Recommendation of TP to/from PNW to Japan?

[irvington]

I would like to plan a solo transpacific cruise between somewhere in the Pacific Northwest and Japan, for sometime in 2022. I would love some recommendations about the best options. I'm totally fine with having a lot of time alone to read and so on, but lectures or live music aboard would be a plus, as well as some interesting ports along the way. I know it will be mostly days at sea but more ports of call would be a plus. 

 

Are there cruise lines or specific cruises anyone would recommend?  

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, irvington said:

I would like to plan a solo transpacific cruise between somewhere in the Pacific Northwest and Japan, for sometime in 2022. I would love some recommendations about the best options. I'm totally fine with having a lot of time alone to read and so on, but lectures or live music aboard would be a plus, as well as some interesting ports along the way. I know it will be mostly days at sea but more ports of call would be a plus. 

 

Are there cruise lines or specific cruises anyone would recommend?  

 

While you can always find exceptions, in general the mainstream mega ship cruise lines will tend to have mostly sea days, whereas the smaller premium ships will visit more ports.

 

Our preference is Viking Ocean, which departs Vancouver at the end of the Alaska season, bound for Sydney. That longer cruise is split into shorter segments, with the first being Vancouver to Tokyo - 23 days, with 14 days being in port. Three of the ports are overnight visits.

 

Viking provides lots of quiet spaces throughout the ship with a couple of thousand books distributed throughout the pax lounges. No need to check books out, simply grab one, read it and return it. All on the honour system.

 

They have a resident historian, who provides excellent historical lectures on the route and holds daily small group chats. Other guest lecturers provide excellent lectures. For live music they have a show in the Theatre most nights, a classical due in the Atrium and 1 or 2 other live performance in other lounges. Late night has the resident band in the night club.

 

Viking has NO kids < 18, no casino, no photogs, no art auctions and unlimited wi-fi is included. Yes, the base price is higher than mega ships, but by the end of the cruise, the daily cost is about the same.

 

https://www.vikingcruisescanada.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/caribbean-americas/north-pacific-passage/index.html?return=true#search/sfym=2022-8|2022-9&sftcm=27-82058

 

Hopefully others can provide similar examples.

[rkacruiser]

Pre-Covid, Holland America Line would sometimes re-position a ship to Asia after the Alaska season is over.  The cruise would have a few ports before terminating in Japan.  Princess Cruises may also have one that would do that as well, I am not certain.  

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Pre-Covid, Holland America Line would sometimes re-position a ship to Asia after the Alaska season is over.  The cruise would have a few ports before terminating in Japan.  Princess Cruises may also have one that would do that as well, I am not certain.  

 

Affirmative, at least during the days when Diamond & Sapphire were based in Vancouver, one of them used to do the TP over to Asia.

[2552phxcrzr]

Oceania has a fall TransPacific ... Los Angeles (İ believe) to Tokyo via Alaska.  I know they have it on the schedule for this year, so they might offer it in 2022 as well.

[TeaBag]

 

Celebrity Solstice has a TP cruise also from Vancouver to Yokohama in Sept 22,  but there are 9 sea days in a row so you might find that a bit boring.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, TeaBag said:

 

Celebrity Solstice has a TP cruise also from Vancouver to Yokohama in Sept 22,  but there are 9 sea days in a row so you might find that a bit boring.

 

Wow - a stretch of 9-sea days. They must be heading straight across from the West Coast to Japan with no stops. The shortest route takes them up the Alaska coast, so a stop in Sitka is easy, with minimal pilotage costs.

[TeaBag]

The first stop is in Sitka.  Then 9 sea days before reaching Sapporo.

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, TeaBag said:

The first stop is in Sitka.  Then 9 sea days before reaching Sapporo.

 

Sounds good to me!  Sitka is well worth a visit.  9 days at sea sounds wonderful to me.  Bored?  Absolutely not!  And, given the time of year, King Neptune might provide some "interesting" days as well.  

[Rob_H]

On 5/10/2021 at 8:08 AM, irvington said:

I would like to plan a solo transpacific cruise between somewhere in the Pacific Northwest and Japan, for sometime in 2022.

 

We took the Norwegian Jewel from Tokyo (Yokohama) to Vancouver in May 2019. 15 days, included a stop in Otaru in the north of Japan, Petropavlovsk in far east Russia, then four ports in Alaska.  Lot more ports compared to some northern Transpacifics.

 

There's a similar cruise scheduled for the Norwegian Sun, 19 Apr 2022, 16 days to Seattle.

 

Norwegian are good for solo travellers, there's a meet up each night to meet similar travellers and eat together, have company for excursions, and so on.  There's always plenty of live music on the ship, and shows every night, but Norwegian are not strong on educational lectures.

 

We enjoyed it, it's a nice way to cross the Pacific and get an Alask cruise thrown in.

[peacefulOR]

I chose Celebrity from Vancouver to Yokohama for Fall, 2022. Having sailed on two NCL transatlantic, I will not cruise with them again. Everyone has their own comfort level. On the plus side, NCL has single cabins and a lot of get-togethers for solo travelers. Celebrity has superior service, ambience, food, and fewer ship problems (in my experience and postings on CC). Look at videos on Youtube, read about both, and you will enjoy whatever you choose.

 

[Hlitner]

On 5/13/2021 at 6:17 PM, TeaBag said:

The first stop is in Sitka.  Then 9 sea days before reaching Sapporo.

In case you were not aware, Sapporo is located about 80 miles from the port.  It is more then a 2 hour drive (each way).   I had also noticed that cruise (we love the Solstice Class ships) and figure there will be some very aggressive (cheap) pricing for that voyage.  It might give us a reason to return to Japan.  A balcony cabin would be much cheaper then a Business Class seat 🙂

 

Hank

[TeaBag]

I wish there were a Vancouver to Yokohama cruise happening before our Tokyo to Singapore cruise in April!  Not possible, I know, as it's the wrong time of year for a wesbound TP from Vancouver.

[generichandle]

2 hours ago, TeaBag said:

I wish there were a Vancouver to Yokohama cruise happening before our Tokyo to Singapore cruise in April!  Not possible, I know, as it's the wrong time of year for a wesbound TP from Vancouver.

Diamond Princess is doing a unique, one time repositioning from LA - Tokyo on April 5, 2022. It stops in Hilo and Honolulu, then in Guam, before 4 ports in Japan. 22 days. I am signed to be aboard. 

 

I did the Tokyo to Seattle on the Norwegian Jewel in 2018. The ship was ok, the food not terrible though repetitive, but the stops were great. So much better than Holland or Celebrity. I would recommend it above those if you like Alaska [we had 5 stops in Alaska, and Petroplavosk was really awesome, do the Volcanologist lecture if you get a chance]. Professor with a dark but nice sense of humor, as well as informative.

 

 

[Von & John]

We loved the NCL Jewel Transpacific:  Vancouver to Tokyo (Yokohama) - Sept 2018

Fantastic Cruise, Passengers, Ports & FUN!!!

Our Roll Call was fabulous - still in touch with many of them...

Amazing weather - even the Typhoon was fun 🙂

Vancouver, BC

Ketchikan, AK                                  

Juneau, AK                                       

Sawyer Glacier - Cruising                

Seward, AK                                      

International Date Line                    

Petropavlovsk, Russia (Sibera)       

Sapporo, Japan                                

Hakodate, Japan                               

Aomori, Japan                              

Tokyo, Japan

 

We Love Celebrity - but felt NCL had the best itinerary & port/sea days mix...

@generichandle - thanks for the tip on the Diamond Princess next April - will keep an eye on it, not quite ready to book...

Edited June 9, 2021 by Von & John

[rkacruiser]

17 hours ago, generichandle said:

Petroplavosk was really awesome

 

This port was an unexpected delightful experience for me as well.  Culturally, scenically, historically:  it check-marked many of my boxes as to why I visit a port.  

[CoatRackOfDoom]

On 6/8/2021 at 2:33 PM, Hlitner said:

In case you were not aware, Sapporo is located about 80 miles from the port.  It is more then a 2 hour drive (each way).   I had also noticed that cruise (we love the Solstice Class ships) and figure there will be some very aggressive (cheap) pricing for that voyage.  It might give us a reason to return to Japan.  A balcony cabin would be much cheaper then a Business Class seat 🙂

 

Hank

I just booked this cruise a few days ago as a 5 year anniversary gift for my GF. 15 nights iirc, which is double our usual itinerary. Very excited to visit Japan!

 

Ed

[Travelexpert35]

We were on the Celebrity Millenium in Sept 2019 from Vancouver - Yokohama. What a fabulous trip! Our ports were Sitka, Otaru, Hakodate and overnight in Yokohama before disembarking the ship. We really enjoyed the sea days..lots to do onboard. We have travelled with Celebrity on our last 13 cruises so we enjoy the cabins, food and entertainment. Our single friend sometimes travels with us in an adjoining balcony and she is hooked now. Would definately recommend travelling to Japan. We’ll be looking at doing this route again.

[Traveling Mike]

The cruises in Japan are not opening up so you need to change your plans to 2023 for a TP cruise.  I was booked on the Celebrity TP and they canceled it.  I am sure the other cruise lines will follow if they have not already dine it.  I have done the Celebrity TP and plan on doing it a few more times because I love their ships and all the sea days you get.