Konnichiwa Japan (is welcoming home the Diamond Princess)

[cr8tiv1]

She's ready and waiting for her first Yokohama run.  The sun is rising and it is 06:05 AM Yokohama time on 2023-03-15.

 

[cr8tiv1]

@chubbypiggy

 

A quick google maps search says it is a 8 - 10 minute walk.  Not sure I would like to do that dragging my luggage.  I don't know how to travel light!

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Daiwa+Roynet+Hotel+Yokohama-Koen,+204-1+Yamashitacho,+Naka+Ward,+Yokohama,+Kanagawa+231-0023,+Japan/Yamashita+Park,+279+Yamashitacho,+Naka+Ward,+Yokohama,+Kanagawa+231-0023,+Japan/@35.4456658,139.641409,16z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x60185cfacdd6858d:0x394a2c75203ac6bd!2m2!1d139.6420281!2d35.4434633!1m5!1m1!1s0x60185ce2b1bb57b7:0xe3ba49f16272376c!2m2!1d139.6497793!2d35.4457655!3e2

 

[chubbypiggy]

34 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

@chubbypiggy

 

A quick google maps search says it is a 8 - 10 minute walk.  Not sure I would like to do that dragging my luggage.  I don't know how to travel light!

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Daiwa+Roynet+Hotel+Yokohama-Koen,+204-1+Yamashitacho,+Naka+Ward,+Yokohama,+Kanagawa+231-0023,+Japan/Yamashita+Park,+279+Yamashitacho,+Naka+Ward,+Yokohama,+Kanagawa+231-0023,+Japan/@35.4456658,139.641409,16z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x60185cfacdd6858d:0x394a2c75203ac6bd!2m2!1d139.6420281!2d35.4434633!1m5!1m1!1s0x60185ce2b1bb57b7:0xe3ba49f16272376c!2m2!1d139.6497793!2d35.4457655!3e2

 

Thank you.  The end point of the google map looks like it is where Osanbashi Pier is at.  We don't travel light either.  Probably better off to ask the hotel staff to call a taxi for us.

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, chubbypiggy said:

Thank you.  The end point of the google map looks like it is where Osanbashi Pier is at.  We don't travel light either.  Probably better off to ask the hotel staff to call a taxi for us.

 

That is what I am planning to do.  Decided it was too much work to taxi to free shuttle, unload/reload on bus.  Walking is out of the question.  PLUS....i'm going to beat everyone/crowd who is waiting on the shuttle.  Embarkation lunch....is waiting for me.

[chubbypiggy]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

That is what I am planning to do.  Decided it was too much work to taxi to free shuttle, unload/reload on bus.  Walking is out of the question.  PLUS....i'm going to beat everyone/crowd who is waiting on the shuttle.  Embarkation lunch....is waiting for me.

Enjoy your cruise!! 

 

Right now I am busy finalizing my planning for our upcoming 27 days cruise from Sydney to L.A. on the Majestic Princess.  Will leave for Sydney in about 2 weeks.

 

Will work on planning for our 2 Japan cruises (7 days and 9 days cruises with 5 days on land in Yokohama between that 2 cruises) after we return from our Transpacific cruise.  I am sure when the planning starts, I will have more questions.  Thanks in advance for your help!!

[chubbypiggy]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

That is what I am planning to do.  Decided it was too much work to taxi to free shuttle, unload/reload on bus.  Walking is out of the question.  PLUS....i'm going to beat everyone/crowd who is waiting on the shuttle.  Embarkation lunch....is waiting for me.

Just noticed you are from So Cal and Hawaii.  We are also from So. Cal, and on our upcoming Transpacific cruise, we will be visiting 3 ports in Hawaii (Maui, Honolulu, and Kona).  Our first time visiting Hawaii.  We are not beach people, just want to do some sightseeing, shopping, and good eating. 😆

[cr8tiv1]

@chubbypiggy  @Thrak

 

Don't know how to add my email to my account...Maybe Thrak knows.  Or others.  

 

princess    user name   a t   gmail   dot   _____ 

  

No spaces.  I'll share all about the islands with you.  I don't check that account often, so may be a while before you get a response.

[chubbypiggy]

15 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

@chubbypiggy  @Thrak

 

Don't know how to add my email to my account...Maybe Thrak knows.  Or others.  

 

princess    user name   a t   gmail   dot   _____ 

  

No spaces.  I'll share all about the islands with you.  I don't check that account often, so may be a while before you get a response.

Thank you.  I already finished my planning for the 3 Hawaii ports (DIY in Maui, Full Island tour in Honolulu, and for Kona, will be meeting friends who live there). 

 

When I start my planning for my Sept. Japan cruises, might have some questions regarding the ports.  I will post my questions on this thread if you don't mind.  Thank you. 

[cr8tiv1]

Now that the Diamond Princess is on her first cruise out of Yokohama (I should have taken this one!), I am not going to try to cut and paste the comments from @ringers0815.  S/he is doing a great job of keeping us informed with important procedures.  

 

S/he is on their vacation so not asking for daily reports (not doing a live), but if you want more information about Korea or Japan requirements, keep a watch on this thread.

 

[cr8tiv1]

BTW....Princess is not notifying you that medallions have shipped.  You need to check the app to see if it was sent out.  Then wait. 

 

No way of knowing if it arrived.  One more "if not broke, don't fix".  

 

I ordered mine without the Plus Package (but before the increase).  As far as I know, I wasn't charged for shipping.  

[ringers0815]

On 3/15/2023 at 2:55 AM, chubbypiggy said:

Thank you for the information.  Is Yamashita Pier same as Osanbashi pier, the pier Princess uses for their other ships?  

Yamashita pier is at the other end of Yamashita park (where Gundam is). It’s an easy walk from one pier to the other if you don’t have lots of luggage.

[cr8tiv1]

46 minutes ago, ringers0815 said:

Yamashita pier is at the other end of Yamashita park (where Gundam is). It’s an easy walk from one pier to the other  🧳🧳🧳  if you don’t have lots of luggage.  🧳🧳🧳 😂

 

Not me...but thank you for chiming in.  You are truly appreciated.  

 

Arigato Gozaimasu

Edited March 17, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[chubbypiggy]

9 hours ago, ringers0815 said:

Yamashita pier is at the other end of Yamashita park (where Gundam is). It’s an easy walk from one pier to the other if you don’t have lots of luggage.

Thank you.  We each have a large luggage.  Decided better off taking a taxi from hotel to Daikoku Pier.

[4bande]

As posted in the March 15, 2023 thread, I asked the person doing the Jeju presentation yesterday, and she did not know if K-ETA was required.  The response was more like “we haven’t heard” vs. “we asked and we haven’t gotten a reply”, which is worrisome.  If anything, today is the day to get it done (we are porting in Kagoshima and Jeju is tomorrow).

 

To me, things are being figured out as they go along, so it’s good to be proactive.  

[4bande]

On 3/16/2023 at 1:14 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

BTW....Princess is not notifying you that medallions have shipped.  You need to check the app to see if it was sent out.  Then wait. 

 

No way of knowing if it arrived.  One more "if not broke, don't fix".  

 

I ordered mine without the Plus Package (but before the increase).  As far as I know, I wasn't charged for shipping.  

 

You should have a tracking number in the app when it was sent out.  At least that what we got.  The Japan custom logo on the Mediallion is nice!  Goes well with the flip side.

 

We were charged $10 for shipping (we ordered no packages).  Arrived in a week.

Edited March 17, 2023 by 4bande

[4bande]

On 3/14/2023 at 4:10 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

 

That is what I am planning to do.  Decided it was too much work to taxi to free shuttle, unload/reload on bus.  Walking is out of the question.  PLUS....i'm going to beat everyone/crowd who is waiting on the shuttle.  Embarkation lunch....is waiting for me.

 

Taxi is easiest from Chinatown area.  About 3400-4000 yen via taxi (cost for 4 different taxis in our group at different times)

[chubbypiggy]

1 hour ago, 4bande said:

 

Taxi is easiest from Chinatown area.  About 3400-4000 yen via taxi (cost for 4 different taxis in our group at different times)

The taxi ride from Chinatown to Daikoku pier should be less than 15 minutes, right?  3400-4000 yen kind of expensive for such a short ride.

[4bande]

1 minute ago, chubbypiggy said:

The taxi ride from Chinatown to Daikoku pier should be less than 15 minutes, right?  3400-4000 yen kind of expensive for such a short ride.

 

Depends on the traffic to get to and over the bridge.  It’s a port, so there may be a lot of port traffic.  When exiting the bridge, the taxi driver needs to go the left instead of the right.  If the driver goes right then there will be a lot of port traffic.

[chubbypiggy]

3 minutes ago, 4bande said:

 

Depends on the traffic to get to and over the bridge.  It’s a port, so there may be a lot of port traffic.  When exiting the bridge, the taxi driver needs to go the left instead of the right.  If the driver goes right then there will be a lot of port traffic.

Thank you.

[Anemix]

On 3/9/2023 at 2:56 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

On one of the roll calls, someone posted about Goodwill Guides.  I apologize for not giving credit where credit is due.  I was so excited to read/find this website that I couldn't sleep.  I had to put a rush on it since one of the requirements is that you book something 21 days BEFORE your cruise leaves.  I begged and pleaded since I am actually inside that time period.  So far, I have had one response that they will try to find me a guide for Nagasaki.  

 

https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/list-of-volunteer-guides/

 

I was just going to wander around the ports so if I can't secure a guide, I will be okay.  But it would be so helpful. They even have one for arrival/departures at the airport.

 

Highlights:

No tipping

You pay for all transportations and entry fees.

You pay for meals.

You offer "omiyage" from your hometown. https://gogonihon.com/en/blog/omiyage-culture-in-japan/

 

Most of the time, these volunteers want to practice their English. They are not "professional tour guides." 

Many times goodwill guides are retirees. We took some “free” tours  in and around Tokyo and Osaka. Some free tour guides are very knowledgeable and some are not. We had a very nice gentleman as a goodwill guide in Kamakura. He was polite and friendly, but we understood less than 10% of what he said. He had a huge English vocabulary, but his sentences just didn’t make much sense. 
The other “localized free tours” we took were with two different individuals who where bilingual. Both of them (one in Tokyo and the other in Osaka) had lived several years in the states. Both were very knowledgeable and entertaining. Even though they were “free” tours, it was clear they expected a nice tip. One of them, spent a good time letting us know he left his technical career to become a tour guide, and then covid happened, etc.  Of course, we didn’t mind tipping them well because they earned their tip. I just mention this because you read everywhere you are not supposed to tip in Japan. It’s true in restaurants, hair salons, massage places, etc. However, this is slowly changing. Specially, when dealing with tourism and foreigners. Some of the private “free” localized tours were created specifically for foreigners and with tips in mind. The “free” tours organized by the cities/towns are run by volunteers (mostly retirees). 
I have been living in Japan since 2016–still doing some “tourism” in this beautiful country, and my observations might be a bit different from locals. 
 

[cr8tiv1]

@Anemix  Thank you for your thoughtful post.  But I was too late.  All 3 ports I requested guides could not find me any.  I will continue on my own.  I don't have any major agenda.  A few things we would like to see, but hunting for Cherry Blossoms and food.

 

Appreciate you chiming in for all.

 

 

[Arya3]

@mandapanda13

@cr8tiv1

Thanks for your advice on this thread!

We are a group of 3 adults booked on the Diamond this September but staying in Tokyo a few days before. If we booked a Yokohama shared shuttle from our Tokyo hotel, would they be considered a private vehicle/taxi that would be able to drop us off at Daikoku Pier or do we have to transfer to the complimentary shuttle from Yamashita pier to Daikoku pier? Any info would be great!

[cr8tiv1]

2 hours ago, Arya3 said:

@mandapanda13

@cr8tiv1

Thanks for your advice on this thread!

We are a group of 3 adults booked on the Diamond this September but staying in Tokyo a few days before. If we booked a Yokohama shared shuttle from our Tokyo hotel, would they be considered a private vehicle/taxi that would be able to drop us off at Daikoku Pier or do we have to transfer to the complimentary shuttle from Yamashita pier to Daikoku pier? Any info would be great!

I am not sure what you are considering a shared shuttle.  
 

If it is similar to a taxi service and just for the 4 of you, I’m guessing you could ask them to drop you off at the pier terminal.  
 

If it is a scheduled bus, you will probably be dropped off at the YCAT and have to weave your way over to the taxi stands on the opposite side.  Be aware that many taxis limit you to 2 pieces of baggage for the trunk and “frown” on a bunch of carry ons.  
 

Cannot speak about experience from Tokyo. 

[Arya3]

@cr8tiv1

Thanks for answering! I know that if we hired a private transfer it would have to be a minivan and I was trying to save money using a shared shuttle. We don’t travel light and didn’t want to do a lot of walking after drop-off😀

Wishing you a fantastic cruise!

[Coral]

@cr8tiv1Just found this thread. I have used their Limo Bus service and it was exceptional. Very clean, professional and on time.

 

I loved Japan when I was there. We did not see our first cherry blossoms until Kyoto on the 30th of March. I know every year is different.

 

Everyone in Japan is friendly. I felt very safe while I was there.

 

Have a great cruise!

Edited March 25, 2023 by Coral