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Celebrity Millennium Japan - 10/24/2023 - Live(ish) Report


Miaminice
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On 5/10/2024 at 3:26 PM, Miaminice said:

@debfed65 @ClarP

 

Hi, those are Koichi’s details. Let him know I sent you and he’ll surely take good care of you! 
 

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I looked up Koichi on Tours by Locals and he does not show any availability for the day we are in port 😞   Should I still try emailing him directly? 

 

Do you mind if I ask how much he would have charged to do a tour like the one you did? I have never booked anything with Tours by Locals before.  Was it just for you & your wife, or were there others in your group? 

 

Thanks...Debbie & Ron

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9 hours ago, debfed65 said:

I looked up Koichi on Tours by Locals and he does not show any availability for the day we are in port 😞   Should I still try emailing him directly? 

 

Do you mind if I ask how much he would have charged to do a tour like the one you did? I have never booked anything with Tours by Locals before.  Was it just for you & your wife, or were there others in your group? 

 

Thanks...Debbie & Ron


we only booked him with Tours by Locals the first time. After that we contacted him directly. We are also connected on Facebook. So yes, you can contact him directly… no problem.  The last tour was USD 199 for a group of 6 plus JPY 7000 (apx USD 50) per person for train tickets and entrance fees.


I usually look up the guides and the post on the Roll Call of the cruise to find people interested in joining us. The maximum group size we do is 6 people. Still a good size to have the private experience but a good number to share the cost.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/26/2023 at 10:12 AM, Miaminice said:

2023 - Japan - Celebrity Millennium - Day 2 - Tokyo/Yokohama


A good night‘s rest must be followed by a good and tasty breakfast - I am pretty sure that’s an old Japanese proverb. If not, we followed it anyway. The buffet at the hotel made it easy. It offered a nice choice of Asian and western delights and Birgit thoroughly enjoyed the healthy Asian part.

 

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Following breakfast we decided to take the train to Yoyogi Park. The park is for Tokyo what Central Park would be for New York or Hyde Park for London. And hidden within the area of Yoyogi Park and forest lies the Meji-Jingu shine of Emperor Meiji and his wife Shoken. Once you enter the Park through the huge Torii gates, everything seems to decelerate. It becomes quiet - the sound of silence only enhanced by the song of the birds - and the air is filled with the earthy sent of the 120,000 trees donated by the people of Japan.

 

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Following the wide gravel road through the forest, mindful not to take the middle part which is reserved for the Emperor, we reached the impressive shrine.

 

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Walking around the two “husband and wife” trees, bound together for eternity, strolling by the wooden tablets with wishes written on them and bowing before the shrine for a wish ourselves, we knew why we love Japan so much. The pleasant cocktail of crazy and mind boggling metropolises mixed with the pure tranquility and serenity of Japanese gardens and shrines enhanced by a very generous shot of friendliness and respect from and for the Japanese people just goes down so very well.


Due to some Meiji festivities, donations were displayed around the area. Chrysanthemum flowers, representing the Imperial family, Bonsai trees… all very nice to look at.

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When it was time to start the next part of our journey, we returned to the hotel - not without a stop at another Uniqlo store -picked up our luggage and took the JR train to Yokohama.

When we reached Yokohama station about 35 minutes later, we took a taxi from the station which I called and paid by using the Uber App.
Driving up to the cruise terminal, it was nice to see the big blue hull of our home for the next two weeks on Yokohama’s pretty Osanbashi port. 
Embarkation on Millennium took less time than it took to look at the watch. We presented our boarding passes on the App and basically walked right through. No desk, no wait… we were really impressed. 
Once on board, the positive surprise continued. We hadn’t been on a refurbished M class before. They have given this elderly M class lady a very nice touch up and it felt as if we were on a new modern ship. Although we thought Infinity was in good shape a few months ago, Infinity’s old and Millennium’s modernized design now felt like night and day. Same goes for our stateroom 1106 (A1 Aqua Class). The new colors and design really met our taste. We also enjoyed the changes made to the Ocean View Café and the Sunset Bar. Millennium is still no S or E class, but bravo!
While Birgit unpacked her luggage I sipped on a Latte from Al Bacio on our balcony before we headed to the sailaway meeting at the Sunset Bar to meet some fellow cruisers with whom we‘ll be doing tours.

 

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When darkness set in, the skyline of Yokohama began to shine and presented a beautiful background for the start of our cruise.

 

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We had dinner at Blu and a tea for a nightcap at Al Bacio before going to bed early… those of you who know us know that we are actually pretty boring people 😉

 

 

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3 minutes ago, MenezesAu said:

Oops sorry meant to comment on your Fantastic Post about the Japan trip on the Millenium. Very informative and a great read. We are on the Japan cruise 14 July 2024 and cant wait. Thanks so very much for the insight. Rgds Michael (Aus)

 

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@Miaminice

We booked a Kyoto tour with Koichi san for April 2025.  He was very accommodating with our wish to add/subtract places to visit. Looking forward to a wonderful visit in Kyoto.  Do you recommend making shinkansen reservation from Kobe to Kyoto?  We will be traveling at the start of the Osaka Expo.

 

What is the best source to get access to the internet while is Japan for Samsung Galaxy smartphone?  We will mainly use the internet for Googlemaps.

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10 minutes ago, Retirement2016 said:

@Miaminice

We booked a Kyoto tour with Koichi san for April 2025.  He was very accommodating with our wish to add/subtract places to visit. Looking forward to a wonderful visit in Kyoto.  Do you recommend making shinkansen reservation from Kobe to Kyoto?  We will be traveling at the start of the Osaka Expo.

 

What is the best source to get access to the internet while is Japan for Samsung Galaxy smartphone?  We will mainly use the internet for Googlemaps.


IMHO reservations are not necessary. If they should be, Koichi would surely recommend it. 
If your phone supports an eSim, try Ubigi. Worked great for us.

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42 minutes ago, Miaminice said:


IMHO reservations are not necessary. If they should be, Koichi would surely recommend it. 
If your phone supports an eSim, try Ubigi. Worked great for us.

 

Thank you for your quick response.  

We are planning to stay overnight in Yokohama the day before we board Celebrity Millennium.  We would like to visit Kamakura.  Is 7 hours enough time to visit Kamakura's 3 attractions that you visited?  Our plan is to store our luggage at the hotel and pick them up around 3 pm.  The hotel is within walking distance to Osanbashi.  

 

 

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11 hours ago, Retirement2016 said:

 

Thank you for your quick response.  

We are planning to stay overnight in Yokohama the day before we board Celebrity Millennium.  We would like to visit Kamakura.  Is 7 hours enough time to visit Kamakura's 3 attractions that you visited?  Our plan is to store our luggage at the hotel and pick them up around 3 pm.  The hotel is within walking distance to Osanbashi.  

 

 


You are welcome!

I just checked the time on the photos we took. We took a train to Kamakura around 9 - 9:30am and returned to the hotel at 3:30pm. We did all we did in a very relaxed pace and lingered here and there... so yes, I think 7 hours is enough time.

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6 hours ago, Miaminice said:


You are welcome!

I just checked the time on the photos we took. We took a train to Kamakura around 9 - 9:30am and returned to the hotel at 3:30pm. We did all we did in a very relaxed pace and lingered here and there... so yes, I think 7 hours is enough time.

 

Thank you again.  We plan to leave the Yokohama hotel around 8 am, so the timing should work out with boarding the ship around 3 pm.

 

After the cruise, our flight does not leave until 5 pm.  We plan to self disembark, take the taxi to Haneda Airport, leave our check in luggage at baggage storage and take the train to Tsukiji Market for 3-4 hours.  My son needs his last fix of sushi before leaving Japan.

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  • 2 months later...

I've began reading your report in an effort to plan my own trip, it's our first time.  My plan was to arrive 4 days before to see some of Tokyo before the cruise.  I love the idea of staying at the Tokyo Station hotel and using the train or taxi to see the different areas.  Do you think this would be a good choice?

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8 hours ago, jabrown40 said:

I've began reading your report in an effort to plan my own trip, it's our first time.  My plan was to arrive 4 days before to see some of Tokyo before the cruise.  I love the idea of staying at the Tokyo Station hotel and using the train or taxi to see the different areas.  Do you think this would be a good choice?


Sure, why not. Train is the way to get around in Tokyo and Japan in general.
We stayed near the station on our first trip - at the Metropolitan Marunouchi Hotel. It was really nice. The other times we stayed in Shinjuku because we liked the buzz and possibilities in and around the area.

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9 hours ago, jabrown40 said:

I've began reading your report in an effort to plan my own trip, it's our first time.  My plan was to arrive 4 days before to see some of Tokyo before the cruise.  I love the idea of staying at the Tokyo Station hotel and using the train or taxi to see the different areas.  Do you think this would be a good choice?

Agree with Miaminice.  We like Hotel Gracery in Shinjuku area.  Especially nice if you're a Godzilla fan!!

 

Easy access to Shinjuku station (trains and subway), including NRT and HND.

 

https://shinjuku.gracery.com/#_ga=2.99166878.1843614556.1723936349-783607904.1723936349

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13 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Agree with Miaminice.  We like Hotel Gracery in Shinjuku area.  Especially nice if you're a Godzilla fan!!

 

Easy access to Shinjuku station (trains and subway), including NRT and HND.

 

https://shinjuku.gracery.com/#_ga=2.99166878.1843614556.1723936349-783607904.1723936349

 

@d9704011 @Miaminice

 

I have read that the bedding is rock hard at Hotel Gracery.  Did you feel the bedding uncomfortable?  What bus stop for Hotel Gracery?

 

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11 minutes ago, Retirement2016 said:

 

@d9704011 @Miaminice

 

I have read that the bedding is rock hard at Hotel Gracery.  Did you feel the bedding uncomfortable?  What bus stop for Hotel Gracery?

 

The rooms are 'smallish' from a North American perspective but are pretty much on a par with what you'd get in NYC, London or Paris and less expensive.  We had a room with breakfast, which we thought was pretty good.  Did not notice any particular issue with the bedding; we slept well enough and it was quiet.

 

Shinjuku station is an easy five to ten minute walk from the hotel.  Last time we were there, we flew into NRT and took Narita Express to Shinjuku.  Making your way from HND to Shinjuku will require a transfer but ought not be a problem and is faster and less expensive.

 

Easy access to many sights using Shinjuku as a base.

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Posted (edited)
12 hours ago, Retirement2016 said:

 

@d9704011 @Miaminice

 

I have read that the bedding is rock hard at Hotel Gracery.  Did you feel the bedding uncomfortable?  What bus stop for Hotel Gracery?

 

 

No, not at all! And I am pretty sensitive because of back problems. However, the rooms are very small - typical to Japan - and if you want more space, book a larger room. Breakfast is nice at the hotel. 

 

The area has a lot to offer. Don´t miss a stroll through and/or dinner at Omoide Yokocho / Memory Lane known for Yakitori bars. https://en.shinjuku-omoide.com/
Shinjuku Station is an ideal starting point to get to all interesting sights in Tokyo.

 

There´s not really a bus stop for the hotel. The next major public transport stop is Shinjuku Station. The station can easily be reached by train from Haneda airport and it also offers a direct train to Yokohama. There is a small loop bus running from Shinjuku Station with a stop in front of the Gracery Hotel. However, by the time you walk to the bus stop you might as well walk to the hotel. It´s an easy, less then ten minute walk from the East Exit or Exit #13.

BTW you should be able to do some walking, or let me say, shouldn´t be afraid of walking! In Japan the temples, the cities, just about everything involves walking. Sometimes on even, sometimes on hilly terrain. Guides walk swiftly - some might call it fast. They are used to it and it´s what they do. DW and I are walkers, on our last trip we did 26k steps in Rome on a day. We can keep up with them, but I know people who struggled.


THE way to get around in Japan are the trains - subways, trams, metros, JR or even Shinkansen Bullet Trains. Taxis are secondary (because of the higher price and traffic) and I can´t think of a place where we had to take a bus. So getting to and from the trains involves walking and stairs. The stations can be huge. The vast underground maze of Tokyo Station is unbelievable. Even when we stayed at the Metropolitan Marunouchi - the hotel was actually a part of the station complex - and walked the station many times, we still managed to get lost. And I hardly ever get lost :-) But it was part of the experience and fun.

Edited by Miaminice
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That's kind of why I chose the Tokyo station hotel, because after a long flight from Orlando, I thought it would be super easy to get to the hotel with luggage, and then have easy access to trains to branch out. Are there cons to this idea?  We have about 3 1/2 days, then go to Yokohama for the cruise.

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14 hours ago, d9704011 said:

The rooms are 'smallish' from a North American perspective but are pretty much on a par with what you'd get in NYC, London or Paris and less expensive.  We had a room with breakfast, which we thought was pretty good.  Did not notice any particular issue with the bedding; we slept well enough and it was quiet.

 

Shinjuku station is an easy five to ten minute walk from the hotel.  Last time we were there, we flew into NRT and took Narita Express to Shinjuku.  Making your way from HND to Shinjuku will require a transfer but ought not be a problem and is faster and less expensive.

 

Easy access to many sights using Shinjuku as a base.

 

Thank you, I appreciate your response.

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2 hours ago, Miaminice said:

 

No, not at all! And I am pretty sensitive because of back problems. However, the rooms are very small - typical to Japan - and if you want more space, book a larger room. Breakfast is nice at the hotel. 

 

The area has a lot to offer. Don´t miss a stroll through and/or dinner at Omoide Yokocho / Memory Lane known for Yakitori bars. https://en.shinjuku-omoide.com/
Shinjuku Station is an ideal starting point to get to all interesting sights in Tokyo.

 

There´s not really a bus stop for the hotel. The next major public transport stop is Shinjuku Station. The station can easily be reached by train from Haneda airport and it also offers a direct train to Yokohama. There is a small loop bus running from Shinjuku Station with a stop in front of the Gracery Hotel. However, by the time you walk to the bus stop you might as well walk to the hotel. It´s an easy, less then ten minute walk from the East Exit or Exit #13.

BTW you should be able to do some walking, or let me say, shouldn´t be afraid of walking! In Japan the temples, the cities, just about everything involves walking. Sometimes on even, sometimes on hilly terrain. Guides walk swiftly - some might call it fast. They are used to it and it´s what they do. DW and I are walkers, on our last trip we did 26k steps in Rome on a day. We can keep up with them, but I know people who struggled.


THE way to get around in Japan are the trains - subways, trams, metros, JR or even Shinkansen Bullet Trains. Taxis are secondary (because of the higher price and traffic) and I can´t think of a place where we had to take a bus. So getting to and from the trains involves walking and stairs. The stations can be huge. The vast underground maze of Tokyo Station is unbelievable. Even when we stayed at the Metropolitan Marunouchi - the hotel was actually a part of the station complex - and walked the station many times, we still managed to get lost. And I hardly ever get lost 🙂 But it was part of the experience and fun.

 

Thank you, I appreciate your response.  Also the information to Memory Lane is useful.  We will try to visit.

 

What is the name of the train that goes directly to Yokohama from Shinjuku?

 

I've read that Haneda Airport Limousine stops at Tokyu Kabukicho Tower in Shinjuku which is only a 5 minute walk to Hotel Gracery.  

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39 minutes ago, Retirement2016 said:

What is the name of the train that goes directly to Yokohama from Shinjuku?


Thats the JR Shonan-Shinjuku line to Yokohama Station. 
From the station you can either take a taxi (or uber taxi) to Osanbashi Pier or take the Minatomirai subway to Nihon-Odori station which is a three minute walk to the pier.

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2 hours ago, Provence55always said:

An alternative hotel also in Shinjuku is Hotel Groove, A Parkroyal Hotel. Rooms are big which we like as we are staying 4 nights. We booked including breakfast. Very good reviews. 

 

Thank you for the hotel recommendation.  I wil check it out.

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2 hours ago, Miaminice said:


Thats the JR Shonan-Shinjuku line to Yokohama Station. 
From the station you can either take a taxi (or uber taxi) to Osanbashi Pier or take the Minatomirai subway to Nihon-Odori station which is a three minute walk to the pier.

 

Thank you again for all your helpful information.

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Posted (edited)
12 hours ago, jabrown40 said:

So Miaminice, do you think Tokyo  Station hotel is a good location ?

 

It is good - but after having stayed at both locations, we prefer Shinjuku. It´s just more convenient.

Getting to Shinjuku or Tokyo Station from the airport makes no significant difference. Same line, different stop.

Edited by Miaminice
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