Cruises in Asia - any experiences?

[peacefrogdog]

Looking to hear experiences of those who may have done cruises in Asia. Looking at some that stop in Japanese ports, but the length of time spent at each doesn't seem that long. For example, the longest stays in port I could find was a cruise that did overnight stays in Kyoto and Tokyo, but overnight means it arrives around 3-5 pm, and then departs the next day around 3-5 pm, so around 24 hours total in each.

 

[jimmymc]

I did the NCL Spirit from Seoul to Tokyo.

Port days usually started between 7 and 9 am and finished around 5 PM. Our Kobe stop was 7 am to 8 pm, which was our only day near Osaka and Kyoto. I had been to both cities before, so this was fine with me. I split the day between Kobe and Osaka. But if it was my first trip to Japan, I would've added on days there before or after the cruise. We ended with an overnight in Tokyo, which ended up blending the last day of the cruise with my two post-nights in the city. It also means they did the final stage shows the night before we arrived there instead of the last night of the cruise.

In general, I think one day was enough for most cities. If it were my first and possibly only trip to Japan, I would've added more days in Tokyo and Kyoto. The two cities are only about 3 hours away by train, so it's not unreasonable to add a few days in each.

 

[E&Cmom]

I was on 12 night Seoul to Tokyo cruise but on the Celebrity Millennium just last month. We had an amazing time . Most of the time we got into port around 7-9AM and departed between 4-6pm. Most ports I found that adequate to see what I wanted to see. The ship stayed overnight in Osaka arriving at 9AM the first day and departing at 8PM the following. Because my main focus was Kyoto and I booked an early morning tour of 3 of the main sites so the second day we choose to stay at a hotel overnight in Kyoto . We also had a tea ceremony and tickets for Ninentdo museum there. If I were to go back I would have loved more time there but we did most of the things we wanted those days and got back to the ship with time to spare. It was our first time using the train system which was a bit of an adventure but google map was great and we didn’t get lost.

I did add 3 days prior in Seoul ( wish I had done one or two more) and 6 nights following in Tokyo ( last 3 were Disney).

I found that prioritizing the things you want to see the most and not expecting to see everything worked best. I ended up cutting out a few things due to time, the heat (humidity ), some very rainy days and exhausting/ sore feet but I don’t feel like I missed out as we had a wonderful trip.

 

[peacefrogdog]

I was on 12 night Seoul to Tokyo cruise but on the Celebrity Millennium just last month. We had an amazing time . Most of the time we got into port around 7-9AM and departed between 4-6pm. Most ports I found that adequate to see what I wanted to see. The ship stayed overnight in Osaka arriving at 9AM the first day and departing at 8PM the following. Because my main focus was Kyoto and I booked an early morning tour of 3 of the main sites so the second day we choose to stay at a hotel overnight in Kyoto . We also had a tea ceremony and tickets for Ninentdo museum there. If I were to go back I would have loved more time there but we did most of the things we wanted those days and got back to the ship with time to spare. It was our first time using the train system which was a bit of an adventure but google map was great and we didn’t get lost.

I did add 3 days prior in Seoul ( wish I had done one or two more) and 6 nights following in Tokyo ( last 3 were Disney).

I found that prioritizing the things you want to see the most and not expecting to see everything worked best. I ended up cutting out a few things due to time, the heat (humidity ), some very rainy days and exhausting/ sore feet but I don’t feel like I missed out as we had a wonderful trip.

The itinerary on Miellenium is one we are eyeing. It departs from Tokyo, and has overnights in Kyoto and Tokyo.
Can I ask what type of stateroom you had, and if you've done Royal before, what was the biggest difference you've noticed between the two?

 

[E&Cmom]

The itinerary on Miellenium is one we are eyeing. It departs from Tokyo, and has overnights in Kyoto and Tokyo.
Can I ask what type of stateroom you had, and if you've done Royal before, what was the biggest difference you've noticed between the two?

We had an ocean view room. It was nice . Even though it is an older ship the rooms have been renovated.

I have been on Royal once but can’t really compare as they were completely different experiences. Royal was on a big Oassis class ship to the Caribbean so our trip was very ship focused with more bells and whistles while the Celebrity Millennium was a smaller older ship,and our trip was definitely port focused. Seeing Japan and South Korea was a bigger priority than the ship. We had great service and enjoyed the food and shows on both but definitely were in bed earlier this trip after busy days so didn’t take part in as many activities or use as many of the amenities.

 

[starvenger]

I just got back from a land vacation in Japan so I hope I can provide a different perspective.

It was crazy hot and humid in Japan, so keep that in mind if you're cruising there in the summer. In general, public trash bins are few and far between. If you see a 7-11, Lawson or Family Mart, that's the best place to dump your trash. And pick up some snacks and much needed liquid for rehydrating.

It may be prudent to pay for a cruise shuttle over to the train station if you intend to take a trip away from the city. Trains are very frequent along the Kobe/Osaka corridor, so no worries there. Google maps will be your best friend to ensure sure you get on the faster Shinkansens. But even if you miss a train, another one comes along relatively quickly. And on time.

Looking at the potential cruise ports, when it says "Kyoto", you actually disembark in Miyazu (2 hours to Kyoto station), Osaka (1 hour) or Kobe (90 min). TBH Kyoto is best saved as a pre- or post- cruise destination.

As for destinations, Kobe would be good if you're looking to go to Himeji Castle or Hiroshima. Osaka is a good place to transit to Nara. In Osaka, the Dotonbori area is crazy packed during the day. We had an airbnb within walking distance of the Shinsekai Market, which is lively at night and has the Tsutenkaku tower.

Since you're looking at embarking in Tokyo, I'd look at getting tickets for one of the TeamLab exhibits (Planets is relatively close to the cruise terminal). It's definitely a cool experience.

Hope that helps you out.