RachelG

The Makino botanical garden is a absolute must. It is huge and beautiful. We could have spent all day there. The temple is interesting and different than most of the others we saw--has a 5 story pagoda which is unusual. But the gardens are definitely the highlight.

Wow, Fletcher, I will be following along. Looks to be a very interesting voyage.

Too bad about Jeju, as it was really different and something we enjoyed very much. I guess that they paid attention to our complaints about the lack of disembarkation option. Do note however that the transport to airport is $89 per person. You can get a cab easily for way less.

A few final thoughts. We mostly enjoyed this cruise. The weather was mostly good to great. The ship is in good condition, and except for a couple of notable misses (first night in P7) food was excellent. Even though the ship was full, it didn’t seem crowded. george and I agree we would definitely go back to Japan and South Korea but probably would prefer to do it on one of Silversea’s expedition ships. We are more into hiking and nature, and definitely not into long bus rides, and there were too many of those. Part of the problem is that when you chose an excursion on the website, it often doesn’t really tell you how much time on the bus there is going to be. They need to fix that. They also need to fix the wifi issue. Some of us still are working, and not being able to even download an email is a problem. I did think the destination team did a great job on getting excursions out on time,much better than any previous cruise. They definitely seemed more organized.

No toilets on buses, but the public toilets are everywhere and very clean. But as someone else mentioned, there is usually no way to dry your hands. I just shake mine dry. no idea. Would love to know what they did with them.

April 11, 2023–Tokyo, Japan and disembarkation When we woke up at 6:30 am, the ship was still moving. We arrived in port after 7, and I was thinking no way are they going to be able to start disembarkation at 8 or even 8:30. Sure enough, we were out of our room at 8, sitting eating breakfast when the announcement came overhead that they were running late. At 8:30, they were just starting to offload luggage. But they were pretty efficient and Dru started calling groups soon after. We were to get off at 9:00 and actually disembarked at 9:30. Regent wanted $89 pp to transfer on a bus to Haneda airport. We grabbed a taxi and got a private transfer for about $30. Once at Haneda, I had a plan. We would see if AA would let us check in and check our bags. They were totally ok with it, and there was no line at all. Then we left our carryons at the left luggage counter (yes, they still have suck a thing in Japan), and grabbed a taxi to the Shinjuku gardens. Then taxi ride cost about $60, but it was quite a ways. We found a little hole in the wall sushi place. Literally a sushi counter with a dozen stools and 2 tables. There was an old guy there, probably in his 80s, making sushi. We did the point and guess method of ordering and ended up with wonderful sushi and miso soup for a great price. This fellow has apparently been making sushi there for almost 50 years. We spent the afternoon walking around the gardens. It was bright a sunny, a perfect day. There were lots of Japanese families picnicking in the park. The cherry blossoms were still in full bloom. There weren’t as many azeleas as we had seen in the other gardens we have visited on this trip, but they were beginning to bloom. There was a huge rose garden with perfect rose bushes in excellent health and covered with buds. It will be spectacular in a week. We got all our steps, plus, then grabbed a taxi back to the airport. The driver was really FAST. We arrived with extra time, which was a good thing because the line to go though security seemed to stretch forever and there is no separate line for business class. It rivaled the customs and immigration line to enter the country. It took almost an hour to get through. Once through, we spent our remaining yen on presents for the grand babies then went to the JAL first class lounge. We could enter because George is exec platinum on AA. One of the best lounge experiences ever. It was quiet and clean. They had great sushi made to order. So we ate more sushi. And it is beautifully decorated. Highly recommend. AA flights home uneventful. Global entry is now just facial recognition. You don’t have to scan your passport anymore. But then we had to wait forever for the luggage. There is always something. I will post again in a few days with final thoughts when I get caught up.

April 10, 2023–Shimizu, Japan First, most important news—internet speed has improved dramatically. They had someone come onboard in Kochi and install some new equipment which has helped loading speed. It still isn’t like on land, but it is very much easier to do things. It looks to be another beautiful clear day. We were sailing along the coast and just barely could make out a covered peak in the distance. We ate breakfast outside on the pool deck as all seats in La Veranda were taken, then went up to to watch the sail in. By this time, Mt. Fuji was clearly visible from the ship, a big snow capped volcanic peak, way higher than any of the others, 12,388 ft. Shimizu is a smaller city than many we have visited this trip, but the port has the requisite Ferris wheel. There were people out to watch us sail in, some taking pictures. Our excursion wasn’t until 12:15, so we walked into the town, with a shopping mall and a cute kids park that my grand babies would have loved. Our excursion “Mt. Fuji Highlights” was really disappointing, not because it was a bad excursion or the guide was bad. We actually had a great guide, and the two places we visited on the excursion were interesting and scenic. But it had very little to do with Mt Fuji. The first stop was a shrine where pilgrims pray before ascending Mt. Fuji. It was a typical shrine, and really in a beautiful setting, but you couldn’t even see Mt. Fuji from there. The second stop was a pine forest, ancient and really beautiful, but again no where close to Mt. Fuji. We were pretty disappointed, but the description of the excursion, which I looked up after we got back to the ship, was deceptive. If I had know this, we would have just hired a private driver, as none of the other excursions appeared to be any more of a Mt. Fuji experience. And yes, I know you can’t climb the mountain this time of year. We would have just liked to get closer to it. You could actually see the mountain better from our balcony on the ship than from either of the places on the excursion. Multiple other people concurred. Dinner with friends was excellent. We were in Compass Rose. I had a pork dumpling, tomato soup, and pasta puttanesca. Everyone was too full for dessert. The comedian was on again and pretty funny. And then we unfortunately had to go back and pack.

So, if over 1% are positive, that includes passengers plus crew, the crew start mandatory mask wearing. Passengers are advised but can decide whether or not they want to mask up. masks are provided in all cabins. I would say maybe 10% of passengers are wearing masks. Buffets are on as usual and you can serve yourself. Really the only difference is that crew are masked. No idea what happens Tuesday. And what do they do with the passengers in quarantine ?? Do they just let them loose?

April 9, 2023–Kochi, Japan We had a night smooth and quiet night sailing toward Kochi. The sun came out bright, and it looks to be a beautiful day with temps in the 60s. We were docked at a smaller port with a small cruise terminal. There was a guy on the dock waving a huge “Welcome to Kochi” banner. Our tour was to Chikurinji temple and the Makino botanical garden which are right side by side. The description said we would drive between them, but in reality, they share the same parking lot. We drove past rice paddies and greenhouses, then up a very narrow winding and steep road through bamboo forest to the top of a small mountain. On one side of the road, in the forest, there was a cemetery. Most unusual cemetery I have ever seen as it followed the road going up and was in the woods. We went to the temple first. There was a big gong which George got to ring, then we climbed up some very irregular rough stone stairs to the shrine and pagoda. The landscaping was very nice, and there was good shade. The pagoda is 5 stories high, so pretty big. I would say this would not be doable for anyone with balance or knee issues, but there is a good place to sit at the entrance and a small garden to see if you would be unable to do this part. We then went to the Makino gardens which was started by a Japanese botanist. It is huge. Every imaginable type of plant from Japan with cherry trees and azaleas being in full bloom. It is laid out in a manner to take advantage of the beautiful views and surrounding mountains so that literally everywhere you look is like a picture. There is a big greenhouse with orchids as well. We speed walked and still didn’t see everything. I would definitely return. Our guide was pretty good. She talked just the right amount and spoke good English, but she kept trying to count us to no avail. She did tell us that Kochi was particularly prone to tsunamis, and sure enough, when we got back to the dock area, we could see the huge concrete barriers they have erected to protect the port. Back to the ship, we realized we wouldn’t have enough time to take the shuttle into Kochi for lunch and get back before all aboard at 2:30, so we ate at La Veranda. It was a Mediterranean theme, and the hummus was some of the best I have had anywhere. I could tell by the texture that it was made fresh. There was a lecture about Japanese Imperialism and Expansionism at 2:30. Then at 3:30, a Easter church service which was actually well attended. It would have been better if they had engaged George to lead the singing, but was quite meaningful. We were again 3rd at trivia. We seem to be stuck on that number a lot. The crew capers show was tonight at 6. We have been to it a bunch of times, so opted to enjoy drinks with our friends on next to last night. Dinner in Compass Rose was very good. They had the spectacular mushroom soup as well as Beef Wellington, so two of my favorites. I even splurged with crème brûlée given it was Easter. On the elevator, we bumped into Lorraine who will be taking over for Dru as CD at the end of this cruise. Lots of hugs and laughter as we reunited. We haven’t seen her since before Covid. The show tonight was The Other Guys. This was the group that did the Four Seasons show the other night, but they do other music as well. They did a lot of 60, 70, and 80s music and were really quite good.

Okinawa lunch

April 8, 2023–at sea It was another night of rocking and rolling, but we slept well as the whistling had stopped, and George had devised a way to prevent the door to the closet from sliding open and shut. He pushed one of the big sofa pillows against it so it couldn’t move. When we awoke, the sun was peaking through some haze, and the temperature outside was in the 60s, but it was extremely windy. The sea was churning and looked like an agitator in a washing machine was working. They had the walking track and top deck roped off and the furniture up there tied down. The swimming pool was closed, but the water in it was making a mini tsunami. Since nothing was really scheduled until later, we had a leisurely breakfast in La Veranda. The only fresh berries onboard on this voyage have been strawberries, but they are extremely flavorful. I think they just can’t get other types of berries this time of year in this part of the world. They are out of the yogurt which I really liked, so I tried some Korean yogurt. It had a sort of weird flavor, just ok, would not try again. The Bloody Mary bar was open for those who desired. Apparently there are some covid cases onboard, 3 that I knew of, as the quarantine area at the back of deck 6 has been reactivated for the past 3 days. It is roped off, and you can’t get to the gym that way. You have to go down to deck 5 through the spa then up the stairs to the gym. At about 10:15, the captain came on the speaker inside the suites and stated that we had crossed the 1% threshold for covid cases, so definitely over 3, and that those people were in quarantine. The crew would start wearing masks all the time, and they recommended but didn’t require guests to wear masks. By 11am, the sun had burned off the haze, and the ocean was spectacularly beautiful, a deep blue with whitecaps. George went out on our balcony, where the wind was blowing a gale, but came inside quickly. For lunch, there was a “Seafood Extravaganza” outside at the pool grill, but the wind was so strong, it was really difficult to even get the food. Part of my salad blew off the plate. So we got food and took it into La Veranda to eat. They had shrimp and mussels, a seafood stew, a couple of seafood pasta dishes, paella, sushi and sashimi. No crab or lobster. We watched movies in the afternoon, an Indiana Jones extravaganza, then trivia where we did terrible. The seas calmed fortunately, but I got my steps indoors as out on the deck was too risky. Dinner in Compass Rose was good. George had mahi mahi which he said was great. I had porcini risotto and asparagus which was very nice. Then a molten chocolate lava cake with coffee ice cream. The show was My Revolution which is a 60’s show. They did a great job. It isn’t my favorite, but it was very well done, and I must say that the dancers are among the best I have seen on Regent.

April 7, 2023–Naha, Japan Very smooth night’s sailing. When we awoke, we were already in port in Naha, a very busy modern looking area. It was warm and humid, quite overcast and felt as if rain would pour at any minute, which is forecast for later today. The Easter bunny has apparently made a visit to the ship because there are elaborate chocolate displays at the entrance to La Veranda and down by Compass Rose. Our excursion for the morning was the Battle of Okinawa. George was really looking forward to this one as he is very interested in WWII history particularly the Marines in the Pacific. We drove out of the city through agricultural areas with sugar cane fields and lots of green houses. No big mountains here. We arrived at the Peace Park which is expansive and built on the site of the cliffs where so many Okinawan people jumped off to commit suicide being told by the Japanese government that they needed to kill themselves because if the Americans took them prisoner they would be tortured and raped. The names of all the Okinawan civilians as well as both Japanese and American military (and a few British) who died in the battle are inscribed in a huge memorial. The park is huge, and we only saw a small part. I would like to go back again and see in-depth. We then went to a museum which is about the Okinawan high school girls who were conscripted into serving as nurses for the Japanese. They had no medical training at all and lived in terrible conditions. Toward the end of the battle, they were only given a ping pong ball sized lump of rice per day to live on. Of course, very many died, but it had video of some of the survivors telling their stories and was really interesting. Again I would like to see more in depth with not such a big crowd of people. When we came out, it had started pouring rain, and the temperature had dropped about 10 degrees. The final stop was to the underground headquarters of the Japanese Navy. This was a huge system of tunnels, completely man made and constructed with just pick axes and shovels, no mechanized equipment. This is where the Japanese commander and his men killed themselves when they recognized defeat was imminent. Again very interesting. They also had a lot of photos of the American Marines— some in battle but also feeding little children, rescuing older people, liberating people from a prison camp. Back at the ship, we took a shuttle into town for lunch. It was 2:30 by this time, but we were hungry. We found a restaurant that looked good. The waitress didn’t speak English and the menu was totally Japanese, so we just pointed at some things. We had good gyoza, noodles with pork, rice, a tofu and green veg salad, sea grapes (like seaweed—we had to look those up with google translate). We then went to a big fancy department store where we bought cookies for dessert, again using the pointing method to order. We returned to the ship. Still very overcast and raining hard. Trivia was again 3rd place. We had cocktails then dinner with friends in Sette Mare. Delicious food and great company. Then George actually went with me to the show which was a comedian. He thought it was pretty funny, as did I, but the casino is not open, so he is unhappy about that.

They didn’t do the culinary one at all. I recommend going on the shuttle downtown and finding a place for lunch if you don’t get on a tour. If the weather is nice, the beach would probably be good too. But in rain, not so much.

Keihan for lunch on Oshima Island

Korean BBQ and flower tea

I do indeed type my notes on word then copy and paste to post. The reason is that I have lost many long posts in the past before I started doing that. But I post mostly using the ship’s wifi. Pictures I post while in port. Using ship’s wifi for those is impossible. The wifi is really slow onboard, but no different than I have experienced previously on Regent as well as Silversea and Oceania. And it is very dependent on time of day and how many others are trying to use it.

April 6, 2023-Oshima Island, Japan The seas rocked and rolled all night. We slept pretty well, though every once in a while, there would be a big bump and vibration. When we woke up, we were still sailing, and the sea was really moving. Very overcast and forecast was for rain, but it was warmer, in the low 70s. Since the ship was not due to arrive in port until 10:30, I went to Pilates. As we finished up, we were sailing Into a large well protected harbor with tree covered hills on 3 sides. No cruise terminal here, just a couple of tents and a whole squad of friendly locals to answer questions and provide directions. Our tour had been cancelled. It was supposed to have been a food tour. We couldn’t get a substitute, but there were 2 shuttle buses on offer, one to town and the other to a beach that is supposed to be really beautiful. But since it looked like a downpour at any minute, we took the one to town to do our own food tour. We explored the shopping street which is conveniently covered and pedestrian only. There were some beautiful shops. Textiles are produced on this island and are of very high quality. We found a restaurant specializing in Keikan which is a rice and chicken soup dish. It was quite delicious. George had to also order mystery meat on skewers. After lunch, George and I hiked up the mountain behind town. There was a nice paved trail, though very steep, though lush forest and ferns. We made it to the top, took photo, and scurried back down quickly as it was starting to rain. About 20 ft before we got to the shuttle bus, the heavens opened, and it began to pour, so we timed it just right. Trivia was better today, and we placed 2nd. There was a debut of a new show at 5:30–Bond Voyage which is a tribute to James Bond movies and their music. It was really good. I highly recommend. Dinner in Compass Rose was very good. I have a pork medallion dish which was perfect. George had spaghetti and meatballs. He had to ask for extra sauce, but with that he was happy. George went and made contributions in the casino. The show tonight was a singer/pianist Dean Stansby. He was entertaining. Not wow, but I would go again.

Beautiful flowers

Arita porcelain

Lunch in Arita

We are flying out from Haneda so will check that out. I exhausted viator with no luck.

April 5, 2023–Nagasaki, Japan We had a smooth night sailing despite the whistling wind for the first portion and awoke already docked in Nagasaki. Forecast was for constant rain with high temp around 62F, and looking outside, it was raining pretty hard. We had to go back through Japan customs and immigration, and I was thankful ours was the first tour to go out. It was super slow, and I am pretty sure they quickly got backed up, considering they already were with the first 20 people off the ship. For the first time this trip, there was another ship in port—Silversea. We boarded our bus for the tour to Arita. Only about 20 on the tour and a nice big bus with plenty of room. Our guide spoke good English and talked just the right amount and gave good information. We drove out of the city into lush countryside with mountains covered in evergreen and fully leafed out deciduous tress. There still a few cherry trees in bloom, but also the Azeleas were blooming and looked beautiful. Arita is a small town that produces very fine porcelain. We walked up to the porcelain god shrine in the rain. It was actually pretty scenic and interesting. Then we went to lunch at a very nice restaurant. Lots of mystery food very elegantly served in bento boxes. Pork, sashimi, several interesting vegetables, egg, snail, seaweed, rice, miso soup, a soy ginger pudding, green tea. I am a much more adventurous eater than most, so I tasted everything. Some was more to my liking than others for sure. The big chunk of fat was pretty awful. Then we went to a porcelain museum and to a shop where I actually found a piece that was reasonably priced and beautiful. Our guide let us nap on the way back to Nagasaki, then told us about the atomic bomb in WWII. I didn’t realize they were actually planning to bomb another city but couldn’t because of the weather so changed plans at the last minute. We went to the Peace Park and ground zero. It was still raining, but seemed appropriate. The park is indeed peaceful and beautiful. Driving back to the ship, the guide pointed out several interesting things, including a Shinto gate which half was collapsed in the bombing and the other half still stands, Chinatown, the cathedral. While only about 1.5% of Japanese are Christian, Nagasaki is traditionally a Christian city with many churches. Back onboard, we placed 3rd again in trivia. There were a group of drummers on the dock, despite the rain, to see us off. If weather had been good, his would have been a very scenic sailaway. Dinner was in the Asian restaurant, Pacific Rim. I admit, this is not my favorite, but George loves it, so…. He loved it as usual, I am ok. The duck and watermelon salad is really delicious. I probably should just stick with that. But we had a late reservation, so I missed half of the show , Paradis. What I saw was outstanding. The ship was really rocking and rolling, but the whistling in the suite has stopped. Should be a good sleep.

April 4, 2023-Jeju, South Korea We had a good nights sleep as the sea was quite calm. When we awoke, it was very overcast and foggy outside. I could just barely make out a large island which we were sailing toward. Juju is a volcanic island which is apparently a popular vacation spot for Koreans. It has lots of natural attractions, such as lava tubes, mountains and craters. But as we were sailing in, it was so foggy we really couldn’t see much of anything. Strawberries had returned in La Veranda, and Perrier and San Pelligrino have been replenished. We sailed into a port with a huge passenger terminal. They get several ferries a day, but only occasionally cruise ships. We had to go through customs again, but it was very efficient. Our tour today saw to Sunrise Peak and then to a folk village where people actually still live. (Side comment here—all tours have been early or on time. Yesterday’s was late, but we were notified the night before of the delay, and the new time was accurate.) We set off with a very talkative guide. She wanted to impart every bit of Korean culture and history upon us. It was quite over whelming. We eventually arrived at Sunrise Peak, which is a volcanic mountain with a caldera right on the ocean. The trail is mostly stairs made of volcanic rock. A lot of people couldn’t manage that as it is steep and strenuous, but there was plenty to see even if you couldn’t. It was super windy, which actually was kind of a blessing as it kept us somewhat cooled off. We made it to the top, took in the view, then climbed back down. Next stop was a traditional village with houses made of volcanic rocks stuck together with mud mortar and topped with thatched roofs. People actually still live in some of these, not something I would like to do. We explored then went to the village for coffee and tea. I had a beautiful green tea topped with a flower. Almost too pretty to drink. When we got back to the ship, we took the shuttle into town in search of Korean BBQ. We found the famous black pig BBQ street and went into the first restaurant we saw. I think they are pretty much all the same. We ordered our meat, pork of course. The girl brought out a huge number of accompaniments, kimchi, bean sprouts, tofu soup, egg custard, pickled radish, and a number of sauces. The meat was very fatty. Apparently that is how it is supposed to be. You cook it right on a grill in front of you. I dissected the meat away from the fat, and the meat that was there was good. It was just mostly fat. Anyway, it was a cultural experience, and we don’t need todo it again. Trivia was super hard, and we did not win. The entire day was very overcast, dark, and looked like it was going to pour rain at any minute. Thankfully it help off until we were back on board. Dinner was a second chance for Prime 7, and it was much improved. I had lamb chops which were perfect. George had the seafood tower and was very pleased with it. During dinner, the seas really started picking up. It was starting to rock and roll quite a bit. We went back to the room and wind was whistling around the door. I went to the show which was a tribute band to the four seasons, the four sea sons. They were pretty good as long as they stuck to the four seasons music. When they tried to branch out, not so much.

We are flying out from Haneda so will check that out. I exhausted viator with no luck.

In all of our regent cruises, I have only once seen a dog onboard. It was a legitimate service dog, a big shepherd, for a lady who was clearly disabled.