7 Day Cruise Shanghai, Kobe, Osaka/Kyoto, Tokyo

[tashaaa]

Hi 🙂

 

I’m looking into a really interesting vacation with Beijing, Shanghai and a 7 day Royal Caribbean cruise to Japan. Below is the itinerary of the cruise. There is only one day in Osaka/Kyoto, Kobe, Tokyo. 
I know that this really is not enough time, but do you think, we can make it a nice cruise with a taste of Japan? 
 

What are your thoughts on this cruise? What should be our priority? 
 

My husband and I are limited with the vacation days, so we can’t do a longer trip. 
 

[DeepFreeze63]

As you acknowledge, this would only be a "taste" of Japan but could be fun and interesting. Given the ship's schedule, I would skip Kyoto (1 1/2 hour from port of Osaka or Kobe) and concentrate on Osaka. Port of Kobe is across the bay from port of Osaka.

Osaka Castle and grounds are magnificent; Dotomeri (spell?) section of Osaka at night is fun and is modern Japan at it's craziest!

Yokohama is at least 40 minutes from downtown Tokyo by even bullet train; so I'd stay in Yokohama. It's an interesting part of Japan.

[hazeleyez3]

4 hours ago, DeepFreeze63 said:

Yokohama is at least 40 minutes from downtown Tokyo by even bullet train; so I'd stay in Yokohama. It's an interesting part of Japan.

Would you still suggest just staying in Yokohama if it is possibly your only time to Japan?

[tashaaa]

@DeepFreeze63 thank you for your perspective. I wasn’t thinking about it, was looking into Kyoto and Tokyo. But you got me thinking that maybe leave those two, and go with Osaka and Yokohama. I guess there are less tourists? 

 

But yes, @hazeleyez3 your question is still in my mind. 
 

I would like to avoid losing time for transportation, btw I thought that you get from Osaka to Kyoto in 20 min and from Yokohama to Tokyo 30 min, but yes, I need to take into consideration customs, ship dock time, and would be back at least 1,5h until the departure of the ship. 
 

I am not in favor of ship excursions with bus rides, rather to explore on our own. 
 Can’t find any posts of someone who actually took this cruise. 
 

 

 

[monkey@cruise]

6 hours ago, DeepFreeze63 said:

As you acknowledge, this would only be a "taste" of Japan but could be fun and interesting. Given the ship's schedule, I would skip Kyoto (1 1/2 hour from port of Osaka or Kobe) and concentrate on Osaka. Port of Kobe is across the bay from port of Osaka.

Osaka Castle and grounds are magnificent; Dotomeri (spell?) section of Osaka at night is fun and is modern Japan at it's craziest!

Yokohama is at least 40 minutes from downtown Tokyo by even bullet train; so I'd stay in Yokohama. It's an interesting part of Japan.

The ship must clear immigration and customers at Osaka, 2-3 hours for a mega cruise. In japan most attractions close at 5pm. Is 30 min by metro from cruise terminal to 

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  Osaka

 

191,812 photos

 

Dotonbori

[monkey@cruise]

On 4/29/2024 at 1:39 PM, tashaaa said:

Hi 🙂

 

I’m looking into a really interesting vacation with Beijing, Shanghai and a 7 day Royal Caribbean cruise to Japan. Below is the itinerary of the cruise. There is only one day in Osaka/Kyoto, Kobe, Tokyo. 
I know that this really is not enough time, but do you think, we can make it a nice cruise with a taste of Japan? 
 

What are your thoughts on this cruise? What should be our priority? 
 

My husband and I are limited with the vacation days, so we can’t do a longer trip. 
 

The ship must clear immigration and customers at Osaka, 2-3 hours for a mega cruise. In Japan most attractions open from 9am to 5pm  it's 30 min by metro from cruise terminal to Dotonbori (Japan Time Square).

Kobe: The ship will dock at Kobe Port terminal, 5 min metro to city center.

Yokohama::  all  mega ship will dock at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in a remote manmade island, no public transport access. To Tokyo, Shibuya, or Shinjuku you need to take a taxi to Yokohama station, if you know how to ride the subway, will get you to there within an hour. The biggest Japan Chinatown is Yokohama.

[Simon-t]

Is this on the Spectrum of the Seas? We looked at a similar itinerary in November but decided against as the timings make it hard to have any meaningful time in either Kyoto or Tokyo. 

[tashaaa]

15 minutes ago, Simon-t said:

Is this on the Spectrum of the Seas? We looked at a similar itinerary in November but decided against as the timings make it hard to have any meaningful time in either Kyoto or Tokyo. 

Yes, its Spectrum of the Seas.

 

Actually it’s strange that thay make such an itinerary, with this port times. 

But the whole holiday package is good, so I still didn’t give up on it.

 

 

[tashaaa]

1 hour ago, monkey@cruise said:

The ship must clear immigration and customers at Osaka, 2-3 hours for a mega cruise. In Japan most attractions open from 9am to 5pm  it's 30 min by metro from cruise terminal to Dotonbori (Japan Time Square).

Kobe: The ship will dock at Kobe Port terminal, 5 min metro to city center.

Yokohama::  all  mega ship will dock at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in a remote manmade island, no public transport access. To Tokyo, Shibuya, or Shinjuku you need to take a taxi to Yokohama station, if you know how to ride the subway, will get you to there within an hour. The biggest Japan Chinatown is Yokohama.

Thanks for the info 😁 it’s better to focus on Osaka and Yokohama.

 

 

[monkey@cruise]

2 hours ago, tashaaa said:

Yes, its Spectrum of the Seas.

 

Actually it’s strange that thay make such an itinerary, with this port times. 

But the whole holiday package is good, so I still didn’t give up on it.

 

 

It's more a shopping cruise for the Chinese passengers from Shanghai.

[monkey@cruise]

2 hours ago, tashaaa said:

Thanks for the info 😁 it’s better to focus on Osaka and Yokohama.

 

 

Kobe City usually runs complimentary shuttle to Kobe Chinatown, drop off at Daimaru Kobe.

if Yokohama city offer complimentary shuttle, drop off will be at Yokohama Yamashita Park, the stop is 5 min walk to metro Motomachi-Chūkagai Station (Chinatown), then you can ride direct metro to Shibuya, and Shinjuku is only 10 min metro away.