Getting off at Japanese ports

Just wondering what to expect when getting off the ship in Japan. Do we just have to show passport and ship room key, or will we have to go through full customs process at each port? We are US citizens, sailing on Royal, from China to 3 ports in Japan.

Despite the incredible efficiency of most things and people in Japan, it seems that Japanese Immigration never received the memo.

They seem to make every effort to make immigration procedures as slow and aggravating as possible.

When ships are cruising around Japan, ALL passengers are required to go through face to face immigration checks at nearly every port - even when the previous and next port calls are Japanese.

Be sure to take your passport with you whenever you go ashore.

Despite the incredible efficiency of most things and people in Japan, it seems that Japanese Immigration never received the memo.

They seem to make every effort to make immigration procedures as slow and aggravating as possible.

When ships are cruising around Japan, ALL passengers are required to go through face to face immigration checks at nearly every port - even when the previous and next port calls are Japanese.

Be sure to take your passport with you whenever you go ashore.

Every cruise we've been on, the ship holds our passport! Do they not hold our passport if cruising out of Yokohama?

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Speaking only from my experience this past week.

Yokohama. Show passport, cruise boarding form, wait til number is called. Did not fingerprint or do face recognition here as they did when we arrived at Narita. Filled in. Customs card they gave us. Got cruise card and we were inboard 1/2 hour. (1:00 pm)

Nagasaki. Long line getting off to go through immigration line. But just needed passport. Returning. 30 people refused to get off ship to go through immigration. So we had a huge line. 1 hour to get back on board. Everyone was required to go through immigration even if not going ashore.

Busan. S. Korea. Big modern terminal. Passport. Needed. Face to face. Went quickly. On and off.

Niigata. First time for Celerity here. Immigration came on ship. Line ups. Japanese passports showed passport and dh temp taken. Foreigners had passports shown, temp. Taken with camera thing, fingerprinted and face recognition. Same process as we had at Narita.

Aomori show passport

Sendai. Show passport

Hi Dog,

Whilst at Aomori, did you do a ship tour or your own?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Forums mobile app

Hi Dog,

Whilst at Aomori, did you do a ship tour or your own?

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Forums mobile app

One of us went to Hirosaki Castle 5 hour tour. Was good but did not get to enter the castle as it implied. Lovely park area and cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Other took free port shuttle to town. Drop off was at indoor mall near bridge. Modern building with food vendors. Town wakes up at 9:30. Drop off was at 8:30 and throughout the day back to the ship. Downtown area has blossom trees but not in bloom. Banks, restaurants, department stores mostly. There is an art museum and a couple of small temples in town it is really hard to arrange private tours with short times in port

Aomori is an easy diy port. Get the shuttle bus or walk to town. A must see is the Nebuta museum. Fantastic display of illuminated floats and a shop selling unique souvenirs.

Catch a bus to Sannai Muruyama, a park with reconstructed ancient dwellings and a museum with 5000 year old artefacts.

Have lunch in the Aomori fish market. You buy a set of vouchers then exchange them at the stalls for different items. Start with a bowl of rice then top with raw fish.

Visit APSAM, try some cider.

Or...

Take the train to Hirosaki and see the castle, gardens, pagoda, European style houses. It's a 40 minute train ride.

Hope that helps.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Is it easy to get to lake towado?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Forums mobile app

Is it easy to get to lake towado?

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Forums mobile app

Just wondering what to expect when getting off the ship in Japan. Do we just have to show passport and ship room key, or will we have to go through full customs process at each port? We are US citizens, sailing on Royal, from China to 3 ports in Japan.

You will have to go through immigration/customs at the first port - just as if you were arriving by plane. No problems at the other two ports, just have your ship card and a photo id. (plus I always carry a copy of my passport.)

Does anyone know why we can fly To Japan with passport valid time/duration of travel only, but cruiseline requires six month post cruise validity on a Japan roundtrip cruise? Only one port is not Japanese (South Korea) and it doesn't show 6 month either for validity on government websites .

Just booked a cruise last night for August 4 and one of my children is only valid 5.5 months after cruise and instead of online checkin saying "recommended", Princess says "required". We had been waiting until after her birthday in early September to renew so that the subsequent renewal would be she 16 for adult passport 10 years and not another 5 year passport at age 15 for same price (otherwise we renew early and 48 hours ago a cruise was not on our radar again until Australia in April)

Is it a cruiseline thing? Or is Japan more strict on its roundtrip cruises than people vacationing on land there?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Despite the incredible efficiency of most things and people in Japan, it seems that Japanese Immigration never received the memo.

They seem to make every effort to make immigration procedures as slow and aggravating as possible.

When ships are cruising around Japan, ALL passengers are required to go through face to face immigration checks at nearly every port - even when the previous and next port calls are Japanese.

Be sure to take your passport with you whenever you go ashore.

We did a wonderful cruise called Japan and China on Celebrity Millennium in 2015. We visited ports in Japan (including Okinawa), Shanghai, Taiwan and ending in Hong Kong.

We had no difficulty at the Japanese ports that you described above. I don't remember any face to face procedures. I don't think we had to take our passports with us when we left the ship. Of course, at Shanghai, we had to go theough immigration and take our passports, but that was not bad.

Before our ship leave port in Kushiro, everybody had to show up once they returned on board for exit inspection since we were officially leaving Japan that day. Our next port was Korsakov, Russia. Some people did not show up for this exit inspection causing our ship delay leaving port for two hours.

After our stop in Korsakov, we had to get in the horrendous long line to clear immigration before we could get off the ship at our next port of call, Otaru.

Exit inspection was done inside the cruise terminal in Nagasaki and that was really quick and painless. Our next port of call was for Busan, Korea.

After Busan, we had another immigration check on board before we could get off the ship in Maizuru, long line again.

I believe they need to have the immigration procedure whenever leaving or arriving the country.

The other ports were just presenting our key cards. No passport check except embarkation/debarkation in Yokohama.

I am fully aware of the reasons for some countries as this is not our first cruise with a foreign embarkation port, but was stupidly confused of why this government website for Japan says fine for validity "length of stay" (source: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/japan.html ) but cruiseline adds 6 months . Appointment in Arkansas tomorrow for emergency same day renewal since we will be 12 days shy of the 6 month post cruise requirement. (Where we walk out with it in hand) One port is South Korea which we also researched prior to booking Thursday night (https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/korea-south.html )

I learned when calling Princess when they opened the following morning (after this post here since after hours) that the cruiseline can impose whatever limits they want beyond the government requirements.

We had planned on renewing after Labor Day so she would be 11 by then and it last until she 16 so she then qualifies for the 10 year passport... saving us a renewal. We normally renew prior to six months but thought we would wait this time. Just used in Canada in June and had originally planned Costa Rica for August but changed all that Thursday night. Lesson learned on trying to save an extra passport renewal and timing it with your child's next birthday lol. The one time we didn't do 6 months but did on hubby when we got back. Figures.

She better not be planning on staying - we get off the ship in Tokyo on August 12 and school starts August 14. But the passport expiring January 30 is just not acceptable - getting new one Monday. Road trip today and hotel tonight.

I should have just waited to ask following morning when princess opened again - sorry to cause any time for anyone on this thread.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Is it easy to get to lake towado?

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Forums mobile app

'Your post made me smile and brought back memories. From 1968-70 I was stationed at Misawa Air Force Base...which is not too far from Lake Towado. A good friend and I used to routinely drive up to Towado to go camping. I never dreamed it would become a destination for cruisers :). And its the same with Aomori which was the place we went to get the ferry over to Hokodate. Other then a place to stop at a bar or restaurant...it was never a place we considered a destination. Amazing how times change. We are looking forward to returning to Japan on a cruise (next year). Guess it would be relatively easy to get to Towado if you had a rental car.

Hank

You have answered your own question.

 

Stupidly confused is the problem.

 

Japan does not care if your personal problems conflict with your passport expiration date.

 

They can just charger the carrier that brought you to Japan.

 

Yes nThe carriers have a different view. They do not want to pay for idiots who don't want to renew their

 

 

 

I just could not understand why government websites I linked had one thing on validity and cruiseline another... valid at time of travel versus "6 moths post cruise" was the discrepancy I was asking about. Oh well- lesson learned to disregard government websites lol

 

Sent from my iPhone