tashaaa Posted May 14 #1 Share Posted May 14 Hi, My husband and I are looking into a Spectrum of the seas cruise round trip from Shanghai to Japan (Kobe, Osaka, Yokohama). Did anyone done this cruise? or what are the experiances with the Asia market? We have never been to a ship this big, and are a little worried that it's to crowded. Who is normally on this kind of cruise? The cruise is in March 2025. If someone has experiances, please share 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonsai3s Posted May 14 #2 Share Posted May 14 Ok, I'll give this one a shot. We have sailed on the Spectrum of the Seas to Japan...but out of Singapore. We have sailed from Shanghai...but not Spectrum. That said... Spectrum did not feel crowded during the cruise. (Even having over 5,000 passengers) We only felt the crowds on embarkation, disembarkation, and when they had sales on Deck 4 Esplanade. Most of the passengers will probably be Chinese...with a few Brits, Aussies, and Americans. English will be the first language...but Mandarin or Cantonese will be spoken. Pools and bars are typically empty...but the casino will be crowded. Shanghai is one of the worlds best kept secret...the modern Bund District, the magnificent Yuyuan Garden, and the local flea markets where you can find $2 YSL leather wallets. (Faux) Kobe...you've got to try the buttery Kobe Beef. Osaka...visit Osaka Castle. Yokohama...we watched a baseball game. (Most just walk around town) The Spectrum of the Seas is wonderfully unique catering to the Asian market. Specialty restaurants include Sichuan Red, The Hot Pot, and an incredibly delicious (complimentary) noodle bar. Happy sailing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tashaaa Posted May 14 Author #3 Share Posted May 14 Thank you so much for the post, it's really helpful. We would go to Peking and Shanghai pre cruise, there is a package holiday available. Did you have the drink package and know how much it was? I would think that on this Asia sailing the price should be lower than the Caribbean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted May 14 #4 Share Posted May 14 1 hour ago, tashaaa said: Did you have the drink package and know how much it was? I would think that on this Asia sailing the price should be lower than the Caribbean? The drink package pricing is dynamic - you can find the price on any ship via the hack in this thread: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiPi_ Posted July 5 #5 Share Posted July 5 I'm going on the Spectrum of the Seas in February 2025 too! So excited. February to March is when schools in China are back in session, so there probably won't be many kids on board. I think there will be people of all ages on the ship, and about 90% will be Chinese. Generally, Chinese people are friendly, but they do tend to speak a bit loudly. My Chinese friends have told me that it's normal, and there's nothing to worry about. They're just talking that way, not arguing, but it might be something we're not used to as foreigners. Typically, we Asians don't like sunbathing much, so the sun deck should not be crowded. However, the weather in Japan in March can be quite unpredictable. This year, it was both as hot as 28°C (82°F) during the day and as cold as 8-9°C (46-48°F) at night. Be sure to bring a jacket or cardigan just in case. From what I've seen in videos on Chinese social media, the Windjammer on boarding day can be especially crowded, with lines and ropes to manage the crowd in the buffet. I think Royal Caribbean does a great job handling passenger density, though. Personally, I'll probably eat at Two70 first and then head to the Windjammer after 2 PM when it should be quieter. ===== Since I live near Osaka and Kobe and just visited Yokohama last month, here’s some info on the ports: Osaka and Kobe are two major cities that are very close to each other. From the Kobe Port Terminal, it's just a 10-15 minute metro train ride to the city center (Sannomiya station). Check the link for the location on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/vS9KEvzWcV8P2JEd6 From downtown Kobe Sannomiya to Osaka (Osaka or Umeda station) it's 30 minutes. From Osaka station to the city center (Shinsaibashi or Namba station) it's 7 minutes by subway. From Osaka station to the Osaka Tempozan Cruise Terminal (Osakako Station) it's only 20 minutes. https://maps.app.goo.gl/VrtWZ3oUGfKpbKM3A Japanese trains are very punctual and easy to use, with English signage at every station. You can easily explore on your own without relying on shore excursions. I recommend visiting Osaka Castle, taking a river cruise in Dotombori, or checking out the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living. These are my top three favorite things to do in Osaka. As for the Yokohama Osanbashi Pier, it's located right in the heart of Yokohama, near Chinatown and Yamashita Park. https://maps.app.goo.gl/PNsW19d1M9vRe7BG6 From the pier, it's about an 8-10 minute walk to Nihon-Odori Station on the Minato Mirai Line. This subway line goes straight into central Tokyo without any transfers in under an hour (40 minutes to Shibuya, 42 minutes to Meiji-Jingu (Harajuku), 52 minutes to Higashi-Shinjuku, and 59 minutes to Ikebukuro). If you have a lot of luggage and don't want to walk, you can take a taxi or Uber to JR Yokohama Station and catch the Ueno-Tokyo Line train into central Tokyo from there. Hope you have a wonderful trip! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARandomTraveler Posted July 5 #6 Share Posted July 5 I was on the spectrum cruise from Singapore to Japan with @bonsai3s and agree with what he said regarding the passengers, food, crowds etc. Always a lounger by the pool if you wanted one (I guess Asians don't like to tan). Drink packages were really cheap ($43/day for the alcohol and $19/day or maybe it was $23/day for the non-alcohol). No freestyle machine and the soda selection at bars is not the same as it is on the Caribbean sailings. Spectrum does have some interesting tea drinks that you won't find on other ships though. Great cruise, highly recommend. Be prepared to be hot and sweaty (more than on a Caribbean cruise, it's very humid in Asia). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted July 5 #7 Share Posted July 5 10 hours ago, PiPi_ said: I'm going on the Spectrum of the Seas in February 2025 too! Welcome to CC. There may be a Roll Call thread for your sailing which could use your info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiPi_ Posted July 5 #8 Share Posted July 5 1 hour ago, Biker19 said: Welcome to CC. There may be a Roll Call thread for your sailing which could use your info. Thank you very much! I’ve been reading CC for a while, but I haven’t seen much information about Spectrum of the Seas, so I thought I’d share some. I speak Japanese, which uses Kanji or Chinese characters, so I can somehow guess some Chinese words. It’s kind of like English speakers guessing Latin. Next March, I might start a thread reviewing Baoshan port in Shanghai and the ship 🙂 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Air&Sea Posted July 9 #9 Share Posted July 9 This question may be "in the weeds" and doesn't apply to this ship specifically. We are considering an Asia cruise in 2025 or 2026. What is Royal's deal with China? They have a lot of ships going out of China, hitting Japanese ports and then back to China. Is it cheap port fees? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted July 9 #10 Share Posted July 9 3 hours ago, Air&Sea said: What is Royal's deal with China? Not quite sure what you are asking here but RCI usually home ports its ships for max revenue generation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tashaaa Posted July 10 Author #11 Share Posted July 10 I was also wondering, why there are no China ruises, like ports Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xiamen, Peking... All go from China port to Japan, I haven't found one where there would be more China ports... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tin can Posted July 10 #12 Share Posted July 10 19 minutes ago, tashaaa said: I was also wondering, why there are no China ruises, like ports Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xiamen, Peking... All go from China port to Japan, I haven't found one where there would be more China ports... I've noticed that, seems to be Shanghai only departures for 2026. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiPi_ Posted July 10 #13 Share Posted July 10 16 hours ago, Air&Sea said: This question may be "in the weeds" and doesn't apply to this ship specifically. We are considering an Asia cruise in 2025 or 2026. What is Royal's deal with China? They have a lot of ships going out of China, hitting Japanese ports and then back to China. Is it cheap port fees? As far as I know, the port fees for itineraries departing from Shanghai is about $80 per person (including embarking and disembarking). Japanese port fees aren’t as expensive, averaging around $10-15 per person per port. Japan has policies that partially exempt cruise ships from certain taxes. 2 hours ago, tashaaa said: I was also wondering, why there are no China ruises, like ports Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xiamen, Peking... All go from China port to Japan, I haven't found one where there would be more China ports... Normally, Chinese citizens from the mainland need a tourist visa to visit Japan, but if they travel by cruise ship, they don’t need a visa. I think for the Chinese, cruising to Japan is very exciting and appealing, and Royal Caribbean knows this market well. That’s why they create itineraries from China to Japan and back to China. On the other hand, for mainland Chinese citizens to visit Hong Kong (which is a Special Administrative Region of China), they need a special permit that is similar to a visa! Most foreign nationals also need a Chinese visa to enter Shanghai or other cities but don’t need a visa to visit Hong Kong or Taiwan. This is likely the main reason why there are no itineraries within mainland China itself. Since the majority of the passengers are Chinese, it’s easier for them to travel to Japan than to Hong Kong! Additionally, the distances between each Chinese city are quite substantial. If you want to visit multiple cities in China, flying or taking high-speed trains is much more convenient. I initially planned to fly from Bangkok, Thailand, to visit Hong Kong and then go to Shanghai. But the domestic flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai takes as long as an international flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong! Some flights are even longer. China is much larger than I thought 😆 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted July 10 #14 Share Posted July 10 3 hours ago, tashaaa said: I was also wondering, why there are no China ruises, like ports Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xiamen, Peking... All go from China port to Japan, I haven't found one where there would be more China ports... Since the ships are not Chinese flag, they have to go to at least one non-China port, to satisfy the Chinese cabotage equivalent of the US PVSA. Same thing with Japan, all cruises have to call at one foreign port, typically South Korea. Don't know what demographics they are looking to cater to, but the Japanese ports may be more attractive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted July 10 #15 Share Posted July 10 Royal Caribbean Adjusts Itinerary Amid Operational Challenges (cruisehive.com) " Royal Caribbean International announced an update to the itinerary of Spectrum of the Seas‘ March 5, 2025, 4-night roundtrip cruise from Shanghai, China. Originally set to include a stop at Jeju Island (also referred to as Cheju Island) in South Korea en route to Nagasaki, Japan, the cruise will now modify its schedule due to unforeseen operational difficulties in Jeju. In a recent notice to the ships’ passengers, the cruise line detailed the operational challenges at Jeju’s Seogwipo Gangjeong Cruise Port, prompting a reevaluation of the planned stop. Royal Caribbean will now skip the call and spend an extra day at sea, turning the two-destination cruise into a one-destination getaway." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compman9 Posted July 11 #16 Share Posted July 11 I don't know if it's relevant but I don't think you can visit two different Chinese provinces on a 72 hour visa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted July 11 #17 Share Posted July 11 40 minutes ago, compman9 said: I don't know if it's relevant but I don't think you can visit two different Chinese provinces on a 72 hour visa Starting in May, the Chinese have granted a 15 day visa exemption for cruise ship passengers, allowing calls at various Chinese ports of call (15 specified ports), provided the passenger proceed with the vessel to the next port (i.e. no departing the ship in other than the port of origin). For flying into China to start/end the cruise there, you still need the 72 hour transit visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARandomTraveler Posted July 11 #18 Share Posted July 11 (edited) On 7/10/2024 at 12:43 AM, tashaaa said: I was also wondering, why there are no China ruises, like ports Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xiamen, Peking... All go from China port to Japan, I haven't found one where there would be more China ports... Last summer we went to Hong Kong and Taiwan (I know this isn't a Chinese port) on Spectrum (from Singapore to Japan). It was a great itinerary! Many of the Chinese passengers did an overnight trip to a Macau when we were in Hong Kong. US passengers have to get an additional visa of some sort to go there so we didn't check it out. It's a popular Chinese gambling island from what I hear. Others visited the Shenzhen zone. It might have been a temporary itinerary change that summer due to the fact that ships weren't able to sail from China for a while after the pandemic (or if they could sail from there, maybe they chose not to because of the hassle). Edited July 11 by ARandomTraveler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Big_M Posted July 11 #19 Share Posted July 11 On 7/10/2024 at 2:19 AM, Air&Sea said: This question may be "in the weeds" and doesn't apply to this ship specifically. We are considering an Asia cruise in 2025 or 2026. What is Royal's deal with China? They have a lot of ships going out of China, hitting Japanese ports and then back to China. Is it cheap port fees? It's a massive consumer market there, with rising incomes so RCL have seen it as an opportunity for many years. To the extent they make significant concessions to establish themselves there. As for why the ports are Japanese rather than Chinese, the bulk of passengers on these cruises are Chinese, often through 'charter' groups, and they prefer international to get duty free and prefer the reliable quality against their home products. South Korean ports used to be more popular (due to beauty products and being better value than Japan) but due to political disputes from China, SK was removed. There was also some snake oil being peddled onboard by RCL to exploit this ($1000 miracle cure all health treatments) when I sailed, not sure if that's still there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Air&Sea Posted July 11 #20 Share Posted July 11 4 hours ago, The_Big_M said: As for why the ports are Japanese rather than Chinese, the bulk of passengers on these cruises are Chinese, often through 'charter' groups, and they prefer international to get duty free and prefer the reliable quality against their home products. That makes tons of sense. Thanks for the response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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