Alternative ports if Japan is still closed

[FlaMariner]

We are on a September 2022 trans Pacific cruise (HAL). 

 

I'm hearing rumors on our roll call that if Japan is not open then alternative ports would be considered.  

 

Any guesses as to where the cruise could possibly go and end up if Japan does not want us?

[BruceMuzz]

Japan is still struggling with the massive outbreaks at the US Military bases and surrounding areas. They also caught the US Military sending infected troops on commercial flights into and out of Japan. The trust level for foreigners in Japan took quite a hit after that. Japan will remain closed to outsiders for quite some time.

 

The only alternative ports in the area are China, Taiwan, and South Korea.

Those three countries are also closed to foreigners.

 

There is a 4th possibility - Russia - but I suspect you will not really consider than one.

[Cruise Wonderland]

Almost the entire Northeast Asia is still closed.

 

If Japan does not open, it is not likely that HAL can find alternative ports, and the simplest solution is cancelling the whole season of Asia cruises and redeploying Westerdam back to North America.

 

Or Westerdam can take the southern route: US West Coast > Hawaii > South Pacific > Australia > Singapore. Then it can offer Asia cruises in Singapore / Malaysia / Thailand instead, as these countries will gradually open soon.

[FlaMariner]

Good info...and as I thought....Not many choices.  Actually, no choices based on a 14 day trans-Pacific offerring.

 

Now it's just the wait game......booked a hotel with a great deal in Yokohama and a cheap airfare home.....(all refundable).  So that's usually signs that the cruise will not go!  LOL.

 

Final payment is mid June for the cruise.

 

 

 

[Rrehfe4969@aol.com]

We are booked on Oceania from LA to Hong Kong in September and final payment due next Wednesday so I am very curious what they will do. They indicated they will not extend final payment deadline and 3 other cruise lines have already cancelled their 2022 Asian cruise. I have a cruise credit from cancelled  cruise in 2020 but they will not let me use credit after 2022 so I am stuck until they decide 

Richard Rehfeldt 

[Pearl64]

We are on your same cruise and have the same issues. Japan was the main reason we booked it. Pondering what to do. It’s a lot of $$$ to just go to a closed for the season Alaska and back to the US. Anyone’s Crystal all working? I can cancel everything now and get my money back but that goes away next week.

 

 

[TequilaJane]

Japan just approved a 4th vaccine because of the recent surge. 

[UUNetBill]

50 minutes ago, Pearl64 said:

We are on your same cruise and have the same issues. Japan was the main reason we booked it. Pondering what to do. It’s a lot of $$$ to just go to a closed for the season Alaska and back to the US. Anyone’s Crystal all working? I can cancel everything now and get my money back but that goes away next week.

I wish my Crystal Ball was giving me some info - we've already cancelled two cruises to Japan and had just booked a flight to Guam and then to Tokyo in September (daughter is a Navy nurse on Guam, figured why not hit Japan since we were going to be so close) but it doesn't look like we'll be able to add that week...

 

So now it looks like we'll fly all that way for a week on a small island.  If our daughter wasn't there, well, we'd be staying home, I'm sure.

 

PS - sure seems like a lot of people from the Upstate are on this forum...

[inside cabin]

It looks a though this cruise is now cancelled

tried to book today and it has disappeared from the web site

i suppose that means the return journey back to Seattle next April will also be cancelled 

fed up now 🤔

[FlaMariner]

Just got the notification from Holland America today.......

 

They have good options....we can go next year and they keep the same fare and all the incentives (it was a very good price with lots of OBC and free tips).  

 

We can also get $200 in OBC for another cruise this fall...winter...they give a list.

 

On to the next cruise.........

 

 

[BruceMuzz]

It is looking less and less likely that Japan will open to foreigners in 2022.

The US Military bases in Japan remain the worst areas for outbreaks.

In the past, every time the Japanese Government took a chance to let foreigners in - they got burned.

The Japanese economy is doing surprisingly well without foreign tourists.

Maybe 2023……….

[loeb]

3 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

It is looking less and less likely that Japan will open to foreigners in 2022.

The US Military bases in Japan remain the worst areas for outbreaks.

In the past, every time the Japanese Government took a chance to let foreigners in - they got burned.

The Japanese economy is doing surprisingly well without foreign tourists.

Maybe 2023……….

We had two cruises canceled for 2022, let's hope for 2023. 

 

 

 

[BruceMuzz]

Re-opening Japan to foreigners was on the front page of the Japan Times today.

The Government is still very reluctant to change anything.

In the latest poll, the majority (73%) of Japanese prefer to keep the borders closed until further notice.

For those of us living in Japan (and not in the Japanese Tourism business) it is really nice to be able to easily get around Tokyo without all the throngs of tourists.

[BruceMuzz]

Yesterday’s (07 May) Japan Times reported that Japanese Immigration is considering raising the maximum number of returning Japanese Residents from 10,000 per day to 20,000 per day. If approved, this MAY begin in June.

 

Pre-COVID non-Japanese TOURISM arrivals to Japan were averaging 120,000 per day.

 

At the same time, there MAY be consideration for allowing non-Japanese businessmen and student interns to enter Japan in very limited numbers, to begin in June or July.

 

Japanese Travel Companies (like the one I work for) are pushing for a gradual opening up to international tourists. The majority of the Japanese Public is against that idea. The Japanese Government is reluctant to oppose public opinion - especially with an election coming up.

Japanese Domestic Cruise Line Companies are quite happy to keep the international competition out of Japan as long as possible. Without foreign competition, the Japanese ships are performing very well.

 

Japanese Cabotage Laws require foreign flag cruise ships sailing in Japan to visit at least one foreign port. With China, Taiwan, and South Korea closed to foreign cruise ships as well, the only remaining alternative foreign ports are in Russia - which is not a viable alternative at this point.

[BruceMuzz]

Japanese Government confirmed today that caps on returning Japanese residents will be increased from 10,000 to 20,00 per day in June.

They are also proposing to remove PCR testing and quarantine of returning Japanese residents who have tested negative before their flights to Japan, and who have received at least one COVID booster injection.

They also announced a trial plan for “bubble tours” of Japan by foreigners, with small groups on fixed itineraries, possibly starting in June.

There is currently no plan for international cruise ships to visit Japan in 2022.

Edited May 12, 2022 by BruceMuzz

[USN59-79]

I, for one, appreciate that @BruceMuzzis willing to provide us on the spot info on the current cruise situation in Japan.  We are fortunate to have on CC a person in Tokyo who reads the local newspapers and can report what the Japanese people think about Cruise ships calling on Japan.  While I know that some political factions in Japan will do what they can to instigate bad press concerning our military bases there, that is just a fact of life that we have to live with.

We hope to cruise there starting next March and have until this December to cancel if necessary.  I hope he will continue to give us an update on what we might expect.

Ray

[Hlitner]

We have already had 3 Asian cruises (in 3 years) cancelled because of a closed Japan (and other ports).  Our booking rolled over year after year and we now have a booking for late March 2023 for a cruise that is primarily all Japan.  Our plan has been to fly in to Japan about 10 days prior to the cruise and spend some time in Tokyo and Kyoto.   But what are the odds this will happen in 2023 or even 2024?  At this time I see no reason for optimism for any cruise (involving Japan) or for open tourism (outside of some bubble tours).   Japan's government is traditionally based on "patience" and caution which is to say they tend to resist change.   The Diamond Princess fiasco certainly soured the attitude of Japan towards cruise ships and there does not seem to be a strong incentive for the country to reopen .

 

So now we are going to watch what happens as they open to some carefully controlled tour groups.  Inevitably there will be some COVID cases which will likely halt or slow down opening the welcome mat for tourism.    

 

As to our 2023 trip, we are proceeding with our plans which include the 42 day cruise, cruise air (no risk if cancelled), and booking our hotels (which will all be fully refundable).  But we are also looking at Plan B which will likely be another extended independent trip in Europe (using a TA cruise for at least one-way).  I should add that we are just back from a month long TA cruise after which we spent 3 wonderful independent weeks in France, Czech Republic, Germany and Poland.  Most of western Europe is open for tourism, cities are crowded with tourists, masking is but a memory (except on some public transit), and life has returned to something close to pre-Covid normal.   

 

Hank

[BruceMuzz]

This new “Bubble Tour” Test for foreign Tourists has not started well.

The first group arrived in Japan yesterday (31 May).

This morning one of the members of this group tested positive for COVID.

The entire Tour was cancelled and all the members were flown home today.

 

Maybe there will be better luck with the next groups.

[Buzzy123]

On 5/7/2022 at 1:39 PM, gwesq said:

DO you have a source for this statement?  WOuld love it if that really happens.  

Not really opening up in any material way. Starting on June 20th they are allowing COMPLETELy packaged tours to run. E.g. they pick you up at the airport escort you around with people keeping away others while whispering “unclean, unclean”. And you can not use public transportation including bullet trains (you know “unclean, unclean”) . Without that you can not get the new VIsa  that you need .

 

I have been trying to relate that to cruise ships docking in Japan and coming say from Alaska/Vancouver later this Summer but so far no one in the Japanese consulates I have spoken to has the faintest idea..

 

Their government mindful of how this is killing their tourist industry is aware of the pressure but also aware that most Japanese do not want foreign tourists at this time. My guess (and it is totally a guess) is that they will “liberalize” a bit more in Sept barring yet  a new outbreak but by then all of the major cruise lines will have cancelled until next year.

[gwesq]

We've decided to go elsewhere this Fall (US/Canada only) and probably do the Japan cruise in April 2023.  Fingers crossed that all is back to normal (and the Cherry blossoms are in bloom)!  

[bennybear]

2 hours ago, gwesq said:

We've decided to go elsewhere this Fall (US/Canada only) and probably do the Japan cruise in April 2023.  Fingers crossed that all is back to normal (and the Cherry blossoms are in bloom)!  

The cherry blossoms often start in later March. So go early, they’re incredible! 

[BruceMuzz]

3 hours ago, Buzzy123 said:

Not really opening up in any material way. Starting on June 20th they are allowing COMPLETELy packaged tours to run. E.g. they pick you up at the airport escort you around with people keeping away others while whispering “unclean, unclean”. And you can not use public transportation including bullet trains (you know “unclean, unclean”) . Without that you can not get the new VIsa  that you need .

 

I have been trying to relate that to cruise ships docking in Japan and coming say from Alaska/Vancouver later this Summer but so far no one in the Japanese consulates I have spoken to has the faintest idea..

 

Their government mindful of how this is killing their tourist industry is aware of the pressure but also aware that most Japanese do not want foreign tourists at this time. My guess (and it is totally a guess) is that they will “liberalize” a bit more in Sept barring yet  a new outbreak but by then all of the major cruise lines will have cancelled until next year.

Japanese Cabotage Laws require foreign flag cruise ships to visit at least one non-Japanese port when cruising in Japan. Even if Japan opens up, all the other countries in the area are still closed - except Russia. You probably do not like that option. 

[BruceMuzz]

Japan Times today (03 June) announced that Japanese Immigration will most likely increase the cap on daily arrivals in Japan, from 20,000 per day to 30,000 per day, sometime in July.

National elections are coming up in July. The Government is most likely waiting to see the election results before making any official changes.

[BruceMuzz]

From the Japan Times today, 08 June:

 

Beginning Friday 10 June, Japan will allow a limited number of foreign tourists to visit Japan.

They must be from a list of approved countries.

They must book their tours from a list of approved Japanese Travel Agents.

Only 3 Japanese Airports will be allowed to accept them.

The itineraries will be pre-approved by the government.

Hotels will be pre-approved by the government.

Masks must be worn at all times.

The sponsoring travel agencies will send escorts with the tourists to ensure that all rules are followed.

These will be essentially Bubble Tours, but there will be some free time as well.

Tourists must have negative PCR tests before flying to Japan.

They must have proof of at least 3 COVID shots.

They must pre-purchase Medical insurance that will cover any problems.

They must carry a smartphone with tracking Apps installed.

They must agree to be deported if they violate any of the regulations.

 

These are land tours to some of Japan’s most popular tourist sites.

There has been no mention of any foreign cruises allowed.

[BruceMuzz]

26 June, 2022

So far, the experimental "Bubble Tours" with limited foreigners from just a few countries seem to be going well.

The number of COVID Cases in Japan continue to drop, averaging between 10,000 and 15,000 per day.

Everyone in Japan is still wearing masks everywhere. This is not a legal requirement. Japanese people are doing it to be polite and considerate to others.

National Elections take place on 10 July. It is unlikely that any major changes will be introduced before the elections.

There is still zero discussion about allowing foreign flag cruise ships into Japan again.

Surrounding countries are also still closed to foreign cruise ships, so Japanese Cabotage Laws would not allow them at this point even if Japan opens up.  

Domestic Japanese cruises are very busy and doing very well.

Current exchange rate is 136 yen to the US Dollar.

Shopping with Dollars in Japan is a real bargain right now.

We are having a beautiful Summer in Japan.

 

Hopefully even better news in a few weeks.