Aussie lost in space

Hi Aberbud we've been able to ascertain that there is definitely a Yamato luggage service opposite the Hyatt Regency (as SimplyMarvie and Y21 reported above) It is listed as Yamato transport Yokohama Yamashitacho office, however it is closed on weekends, which won't help you I'm sorry. Apparently luggage can be shipped to the convenience store next to this for weekend pick ups/drop offs. I'd check with the Hotel you are staying at in Kyoto when you book the luggage forwarding service. We are lucky as our cruise (also very soon) leaves on a Thursday. However to be sure the cases arrive on time we will likely be sending them 3 days before we board. We will also be confirming with our hotel in Kyoto the location for pick up. Good luck and have an amazing cruise and time in Japan.

Thanks so much Sharon. I have sent an email to the Japan ministry of health outlining everything, just to be sure. Just keen to know what others are doing as Japan seems to be 'more restricted' in terms of what is acceptable to bring in. I'll take a look at your link too, thanks for your response, it is greatly appreciated.

Anyone?

Hi everyone just reaching out as I am reading conflicting advice regarding taking prescribed medications into Japan on both the Japan Ministry of health and the Australian government website, for travel to Japan. I have 2 Doctors letters (one from GP and one from a specialist) outlining what medications, dosage etc I am taking. I will carry with me 1 month supply. From everything I have read, if I am taking up to 1 month supply, as long as I have a Doctors letter outlining everything, I don't need to apply for the form. However there is specific reference to Minoxidil on the Japan Ministry of health advice (in a word document outlining the form). Neither my specialist Doc nor GP informed me that I needed to do anything more. My GP is part of a clinic that specialises in 'travel'. Meds I am unsure of, as far as do I need to apply for a Yunyu Kakunin-sho form via the Japan Ministry of health include Mersyndol (& Mersyndol Forte), Panadeine - all painkillers, and Minoxidil. Along with Plaquenil (malaria based tablet). I'd appreciate any feedback, recommendations or ideas.

Following along for obvious reasons @thehowlingroad😉

There seem to be many floating lockets (bracelets, necklaces, brooches, key chains, fobs, watch attachments etc) on the market that are listed as 30mm, but it seems this is the outer diameter. Don't be fooled. Prior to purchasing (though I'll precis this by saying it was the last one the seller had that had the 30mm inside diameter and a depth enough to hold an apple air tag...) I checked the measurements. Once I received it, I placed an airtag inside to check for fit, though it is snug, I can still close it and it fits appropriately. Time will tell if the actual medallion will fit. I have purchased back ups just in case. And if all else fails, will consider splurging for the princess bracelet. I can recommend if buying off either Etsy or Amazon - ask the seller to check the inner diameter and depth. As long as it (apparently) will hold and apple airtag, I believe, though am no expert, you'd be good to go.

rich_cathybrock and smwg No problems, always happy to help out fellow cruisers (and 'bling' lovers). Yes it needs to be 30mm on the inside...so outside diameter could be anything from 34mm plus. Basically same measurements as an apple air tag holder. Be careful when purchasing to ensure the inside is at least 30mm (or apparently large enough to hold a US quarter or 2 pound coin). If you are looking at purchasing from Etsy, you could always ask the seller to measure the inside diameter to be sure, prior to buying.

snwg - Just some further information for you....if you search, in either Etsy or on Amazon with key words - "Floating locket bracelet" to hold charms or air tag, you will find literally 100's. So many different styles in various materials. If you are more keen on a necklace, then substitute the 'bracelet' part of the search. You need to ensure it is a 30mm diameter one as that is the size required for the medallion. I've sized it up against the air tag holders and it is the same diameter. Pandora have also recently released a version too, if you prefer a known 'brand name'. 😉 Happy hunting.

snwg - the seller on Etsy is as follows, WeCharmYourCharm (2901394648) though when I purchased back in May, from memory, this was her last gold one. She may have more now, I believe she had some silver ones. She is based in Arizona. Great seller. Was prompt with delivery and a pleasure to buy from. If you search lockets/charms you will find other similar ones if this seller doesn't have any more stock. Hopefully this helps you (and perhaps others too?) Cheers

After much searching for a bracelet to hold my medallion, found this on Etsy (I too thought the prices for the bracelet and necklaces on board were a tad exorbitant and I didn't much care for the styles). I'm more of a bracelet person. Same size as an air tag holder, which matches the measurements for the medallion. I certainly found a few on both Amazon and Etsy, so it is worth looking. Someone on a YouTube review had purchased a very similar one and reported no problems on board regarding 'interference'. I imagine, though I'm no techy, that if it doesn't interfere with an air tags function, then it shouldn't interfere with a medallion. They both operate off wifi/internet. I also purchased air tag type holders for DH. Good luck.

dsmoser We had the same difficulty when we were booking our cabin for a cruise on Diamond next March. At first I thought we were late to the pickings as the 2 cabins we coveted (Deck 8 E731 or E728) were listed as 'unavailable', then after lots of research (going back and reading some posts from both pre and post covid here in the forums about the very same issue and a few tricks people were suggesting) discovered that all the mini suites in this aft area, the ME mini suite cabins (as mentioned by Steelers36) are now listed as "GTY" bookings. I wasn't willing to accept a GTY cabin for the amount of money we were putting down, as it would be likely that it would not be one of these, especially given they are listed as mini suites that can hold up to 3 pax. We were willing to try and escalate the issue as far as we could (and have an amazing TA who was willing to push it for us) to try to have either of these cabins assigned. Struck gold (though it was suggested I keep it quiet - but hey if I can help out a fellow traveller in need 😉) as our TA, after a number of failed attempts with various Princess personnel, escalated it up to state manager level of Princess and he was able to have one of these actually assigned to us, along with a few other very nice perks. So my suggestion - if you have a good TA, ask them to take on the battle for you. Of course there are no certainties, however, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Good luck.

Hi again SimplyMarvie - Lol I appreciate your frustrations, ramen is certainly a high priority in Japan. So I've had responses from both Yamato and the Osanbashi cruise terminal. The cruise terminal reported that they don't have a counter there. Yamato, however stated they had counters at these 2 places, closest to the cruise terminal. These are : Yokohama Kaigandori Sales Office & Yokohama Yamashita-cho Sales Office in the Hitochi Yamashita-cho Building I haven't been able to ascertain which Yokohama train station has a counter either, but given the potential ease of getting off a train and being able to go and collect luggage, rather than walking the streets and then lugging it to the terminal, I'll also keep searching for confirmation.

Thank you SimplyMarvie and Y21 for your responses, truly appreciate them. I discovered a way to email Osanbashi and Yamato directly. Waiting for any response for them - though both state it could take up to 48 hours for a response. Short of attempting to call them and recent experience trying to call Disney reservations suggests this might not be as easy. I cannot find anything on Sagawa express, as far as their email inquiry and they seem to be the company 'listed' as having a counter at Osanbashi. So if all else fails, I'll definitely look into this counter nearby. Apparently Yamato also have a counter at Yokohama station, so that might be another possibility. I was/am hoping someone else on the forum has recent experience too and could give other clear answers, in English 😆

Hello adventurers I've done a search for this question both here and via the Asia ports of call forum and pre Covid there was one forum topic asking a similar question. Seeking clarification as to current possibilities to have luggage forwarded from a hotel in Kyoto to the cruise terminal in Yokohama. Has anyone successfully done this more recently than 2019? If so, was there a service centre in the cruise terminal and with which luggage forwarding service was this i.e Takkyubin (Takuhaibin), Yamato? There seems to be conflicting info on the Osanbashi cruise terminal website vs. 'available collection offices' listed on the Takuhaibin/takkyubin website. Their email inquiry system also seems to be down, so I cannot email them directly the question. I cannot find an email address for Yamato. We are travelling in a busy season and we'd like to get things in order early and book our luggage forwarding in, if this is possible. Rather than carting it on the trains between Kyoto and Hakone, Hakone and Yokohama. I'd appreciate any/all feedback, ideas and information. TIA

Hello adventurers I've done a search for this question both here and via our cruise carrier forum and pre Covid there was one forum topic asking a similar question. Seeking clarification as to current possibilities to have luggage forwarded from a hotel in Kyoto to the cruise terminal in Yokohama. Has anyone successfully done this more recently than 2019? If so, was there a service centre in the cruise terminal and with which luggage forwarding service was this i.e Takkyubin (Takuhaibin), Yamato? There seems to be conflicting info on the Osanbashi cruise terminal website vs. 'available collection offices' listed on the Takuhaibin/takkyubin website. Their email inquiry system also seems to be down, so I cannot email them directly the question. I cannot find an email address for Yamato. We are travelling in a busy season and we'd like to get things in order early and book our luggage forwarding in, if this is possible. Rather than carting it on the trains between Kyoto and Hakone, Hakone and Yokohama. I'd appreciate any/all feedback, ideas and information. TIA

One of the best places to stay (or visit) is Mount Lavinia. The Mount Lavinia hotel is an old colonial hotel, with amazing service and beautiful beach front views and access. A little known treasure, unless you have visited (or have family in Sri Lanka). Their egg hoppers breakfast is worth the stay alone. IMHO it is worth hiring a private guide and car to take you to places like - Sigiriya to see Lion Rock, Kandy (try to see the Kandyan dancers), Jaffna, Trincomalee, Hambantota, Bundala etc.with a stop at the elephant orphanage and tea plantations on the way. As others have noted, the road system is still being developed and it can take time to even get out of Colombo. Cattle and livestock often 'hold up' traffic. Trains are certainly another good option. Galle face is definitely worth visiting. It is certainly an Island paradise, sometimes to see the true beauty, however, you need to get off the beaten track. If you have a few days there it is certainly worth considering a private driver/guide and staying somewhere such as Kandy as your midpoint overnight. Enjoy!

Hello fellow travellers I have attempted to do a search to see if this question has been asked/answered before, however as many of us know the search function can be a bit finicky, temperamental. I am after recommendations for a Ryokan in Hakone that has views of Mt Fuji for a one night stay, prior to going onto Yokohama for our cruise next March. Keen to book something in as it is busy sakura season. TIA for any recommendations/suggestions. Extra points if you have photo's.

Thank you so much Kaisatsu for your opinions, suggestions and thoughts on all these areas, truly appreciated. Exactly what I was hoping for. You've given us a great starting and hopefully end point for the day. We have Yaktrax, so walking on ice or snow hopefully won't be too much of an issue. We are prepared (clothing wise at least - cognitively is another thing 🥶) for the cold, snow, sleet and icy temperatures as we venture up to Tromso and Alta after Oslo and Bergen.

Thanks so much for all your advise. I am quite an obsessive researcher (the scientist in me), so we have the Lonely planet's recent Norway guide. Have also looked at visit Oslo, trip advisor and many other websites before I uploaded this question. I was keen for more of an insiders/past visitor perspective as many of the things that are listed in said guides often are fairly average and not worth prioritising on a single days visit. Is the ski jump worth visiting? I realise it is an individual's perspective based on interest and opinion as far as what is deemed 'worthwhile' however I'm reading mixed commentary about a few places. It sounds like Vigeland sculpture park, the Munch museum and the Royal Palace are top contenders. I have been told the Bygdoy area is worth some time? Just wondering if the ski jump is close to any of these and worth factoring into the mix?

Hi everyone we will be arriving in Oslo after a week in Sweden, around 11am towards the end of January. We are staying overnight at a hotel close to the train terminus and then leave on the first train to Bergen. We plan to train from airport to hotel, drop off our luggage and head out to cover the top things to see/do in Oslo for the remainder of the day and evening. We are both relatively fit, healthy mid to late 50 year olds, so covering a lot of ground is not an issue. Would love to know what the most highly rated/do not miss places are so we can plan our day and evening accordingly. Would also be happy for suggestions for dinner reservations. We are not fussy eaters and will eat most things, though we are 'foodies' so appreciate a good meal. Would be grateful for the knowledge and expertise of those in this forum. Thanks in advance.

I've done the Melb to LAX, Melb - Auckland-LAX, Melb- HNL (Honolulu) - LAX, Melb-Syd-LAX, Melb - DFW-FLL, Melb-Syd-DFW-FLL too many times to mention. It is a looong journey, especially in (what we refer to it in Oz) cattle class. In my younger years economy was bearable. However now, to complete the 13hrs, 45 minutes (based on Syd -LAX direct) premium economy or business definitely makes it more comfortable, especially if it is an overnight flight departure from LAX, or anywhere in USA. I am no ambassador, or linked in anyway, but have found Qantas' premium economy is a comfortable 'product', business more so, with access to lounges with their affiliated partners in USA (where there is no Qantas lounge). IMHO worth the upgrade if you are considering flying 'across the pond'.

As a Melbourne born and bred girl (with special shout out to @Heidi13 for the lovely vote regarding our spectacular city) I can make some suggestions and insights into potential excursions you could explore. It is funny when you live in a city, you take for granted all of the wonderful spaces and places around you. However I believe I can offer an insiders perspective regarding what is actually worth visiting. I would do a search and consider any of these possibilities, that I will list in accordance with interests, but in no special order: Food and wine trail: #Yarra Valley winery tour including a visit to the chocolaterie, just out of Yarra Glen #Lunch at Chin Chins on Flinders Lane in the city. Especially if you love Asian fusion food. Book early on their website as they book out often months ahead. I know food is a very subjective area, however other great restaurants (with high reviews not just from us) in the city include - Supernormal, Bombabar, Tipo 00, Mamasita, Maha & Longrain. Most of the restaurants along South bank are good, with some being high average. #Afternoon tea at the Hopetoun tea rooms or at any of the bigger hotels in the city, especially the Windsor hotel # Yum Cha at most of the Chinatown restaurants (in the city) #Lygon street for all (mouth watering, delectable) Italian food and for people and car watching, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Pick up some dessert at Brunetti's, or just visit to see their amazing cake/dessert displays. #Lunch, tour and wine tasting at Domaine Chandon. #Coffee...anywhere. IMHO and most peoples, Melbourne has THE best coffee on the earth if you are a coffee lover. Places to visit/Special interest areas: The city circle tram is free and operates between 10am and 9pm on Fridays. If you want to venture outside the city area, you will need to purchase a metro card to tap on and off on either trains or trams. #A day out with a picnic lunch on Puffing Billy. Hang your legs and arms out for an exhilarating ride. # Great Ocean road, with a visit en route to the Great ocean road chocolaterie. #If you can find a tour to get you back to the ship on time - The penguin parade, which begins at dusk, in Phillip Island. #Take the searoad ferry between Sorrento and Queenscliff or vice versa #Book early and swim with the dolphins in Sorrento. #Take the Geelong - Portarlington ferry from docklands, return, which includes a lovely cruise up the Yarra to the mouth of the bay, across the bay, into either Portarlington or Geelong. #Melbourne is a very 'driveable city', easy to navigate, accessible roads and freeways/highways, so it is very possible to hire a car for the day and circumnavigate around the bay, as long as you know how to drive on the 'correct side' of the road. Drive to Mornington, with lunch at either the Portsea hotel or any number of good cafes/restaurants between Rye and Portsea or across the bay via the sea road ferry in Queenscliff. You can then drive back to Melbourne, via Geelong on predominantly highways. Both peninsulas are beautiful. You will have views to both as you sail in from Bass Strait into the bay, with Portsea/Sorrento on your right and Queenscliff/Point Lonsdale to your left as you sail up the bay to Port Melbourne. Not likely you will port in Geelong on arrival as the Spirit of Tasmania has just been repositioned to sail from Geelong so I believe they will be working hard to upgrade the international facilities at Port Melbourne. I would have said I'll come out on our backyard viewing platform and wave to you all as you cruise in, however we will be on our own Viking Venus/Europe trip on your arrival date. #If you were in port either earlier or overnight, or in fact you decide the taster of this visit wasn't enough and you come back for a 'proper stay' global ballooning either over the city or over the Yarra Valley is sublime. Complete with a chicken and champagne breakfast. #Royal botanic gardens and/or the Dandenong ranges (ex Rhododendron gardens) #Eureka skydeck (and then afternoon tea) if you don't want to travel too far away #Victoria market or the DFO outlets at South Wharf if shopping tickles your fancy. #Graffitti art in the laneways of Melbourne...some of this is just spectacular. #ArtVo, National Gallery of Victoria or pre book to see one of the evening ballet performances on at the Arts centre, new season commences around your port arrival date. #if you are a sports fan - Friday night AFL game at the MCG. #Hiking at Wilson's Prom. Good luck with all your planning.

Thank you all so very much for your responses and insights, this is where CC excels in terms of resources and people experience. We have planned on using porter service Norway. It makes so much sense logistically, for a little output, to have main luggage sent on ahead to Bergen so you are free to move around, climbing up and off train carriages without the hassle of carting big suitcases with you. In our 'hey day' we certainly had much experience with this, travelling through Europe on various train journeys carting 2 and then 4 large suitcases when our children were with us. It is now exhausting to think back to the effort required to navigate stations, stairs and onto trains. How I wish (well DH will say how he wished) they had this service back then, at a reasonable price. @janetcbl you are quite right, checked again and it is 90 days out, not 60. Don't know where I got that number from? Hopefully the booking window opens up for us very soon. @FlyerTalker thank you for what looks to be an excellent resource with the Man in seat 61. We took a look at Entur and it seems much the same as vy.no. Interestingly, if you goggle 'Norway trains' it takes you to a website that is linked with rail ninja, so I am curious how - what seems to be the main government website for train travel in Norway could be associated with a company with a barrage of negative recent reviews? @LinnieRed our trip is at the end of Jan/start of Feb and we have read so many amazing reviews that this is one of the most spectacular times to journey by train from Oslo - Flam - Bergen. Possibly because of the snow capped scenery. A winter wonderland from all the pictures I've seen. So it has been highly recommended to us especially for this time of the year.

Hello fellow cruisers and travellers I have read 100's of reviews over the last few months where people mention booking both via rail ninja and via vy.no for their Oslo to Bergen train trips. However the search engine does not show these up easily or readily. So....Seeking advice as to which is the most reliable booking engine to purchase tickets Oslo to Myrdal, Myrdal to Flam return and our final leg Myrdal to Bergen. Rail ninja have recently released tickets for our dates, however we have read so many recent negative reviews about tickets purchased through this site. Everything from people buying their tickets to them being non existent when they have arrived at the station (not showing as purchased despite them having card transaction evidence) to last minute cancellations. How much of it is fear mongering, lack of experience on the part of individuals booking properly or the result of post covid travel difficulties being experienced, I don't know. Rail ninja have also listed one outgoing journey that leaves just after 6am, however in searching vy.no there is no current list for this train departure time. We have looked at Norway in a nutshell and the prices seem to be 30-40% more than if you book independently(appreciate they have to add their mark up, we also don't need/want to go via Voss and the ferry, quite happy to remain on the train all the way through). We are quite happy to book tickets on our own and are seasoned travellers, however seeking any advice or comments from anyone who has booked any train trips via rail ninja as to their reliability. vy.no won't release tickets until the 60 days out mark, rail ninja are 90 days (and in some cases 120 days) out. So there is a slim chance if we wait we may not get the seats we want or even get seats at all. Reaching out to all other travellers who have booked this journey independently, I would value and appreciate your comments and experience. TIA

Thank you for your comments Don, appreciate your advice and suggestions. I'm glad to hear you had such a wonderful experience and had 4 - 5 days of wonderful aurora activity. The cruise was one enjoyable way for us (and many others I suspect) to see a number of places in Norway, including northern Norway (with Tromso and Alta being the places with high levels of aurora activity), with the possibility of seeing the lights as part of this trip. We, hubby and myself, are both professionals and have done our research. We know that any trip to see the lights is completely based upon mother nature, irrelevant as to whether one is staying inland, cruising along the coast, overnighting (which we do on this cruise) in both Alta and Tromso and seeking out excursions that travel over the Finland border to increase possibilities. In fact we are about to enter solar cycle 25, with 2023 - 2026 predicted as the best years for solar activity, increased sunspot visibility and thus flares. Unfortunately/fortunately for us we will be cruising into the area during a full moon. However, from all the professionals I have spoken to, including aurora 'hunters', a specialist at the observatory in Silsand, Norway and Aurora photographers, the moon cycle does not have much impact on the display, in fact often it can provide much greater photographic opportunities as it lights up the landscape. The main inhibitor is cloud cover/clear skies. Fingers crossed for all of us on this cruise. Northern lights is on our bucket list, however the journey, destinations and the cruise itself are also a big part of the trip for us. We all appreciate there are no guarantees with mother nature.