WESTEAST

We have iPhones so will do as you recommended and save them to our photos. Will look into a Suica card. Enjoy your cruise. Much appreciated 😀

Fabulous thank you for clarifying and no fingerprints which is good. Presume my husband and I need individual registrations e.g., separate QR codes (no family QR code)? Was it easy to access wifi at airport to log-in to VJW to access your QR code?

Your info on Visit Japan Web interests us as appears it was very efficient at your airport. We will arrive at the Haneda airport and would be curious to know what airport your arrived at? Your experience of only having to scan your QR code is encouraging - did you not have to have photo and fingerprints taken at kiosk? Was there a different queue for VJW with QR code? Thank you.

Saving this info along with all of your previous replies. Many thanks for taking the time to respond with such detail - very generous of you 🤗

Hi Michael, Sometimes Business Class has a fast rack - does that apply at Haneda Airport? If using VJW doesn't provide a fast track, assume that your processing time is shorter with VJW when you reach the immigration officer? We will be stopping in South Korea and then re-enter Japan before departure. Do Japan Immigration staff board the ship for processing or, is it done at the cruise terminal port - our first re-entry into Japan is Hiroshima?

Beautiful photos thank you. Hope weather is good for walking! We will be in Kobe end of March so hoping for some cherry blossoms during our cruise stops in Japan.

For our August/Sept cruise last month, the narrative 'dock' and 'anchor' were posted beside each port of call on page 1 in the Your Voyage (General Travel and Onboard Information) booklet in the Cruise Vacation Guide.

Use of blue book maybe confusing to ones new to Oceania. Post Covid, blue booklets no longer exist and have been revamped and folder is now in paper with a velcro closure and called Cruise Vacation Guide.

Michael, How thoughtful off you to provide this walking tour and the Shin-Kyoto Map👏

We also thank you as gathering all the instructions for when we are ready to register.

FYI, a useful site is whatsinport.com that identifies information about the port of call and links to the cruise schedule calendar where you can find out what ships are due in port on your day.

You are the very best source for great information! Noting the travel distances you've provided, do you have another favourite Kyoto sight to recommend (no doubt there are many)? We had thought to go with a tour guide but now that we understand how to navigate the public transportation, we will do it on our own and then can pace ourselves and pause as needed.

With much appreciation, we thank you for outlining in such detail that we can now successfully navigate Kyoto's public transportation. Our first visit to Japan and all of your responses have been very helpful.

This is terrific information and thank you for posting the Japanese translation! Today found the Sky Hop Bus Kyoto https://skyhopbus.com/kyoto/. Another choice for transport that stops at both of the above sites and gives us an overview of others. We visit in late March next year and expect crowds/line-ups may be factor for cherry blossom tourism. Not usually a fan of the hop on hop offs but may be easier/cheaper than taking taxis. Have you ever used?

We plan to purchase our one day return ticket the day of at Shin-Kobe to Kyoto and yes fare is not inexpensive but we would like to experience shinkansen. Once in Kyoto Station, an option we are looking at is taking taxi to Kinkajuki and then taxi to Nijo Castle before returning to the Station. Taxi ranks seem available and no doubt more expensive than buses though should save us time (traffic dependent) - have you experience with taxis in Kyoto (do most drivers speak a little English)? Thanks.

Really appreciate all of your info! Just wondering, is your cruise stopping in Beppu as other than hot springs and spas not much else to see and just curious if you would stop there and found something interesting?

Thanks again for more great information. Looked it up and seems that the Subway/metro is in the same station as the Kyoto Station and the Karasuma Subway Line is two stops to the Kyoto’s city center at Shijo Station (no connections). Is that the line you will take? Will have to look up how easy it is to get a one day ticket now!

Did consider overnight in Kyoto but then want to see either Osaka or Nara on our second day. Thanks and good point as our respective ships could dock late (or early!). Think we will wait to purchase our ticket upon arrival at the Kobe station. We need to be in Kyoto at a specific time to meet up with our guide from GoWithGuide so will book our Kyoto tour with a few hours lag time. How do you plan to transit from Kyoto Rail Station to your Kyoto hotel as thinking it might be best for us to meet our guide at a Kyoto city hotel? Thanks again😄

No not in Kyoto. Our ship overnights in Kobe. On our second day, looking to see Osaka or Nara.

We want to take the train from Kobe to Kyoto on the Shinkansen (bullet train). Kobe bullet train stops in Osaka before reaching Kyoto - is this the train you will be taking? If so, could you share information e.g., will you purchase your tickets online or at station? Different classes of tickets and looks like Reserved or Green class is preferred if one doesn't want to stand. Thank you.

Been in contact with GoWithGuide for tour in Kyoto. They reply quickly and will customize to your preferences. In process of navigating train travel info from Kobe to Kyoto and return - approximately 30 minutes distance before we finalize.

Our cruise will stop in Kobe port and we are researching taking a taxi from the cruise port to Shin-Kobe Station to board the bullet train (shinkansen) to the Kyoto Station. We will return the same day and appreciate any directions to navigate the Shin-Kobe Station and the Kyoto Station. From what we've read the bullet train takes approximately 30 minutes and with one stop in Shin-Osaka before reaching Kyoto. Has anyone had experience taking this mode of transportation and would appreciate feedback on ease of purchasing tickets and frequency of trains to and fro. Thank you.

Yes both cruises started in England (embarked in Southampton and then, Portsmouth).

On both of our British Isles cruises the last as recent as September, our final port of call was Portland, England. The September cruise we disembarked in Portsmouth with no Immigration processing required. Our first cruise we disembarked in Southhampton with no Immigration processing required and walked off with our luggage with no difficulty; the purser's office (Reception) can advise what deck you should go to and as we recall, we arrived very early and easily walked off. There were perhaps a dozen people waiting to do the same.

We were onboard Riviera in Aug-Sept and enjoyed the Miso Sea Bass a few times and it's unfortunate if they have replaced it with Cod. All dining venues were excellent in food and service and enjoyed the renovated Baristas and adjacent sitting area. We also took a few excursions and never had a bus of 40 more liked 25-30; perhaps the itinerary/popularity of ports required larger passenger capacity.