Kampai! Tokyo to Vancouver - RSSC Explorer 4/13/2024 - 5/1/2024

[forgap]

After being in Japan already for two weeks for our land tour, we are finally officially on the “pre-cruise”, embarking tomorrow.  I suspected from previous posts that the “free” pre-cruise would be a bit underwhelming.  It is. 
 

Passengers started trickling in on Wednesday and yesterday we gathered for a bus ride to the National Museum and then the Ginza.  Our guide was funny with an excellent command of English but the bus commentary was the extent of her contribution.  We had an hour at the museum and an hour in the Ginza but we could bail at any time and get back to the hotel on our own.  This is definitely touring “lite”!

 

G had decided to have a “sea day” at the hotel, so I wandered around on my own.  I loved going back to the museum to see parts that I missed during our land tour.  In fact, on the first level there is an area designed to be a hand-on Japanese cultural experience.  I think it was meant for kids, but I had a great time using rubber stamps to design a post card, coloring in a kimono, trying on samurai armor,  and going through a series of stations to create a wood block print.  

 

The Ginza, as you probably know is an area of high end boutiques and department stores.  I spent way too much time in the Uniqlo flagship store and came out empty handed.  I then went on to the Mitzukoshi Department store, rode the escalator from the basement food court to the top and, again, emerged empty handed.  

 

Street scene in Tokyo!

 

At this point, G was texting that he missed me so I headed underground and took the subway back to the hotel.  
 

The subway is system is very organized.  With the help of google maps and my Siuca card on my iPhone, I got back to the hotel in about 30 minutes.  We decided to mix things up for lunch and went to the Indian restaurant in the basement mall below the hotel.  It was pretty good!  
 

We capped off the evening by going back to the light show that is projected onto the Tokyo Government Building.  

 

This is only about one city block from the Hilton and it was spectacular!  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11 by forgap
Typo

[forgap]

Friday 4/12/24

The tour today was to the Meiji gardens to see the iconic double bridge and view of the emperors palace.  We had visited the gardens on our land trip so this was a new experience.
 

 

 

We planned to ditch the second half of the tour and wander around before our 1:30 ticket to TeamLab Borderless which is an interactive digital art installation.  The fates were against us.  I got turned around with google maps, we walked in circles, my cell phone was running out of battery, and I had forgotten my battery pack. Then it started to rain.  We decided to go back to the hotel but the walk to the metro was a distance and G was lagging.  I tried the Go app (Japan’s version of Uber) but I set the pick up wrong but a random hotel doorman took pity on us and got us a cab.  We had a quick lunch, then back in the cab to TeamLab.  

 

TeamLab is located in the Ripongi  district in a new development in the Moro Building at  Azabudai Hills.  Even our cab driver was confused and I had to ask for directions in my fractured Japanese multiple times in order to find the venue.  I finally noticed signage for “digital art” and we arrived.  The Mori building is very modern with high end food shops as you navigate to the venue.  There are beautiful courtyards for respite and plenty of beautiful young people populating the space. 

 

TeamLab Borderless is nothing like I have ever experienced.  It is a digital art installation in multiple rooms where you are immersed in the art that is constantly changing above, below, and around you.  It was like seeing the aurora borealis on acid. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took a cab back to the hotel with our first maniac cab driver but we arrived safely without crashing or killing a pedestrian.  We navigate to the ship in the morning for a welcome rest

[crusin7]

Your postcard is Beautiful!  You can have a new career at TeamLab. I hope you both have a very relaxing cruise.  You wore me out just reading your pre cruise travels.  Loved your kimonos!

[forgap]

9 hours ago, crusin7 said:

Your postcard is Beautiful!  You can have a new career at TeamLab. I hope you both have a very relaxing cruise.  You wore me out just reading your pre cruise travels.  Loved your kimonos!

Thank you.  I followed your voyage, too.  I hope all goes well for you and yours now that you are home.

[mrlevin]

Nothing like staying onboard whilst 500 are disembarking.  Let the adventure continue!

[forgap]

4/13/24 - Embarkation 

 

We were up bright and early anticipating boarding the Explorer for our sea journey across the pacific.  The bulk of new passengers were staying at the Hilton as part of the included pre-cruise which, I think, is Regent’s way of assuring we get to the ship and we all don’t arrive at once.

 

We were divided into groups of 30 and off we went to visit three sites before arriving at the cruise terminal at 1 pm.  We had been to the Meiji shrine so we opted to stay on the bus.  We then traveled across Tokyo, past the Tsukiji fish market

 

to Hama-Rikyu which had been the compound of the Shogun and then became the duck hunting preserve of the emperor.  

 

The gardens have two duck hunting grounds that were used by the Shogun, and there is a memorial built to commemorate and console the spirits of the ducks that have been caught in the grounds. You can still see traditional duck blinds scattered throughout Hama-rikyu.  

 

I’m always fascinated by the Japanese reverence for trees.  Hama-rikyu has one of the oldest pine trees in Japan, reported to be 300 years old.  It is supported by a series of beams and lovingly pruned so the tree has become a type of living sculpture.  

 

 

From there we went to Odaiba Seaside Park , which is very modern and build on manmade land.  An interesting feature of this park is a replica of the Statue of Liberty that France gave to Japan.  It is 1/7th the size of the statue in NYC.  

 

The scenery is beautiful but we all just stood around for 45 minutes anxious to get to the ship.

 

The Tokyo Cruise Terminal is pristine and the check in was organized and quick.  But, we are in Japan and I would expect nothing less than perfection.  We were seated in groups and then led to check in.  All in all, it was about ten minutes from arrival to champagne in hand.  Most embarkations are cluster $##!s with passengers jockeying for position, filling out medical questionnaires, and computers crashing.  

 

Just beyond the security clearance, a table was set up and filled with origami.  We were invited to take one.  This is just one of the many gracious gestures that we experienced in Japan.   

Once on board, we were escorted to our muster station, checked our hand baggage, and headed up to the pool deck for lunch.  No sooner were we seated then they announced that cabins were ready at 1:30.  

 

After a leisurely lunch, we headed to our cabin, unpacked, put out two weeks of laundry, and took a nap.  Not a bad first day of cruising!

[organizedhome]

Hello from a fellow traveler, just checking in with folks also here on the Explorer enroute to Vancouver.  First RSSC cruise since the pandemic, as I was booked for the ill-fated 2021 World Cruise—and it’s taken this long to get back onboard.

 

So, this is kind of an AITA question:  is the level of service aboard the “new normal”, or is this a VERY unusual sailing?  I almost don’t recognize the line in certain respects.

 

Simply put, I’m hearing a LOT of “No!” from a line that never knew the meaning of the word before—and it is clear that the old RSSC standards for service are long gone.

 

Specifics?  There have been service errors at every single meal. This morning’s room service breakfast missed about 1/3rd of our order; items we specified were either missing or were substituted.  Husband’s “banana” turned into “banana pancakes”, other items like juice and butter were simply missing. Headed to Compass Rose instead, and while my entree got delivered, the wait was long—in a near-empty restaurant. Never did get the smoothie I ordered.

 

Right now, I’m writing from Coffee Connection, where we were just told we couldn’t have a pastry for another 20 minutes; they were setting up between breakfast and lunch, apparently. 

 

Shore excursions saw us double-booked—one paid tour and one waitlisted tour scheduled for the same time slot.  And we managed to score exactly ONE “free” shore excursion for an 18 day cruise.  Spent a grand making up for it with paid tours.

 

Want to enjoy our balcony?  Nope—it’s deck-washing day, which is cool, but we were told NO deck access because it might be wet.  I’m fine with staying out of their way, but sheesh, can’t I just sit on my recliner and read?

 

Cocktail hour in the Observation Lounge once meant delicious hors d’ouevres, but now it’s peanuts.  After more than an hour, some potato chips showed up—but there was precious little food to buffer the alcohol, and I’m not much of a drinker, so I NEED snacks.

 

I was very careful to book a Prime 7 reservation for the first formal night … except surprise!  The formal night was changed to a different date without notice. 

 

There are many bright spots.  Crew people are hustling, but there just aren’t enough of them.  Friendliness is still there, the entertainers are bright and watchable, and the gym manager was “old Regent” all the way, answering questions and helping me—I’m a dancer—find a place to work out safely.  At least nobody chased me out of the Explorer Lounge at 5am when I was working out.

 

Still, I feel almost like I’m on a different line.  I know, times have been rough and I should be grateful to sail at all.

 

But little things are missing all over the ship and this is not the RSSC service level I remember.  Am I the a**hole?

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14 by organizedhome

[RELS]

@organizedhome, NAH.  Please take your issues to the executive concierge or general manager. They might not do anything, but if they don't know you are having issues, they can't fix them.

 

I, too, have noticed that the Observation Lounge snacks have been downgraded to nuts, chips, and pretzels. Not sure if you can do anything about that, but the service issues at meals can definitely be remedied.

[flossie009]

1 hour ago, RELS said:

Please take your issues to the executive concierge or general manager. They might not do anything, but if they don't know you are having issues, they can't fix them.

Agree that it is more productive to raise issues with the relevant staff on board rather than making the complaints on social media 

 

1 hour ago, RELS said:

the Observation Lounge snacks have been downgraded to nuts, chips, and pretzels.

On Navigator at present and we are offered delicious canapés in the bars before dinner.

Not sure why they are not being offered on Explorer 🤔
 

 

[flossie009]

@forgap, Thanks for the pre-cruise and cruise blog. Interesting descriptions & beautiful photos.

 

[mj_holiday]

We are on Explorer right now, Yes have been since April 1. I haven’t experienced any problems with Service. Yes they are offering chips and pretzels but the trays that I see also have some canopies on them.
I agree with other posters that you need to talk to the hotel manager or food and beverage manager, or the head bartender with any issues that you have.

[forgap]

3 hours ago, organizedhome said:

Hello from a fellow traveler, just checking in with folks also here on the Explorer enroute to Vancouver.  

I agree with the other posters that if you are having issues this thread is not the place to air them.   I started this thread and I welcome others to chime in about their travel impressions.  I’m also a “glass half full” personality so I’d rather not see this thread devolved into a complaint forum.

[papaflamingo]

9 hours ago, organizedhome said:

is the level of service aboard the “new normal

Yes and no.  We were on Explorer from Feb. 15-Mar. 6 and found service, food, shore excursions, etc. exceptional!  But we thought it was a bit more of a "struggle" when we were on Mariner in Dec. 2023 and Grandeur in Jan. 2024.  So yes, it's the "new normal" in that so many NEW crew positions are being created industry wide (Royal Caribbean added 2350 new crew members for Icon of the Seas alone), and supplies and supply chains are "challenging."  Add into that the fact that many tour companies worldwide folded during Covid, and the cruise lines have to make up for BILLIONS in losses due to the Covid shutdown, and yup.... "new normal."  But as I said, our recent cruise on Explorer was 180 out of yours.  We thought it was as good or better than our cruise in 2018 (and we thought that was as great as anything possible) so could be a crew change or leadership change (or both) that has introduced new crew members that just aren't up to speed yet.  

My best advice, bring it to the attention of the supervisors and give them a chance to rectify what they can.  

 

[RetiredandTravel]

12 hours ago, organizedhome said:

Hello from a fellow traveler, just checking in with folks also here on the Explorer enroute to Vancouver.  First RSSC cruise since the pandemic, as I was booked for the ill-fated 2021 World Cruise—and it’s taken this long to get back onboard.

 

So, this is kind of an AITA question:  is the level of service aboard the “new normal”, or is this a VERY unusual sailing?  I almost don’t recognize the line in certain respects.

 

Simply put, I’m hearing a LOT of “No!” from a line that never knew the meaning of the word before—and it is clear that the old RSSC standards for service are long gone.

 

Specifics?  There have been service errors at every single meal. This morning’s room service breakfast missed about 1/3rd of our order; items we specified were either missing or were substituted.  Husband’s “banana” turned into “banana pancakes”, other items like juice and butter were simply missing. Headed to Compass Rose instead, and while my entree got delivered, the wait was long—in a near-empty restaurant. Never did get the smoothie I ordered.

 

Right now, I’m writing from Coffee Connection, where we were just told we couldn’t have a pastry for another 20 minutes; they were setting up between breakfast and lunch, apparently. 

 

Shore excursions saw us double-booked—one paid tour and one waitlisted tour scheduled for the same time slot.  And we managed to score exactly ONE “free” shore excursion for an 18 day cruise.  Spent a grand making up for it with paid tours.

 

Want to enjoy our balcony?  Nope—it’s deck-washing day, which is cool, but we were told NO deck access because it might be wet.  I’m fine with staying out of their way, but sheesh, can’t I just sit on my recliner and read?

 

Cocktail hour in the Observation Lounge once meant delicious hors d’ouevres, but now it’s peanuts.  After more than an hour, some potato chips showed up—but there was precious little food to buffer the alcohol, and I’m not much of a drinker, so I NEED snacks.

 

I was very careful to book a Prime 7 reservation for the first formal night … except surprise!  The formal night was changed to a different date without notice. 

 

There are many bright spots.  Crew people are hustling, but there just aren’t enough of them.  Friendliness is still there, the entertainers are bright and watchable, and the gym manager was “old Regent” all the way, answering questions and helping me—I’m a dancer—find a place to work out safely.  At least nobody chased me out of the Explorer Lounge at 5am when I was working out.

 

Still, I feel almost like I’m on a different line.  I know, times have been rough and I should be grateful to sail at all.

 

But little things are missing all over the ship and this is not the RSSC service level I remember.  Am I the a**hole?

 

 

 

 

 

So sorry that the cruise wasn't up to your expectations.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14 by RetiredandTravel

[organizedhome]

Thank you for all the different perspectives; I’ll take the comments under advisement—but rest assured, we are delighted to be aboard.   

[forgap]

Monday, 4/15/24 -  Hitachinaka, Japan

 

Our tour today took us to the Kairakuen Gardens and to the Kasama Shinto shrine.  Although we are only about 100 miles north of Tokyo, the main towns are moderate in size and have a distinctly suburban feel to them with boxy architecture, car dealerships, and fast food joints.  

 

The Kairakuen gardens are about an hour from the ship.  

 

 

Lord Tokugawa Nariaki constructed the garden in 1841 as a gift to the people of the region.  He was aware that the samurai and the common people of the villages focused too much on work and training (especially for the samurai who constantly practiced martial arts) and that having a peaceful outlet for recreation and relaxation was important.   

 

We walked quite a distance uphill to enter the garden which is the second largest garden in the world and one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan.  The gardens are planted so that something is always blooming but that was not to be.  It was too early for flowers and too late for plum trees.  Sakura are on the way out.  This photo is what it’s supposed to look like

 

as opposed to what we saw!

 

Our second stop was the Kasama Inari shrine.  Much to our surprise, we were greeted  by a welcoming committee of students in traditional dress, waving flags from all over the world, and giving us gifts of bottled green tea, a little ceramic dish, and a bag filled with information about the shrine.  

 

A Shinto priest gave a speech welcoming us to the shrine and then the Mayor of the town gave a speech, all while an official photographer snapped away.   

 

The shrine was lovely and not too crowded.  

 

I’ve been collecting “goshun” which are inked stamps to commemorate your visit.  At this shrine, you handed over your book and 10 minutes later retrieved it, now with a hand drawn and stamped entry.  

 

It’s possible that I’m a bit “toured out” at this point.  I thought our guide was about the worst yet.  At times her accent was difficult but the worst was her penchant for quizzing us rather than just giving us the information in a straight forward manner.  All in all, it was a long drive and not much see as a reward.

 

Edited April 14 by forgap

[chaunceyb]

We are on the Explorer now also. Very pleased with everything- very nice inclusive wine list (attached copy of the list) and the bartenders make great drinks! Swimming pool and hot tubs are great! 

Very friendly and attentive staff.

Backing up, the Tokyo Hilton was wonderful (except maybe not the elevators 😉😀), rooms spacious and well appointed.

We did private tours in Tokyo (countryside and Kamakura/ Enoshima).

Tour and transfer to ship on Day 3 was well organized.

Tours have been good, today in Miyako was the best - toured the village that was destroyed by the 2011 tsunami and learned about the new walls they have built and first hand accounts from a survivor and watched a video of the tsunami taken by a hotel owner that can only be viewed on this tour. Very moving experience!

And the Japanese people are so gracious, friendly, and kind! 
BTW, I would post photos but they are in my camera😀

Edited April 15 by chaunceyb

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Enjoying your report!  Thanks for taking the time to post.  Wonderful photos!

 

Joanie

[briar14]

We agree with @chaunceyb about our Explorer trip. The visit to Miyako today, learning about the tsunami and destruction and

seeing the beautiful rocky coast scenery was spectacular. Returning to the ship we found food trucks and various booths selling Japanese items. As Explorer neared departure, town residents and officials turned out to send us off as a group of drummers and a flute player sent us off. And, the weather was beautiful as were the cherry blossoms. A good Regent day.

[forgap]

Tuesday, 4/16/24 - Miyako, Japan

 

Miyako is on the north eastern coast of Japan, on the island of Honshu.  Spring has barely started with cherry trees, forsythia, daffodils, and white tiger tail in full bloom.   

 

 

In 2011 there was a strong earthquake off the coast and a devastating tsunami. Since that event, the government has completed a Herculean effort to complete tsunami walls that protect the town.  

 

One building stands out as a reminder of the devastation a tsunami can bring. The first two floors are hollowed out as the hotel remains standing.  

 

 

G took a voluntary sea day today.  All the touring has taken its toll and he needs some down time.  I went ahead and traveled inland to the Ryusendo caves which is a labyrinthian path of limestone caves and unground lakes.  

 

It was challenging not to slip or hit your head.  I climbed to the highest point, which involved steep ladder stairs which was a bit difficult to navigate.  Coming back down was worse.  As I walked and followed the route signs, I couldn’t help but worry that I’d go around in circles until I was completely lost.  Then I started to obsess about earthquakes.  I sped up, and with a sigh of relief, embraced the sunshine.  I was amused by the list of things you are prohibited from doing in the caves.  Look at the rule in the bottom left of the photo!  

 

Our guide kept talking about dragons.  I’m not sure if that was a myth, but when we arrived there was a dragon to greet us!  The Japanese sure love their mascots!

 

 

After the caves, we drove towards the coast to view some beautiful rock formations nestled in Aqua blue waters.  

 

 

 

 

On return to the ship, a mini village had been set up with shops and food trucks.   The most popular stand was getting your name translated into Japanese.  The crew seemed to be having a blast as they wandered around buying souvenirs and soaking in the atmosphere.  

[forgap]

Tuesday, 4/16/24 - Hakodate, Japan

 

We sailed north during the night and are now on the Island of Hokkaido, one of the four main islands in Japan.  We had an early excursion to Ōnuma National Park.  The region is dominated by volcanos and the park encompasses the volcanic Hokkaidō Komagatake as well as the Ōnuma and Konuma ponds, which abut against the west slope of the mountain. Unfortunately, the cloud cover descended as we drove to a higher elevation, preventing us from seeing much of anything.  We walked around a bit, hit the gift shop, and then went back to the bus to warm up.  The tour was supposed to include a boat ride but that was cancelled as the fog was too thick to manage.  

 

This is a map of what we didn’t see.

 

Soft serve flavors!

 

On our return to the ship, we stopped at a rest stop that consisted of a grocery store, gift shop, and an homage to "Baron" Ryokichi Kawada, the Father of the Danshaku Potato.  

 

 

My curiosity got the best of me and this is what Professor Google had to say about it:  “Imakane Danshaku is a variety of potato with starch content more than 13.5% and with a bright white skin. It is characterized by stable quality and a silky-smooth, creamy mouthfeel. Owing to strict grading standards, Imakane Danshaku are uniform in size and shape with white skin.”    I tried the French fries which were quite good.  

 

We spent the afternoon eating and napping.  There was a lecture on Samurai and how the Samuai ethos shaped modern Japan.  We also had the Regent Block Party where we gather in the hall with a glass, drink some wine, meet our neighbors, and greet the captain, general manager, and cruise director as they race from floor to floor greeting the passengers.  

 

On sail away, the cloud cover lifter and Hokkaidō Komagatake said goodby.

 

Tomorrow will be our last day in Japan and we begin our ocean crossing.  

[forgap]

Wednesday, 4/17/24 - Otaru, Japan

 

We were looking forward to visiting a whisky distillery and fish market but the tour was cancelled and all the other offerings didn’t appeal to us.  We docked very near to the city center, so we decided to do a walk-about .  

 

Otaru is a medium sized city with some interesting shops and restaurants.  

 

Fishing is a major industry and the sea birds seemed to know where to get a free meal.  There were literally thousands of gulls perched on the docks.  

 

This was our last stop in Japan so after lunch we had to present ourselves at the cruise terminal with our passports to get our exit stamps.  It has been almost three weeks since we started this epic trip so I thought I’d try to summarize my impressions of Japan and its people.

• The Japanese are unfailingly polite and they seem to genuinely appreciate any attempt to communicate in their language.  It is very helpful to learn some key words and phrases.  If all else fails, google translate is a huge help.
• I will never travel without an eSIM card on my iPhone.  It was very cheap and I used google maps constantly.   It’s also helpful to buy an extra battery pack for the phone as a full charge only seemed to last a half day.
• Japan prides itself on its cleanliness.  The streets are very clean and there is almost no graffiti.  
• Toto toilets are everywhere even in public venues. In three weeks I never encountered a nasty bathroom.  

 

• I was fascinated by the decorative manhole covers that were unique to sections of the city.

 

 

• Everyone seems to wear a uniform of some kind.  Even the office workers wear black suits and white shirts without any deviation to be seen!  
• Tokyo is massive and crowded.  There is often a line at restaurants.  The Japanese don’t seem to have a cafe culture so if you wanted something to drink and little rest, you had to stand in line for a restaurant table.  
• The Japanese love coffee!  
• Expect long walks.  We commonly logged 10,000 steps a day.
• Finally, invest in a good tour.  We were fortunate that our 12 day land tour immersed us in Japanese culture.  The Regent pre-cruise tour was a very minimal exposure to Tokyo.  

 

It has been 55 years since I lived in Japan as a teen.   At that time, Japan was only 20 years past WWII and we often stood out being foreigners, especially in the more rural areas.   I think that modern Japan has managed a nice balance of traditional culture and a more modern worldly influence.  It was a remarkable visit.  

[forgap]

Thursday, 4/18/24 and Friday, 4/19/24 - at sea

We are in the second day of four sea days as we sail east.   The schedule for sea days is packed tight with things to do but impossible to fit it all in around nap time.  I did spend yesterday morning in the culinary center, taking a class called “Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter, Umami”.  I consider myself a decent home cook but this class was really interesting and fun and I learned something new.  We made three dishes with wine pairing:  confit duck and watermelon in a mini martini glass, prosciutto wrapped prunes, and b’stilla domes.  

 

There was an early show before dinner that was very well attended as we, and our aging fellow passengers, have some difficulty staying awake for the 9:30 show.  I know, I know, I’m a barrel of fun!  But, I’ve never been a night owl, so why change now?  
 

“ Music Beyond Language” was an entertaining show by Yaniv Zarif.   He is a very talented singer with a gift for languages.  Plus, he’s funny and humble which charmed his audience.  

 

Yesterday we sailed in fog the entire day.  Today it’s partly cloudy, windy, and 36 degrees.  We have two speakers on board, Terry Breen, who is speaking about Alaska, and Jeana Roger’s who is an expert on Japan.  I plan to go to both presentations.

[labonnevie]

You are very lucky to have Terry Breen as one of your speakers. We first met her on a Navigator Alaska cruise years ago. I would love to hear those lectures again, they were excellent. 
Years later she was on a Mariner Panama Canal cruise. She gave the commentary as we transited the canal and it was far better than the commentary we received on the Explorer in January 2022 (you were on that cruise). I believe that was given by a local who was a bit hard to understand. Terry also give a number of other talks about South America on that cruise. 
Anyway, enjoy your lectures with Terry, glad she is still around. 

[forgap]

Yes, the narrator on the canal cruise was dreary, wasn’t he?  
 

We had the pleasure of hearing Terry on our first Alaska cruise.  Public speaking is definitely an art form.