, it's more of a FYI.

We loved that dessert on our Alaska trip - the interior was in fact Cherry Garcia ice cream, which has fudge and cherries mixed in. The only problem for us was that it was super sweet and a bit too big. There was plenty of ice cream in ours, but perhaps they’ve started making them smaller. 

[Kristal Blade]

We visited Aomori on our Diamond Princess cruise and it was one of our favourite ports. We ended up staying 2 nights because of a typhoon but found lots to do.

Don’t miss the museum which houses the floats which are used in the annual parade, a sort of festival of light where huge floats are decorated with characters from Japanese folklore. The shop there was a great source of unique and not over expensive souvenirs. I still have the towel I bought there. It’s a big bath towel and I use it when I go to my weekly swim session. 
There is also a very interesting museum outside of town, easily accessible by local bus. It has reconstructions of ancient dwelling houses plus displays of Stone Age artefacts which was really interesting. And the museum had labels in both Japanese and English.

Aomori is famous for apples. We bought one and it was delicious. The reason we didn’t buy one each was because the apples are so big! 
I think we have been to Sakaiminato too, but I would need to check my diary. If it’s the place I’m thinking of we took a train ride, a ferry, then a little chair lift to a big temple area. On the way back we hired bikes and cycled through a beautiful pine forrest. 
Japan is just so beautiful!

[Haljo1935]

23 hours ago, Dobby36 said:

thank you for this note! I’m over six feet (and not skinny either) so I always felt the standard robes felt teeny on me….but never occurred to me to ask if they had larger ones! Mind blown.  Haha! Thanks much.  

@Ferry_Watcher @Dobby36 various ships I've asked for the xl robes (they go up to 3x, I think) cabin steward says they get them from the spa and in May on Eurodam when I went to spa for Thermalpass, they said they had something for me and came back with a larger robe! Cabin steward had asked for one, they said, but they didn't have a clean one at the time he asked, so they set one aside for me after laundry.😊

So may be worth asking at the spa and ask them to hold one for you if they're all dirty. I understand they are very limited quantity.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Port-of-call: Miyako ( my Tuesday, your Monday). We arrived in Miyako early morning without any problems.  It is very hilly, with lots of trees.  It had been devastated in the tsunami in 2011.  There was two tsunami wall defenses, the original, which was overwhelmed by the height of the 2011 event, and the newer, much higher wall, with it's massive steel doors.  It was quite impressive.

 

Weather was supposed to be sunny with a 20% chance of rain.  This made those of us laugh while eating breakfast when Cruise Director Nick announced the sunny forecast, and it was raining as he spoke.  Although, true to his word, the weather did clear and it was another perfect day.

 

We had signed up for the Panoramic Miyako Geo Park.  This tour included stops at the famous Jodogohama Beach, which was stunning with it's white flat stones, and gorgeous offshore rock formations.  I wish I could post a photo, but this has to be a must-see stop if any one plans to visit.  You can also get there via public transportation - right to the beach.  There is a small visitor center, which also has a place to buy some food and souvenirs.  There are restrooms, but other than that, you are outside in the elements - including waiting for the public bus.  Regardless, it is a must see.

 

Next stop was the Sannoiwa Rocks, which is three large outcropping of rocks with some trees, scrubs, etc growing on them.  It was very similar to what you would see along the Oregon coast.  Very pretty, but less than a must see, IMO.

 

Final stop was the town of Michi-no eki Taro.  We saw the preserved remains of a hotel that the tsunami waters hit at the 4th floor of this 6 story hotel.  The local townsfolk decided to preserve it as a reminder of the tsunami.

Our visit there (and it was almost like a very large rest stop), consisted of a small supermarket, we we used Google translate and bought a couple of rice balls, a soft serve ice cream place, a take out restaurant where I think over half the bus stood in line for, an info office, and a generous covered eating area with picnic tables.  It was a nice stop, especially to grab a quick bite and to sit down.

 

Back on the bus, we had the option to return to the ship, or get dropped off in the town center of Miyako.  I think less than half the folks on our bus opted to get off in Miyako.  We did, and I am glad we did.  We stopped by the tourist information building, and was directed to the main street shopping area.  Every store has a Welcome Westerdam poster up, we were offered free matcha tea, and over the public address tsunami warning system, traditional Japanese music was piped in.  The town went all out for us.  It was very welcoming.

 

After wandering around for nearly 2 hours, and doing some shopping, we headed back to the transit area and waited in a long line ( but not for too long) for our shuttle back to the ship.

 

We were so surprised upon returning to the pier, that there was a festival atmosphere awaiting us.  The weather was warm and sunny, there were probably over 25 tents with food, crafts, beer, Japanese whiskey, a tent that you could try on a kimono over your clothes and go out and have your friends take a photo, you could get your name painted in Japanese characters - it was amazing!  There were HS kids with costumes that you could have your photo taken with, there was music piped it, there was a giant tent with lots of seating at tables, or standing up at bar height tables.  And did I mention that it was warm and sunny!  There were locals with little kids, people with dogs, it was so much fun. Aside from the amazing sites from our excursions, just sitting outside having a beer, eating some yakitori, it was a very fun, festive vibe.  I loved it.

To top all this off, Nick had announced that we would be sent off in style by a performance from the local Jr High Brass band.  At about 4 pm, folks starting heading to the Promenade Deck to listen to the Jr High kids play.  By the time they started playing, people were 3 deep along the Promenade Deck.  There was a speech by a local dignitary (mayor?), and then more from the band, lots of clapping and cheering from the Westerdam, then as we pushed off, the folks on shore waved giant flags, people waved, the ship blew it's horn and everyone loved it.  I was so proud of the Westerdam passengers as many stayed at the rails until we were quite a ways from the pier (as a show of respect and gratitude to our Miyako hosts)   It is something I will never forget.

 

 

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

The Captain announced after we left Miyako that the ship had been pushed from the dock by winds during the day and had been held fast by bow thrusters and azipods. We'd noticed that at least one anchor was down when we returned to the ship that afternoon. He talked about high winds in the forecast of 40+ knots which were above safe levels to dock at future stops.

 

Overnight we got a letter from the Captain under the cabin door that our future planned stop in Aomori was being cancelled due to weather forecast and need to be sure to do Japanese immigration exit procedures before we left Japan for South Korea. We're staying overnight in Hakodate instead. More on Hakodate later.

[Kristal Blade]

Sorry to hear you will miss Aomori, but better to be safe.

Hakodate is a good port too!

[WriterOnDeck]

5 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

We were so surprised upon returning to the pier, that there was a festival atmosphere awaiting us.  The weather was warm and sunny, there were probably over 25 tents with food, crafts, beer, Japanese whiskey, a tent that you could try on a kimono over your clothes and go out and have your friends take a photo, you could get your name painted in Japanese characters - it was amazing!  There were HS kids with costumes that you could have your photo taken with, there was music piped it, there was a giant tent with lots of seating at tables, or standing up at bar height tables.  And did I mention that it was warm and sunny!  There were locals with little kids, people with dogs, it was so much fun. Aside from the amazing sites from our excursions, just sitting outside having a beer, eating some yakitori, it was a very fun, festive vibe.  I loved it.

To top all this off, Nick had announced that we would be sent off in style by a performance from the local Jr High Brass band.  At about 4 pm, folks starting heading to the Promenade Deck to listen to the Jr High kids play.  By the time they started playing, people were 3 deep along the Promenade Deck.  There was a speech by a local dignitary (mayor?), and then more from the band, lots of clapping and cheering from the Westerdam, then as we pushed off, the folks on shore waved giant flags, people waved, the ship blew it's horn and everyone loved it.  I was so proud of the Westerdam passengers as many stayed at the rails until we were quite a ways from the pier (as a show of respect and gratitude to our Miyako hosts)   It is something I will never forget.

 

 

 

One of my favorite things about the Japanese ports on my earlier Grand Asia cruises was the sendoff from each of the smaller Japanese ports. They really go all out for the cruise ships!

[SilvertoGold]

4 hours ago, WriterOnDeck said:

One of my favorite things about the Japanese ports on my earlier Grand Asia cruises was the sendoff from each of the smaller Japanese ports. They really go all out for the cruise ships!

They do and it is one of the huge pluses cruising in Asia. Ports put on such show, dancers, drummers, bands. A country of very polite and friendly people where we have always felt safe and welcome.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Having been to both Aomori and Hakodate, I would love two days in Hakodate. There is quite a bit to do in this area. Hopefully you have good weather. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

Port-of-call Hakodate, my Wednesday, your Tuesday.

It was another beautiful day waking up as we sailed into the city of Hakodate.  Our aft balcony faced the mountain that the tourist must see Hakodate Ropeway ( two very large trams to the top of the mountain).  The weather appeared to be so inviting that we requested our amazing room attendant to please chill our last bottle of champagne so that we had the option of enjoying it from our balcony later in the day.

 

We had a three stop excursion booked: the Hokodate Morning Market;  Mt Hokodate Ropeway; and the Red Brick Warehouses.  We boarded the buses at around 8:30, and we were in third bus of 3 traveling the same route.  Our guide was very nice, but a quiet voice.  

 

Once we finally pulled out of the parking lot, our guide gave us the itinerary, and told us that the must visit Morning Market would be our final stop of the day.  She told us this as she pointed out the location of the Morning Market which was basically directly across the the street from the cruise terminal.  We could see fellow passengers just walking over to the market, and it began to dawn on us that perhaps we were 'skunked' on booking this excursion.

 

So, instead of going to the Morning Market, we drove a relatively short distance (2 or 3 miles), we got to the tram station for the Ropeway.  We were the third bus, and our guide had us remain on the bus allowing the other two busses to unload and head in.  Then a 4th bus with HAL passengers arrived on a slightly different tour, but they also unloaded and headed to the tram station.  Finally she got us off the bus and it was our turn.

 

It took a while to walk your way thru the tram station to get to the platform.  The line included a couple flights of stairs, but there were so many people, that you could only walk up 3-4 stairs at a time, and then you would stop.  There was an elevator option as well.  There was an couple from the Westerdam that ended up in front of us that had come to the Ropeway on their own via taxi.  We asked them about it and they said it cost Y900 ($6USD).  DH and I are now realizing that we probably should have skipped the excursion and done this on our own.  In any case, the view was amazing, and we were so very lucky that it was a gloriously clear day, and we could see forever.

 

Next stop was the Red Brick Warehouses, which are a collection of former shopping warehouses, now shops and restaurants, made from red brick along the waterfront.  They were located about just under a mile from the ship.  The guide took us to the middle warehouse, pointed out the location of the restrooms and a well regarded cheesecake place and gave us about 45 minutes to explore and get back to the bus.  The stores were all very nice and upscale.  There even was a Starbucks across the street, but we didn't go there.  There was a iconic burger place called Lucky Pierrot that we walked into to check it out.  We also took note of a beer hall restaurant in one of the red brick buildings.

 

Then it was back on the bus to go to the Morning Market. The guide suggested we consider getting our lunch there, as it was after 12 pm and the (fish) shops would begin closing soon.  She also suggested that instead of returning to the bus, we just finish the tour there and walk back to the Westerdam, but if anyone wanted to be dropped off at the ship that they should stay with the guide.  Ironically, the parking lot for the buses was actually further away from the Morning Market than the moored ship, so I am guessing that everyone stayed at the market rather than walking further towards the bus lot.

 

At the Morning Market, we could see that the fish shops were beginning to close.  We wandered around and found a place for lunch. The restaurant offered a pictorial menu in English.  DH selected 5 different types of sushi over rice - tuna, shrimp, squid, salmon and roe.  I went for the cooked whole (small) mackerel, miso soup, and pickled vegetables.  We both had a beer and we were pointed to where in the restaurant to get tea and water. The restaurant was open to the walkway and where we could watch a young employee cook some meals on a very hot gas fired grill.  The food was good, and the atmosphere was fun.

 

One thing that the guide did do was to take the time to make suggestions for areas or places that we could visit on our own either later, or as you might remember, we were overnighting in Hakodate because of high winds cancelled our port-of-call in Aomori.  She pointed out some restaurants that were closed already, but we could return on Thursday.  She also mentioned a area just past the Hakodate train station that had a few alleys filled with tiny restaurants like Tokyo.

 

After eating our fish lunch and wandering around for a bit, we headed back to the ship and napped.  Then at about 4pm, with the sun on our deck we took in the last of the sunlight while enjoying our champagne on our balcony. As the sun set behind the mountain, we could see a beautiful crescent moon.

 

We decided at dusk to return to the Ropeway (mountain tram).  We got into a cab just outside the terminal and it just cost us Y1000 ($6.70 USD), one way and Y1800 ($12USD) admission each via vending kiosk.

 

Being up there in the evening was written up as a must do in the guide book, and they were right - it really is beautiful.  It was also super super crowded - not with Westerners, but with Asian tour groups.  It was so crowded that it took us 20 minutes of waiting in line just to get into a tram to return back down the mountain.  It took us a while to figure out where to catch a cab, but if you go, look for the official  taxi pick up location directly behind (downhill) the tram building.  We then returned to the ship and had a late dinner onboard.

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Port-of-call Hakodate, my Wednesday, your Tuesday.

It was another beautiful day waking up as we sailed into the city of Hakodate.  Our aft balcony faced the mountain that the tourist must see Hakodate Ropeway ( two very large trams to the top of the mountain).  The weather appeared to be so inviting that we requested our amazing room attendant to please chill our last bottle of champagne so that we had the option of enjoying it from our balcony later in the day.

 

We had a three stop excursion booked: the Hokodate Morning Market;  Mt Hokodate Ropeway; and the Red Brick Warehouses.  We boarded the buses at around 8:30, and we were in third bus of 3 traveling the same route.  Our guide was very nice, but a quiet voice.  

 

Once we finally pulled out of the parking lot, our guide gave us the itinerary, and told us that the must visit Morning Market would be our final stop of the day.  She told us this as she pointed out the location of the Morning Market which was basically directly across the the street from the cruise terminal.  We could see fellow passengers just walking over to the market, and it began to dawn on us that perhaps we were 'skunked' on booking this excursion.

 

So, instead of going to the Morning Market, we drove a relatively short distance (2 or 3 miles), we got to the tram station for the Ropeway.  We were the third bus, and our guide had us remain on the bus allowing the other two busses to unload and head in.  Then a 4th bus with HAL passengers arrived on a slightly different tour, but they also unloaded and headed to the tram station.  Finally she got us off the bus and it was our turn.

 

It took a while to walk your way thru the tram station to get to the platform.  The line included a couple flights of stairs, but there were so many people, that you could only walk up 3-4 stairs at a time, and then you would stop.  There was an elevator option as well.  There was an couple from the Westerdam that ended up in front of us that had come to the Ropeway on their own via taxi.  We asked them about it and they said it cost Y900 ($6USD).  DH and I are now realizing that we probably should have skipped the excursion and done this on our own.  In any case, the view was amazing, and we were so very lucky that it was a gloriously clear day, and we could see forever.

 

Next stop was the Red Brick Warehouses, which are a collection of former shopping warehouses, now shops and restaurants, made from red brick along the waterfront.  They were located about just under a mile from the ship.  The guide took us to the middle warehouse, pointed out the location of the restrooms and a well regarded cheesecake place and gave us about 45 minutes to explore and get back to the bus.  The stores were all very nice and upscale.  There even was a Starbucks across the street, but we didn't go there.  There was a iconic burger place called Lucky Pierrot that we walked into to check it out.  We also took note of a beer hall restaurant in one of the red brick buildings.

 

Then it was back on the bus to go to the Morning Market. The guide suggested we consider getting our lunch there, as it was after 12 pm and the (fish) shops would begin closing soon.  She also suggested that instead of returning to the bus, we just finish the tour there and walk back to the Westerdam, but if anyone wanted to be dropped off at the ship that they should stay with the guide.  Ironically, the parking lot for the buses was actually further away from the Morning Market than the moored ship, so I am guessing that everyone stayed at the market rather than walking further towards the bus lot.

 

At the Morning Market, we could see that the fish shops were beginning to close.  We wandered around and found a place for lunch. The restaurant offered a pictorial menu in English.  DH selected 5 different types of sushi over rice - tuna, shrimp, squid, salmon and roe.  I went for the cooked whole (small) mackerel, miso soup, and pickled vegetables.  We both had a beer and we were pointed to where in the restaurant to get tea and water. The restaurant was open to the walkway and where we could watch a young employee cook some meals on a very hot gas fired grill.  The food was good, and the atmosphere was fun.

 

One thing that the guide did do was to take the time to make suggestions for areas or places that we could visit on our own either later, or as you might remember, we were overnighting in Hakodate because of high winds cancelled our port-of-call in Aomori.  She pointed out some restaurants that were closed already, but we could return on Thursday.  She also mentioned a area just past the Hakodate train station that had a few alleys filled with tiny restaurants like Tokyo.

 

After eating our fish lunch and wandering around for a bit, we headed back to the ship and napped.  Then at about 4pm, with the sun on our deck we took in the last of the sunlight while enjoying our champagne on our balcony. As the sun set behind the mountain, we could see a beautiful crescent moon.

 

We decided at dusk to return to the Ropeway (mountain tram).  We got into a cab just outside the terminal and it just cost us Y1000 ($6.70 USD), one way and Y1800 ($12USD) admission each via vending kiosk.

 

Being up there in the evening was written up as a must do in the guide book, and they were right - it really is beautiful.  It was also super super crowded - not with Westerners, but with Asian tour groups.  It was so crowded that it took us 20 minutes of waiting in line just to get into a tram to return back down the mountain.  It took us a while to figure out where to catch a cab, but if you go, look for the official  taxi pick up location directly behind (downhill) the tram building.  We then returned to the ship and had a late dinner onboard.

Welcome to the world of cruise line excursion "rip offs."  There are many cruisers who are willing to pay a big premium (often hundreds of dollars) not to have to think, deal with doing things on their own, etc.  The reality is that in Hokodate, both the morning market and red brick warehouses are within walking distance of the ship and not a problem for folks who are mobile.  Unless you enjoy paying big bucks for a bus that drives you a few blocks, these two places can easily be done on your own.  In fact, no bus will take you to the Morning Market since it is just too close to the ship.

 

As to the Rope Way, for some of us it is a long walk and others might want to simply grab a taxi or use public transportation.  Keep in mind that the Morning Market and Red Brick Warehouses cost zero (for those who simply walk to those places) and can only be visited on foot!  As posted, doing the Rope Way on your own does involve the cost of the "ticket to ride"  (also the name of a John Lennon/Beatles song).

 

I will be honest and say that HAL cruisers tend to not move quickly :).  When recently in Hokodate, DW and I walked from ship to the Red Brick Warehouses in less time (about 10 minute) than it normally takes to load a HAL Excursion bus :).

 

Hank

[Ferry_Watcher]

Bonus day in Hakodate (my Thursday), the unexpected extra day in Hakodate was due to the cancelled spot in Aomori due to high winds.

 

We started our day at 8:30 am walking over to the Morning Market for breakfast.  We wandered around for a short time until deciding on a small shop in the food court area.  I ordered tempura scallops, and DH ordered grilled squid filled with sticky rice.  DH's wins for best dish.  The body of the squid was grilled to a golden brown, then filled with a seasoned sticky rice, then sliced into pieces that were about the size of sushi rolls pieces.  My tempura was scallops pieces, along with silvers of veggies like carrots and maybe potatoes.  It was in a tempura batter then cooked all together, so it came out as one large piece over rice.  It tasted fine, although DH's dish was really good.

 

After walking around some more, we headed to the street car to go to the  Hakodate Museum of Northern People's.  It was about 4 stops on the route from the Morning Market.  We used our Pasmo cards that we still had from our land trip in Japan in October 2023.  If we didn't have our Pasmo cards we could have purchased a one day pass from the driver.  I don't know the cost of the one day pass.

 

I haven't mentioned the weather, but rain and wind were predicted.  By the time mid morning we arrived at the museum, and  it had started raining.  We we able to use a locker and store our coats etc.  We decided to buy a multi venue pass ( we opted for just two venues), as the former British Consulate was a block and a half away.  

 

The Museum of Northern Peoples was interesting, and well done.  There were two floors easy flow, restrooms, a tiny gift shop.  Well worth a visit if learning about ancient ingenious people interests you.

 

After leaving the museum, we walked outside to light rain (enough so that we used our umbrellas).  The hill up to the former British Consulate was on the steep side, but there were plateaus that helped break it all up.  The street that it is located on is lined with trees, which were turning autumn yellow, and falling on the ground - it was very pretty.

 

Honestly, at that point, I was more interested in having tea, than walking through the old Consulate.  However, when we got to the admissions desk, and after we were handed info on former Consulate and two 10% off coupons for both the tea room and the gift shop, we were told that to get to the tea room, one had to walk thru the entire house - upstairs and the main floor.  So off we went, walking thru a dining room, an office, a study, all with the bare minimum of furniture.  The bottom floor even had less, but that tea room still awaited me.  Finally, we made it thru and ended up in the gift shop where you select the type of tea service you want (full high Tea, or a teapot with scone, or there was ice tea, etc.  There were about 10 tables, between two rooms, and Wedgewood china was used. We selected the full afternoon tea, and I was quite pleased.  On the three tiered tray, there were four full size half sandwiches (2 cucumber and 2 tuna), both very good; next was a couple of scones with clotted cream and marmalade jelly, as well as digestive cookies; and the top tray held four bar slices of cake, two larger, two mini, two choices, two white cake.  All was delicious, and worth a visit, IMHO.

 

We did use the two coupons, and I would recommend checking out the gift shop.  I bought a little black/white/tan knitted bag that would go with any black outfit.  We also noticed that most of the tea service menu options were already sold out, like the full afternoon tea that we had ordered - and this was by 12:30 on rainy Thursday.

 

After leaving the former British Consulate, we walked back down to catch the street car trolley, and while on board we had to decide whether to get off in a couple of stops to walk to the Red Brick Warehouses, or stay on and head back to the ship.  We opted to go back to the ship, and return later.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Bonus day in Hakodate (my Thursday), part 2.

 

We returned to the ship and tested for about 90 minutes, then back out to the street car trolley and headed to the Red Brick Warehouses.  We took note of where we could get a taxi, as it would be dark when we left (taxis line up along the road in front of the warehouse entrance, near the Lucky Pierrot burger place).  We shopped, bought a few small things and then decided to go to the Hakodate Beer Hall restaurant.  There we had 3 items from the snack menu: edamame, marinated octopus head (thin slices marinated), and pickled vegetables.  All very good.  We finished up, caught a taxi, and got dropped off at the cruise terminal.

 

All passengers needed to go through an immigration check with the Japanese officials between 3pm -8pm.  This was a Japan Exit Clearance, because our next port-of-call would be in South Korea.  Once you went through this face to face check, you could not leave the ship.  It was about 5:45 when went arrived at the cruise terminal, and our options were go through the check and stay onboard, or go out for a final local dinner.  We decided to go look for that alley that had many tiny restaurants and drinking establishments.  So happy we took that option!

 

We followed the tour guide's directions and headed towards the big train station and followed the main street away from the harbor.The more we walked, the more eateries we came across.  While I was a little freaked out about eating out and getting back before 8 pm for our immigration check, we stuck with it and found the restaurant alleys, shown as Daimon Yokocho on tourist maps and guides.

 

If anyone has seen the Japanese show on Netflix (?) called Midnight Diner, it is very similar to that, but more modern.  We walked by multiple places, most opened, some not, and at one the young guy outside greeted us in English.  We kept walking, but decided to return.

 

It was a 9/10 seat place.  The counter was about 16 inches deep.  The young guy was the cook, bartender, and everything else. We could select from a picture menu and he made some suggestions. Since we had been at the Beer Hall about an hour earlier, we decided to just order pickled squid, crab spring rolls, and a Japanese omelette, with beer. As we were finishing, 4 businessmen in suits walked in and the young guy immediately began making their drinks since they were obviously regulars.  We finished up, soaking up every second of the ambience, and walked back to the ship.

 

The Exit Clearance was quick and easy, with getting an exit stamp in our passports.  Then a quick stop with the jazz trio, then to bed 

 

We so enjoyed our day on our own in Hakodate.  😉

[ECCruise]

Thanks for doing these wonderful reports @Ferry_Watcher

 

We will be doing the very similar sailing next year on Noordam, and your recaps like the one above for Hakodate are giving us lots of ideas for next October.

[Ottawa traveller]

I was on the April visit to Japan. Normally, I like to tour on my own.  However, at the last minute, one space came open for an all-day tour in Hakodate and I took it. We started at the Museum and the guide gave us an excellent overview of Ainu History while we looked  the exhibits. We then went to the fish market and had about 45 minutes to look around. We then went to the ropeway oin Mt. Hakodate which was closed due to high winds but there is a road up and our bus took us to the top. A handful of HAL passengers had taken a taxi up.  It was windy but the view was wonderful.  That was followed by the Red Brick Warehouses where we had a very nice Japanese lunch that was ready and waiting for us. We had enough time to do some shopping. Lastly we went to the opposite end of town from the ropeway to the citadel,  Fort Goryokaku. This is a classic European citadel like the one in Halifax, Canada which is a sister city to Hakodate.  There is a high viewing tower which has 360 degree views of the city and we could see the ship and Mt. Hakodate in the distance. The best part of it was that the citadel has been turned into a park and 1600 cherry trees have been planted there. They were at their peak bloom and it was a spectacular sight. We had time to walk in the park and go to a replica of the old administration building where the guide gave us a history of the citadel aand where there were some artfacts and a pictoral history of the citadel to visit. We got back to the ship in time to board. For me that was one time I was very glad that I was able to take a tour because I don't think I could have done all of it in the time available. If you visit Hakodate during cherry blossom time, the citadel is a must-see. If you want to see some photos of this visit and of my sightseeing at other stops, here is a link to my blog. Leslie's Travel Blog | Travel the world with me (wordpress.com)

[Ferry_Watcher]

Sea day - my Friday, your Thursday.

Woke up and the sky was gray.  There was a little bit of pitching, but not too much.  

After breakfast, we headed down to Cruise Director Nick' s talk on the next three posts-of-call: Sokocho, South Korea; Sakaiminato, Japan; and Sasebo Japan.  You always have to get there early as it ends up being standing room only.  The talk was so informative that we ended up booking an excursion to a Museum.

 

After the talk there was the Q&A with the Captain, but since we saw that presentation during the transpacific part of the cruise, we decided to give up our seats and go back to the stateroom.  

 

When we walked out, and walked by the windows by the Rolling Stone Lounge we noticed that the seas were a lot rougher.  By the time we got to our room, it was seriously rough.  The seas were just roiling.  It was hard to walk even in the stateroom, and going to lunch was out of the question because of the motion of the ocean.  DH offered to bring a sandwich down from the Lido, and while I was feeling queasy, I thought it might help.  The seas continued to get rougher, and I decided that getting into bed was my best option.  I ended up napping for about 90 minutes, and when I woke up, the waves had settled.

 

Later, when we were at the Pinnacle Bar, two different people told us that the waves were hitting the windows of the Pinnacle Bar (deck 2) that afternoon.  😲

[Ferry_Watcher]

Sokcho, South Korea - my Saturday, your Friday.

 

We arrived in Sokcho, South Korea about 7 am, just as the sun began hitting the buildings turning them golden.  There were a couple of little islands with lighthouses, mountains in the background, and a pretty shoreline.  It was very pretty.

 

Our excursion was an all day affair called Unsettled Peace - DMZ Tour.  Our call time was 7:30 am, and after we received our assigned bus sticker, we then headed out as a group to go thru an  immigration check.  Our bags went through a scan, and we all went thru a metal detector (coming and going from the cruise terminal immigration check).  Our passports were scanned, and a sticker was attached to the back of our passport, basically saying we have 3 days before we had to leave the country.  

 

Once past the immigration area, there were folks in traditional clothing, a small goodie bag with a large kerchief/ handkerchief, there was also a line of large traditional drums.  It was all quite impressive.

 

We were the 2nd of two buses on this tour.  There are a lot of security protocols around this trip.  First, all the buses had to provide a manifest listing everyone on the bus, and I am assuming their country of citizenship. Technically, everyone is suppose to watch a 15+ minute video about do's & don'ts about the upcoming security check, and conduct at the Observatory.  Fortunately, since the video is only in Korean, just our tour guide had to watch it, and then share the info with us.  While she was doing that, we had an opportunity to get off the bus for about 20 minutes, use the restroom, shop a little bit, or get something to eat or drink.  Since everyone has to stop here, they made it comfortable by offering these amenities.

 

Once we were all on the bus, the next stop was a military check point.  This was all very serious, with barricades, barbed wire, and soldiers with very serious automatic weapons.  The soldiers closest to the buses wore baklavas that  covered half their face.  We had an armed soldier come on to the bus, counting the number of passengers, and scanning faces.  After he left,  the bus was free to continue to the Observation Tower.

 

We only had 1 hour ( or maybe 55 minutes) to get ourselves up to the tower vis a steep climb, up the Observation deck (many stairs, or a very slow/busy elevator) and then back down an equally steep return route. 

 

This excursion was listed as "moderate", but honestly it was more like strenuous.  For example, the parking lot is well below the Observatory, and we were basically left on our own as to how to get up to the Observatory.  When we reached the area to begin the climb up, there were two trails, one with stairs, and another one that looked like less stairs, but covered in a grass like woven mat.  There also looked like there was a road heading up in that same direction as well.  So, we had to decide which route to take without any guidance or suggestion from our guide.  We all tried to listen in to the guide from the other bus, who was very proactive with her HAL group,   When she saw how many of us were waiting for the elevator, that she explained that while there were many stairs, the was a landing every 16 stairs, so you could rest if needed.  I did take the elevator up, DH walked up, and we both walked down.

 

While up on the top observation area, we saw lots of trees, and what looked like a divide and some observations posts but unfortunately, there was no information displayed explaining what you were actually looking at.  It was a bit frustrating, but interesting at the same time.

 

Since we had a relatively short time to be up on the observation deck (especially if you had to wait for an elevator to get up there), there was an equal rush to get back to the bus at the anointed time.  We of course took the same route back that we took up (the woven mat trail).  Maybe the stairs would have been easier, or faster, but I will never know. 

 

Everyone rushed back to the bus in time, and she does her head count   We are all sitting on the bus in the parking lot when she tells us that we are to get off the bus and walk over to another building to go through the Korean War Exhibition Hall exhibit.  WTH?

 

Will finish later!

[Sea42]

Sounds like a fascinating yet frustrating adventure!

[Ferry_Watcher]

We walked across the parking lot to the Korean War Exhibition Hall.  Outside there were war era armaments like a tank, a small jet aircraft, a missile.  As you walk into the building you are surrounded by the sounds of an active battlefield: bombs, gunfire.  

 

The building is particularly large so it is set up to keep you walking thru.  The artifacts are generally self explaining (mess kit, weapons, uniforms, personal items) so generally you are not lingering over the displays.  Nearly all the displays that have written explanation are in Korean, with some exceptions.  There were also lots of photos showing the faces of civilians (mostly women and children) showing the despair of war, especially as they look for loved ones among the dead.  Very sobering.

 

The next stop was the DMZ Museum.  This was about a 30 minute drive.  This was a larger stand alone building dedicated to the war, the truce, the division of the country (38th parallel), and the aftermath.  

 

The lighting in this museum was also dark, in keeping with the somberness of the subject.  There was more open space in this museum, and as this the other one, many exhibits were easy to understand without written text, and generally speaking, most of the displays with  descriptions were in Korean.  The museum did a great job in present all the information, especially for non Koreans   it was worth the visit.

 

I do need to address accessibility..  in the handful of stops we made on this one day, it doesn't appear that the South Koreans do not have implemented any modern accomodations for physically challenged people.  Or, maybe we just are so used to seeing ADA accomodations, that when it isn't present, it stands out.  I am talking ramps,  and even handrails.  We had been dropped off at the front of the DMZ Museum, but had to return to the bus which was parked a good distance away which involved uneven ground, and stairs without handrails.  There were thigh high brick/stone walls, but there were thorny/sharp plants if you tried to use the top of these walls as support.  Luckily, the older folks with the canes were slowly able to do it, but I think anyone using a walker would have had trouble.  And this wasn't the final example of the tour inappropriately being called moderate rather than strenuous due to hills, stairs and lack of accessibility.

 

Our final stop was at a restaurant for a traditional Korean meal featuring Korean Beef and fish (plus many of the usual side dishes).  The restaurants were located in a fairly rural area, and as we approached, we could see two restaurant looking buildings on a hillside.  We pulled up in front of the restaurant situated along road, and the guide jumped out to help the driver park, as we were along a very narrow road.  There appeared to be a very steep dirt/stone road that looked like a parking lot, but the two buses parked on top, hugging to side of the road so on -coming cars could pass by.  

 

The assumption was getting out of the bus we would be going to the restaurant that we were parked in front of, but no, we headed down this very steep, very uneven dirt/stone single lane drive/road/lane to the other restaurant.  At the restaurant everyone needed to remove their shoes.  This of course is fine, and personally we were ready with easy to remove shoes, but I think that the tour guide should have given a ' head's up' so folks, especially the older folks would have been prepared.  Again, I have to give kudos to those folks walking with canes for going up and down that road. 

 

The food was delicious, especially the Korean beef; each group of four ate family style, and no one left hungry 

 

The final stop was a Buddhist temple.  It's a very popular location, and coupled with a beautiful sunny weekend day, it was super crowded.  The guide basically gave us twenty minutes to get up to the temple, a few minutes to look around, and then 20 minutes to return to the bus.  At that point, about half of the folks opted out, and a handful were successful getting to the top, including my DH.  I stayed behind and wrote up one of my CC posts.  😉

 

We arrived back to the terminal 15 minutes past the all on board time, but with 2 buses carrying nearly 90 passengers, it wasn't a problem.  We did have to go thru an exit immigration check with the South Koreans, then back on the ship.

 

The Captain opened up the bow for sail away, so it was very fun .

 

 

 

 

[Riversedge]

On 10/16/2023 at 9:43 PM, Hlitner said:

We visited South Korea during our Westerdam cruise this past spring.  During our cruise it was announced that those with USA Passports did not need an ETA to visit South Korea if on a cruise ship.  We had obtained a South Korean ETA (online..directly from the South Korean government for only a few dollars) which was never needed.  

 

I do not know if South Korea has again changed their rules, but it is very easy (and inexpensive) to obtain a South Korean ETA as long as you use the official Korean government web site (other sites may charge a big extra fee).  And by the way, here is the info from the current US Dept of State:

 

"From April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, the Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) is not required for US citizens traveling for short-term business or tourism purposes."

 

Hank

 

Thanks for the answer to my question, Hank.  This is what my research found although HAL says visa required for there and Shanghai.  I don’t believe they have that right in either case.  It would be nice if they could give us clear and correct information.  Appreciate your help.