Trip Report "Whittier to Osaka" 9/16 to 10/14

[Sandy R]

I originally posted this information on the Princess site but thought the Asia port of call site might also be appropriate...

 

Part I: Introduction

To introduce ourselves, my DH and I are in are late 60's, very active and experienced cruisers with 32 cruises on Princess and 40+ total… and we avoid ship tours if possible, opting for private tours instead. After booking a cruise with ports we haven't been to, I become obsessed about doing research about the areas. Before this trip, I purchased a Canon XT digital SLR with a 17-85 zoom lens, so I was eagerly anticipating the photo ops we were going to encounter!

 

Over the years, I’ve gotten so much information from this board, I thought I'd share our experiences aboard the Sapphire Princess for 4 weeks. BTW, I brought home all the Princess Patters and Princess Port Guides so if anyone has any questions, I’ll try my best to answer them.

 

Part II: Anchorage/Whittier

Before starting our trip, I had logged onto tripadvisor.com for info on hotels in Anchorage. Most of the major downtown hotels were very expensive and reviews were mixed. We decided on the Homewood Suites, about 2 miles from downtown. We flew into Anchorage on 9/14 and arrived at 11:00 pm. We called Homewood Suites to send their airport shuttle and they were there within 10 minutes. We rented a car the following day but Homewood provides 3 shuttles, one to downtown, one to the airport and one to another area of Anchorage, so a car isn't necessary. Homewood is 2+ years old so they still felt new. We booked a 1 bedroom suites which was quite large, had central air & heat and their windows open so we could feel the Alaska air. The staff was eager to help and the breakfasts included in the price were adequate.

 

Second day, we were shuttled into downtown where we picked up our rental from Avis (much cheaper than renting at the airport). We strolled the downtown area, then drove south along Turnagain Arm towards Portage... the scenery was incredible, the roads made for an easy drive and we stopped at several vista points along the way. Because it was late in the season, many areas on the water side was frozen and the foliage on the mountain side was turning beautiful shades of greens, reds, yellows and oranges... it was also on and off misty and rainy… only a minor inconvenience. We stopped at the Wildlife Conservation Center but only got out of the car to take photos because of the weather and we by-passed the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center because by the time we got there the rain was really coming down. We took the turn toward Girdwood a little after noon and stopped at the Bake Shop, recommended on cruisecritic. It was filled with friendly locals and the food was as good as has been reported... great soup, homemade bread and rolls and sandwiches large enough to feed two. After a full day's drive, we opted to walk to TGFriday's for dinner, a block from the hotel. We seemed to be the only locals in the restaurant so several people struck up conversations with us, which was fun.

 

On Saturday, with on and off rain again, we drove towards Whittier and made the 11:30 am Whittier tunnel. The drive through was interesting and once on the other side, Whittier was right there... and cold (about 55 degrees) but to our surprise no rain. We dropped off our luggage, filled the gas tank at the only gas station in town and dropped off the rental at the General Store, about a block from the ship. Embarkation was quick and we were eating lunch at the Horizon Buffet by 12:30 pm. After lunch, we explored Whittier... a tiny place but filled with great photo ops and very friendly people.

 

The Sapphire set sail at 5 pm, while it was still light out, so prepared for cold weather, we stayed on deck as we sailed through the glaciers... absolutely amazing scenery!

 

Part III: The Sapphire Princess

Because we had previously been on the Diamond, we were familiar with the layout of the Sapphire. We always book a mini-suite and this cruise was no exception. Since our cruise was B2B 28 days, we were happy to have the extra space. Because we are Elite, we had the upgraded toiletries (which we never use because we bring scent free toiletries), free internet and free laundry and dry cleaning... a big help on a long cruise.

 

The first of our 2 cruises had a large number of Brits aboard… more Brits than Americans. Other countries were represented, too. It was definitely an international cruise. The medium age was about 75 years old, with several passengers in wheelchairs, some in walkers, some with canes. The 2nd cruise was a dramatic change. In Beijing, the medium age suddenly became about 55 years of age, with several 30 somethings. The 2nd cruise also had about 300 Spanish-speaking passengers from the Dominican Republic, most of whom smoked, sometimes in areas where smoking wasn't allowed... a particular bug of mine!

 

We opted for late sitting traditional dining but after a few days of sitting at a table for 8 with only one other couple, we changed to Personal Choice dining and were much happier. We never had a problem finding space in one of the four dining rooms, either alone or with other couples. We ate at 8 pm but others told us they just walk in anytime and had no more than a 10 minute wait.

 

The Sapphire will soon be going into dry dock for some minor work (one of which will be that casino slots will now pay off with receipts rather than coins. I thought the ship looked fine, always clean and shining. We found all the crew and staff extremely helpful and friendly. There were Purell-like pump bottles at every venue... all dining rooms, Horizon Court, library, Internet Cafe, etc… and passengers used them. I never heard that Norvo-virus was going around, but I applaud Princess for their preventative measures. Toward the middle of the first cruise, several passengers caught a nasty virus. Luckily, we came prepared with Airbourne, vitamins and anti-biotics... just in case.

 

Our breakfast were usually at the Horizon Court. There was always a good selection of food but you could always ask for something you didn’t see i.e... lox. Empty tables were hard to come by for breakfast and lunch but you could always find empty chairs, which turned out to be a plus because it was a chance to meet new and interesting people. Some days, we had pizza or hamburgers for lunch, served by the pool. The thin crust pizza was particularly good.

 

As I mentioned before, we try to avoid ship tours but we did book a ship tour in Petropavlosk and Tokyo, when the Princess website began offering tours for our cruise. Many passengers who waited to book tours once aboard the ship, were annoyed and disappointed because tours were filled. I would recommend booking tours when they are offered on-line. Tours can always be cancelled once onboard, up to a few days prior to the tour. IMHO it wasn't necessarily Princess' fault. There were always a vast number of buses lined up at every port for tours and I know for a fact, several of the English-speaking guides were transported by Princess from one port to another to lead tours. These were exotic ports that Princess visits once a year. I think logistically, they did the best they could under the circumstances. There has been a lot of talk about Visas on cruisecritic. Princess said a one-entry Visa was sufficient. We, like many others, opted for a double-entry Visa. I never heard that anyone, either with a single or double entry Visa, had a problem getting off the ship. Twice, arriving in a Japanese port after having stopped in China and Taiwan, all passengers were asked to walk single file through Club Fusion, while Japanese authorities took our temperatures with camera-like equipment aimed at us from 10 feet away. As we left Club Fusion, each of us were handed a "landing card". It was explained that without that card, we wouldn’t be allowed off the ship in that particular port. DH figured all this was done because we had visited a bird flu country.

 

As far as entertainment... we thought the shows were good but for those of us who sail Princess on a regular basis, many were repeats. Much of the alternate entertainment didn't quite seem up to Princess' standards, i.e... a few of the comedians, a juggler and a ventriloquist.

 

Part IV: The ports

If anyone wants our private tour info, I'll be happy to provide the info. Our private tours were great and for the most part, with 2 couples sharing the cost, were equal to or less than the price of the ship tours and definitely more extensive.

 

9/17 - Kodiak, Alaska: We docked very close to the center of the city. We had reserved an Avis rental car and with the help of my research, looked forward to checking off a list of 18 things to do and see in this year-round commercial fishing town, ranked as one of the top 3 fishing ports in the U.S. When we arrived, it was pouring rain so we cancelled the rental and waited onboard in hopes the rain would let up… which it did after lunch. The city provided buses to shuttle passengers into town for $10. By the time we disembarked, tickets were no longer being sold so we were able to board the shuttle for free. We visited the Russian Cemetery, the Russian Orthodox Church, the small but quaint Baranov Museum (the oldest wooden structure in Alaska), walked around the shopping area, mostly closed because it was a Sunday, and explored the harbor area.

 

After Kodiak: for the next 4 days, we traversed the Bering Sea, which was uneventful except for one day, when we experienced 25 foot waves and another day, when we crossed the International Date Line, lost a day, with Princess providing each passenger a certificate.

 

9/23 – Petropavlosk, Kamchatka Siberia, Russia: This was a tender port. We arrived to remarkably good weather for mid-September, clear and crisp, with the temperature around 55 degrees. We opted for the ship tour “Kamchatka City/Cultural Museum” as we weren’t sure if we could get a taxi at the dock. I think we made the right decision as most passengers that didn’t take a ship tour, just walked around, some making it a distance away, to the Cultural Museum but seeing very little of the city. The snowy peaks of Mt. Koryak & Mt. Avacha were a dramatic backdrop for the city’s 273,000 inhabitants. The tour bus drove by one dilapidated apartment building after another, a stark difference from the magnificent scenery surrounding this remote city. Most people live in apartments and only a few own cars. We drove past one long street where both sides were lined with used cars for sale, some with steering wheels on the right, some on the left, people opting for what they could afford, not for what they wanted. We stopped at a gold-spired churck and at the small 2 story cultural museum, which told the story of the Kamchatka history. Our last stop was at a local outdoor market made up of stands selling fish, vegetables, tubs filled with cavier, candy, flowers, clothes, fur hats and gloves. At one side of the market was an area filled with people waiting for different buses, standing still, almost stiffly, not talking, not smiling, just waiting for their bus. Although no one spoke English, the marketplace and bus area definitely gave us a feel for the people. We could only imagine what daily life was like in mid-winter.

 

9/24 & 9/25 were sea days.

 

9/26 – Muroran, Japan: We docked at a container port. It was a lovely warm day when we arrived but because Sapporo was a 90 minute drive away, we opted for a private tour around the Muroran countryside, with a touring company recommended on tripadvisor’s board. The guide met us at the ship, driving a Toyota Crown… very comfortable for 4 persons. Our 6 hour tour included: Mt. Usu Gondola, Showa Shinzan, Lake Toya, Shiraoi, Ainu Village and the Valley of Hell. It was an interesting day… driving through back roads, through wonderful farm country, into mountains with lake views, a stop at a reproduction of an Ainu Village and a visit to the Valley of Hell, where plumes of volcanic gas rose from the stark barren earth, providing people benefit from it’s nearby hot springs.

 

9/27 was another sea day.

 

9/28… Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan: The weather was very warm when we docked in Yokohama. Here we opted for a ship’s tour but in retrospect, we could have taken the train into Tokyo and used the subway to get to the venues we wanted to see… but it would have taken extensive research and we would have had to know in advance the train schedules and the distances apart of each site we wanted to see. You had to allow 40 minutes from the dock to the train station and another 40 minutes for the return… then the train took about 50 minutes into the city of Tokyo. We felt the ship’s tour “Ancient & Modern Tokyo” would be less stressful for us. We drove 90 minutes from the dock to the center of Tokyo. Tokyo is crowded and traffic was bumper to bumper so we were only able to see: the Imperial Palace grounds during a 20 minute stop – Meiji Shrine, Asakusa Kannon Temple with generous time to shop at the near-by “Nakamise-dori (the “Street of Inside Shops”), great for shoppers but also nice for those of us that wanted to mingle with the locals. Lunch disappointed some, including ourselves, because it was western-style, not the Asian lunch we expected… when in Rome do what the Romans do was obviously ignored. Included in the tour were several photo-ops from the bus, not really great, but the tour gave use a feel for the city and we understood that trying to see such a large city in one day, would be impossible. It would be nice to return someday, stay longer and see the city at a slower, less rushed pace.

 

There were many passengers who opted to explore Yokohama instead and that would have been a decent alternative to a 90 minute drive each way, into Tokyo. After a short walk into town, taxis were available and if you did your research, there were interesting venues in Yokohama, a vibrant city on it’s own. We heard from those that opted for Yokohama, that they thoroughly enjoyed their day there. If the amazing, intricate 90 minute performance on the dock before sail-away is representative of their city, Yokohama must be wonderful!

 

9/29… a much needed day at sea

 

9/30… Nagasaki, Japan: This was probably one of our warmest port stops, perhaps because the humidity was higher. We docked at Masugae Pier and there was an Information booth on the dock. Although the streetcar stop was only a 10 minute walk away, we opted to rent a taxi and driver for 5 hours, to see the sites. We handpicked the sites we wanted to see and the driver actually bought entrance tickets for us with his Japanese yen (which we figured into the amount of U.S. $$ we gave him at the end of the day – $80US for the 2 of us) and he accompanied us in seeing the sites (guides don’t pay entrance fees). We saw that other taxi drivers were doing the same for their tourist fares.

 

Our first stop was the Peace Memorial Park, commemorating the atomic bomb explosion on 8/9/45. There were many monuments and statues, gifts from other countries, and a massive fountain in the middle of the park that sprayed mist on passers-by. Our taxi driver/guide explained in his limited English that the water spray was a symbol of the peace Nagaskai was trying to convey to people around the world. Our next stop was the Atomic Bomb Museum. Many tourist have said they just couldn’t go… my answer would be how could they not go! It brought home the horror the U.S. chose to take and the urgent need for eliminating all nuclear weapons. From the Museum, we went to Glover Gardens. built in 1863 by Thomas Glover. It is now the oldest remaining colonial style building in Japan. There is only one small garden and there is a view of the city and the ship… but nothing spectacular. And, it’s quite a climb up to the top. Our opinion was Glover Gardens was a waste of time but I’m sure others would disagree. We also stopped at the Megane-bashi (Spectacles Bridge), the oldest stone bridge in Japan, Oura Church and the 26 Christian Hill. Throughout the day, we found the people gracious and friendly and their city, very clean.

 

10/1... a day at sea.

 

10/2… Xingang, China (Tianjin and Beijing): Of the 2600 passengers aboard, 1900 disembarked in Xingang. Since we were sailing on, Xingang was a day stop for us. Since we had visited Beijing several years prior, and the ride into Beijing was 2 ½ hours each way, we opted for a private tour of Tianjin, about a 30 minute drive from the Sapphire Princess docked in Xingang. Six of us were picked up at 9 am in a very comfortable air-conditioned van with English-speaking guide. Again, I research the Tianjin sites and with the help of the tour company, worked out the following itinerary: French, British & Russian Style houses, Ma Chang Road, Ancient Cultural Street, lunch at the Food Street, with time to explore, then back to the ship by 3 pm.

 

The tour of Tianjin, turned out to be delightful. Tianjin is the 3rd largest city in China… it was modern, very clean and the people were very friendly, although few spoke English. The Ancient Cultural Street was extremely interesting, filled with shops selling a multitude of things, perfect for buy gifts for yourself and others. The prices were excellent and bargaining was encouraged. Lunch was at the Food Street, up 3 flights of stairs, where the six of us were treated to almost a 30 course lunch! After lunch, we explored the indoor mall and beside food items for sale, several shops were also selling Chinese products, including silk items, like purses, boxes and some knock-off items.

 

10/3… Dalian, China: We didn’t plan a private tour in Dalian but with 2 other couples, we hired a van, driver and English-speaking guide. Well, actually, her English wasn’t great but she spoke better English than we did Chinese, and she was very nice and eager to please… and Dalian was where my research really came in handy because I knew what sites there were to see.

 

We drove through the downtown area, passed Zhongshan Square, marking the city center… very clean, very green, with lots of parks and trees. Then, we drove along the Binhai Road coastline, and up into the hills, where we came to their aquarium and theme park, crowded with people, as we were there during China’s National Holiday. We stopped to look around but opted to by-pass the interior. From the aquarium, we drove into the hills and came out at what the guide called “New Dalian”, which was actually Liaoning Provence… beautiful coastline, sandy beaches, hi-tech architecture, lovely sculptures, hi-rise condos with large terraces and Xinghai Square, the largest square in Asia, larger than in Beijing. The area was definitely 21st century! From there, we drove a shorter route into the downtown area and stopped for a visit to the “Russian Street”… Russian architecture and lots of shops. All in all, it had been a great day.

 

10/4... a day at sea.

 

10/5 & 10/6... Shanghai overnight: We had booked a private tour in Shanghai, for our first day… a private tour that was recommended by people that had used them. Four of us were picked up at 8:30 am. (We were about 40 minutes from the center of Shanghai city because the Sapphire was so large, it had to dock at a container port.) Our day included… Shanghai city, Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, Old City, the Bund and Nanjing Road. Our tour ended at 6 pm… a very full day.

 

We drove through the city and couldn’t believe all the skyscrapers, each one more extraordinary than the next… 400 in all, more than in New York. Our first stop was the Jade Buddha Temple… very interesting, very colorful, permeating with the scent of incense and very crowded (China’s National Holiday was still being celebrated). From there, we drove to the Bund and walked along the boardwalk, by the Huangpu River. From there, we walked to a nearby “tea house”, where we were seated at a rectangular table… and a lovely Chinese woman began to brew us several kinds of tea, one at a time, which we savored slowly, while munching on the best tasting little crackers. We knew we would be asked to buy tea at the end but it was a nice experience and a most relaxing ½ hour. From the tea house, we stopped at a nice restaurant for lunch… where the guide helped us order but the menus had pictures of the food, which really helped. After lunch, we wanted to explore Xiang Yang (knock-off) Market but were told it had been permanently closed. We drove by because I had to see that it was indeed closed. The area was boarded up but we were told that the market has been separated into several small shops, behind stores, in the same general area. If you really want to see knock-offs, walk the streets near where the Xiang Yang Market used to be and people will approach you. We didn’t see the selection we might have, had Xiang Yang still been there, but we did buy some nice things. Next, we drove down Nanjing Road, through the Old City, where we stopped at Yu Garden. We hadn’t known in advance the enormity of the Garden, everywhere you turn, every unusual doorway, every path, produces yet another exquisite garden and sculpture. We probably spent 2 hours walking through the Garden. From there, we drove through the French Concession area, lovely tree-lined streets, with early 19th century houses of European/Chinese influences, originally built for the French. We drove by the Oriental Pearl Tower, 3rd tallest in the world, and by People’s Square, where a multitude of brightly colored kites were being flown.

 

Next day, we took the Princess free shuttle into the city with 2 other couples, who had also toured the previous day. We chose to walk down Nanjing Road, again very crowed because of China’s National Holiday. Around lunchtime, we found ourselves in front of the JW Marriott, so we took the elevator to the 46th floor and had a delightful lunch, surrounded by striking décor and an amazing 360 degree view of the city. It was a wonderful 2 days!

 

Next: 10/7… a day at sea

 

10/8… Pusan, South Korea: Again, we were greeted with very warm weather. We took the complimentary shuttle into the downtown area and explored the two nearby markets. First, was the colorful Chagalch’I Fish Market, directly across the street from the shuttle drop-off point. It encompasses several blocks along the docks, where the fishing boats pull in and drop off their catch. It was a definite photo-op, with all kinds of fresh fish in tanks, some we’ve never seen before, women de-boning fish and fish stacked high in buckets, all waiting to be purchased. The locals were very friendly, and although they didn’t speak English, they nodded hello and smiled as we walked around. Next, we walked across the street to the Kukje Shopping Market, narrow streets crowded with small open-front shops, each specializing in one type of item… shoes, eye-glasses, electronics leather goods, handicrafts, food, etc.

 

From the downtown area, we took a taxi (paying in US$$) to the Pusan Tower. The driver took us up the hill to the entrance, where we then climbed up stairs and a walk-way, to the top. The area surrounding the tower is a social place for seniors, families and young adults. People were sitting and enjoying the views of the city, while children played with each other and fed the pigeons.

 

Some passengers took the subway to the Beomosa Temple. I’m sorry to say we were “templed” out. It was nice to have a day to ourselves, on our own, at our own pace.

 

10/9… Kagoshima, Japan: More good weather welcomed us. We rode the complimentary shuttle into the city center and were dropped off at a high-end department store and mall. We began walking and came to a delightful park, where an outdoor arts and crafts faire was in progress. From the park, we hired a taxi and driver to take us to ISO Garden, built by Lord Shimadzu, as his summer villa. His beautiful ancient Japanese-style garden dates back to 1668. From ISO, we could clearly see majestic Sakurajima, the most active volcanic mountain in Japan… it was quite a site. We made sure the taxi would wait for us since we weren’t sure we would be able to get a taxi back. As it turned out when we left ISO Garden, taxis were streaming in with fares, so we certainly could have gotten a taxi back to the city center. Still, the price we settled on with the taxi driver was not much more than if we had taken two taxis back and forth. We strolled the tranquil garden, with our taxi driver as guide, for well over an hour.

 

After our exploration, we were driven back to the city center and the shopping mall. We explored the downtown streets for awhile, then walked through the shopping mall. In the early afternoon, we took the shuttle back to the ship… the drive was plus or minus 30 minutes. There were several passengers with shopping bags loaded with purchases from the department store. We are not really shoppers but everyone said there were lovely items to buy. Again, it was a very nice day spent by ourselves.

 

10/10… a day at sea

 

10/11… Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan: We had booked another private tour (for 4 of us). Our van and English-speaking driver picked us up promptly at 8 am and whisked us off for a day of sight-seeing in Taipei. Our itinerary, which I put together from my research: The Grand Hotel, Longshan Temple, Taipei 101, the Wanhua District and the Chaing Kai-Shek Memorial… with lunch and admissions included.

 

After a 30 minute drive into the center of Taipei, we stopped first at the Grand Hotel, one of the city’s most famous landmarks (I visited there in 1963). Its’ bright yellow tile roof is the largest Chinese classical style roof in the world. The hotel exterior and interior is an elegant work of art, containing numerous objects d’art, wall panels, painting and carvings. From the hotel, we went to Longshan Temple, one of the most colorful and popular in Taipei… it was definitely a good choice. After taking time out for a delicious Asian lunch, we visited the Wanhua District, an area with old temples and narrow streets… with great photo-ops. Next stop was the impressive Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, where some of us tackled the multitude of steps to watch the changing of the guard (the elevator was being repaired). Our last stop was Tapei 101, where we spent well over an hour, taking the elevator to the top, walking around the hi-end, hi-tech mall and stopping for an afternoon snack. Our tour guide provided us with a long but very special day.

 

10/12… Okinawa, Japan: We hadn’t planned a tour here, so we hired a taxi and driver (who spoke limited English), to show us the sites. It was rather easy to make choices of what to see because the driver had a sheet with the different sites, along with photos, and all we had to do was point… made easier by my research.

 

Our first stop was Shuri Castle, which was another example of Asian architecture, with surrounding well-manicured grounds. Next stop was the Shikinaen Garden, a lovely villa and garden once belonging to an old royal family of Okinawa. The tranquil gardens, lake, bridges and pagoda, made for more great photo-ops. We found it odd that there were no benches to sit and contemplate the striking views… a definite drawback. Next stop was the Makishi Public Market, where we spent time strolling up and down the aisles of the covered stalls. No bargains though, because negotiating is not allowed. We spent another enjoyable port stop on our own.

 

10/13… a day at sea.

 

10/14… Osaka: This was the end of our 4 week cruise. Disembarkation was a somewhat slow because there was a shortage of dockworkers off-loading passenger luggage. Once we found our luggage, our pre-arranged transportation from our hotel, was there to take us into the city center, about a ½ hour drive from the Tempozan Cruise Terminal. We spent the afternoon walking this very modern and crowded city, including a stop at the Osaka Castle. The Castle and grounds are worth seeing.

 

10/15... Kyoto: We previously booked a popular Japanese touring company to accompany us by train round-trip to Kyoto for the day, sight-seeing and lunch included (6:30 am to 6:30 pm)… a very long and tiring but absolutely fascinating non-stop day, filled with 6 major Kyoto sites, a buffet lunch and time for shopping.

 

10/16... Going home: Our previously booked hotel transportation drove us to Kansai Airport, where we flew home to Los Angeles via San Francisco… we had been away a total of 33 amazing days!

[BCHappyGal]

Dear Sandy

 

Thank you very much for an excellent review of your cruise.

As this is an itinerary I have been thiniking about I really enjoyed reading about your adventures.

 

Yes I would love to have the information on your private tours. We also are avid cruisers but ones who believe in private shore excursions.

 

Ann

[cadreamer]

Sandy R - Could you please tell me who you had for a guide in Tianjin, China?

[Smiles3usa]

Sandy, excellent review! Thanks so much for sharing!

[Sandy R]

Cadreamer...

We booked our Taipei tour with "Have Fun Travel" - http://www.hftravel.com.tw

Our contact was with Augustus Chen (special assistant to vice general manager). The cost for 4 persons was NT$5,000 per couple (roughly $150US per couple), which included an all day tour, air conditioned van (which could have held 6 comfortably), private English-speaking guide, driver, lunch and admission fees. We were required to pay by credit card in advance by filling out and sending back their booking form. As it turned out, paying in advance was a plus since we didn't have to exchange money. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. BTW, they came all the way from Taipei to pick us up and after returning us to the ship, drove back to Taipei... 30-40 minutes each way. We all thought the price was quite reasonable.

 

Sandy

[Sandy R]

Oops... Cadreamer, gave you Taipei private tour instead of Tianjin private tour:

The tour company we used was CITS in Tianjin. CITS is a travel agency throughout China, owned by the Chinese government. I have 2 different e-mail addresses for the contact person: Yang Jian (M or F ??)... I just addressed my e-mails to Yang Jian. E-mail addresses: naijgnay@hotmailcom - yangjianhbw@gmail.com - both seemed to work when I was corresponding back and forth with him/her. We were very pleased with their service. Air conditioned van, driver and English-speaking guide met us promptly at the dock (there were 6 of us) and the tour of Tianjin was wonderful... a nice surprise since we weren't expecting anything special. Just to give you an idea of cost, we had a 6 hour tour, including entrance fees and a spectacular 25 course lunch, for $57US per person.

 

BCHappyGal... here are the other private tour info:

Our Shanghai private tour info is: jasper@china.com

He was recommended by cruisecritic and tripadvisor board members. He's with Beijingservice.com. We wouldn't have been able to see as much on our own or with a single ship's tour. Cost for 4 people was $90US per person. The cost goes down with more people. We chose to limit ourselves to 4 so we wouldn't be touring with a crowd. We paid at the end of the tour in US$$. The price included pick up from the port (in our case Waigaoqiao Port, about 45 minutes from central Shanghai), air conditioned van and driver, English speaking tour guide, admission fees, lunch, parking costs and transfer back to the port after the tour. It was a wonderful tour!

 

Our Mororan, Japan private tour with Nextage, Inc. Contact: Masa Ohashi e-mail: ohashi!poem.ocn.ne.jp - We had an 8 hour tour to the Lake Toya district, Mt. Usu and gondola, Ainu Village, Noboribetsu Valley of Hell. There were 4 of us and an air conditioned Toyota Crown car was provided + an English-speaking driver who was also our guide. The price was 40,000JPY... $86US pp. We were very pleased with the tour.

 

Sandy

[Spikesgirl]

Great review, Sandy. You had a lot of ports we didn't and that made this very interesting as we'd like to do it again.

 

Thank you for taking the time to do the review and for all the information.

 

Charlie

[Crown Prince]

What a terrific review. You are a very prolific writer. Thanks for taking the time to write this. I realize it is very time consuming.

We (Kathy, Dennis, Susan & Rob, Emma & Jordan, and I) also used Have Fun Travel. Kathy, our TL, had arranged in e-mails from their website. We also had the same guy coordinating (Augustus Chen); however, our driver didn't have clearance to drive through the gates and we finally found him after walking outside the pier gates. :confused: WARNING: Tell Augustus Chen to make sure your driver has clearance to get through the pier gates.

We were already in to almost an hour of the tour time, so Kathy negotiated a further discount for this loss (with conversations from our guide back to his base contact). It was a great tour & we loved the Museum with our written fortunes to keep. It's really fun with teen-agers - they keep you on your toes. And these Aussies have such a good sense of humour! :p

I loved the Dancing Dragons at the Dock & had my photo taken with them after they had finished dancing - what tiny little boys crawled out from under those costumes. :eek:

All your good hints and remembrances will help all members to better plan their cruises and, please know how much it is appreciated by us. :D

D.