Celebrity Best of Japan Cruise in August

[tbop]

I'm looking at a Celebrity Best of Japan cruise for August or September cruise. The one I like goes to Jeju. I'm torn between seeing Japan via cruise as I hear mixed reviews that it does not allow you to get immersed in the culture as much and that the stops in port are short and touristy. I love cruising and when you are seeing only one country on a cruise how can you not be immersed spending 10-12 days but at different stops. So I'm not sure what non cruisers mean by not getting immersed by cruising. Plus you see more than you would via training around.

 

Also how bad is it in August? I have been to Mexico in August and that's bad!

 

Thank you for your feedback from cruisers and non cruisers!!

[soccermommy]

I was on the Best of Southern Japan last October, and it was warmer than I expected…it was definitely warmer than New England where I live and which I had been told was similar. Southern Japan, Jeju and Okinawa were definitely hot…I would guess you might expect most of Japan to be warm in August, but the weather can be variable!  
It’s true, you don’t get the same exposure to Japan that you would on a land trip, but we spent several days in Tokyo before the cruise and hired local guides to get the most of our time. This is such a port intensive, busy cruise that you will get a good introduction, but I think it would take years to fully appreciate the people and culture. But, on the other hand, the Millennium was fabulous,  and you will need a sea day to two to rest up. The shore excursions you schedule can help you get more immersed in Japanese culture, and there seem to be better choice since we were there, which was not all that long after the country fully reopened to tourists.

I would do this again in a heartbeat, and am trying to figure out how to survive the flights if we are lucky enough to go. There are others way more experienced visiting Japan, with better information and I hope they respond.   Whatever you decide, do not miss the opportunity to see Japan. 

[Donald]

Your cruise only goes to Jeju due to requirements of Japanese Cabotage laws - similar to those in America.

if you do not speak Japanese or have a translator, it can be difficult to immerse yourself in Japanese Culture, no matter how long you visit.

August in Japan can be brutal. Typically much warmer than Mexico, and with extremely high humidity.

[tbop]

Thank you for the advice. What you both say makes allot of sense. I was looking at a great deal for August and timing is good but sounds like the vacation can get ruined with the heat. So I guess October is the way to go and more expensive....

[Yehootu]

On 6/12/2024 at 4:09 PM, Donald said:

if you do not speak Japanese or have a translator, it can be difficult to immerse yourself in Japanese Culture, no matter how long you visit.

Google translate or a similar language translator is a big help. Not as good as speaking the language but a lot better than pointing and hand gestures.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Yehootu said:

Google translate or a similar language translator is a big help. Not as good as speaking the language but a lot better than pointing and hand gestures.

It actually is invaluable, is Asia, because of its camera feature.  Many may not realize that you can use Google Translate, with your phone's camera, to point at signs (even in Kanji) and it will translate.  DW and I have no problem traveling around Japan (there are plenty of English signs and many Japanese speak/understand English) but there are times when one really needs help with Kanji such as with restaurant menus.  In fact, we have used it to do things like read the instructions on a vending machine (Japan has all kinds of vending maAnd thatchines).

 

As to Japanese culture, it is fascinating any mostly a positive experience.  When I was a young adult, I lived in northern Japan for 2 years and really enjoyed the country, its wonderful people, cusine, etc.  Now returning as a Senior, while much has changed, the culture remains mostly unchanged.   Folks who plan on cruising in Japan would be well advised to find extra days or weeks to spend, on land, exploring some of the country.  Cruising around Japan is fine (we are going back for our 2nd cruise in 3 years) but the time we spend on land is very special.  After recently spending a week in Kyoto, I cannot imagine only spending a port day in that wonderful city.  Japan also has a fantastic transportation system which is very helpful for the independent land traveler.

 

Hank

[Yehootu]

18 hours ago, Hlitner said:

when one really needs help with Kanji such as with restaurant menus. 

In my airline years I spent many layovers in Japan and wish I had the translator then. I know I ate a few things I might not have had I known what I was truly eating. 😀

[monkey@cruise]

1 hour ago, Yehootu said:

In my airline years I spent many layovers in Japan and wish I had the translator then. I know I ate a few things I might not have had I known what I was truly eating. 😀

Lots of restaurants are now offering iPad or vending machine ordering system in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. 
Convenience stores, supermarket, department stores, public transport,... Point of Systems are multilingual support.

The Japanese alphabet is three writing systems that work together: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. The most commonly used is the Hiragana, which has the simplest character formation and easy to learn.

[hubofhockey]

On 6/12/2024 at 10:02 AM, tbop said:

I'm looking at a Celebrity Best of Japan cruise for August or September cruise. The one I like goes to Jeju. I'm torn between seeing Japan via cruise as I hear mixed reviews that it does not allow you to get immersed in the culture as much and that the stops in port are short and touristy. I love cruising and when you are seeing only one country on a cruise how can you not be immersed spending 10-12 days but at different stops. So I'm not sure what non cruisers mean by not getting immersed by cruising. Plus you see more than you would via training around.

 

Also how bad is it in August? I have been to Mexico in August and that's bad!

 

Thank you for your feedback from cruisers and non cruisers!!

 

Why JeJu over the itineraries with Busan?  I loved Busan.  

[Donald]

2 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

 

Why JeJu over the itineraries with Busan?  I loved Busan.  

Busan is a nice city - basically a Tokyo wannabe that will never quite make it.

Jeju island is the Hawaii of Korea. A tropical resort.

[thehowlingroad]

My recommendation is to extend your trip as much as you can, pre- or post-cruise. I was so incredibly grateful for the 4 days we spent in Tokyo and 1 day in Yokohama pre-cruise this past March, because it allowed us to get used to some of the cultural differences, beat the jet lag, learn how to navigate public transit, get our Pasmo cards, etc, so that when we boarded the cruise, we had such an easy and fun time in the other ports. It felt like the true start of the vacation! A cruise will never be the immersive experience some people want, but cruises in general aren't going to be for those people who want the backpacking type of experience but without the work of roughing it themselves...