A wonderfully relaxing way to see a lot of Japan and some of South Korea. Beginning in Tokyo and ending in Seoul allowed for planning some pre and post cruise days to enjoy these cities.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We had an early time slot so was uncrowded, well organized and flowed well.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
While the food quality was very good, and the smaller portions allowed enjoying various courses, the selection was quite limited in Windows (a main dining room) and Local (a 24 hour venue). The Italian specialty restaurant (Onda) was particularly disappointing in its offerings). Gagneys (the specialty steak house) was a better experience.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I didn't participate in any of the onboard activities, so cannot rate them.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The major productions were very entertaining. The other shows were somewhat entertaining.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All ship personnel were very friendly and attentive. I felt well served in a very personal way (not perfunctory).
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
This is a well designed and maintained ship. I knew it to be a smaller ship in today's cruising world, but having been cruising since the '70s when ships were in the mid 20,000 range, this was a nice size ship, well arranged and well kept.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was as expected except for the :couch." It really wasn't a couch but a large one-person seat that could be an extra bed and so would slip out easily. As a result, it was used seldomly limiting the seating in the cabin.
Our cabin steward was very proactive in providing us with a clean facility and any added needs.
Ship tip
Be prepared for a more classic cruise experience (minus the set dining times).
The port city didn't offer much to see. However, Mt. Fuji, probably the main reason for this port call, was clearly visible during sail in and while in port. It had no snow cap (a part of the longest period of time without one) so was somewhat unimpressive.
I found Nagoya to be an interesting city. With tourist information in the terminal and free shuttle service from the ship to nearby subway station (albeit, elevated) made independent touring easy.
I rank this city second best of the Japan ports. It offered an overnight stay allowing visiting Kyoto along with Osaka. Kyoto was disappointing, but Osaka was very interesting and a beautiful city.
We arranged for a private tour so as not to miss important aspects of this historic port call. It was a very interesting port but comes in second to Nagazaki.
This would be my top most rated port call. With the help of tourist information in the terminal and a tram stop real close by, touring the historical area of the bombing was very easy to do. Because the hypocenter of the bomb is a park, in addition to the Peace Park and the Atomic Museum (the latter two items having something similar in Hiroshima), I found this a more engaging experience.
We disembarked here and had prearranged a several day stay to enjoy both this city and some other parts of South Korea. I liked Seoul and found it easy to get around on the subway system after visiting a very helpful Tourist Office.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
