Princess vs HAL Japan cruise 2025

[cobalt206]

We are trying to make a decision for a cruise in 2025 to Japan. We have sailed HAL a fair amount and are happy with the overall experience. We are booked next month to visit Norway on the Rotterdam in an aft Neptune suite which we’ve experienced before on other HAL ships and loved the suite and location. We’ve only sailed with Princess once many years ago and had a great trip.

 

I found a decent deal on Princess Diamond for their Grand Suite B750 for a 10 day itinerary from Yokohama with ports Toba, Kobe, Kochi, Beppu, Busan, Nagasaki and Shimizu. The suite looks incredible and probably compares close to a Pinnacle Suite on HAL.

 

For about the same price, I can book a 15 day voyage on HAL’s Westerdam in a Neptune Suite. Ports include Omaezaki, Kobe, Kochi, Fukuoka, Sokcho, Kanazawa, Sakata, Otaru, Aomori, Hakodate and Miyako. So this would provide 4 more ports compared to the Princess itinerary.

 

We are trying to determine which experience would be best for us. Better cabin on Princess vs a longer cruise on HAL. I’m sure we’d love both and being our first time to Japan, we want to make the most of this trip. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[Ken the cruiser]

We were on the Diamond on a 17-day B2B around Japan in July 2023 and had a great time in a Reserve Collection mini suite which allowed us to eat in the Reserve Dining Room where you will be dining. If you look in my below expanded signature area you’ll see my Live From thread which pretty much covers what we experienced. If you have any specific questions after reviewing it, please let me know. 

[mtnesterz]

We were on the Diamond in October last year for a circle Japan trip. 

One thing missing from your post is the time of year you will be going. I say this because climate wise, Japan is like California in latitude. In the summer in Nagasaki, it will be hot. In the winter in ports like Aomori, it will be quite cold. If that helps you choose.

Spend your money for better than Princess contracted operators, which have better English speaking ability guides. Assuming you do not speak Japanese.

What's that you say? What would we do if we went again? We would want to spend more time in places like Osaka and Kyoto on a Princess CruiseTour and less time onboard sailing between ports. 

[Lady Arwen]

For me, the extra five days with HAL makes it a no brainer.  However, since I’ve been on both ships, I do prefer Diamond Princess over Westerdam, but a  Neptune suite gives you access to the Neptune lounge, which is a huge plus.

 

I'm sure you would enjoy either one, but if I’m going all the way to Japan, I want the most number of days as possible.

[cobalt206]

55 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

We were on the Diamond in October last year for a circle Japan trip. 

One thing missing from your post is the time of year you will be going. I say this because climate wise, Japan is like California in latitude. In the summer in Nagasaki, it will be hot. In the winter in ports like Aomori, it will be quite cold. If that helps you choose.

Spend your money for better than Princess contracted operators, which have better English speaking ability guides. Assuming you do not speak Japanese.

What's that you say? What would we do if we went again? We would want to spend more time in places like Osaka and Kyoto on a Princess CruiseTour and less time onboard sailing between ports. 

 

[cobalt206]

We will be going in early October. I think the temperatures will be pretty mild this time of year. Thanks for your opinions.

[cr8tiv1]

My sister is a HAL Mariner.  I am still trying to get a grasp on a Neptune Suite.  From all accounts (my understanding), is that a Neptune Suite is not really a suite, but more likened to a Princess mini suite.  You will get more perks in a Princess Grand Suite.  The Diamond won’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but a smaller ship feel.
 

HAL ports right next to the Yokohama Intercontinental Grand Hotel.  Princess offers a free shuttle from Yamashita Park or a taxi ride. 
 

Princess will offer a paid shuttle into the city. Don’t know about HAL.  Princess will have a destination expert presenting port lectures.

 

Have you been to Japan before?  I was there years ago and recently on the Diamond.  I wasn’t interested in touring castles and shrines.  You will have to weigh more ports/more excursions, verses stateroom choice.  
 

I’ve been told that the fall foliage in Japan can be spectacular.  I hit Cherry Blossom time perfectly.

Start looking for local guides.  Japan has something called Goodwill guides for (sort of) free.  Plan on spending a few days in Yokohama.  Lovely city. Eat as much of the local foods as you can. 

 

[woodinville cruisers]

3 hours ago, cobalt206 said:

We are trying to make a decision for a cruise in 2025 to Japan. We have sailed HAL a fair amount and are happy with the overall experience. We are booked next month to visit Norway on the Rotterdam in an aft Neptune suite which we’ve experienced before on other HAL ships and loved the suite and location. We’ve only sailed with Princess once many years ago and had a great trip.

 

I found a decent deal on Princess Diamond for their Grand Suite B750 for a 10 day itinerary from Yokohama with ports Toba, Kobe, Kochi, Beppu, Busan, Nagasaki and Shimizu. The suite looks incredible and probably compares close to a Pinnacle Suite on HAL.

 

For about the same price, I can book a 15 day voyage on HAL’s Westerdam in a Neptune Suite. Ports include Omaezaki, Kobe, Kochi, Fukuoka, Sokcho, Kanazawa, Sakata, Otaru, Aomori, Hakodate and Miyako. So this would provide 4 more ports compared to the Princess itinerary.

 

We are trying to determine which experience would be best for us. Better cabin on Princess vs a longer cruise on HAL. I’m sure we’d love both and being our first time to Japan, we want to make the most of this trip. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

I see that you are from Kirkland.  Both lines offer a 28 day cruise from Seattle on September 28, 2025.  The Princess cruise is on Discovery and terminates in Singapore so there are other ports besides Japan.  Holland America has the Westerdam ending in Yokohama and is more Japan intensive.  We prefer trans pacific cruises so there is only one long flight.  We were on the Westerdam for the 2023 cruise and loved it.  We took many private tours.  We have the Discovery booked for 2025 just to do something different and we haven't visited Singapore in years.

[woodinville cruisers]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

My sister is a HAL Mariner.  I am still trying to get a grasp on a Neptune Suite.  From all accounts (my understanding), is that a Neptune Suite is not really a suite, but more likened to a Princess mini suite.  You will get more perks in a Princess Grand Suite.  The Diamond won’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but a smaller ship feel.
 

HAL ports right next to the Yokohama Intercontinental Grand Hotel.  Princess offers a free shuttle from Yamashita Park or a taxi ride. 
 

Princess will offer a paid shuttle into the city. Don’t know about HAL.  Princess will have a destination expert presenting port lectures.

 

Have you been to Japan before?  I was there years ago and recently on the Diamond.  I wasn’t interested in touring castles and shrines.  You will have to weigh more ports/more excursions, verses stateroom choice.  
 

I’ve been told that the fall foliage in Japan can be spectacular.  I hit Cherry Blossom time perfectly.

Start looking for local guides.  Japan has something called Goodwill guides for (sort of) free.  Plan on spending a few days in Yokohama.  Lovely city. Eat as much of the local foods as you can. 

 

I believe you are thinking of the Signature Suite.  It a larger room with no suite benefits.  The Neptune suites are full suites with all the benefits.

[cobalt206]

Cr8tiv1, The Neptune Suites are very nice and large, I think you might be comparing the Signature Suites on HAL vs Mini Suites on Princess. We have the aft balcony booked next month and it is huge and wraps about 25’ along the starboard side plus another 20’ or so aft. They also include many benefits. The Grand Suite on the Diamond looks similar to the Pinnancle or Penthouse Suites on HAL, I’ve only toured. It would be fun to stay in the Grand Suite but I’m not sure it’s worth the premium considering the five extra days on HAL for the same cost.

 

Thanks for the advice on the tour guides. This will be our first time to Japan so we want to prepare accordingly.

 

Woodinville, Yes we spent most our adult lives in Kirkland but now reside on Whidbey Island. We looked at the cruise from Seattle but prefer not having so many sea days. I don’t mind a direct flight to the orient, it’s only 11 hours. Glad you liked the Westerdam. We are on the Rotterdam next month and I’m a little nervous about the size 2700 pax which is also the size of the Diamond Princess. We prefer 2000 or under when possible. 

[Ken the cruiser]

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We were on the Diamond on a 17-day B2B around Japan in July 2023 and had a great time in a Reserve Collection mini suite which allowed us to eat in the Reserve Dining Room where you will be dining. If you look in my below expanded signature area you’ll see my Live From thread which pretty much covers what we experienced. If you have any specific questions after reviewing it, please let me know. 

Just to get you past the Live From pre-cruise "boring" warm-up stuff, go to Page 4 starting at post #83 in my below thread where we arrived a day early and stayed at a pre-cruise hotel reserved through Princess. The thing about the Diamond Princess, which was built in Japan, is that is has been tweaked to give a more Japanese culture-based experience, to include dual Japanese and English-speaking CDs, Japanese menu selections, a Japanese Bath and Japanese "electronic" toilets in most cabins! Here are some pictures of the 2 Men's Japanese baths. The women have 4.

 

 

and shower area.

 

 

As well as a pretty cool covered hot tub area on the back of the ship.

 

 

BTW if it was us and we were going to book a suite on a Grand class ship, we would book an aft-facing Vista Suite on the Dolphin deck which has a huge fully covered balcony.

Edited April 15 by Ken the cruiser

[cr8tiv1]

I am easily confused with a poor memory if not based on experience.  My sister has been trying to get me on HAL in a FULL suite.  I guess I will owe it to her since she is going with me in a FULL Princess suite.  

 

When I am with her...I will have her script out to me the differences.  I really wish Princess and Holland American would not use suite in their descriptions if not really a suite.  That goes the same for other cruise lines that use the term "Jr. Suite".

 

Thank you for trying to educate me on HAL.