Has anyone cruised Japan with Oceania?

[mamaclark]

Thanks for your fast response. We will spend the short day in and around Kobe for sure. I'll try to find a private tour that will pick us up early and have us back by 5 at the latest. Perhaps I will need to rob a bank first, JK!

[PSahoy]

The problem with O’s excursion to Kyoto is the buses are too big to go to the old part of the city. Your sightseeing is thus restricted to the biggest sites. Highly recommend using a private guide there.

[cjwags]

We had the same schedule for Kobe/Kyoto.  We booked private tours with Pinpoint Traveler.  Our wonderful guide, Lito, picked us up at the port early on the first day and drove us straight to Kyoto. On this day there were six of us.  We were able to do the bamboo forest, some quick shopping, Fushimi Inari, and lunch.  He then took us back to the port by about 7 pm.  The next day he picked us (four of us this day) up early again and we went to Nara.  We fed the deer, visited the temple, and the shrine. We were back at the port in plenty of time for departure.  Theses two days were two of the best on the whole cruise.  HIGHLY recommend a private tour with Pinpoint. While it can be costly, sharing the tour with others made it less expensive than the ship excursion and a thousand times better! 

 

It is easy to find folks to join you from your CC roll call!

[Pearl64]

I know I should call Oceania, but it’s Sunday. Question where the Riviera docks in Tokyo and Kobe(Kyoto). Cruise mapper says Tokyo and not Yokohama. We are booked next April. Another port is (Kobe-Kyoto). Cruise mapper says Kobe -Osaka. We overnight there. We want to take a private tour on the first day since we overnight. The second day since we sail at 4 pm, we are taking a ship tour of Osaka.

 

Any recommendations are appreciated. 

[pinotlover]

We docked in Yokohama and in Kobe. There is a large cruise ship terminal in both ports which the ship utilizes.

[Pearl64]

Contacted my TA today. Our cruise April 1-13, 2025 will disembark and embark from Tokyo International Cruise Terminal and not Yokohama. The Kyoto stop is not known at this time . Oceania claims it is too early to know. I guess both our guide and we will need to be flexible.we also need to wait for the “free” hotel  choice to be announced. Some ship excursions are already full. Hopefully this will all work out.

[mamaclark]

I am curious as to why the Oceania website itinerary for this tour lists Kyoto/Kobe port, but the accompanying map shows Osaka.

 

[Pearl64]

Susan,

 

Do you think we will get to Japan this time? I’ve lost how many times a cruise had been cancelled.

 

as to your original comment, who knows. Perhaps Oceania did not do very well in geography class. A guide I contacted wanted to know the port but Oceania doesn’t know yet. I guess we will just have to be flexible.

 

Glad you are scheduled to go. Hope all goes well.

 

Patty

[mamaclark]

24 minutes ago, Pearl64 said:

Do you think we will get to Japan this time? I’ve lost how many times a cruise had been cancelled.

Hello Patti!

I think this is the fourth attempt? I am pretty sure the port is Kobe and Oceania has excursions on their page to both Osaka and Kyoto. I am hoping @Jancruz sees this and can share some of her wisdom. I just need to be sure since we have booked a day in Kyoto. Are you on this cruise?

[PSahoy]

Have just returned from this year’s Insignia voyage (part of world cruise but not for me). We left from the new Tokyo Int’l cruise terminal : much preferred than traipsing to Yokohama. There is one main port in Kobe which serves Osaka and Kyoto. Easy to get to both via ship excursion, private tour or DIY via bullet trains.

[Rainbow3fe]

On 2/25/2024 at 11:48 AM, pinotlover said:

We are doing an O cruise to Japan starting on 4/1. Doing private land tours on both sides of the cruise. Will report back experiences late April.

Looking forward to hearing about your excursion experiences. Would like feedback on both Private and O tours.

Thanks, 

Felice 😎

[Rainbow3fe]

On 4/15/2024 at 4:43 PM, Pearl64 said:

Contacted my TA today. Our cruise April 1-13, 2025 will disembark and embark from Tokyo International Cruise Terminal and not Yokohama. The Kyoto stop is not known at this time . Oceania claims it is too early to know. I guess both our guide and we will need to be flexible.we also need to wait for the “free” hotel  choice to be announced. Some ship excursions are already full. Hopefully this will all work out.

Any thoughts on which ship excursions are special enough to book immediately? We are just beginning to research.  Can't figure out where to find good private tours. Any suggestions would really be appreciated. 

Thanks,

Felice 😎

[DrHemlock]

11 hours ago, Rainbow3fe said:

Can't figure out where to find good private tours. Any suggestions would really be appreciated. 

Take a look at https://gowithguide.com/s?country=japan&t=tours&page=3.  We were on Insignia and had good luck with them.  Better than "Tours by Locals" (usually good but always expensive) in our opinion.

Edited April 17 by DrHemlock

[Rainbow3fe]

2 hours ago, DrHemlock said:

Take a look at https://gowithguide.com/s?country=japan&t=tours&page=3.  We were on Insignia and had good luck with them.  Better than "Tours by Locals" (usually good but always expensive) in our opinion.

I appreciate your help. 

 

[SophieM]

On 4/15/2024 at 3:43 PM, Pearl64 said:

Contacted my TA today. Our cruise April 1-13, 2025 will disembark and embark from Tokyo International Cruise Terminal and not Yokohama. The Kyoto stop is not known at this time . Oceania claims it is too early to know. I guess both our guide and we will need to be flexible.we also need to wait for the “free” hotel  choice to be announced. Some ship excursions are already full. Hopefully this will all work out.

 

1 hour ago, Rainbow3fe said:

I appreciate your help. 

 

We are n this cruise, too!

[PSahoy]

Almost certainly the port for Kyoto will be Kobe which is relatively close to Kobe and Osaka and large enough to accommodate cruise ships (and commercial/cargo).

[pinotlover]

For those future Japan cruisers, I thought I’d bring up one last thought not yet mentioned. Similar to New Zealand, and some other countries, it is prohibited to take fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, etc off the ship in Japan. We daily got the briefing from the CD before leaving for tours. At some ports, our belongings were searched, at a couple of the ports we were met by the friendly sniffing dogs.

 

Japan has fabulous food and a delight to try all the different regional specialties. Just don’t plan a picnic with food from the ship.

[yogagal47]

On 2/29/2024 at 10:55 PM, cruiseaholic78 said:

After seeing the shrines/Pagodas extensively in Tokyo here is something completely different but definitely worth a visit. If it is fully booked keep checking as tickets can become available.

https://www.teamlab.art/e/planets/

happy planning

 

Echo that opinion! Anazing immersive experience that must be booked well in advance. Be sure to check which experience tou have booked: team lab borderless vs Team lab planets as they are in different locations!

[Pearl64]

Does anyone know if you are permitted to bring unopened crackers off the ship? My husband is diabetic and I always carry the snack peanut butter and crackers or just plain peanuts. I certainly do not want to hold up immigration. He usually is ok but it is just insurance if he has issues. Would a doctor's note help?  Thanks.

[osandomir]

2 hours ago, Pearl64 said:

Does anyone know if you are permitted to bring unopened crackers off the ship? My husband is diabetic and I always carry the snack peanut butter and crackers or just plain peanuts. I certainly do not want to hold up immigration. He usually is ok but it is just insurance if he has issues. Would a doctor's note help?  Thanks.

I can’t answer your question but you wouldn’t have any problem if you want to buy a snack anywhere in Japan and credit cards are widely accepted.

[Rainbow3fe]

4 hours ago, Pearl64 said:

Does anyone know if you are permitted to bring unopened crackers off the ship? My husband is diabetic and I always carry the snack peanut butter and crackers or just plain peanuts. I certainly do not want to hold up immigration. He usually is ok but it is just insurance if he has issues. Would a doctor's note help?  Thanks.

In our experience unopened packages of non meats, fruits and vegetables were not on the prohibited lists. I definitely would ask either Oceania or search on an Official Japanese website. Good luck 

[1985rz1]

4 hours ago, Pearl64 said:

Does anyone know if you are permitted to bring unopened crackers off the ship? My husband is diabetic and I always carry the snack peanut butter and crackers or just plain peanuts. I certainly do not want to hold up immigration. He usually is ok but it is just insurance if he has issues. Would a doctor's note help?  Thanks.

I suspect that unopened crackers would be OK, but I would be very cautious and ask an official government site and not depend on any advice from here or any other social media site.  In New Zealand, the restrictions were rigid, and if you got as far as a customs inspector at any port with any prohibited items such as fruit or vegetables...even a banana or an apple...there is a minimum fine (I think $400) that is instantly assessed.  No exceptions and no leniency. 

 

And a doctor's note would not make any difference, especially since you can always but snacks in the port.

Edited May 5 by 1985rz1

[pinotlover]

Buy the snacks off ship and remedy the situation.

 

There is a thread, on a different Forum here, on the ports that are closing and/or restricting cruise passengers. One of the main reasons is they create traffic and congestion and many don’t spend a dime or whatever the currency. Light snacks are easily procured in Japan.

[ChadnKate]

My wife blowing her top near Kagoshima on an Oceania excursion 

 

 

[avw]

I just returned from 30 days on Azamara in Asia... 18 days in Japan and the rest going south to Singapore. It was absolutely fabulous! They took "Destination Immersion" to a whole new level. The shore excursions were excellent. Then, every day at 5pm, they brought a local group onto the ship to show some aspect of the Japanese culture... geishas, how to wear a kimono, Japanese music, taekwondo, tea ceremony, calligraphy, etc. Sometimes they were local school groups. It was wonderful! And every day when we left the port (often at night because Azamara stays in port late), there was a special send off performance on the dock ( baton twirlers, drummers, dancers, fireworks, etc), followed by many locals waving us off and wishing us a good journey and thanking us for coming to their town. It as just magical! Of course, there were also food specialties and drinks for each area we visited. I would gladly do it again and I highly recommend it to you. Can't imagine how this wonderful Azamara experience could be topped. P.S. I was traveling solo. 

 

Next week, I am leaving for 21 nights on Oceania, including the Norwegian Fjords. This will be my first time on Oceania's small ships. They have a hard act to follow. Hope they live up to the challenge!