Wansbrough's Cruise Blog

A very similar start to our morning as yesterday and another DIY tour where we chartered a taxi from a local firm for 5 hours to visit 3 locations that Princess had listed on their list of organised excursions. Their tour also included a museum and lunch stop and was $244.95 (£185) per person. We omitted the museum and lunch and paid ¥42,200 (£199 all in) plus we were free to stay a bit longer if needed and could move more freely than a coach load of people. The three places we visited were

Go-ju-No-Toh (Five-story Pagoda)

Sanjin Gosaiden Shrine

Zenpoji Temple

The journey from port to Go-ju-No-Toh took just under an hour and our driver dropped us off and gave us instructions where to meet him when we were finished.

To access the pagoda, you walk through a large gate through then a forest, up and down quite a lot of stone steps but it all adds to the experience.

Along the way, you pass a series of timber shrines dedicated to various gods.

We were a good 30 minutes ahead of the cruise excursion and met them on the way in as we were leaving. It’s an amazing setting and was so peaceful with just the half a dozen of us enjoying the scenery, shrines and pagoda.

To get to Sanjin Gosaiden Shrine, we were back in the taxi and the journey took 15 minutes around a large loop. It’s reachable by another 2,446 steps (25 minutes hike) from Go-ju-No-Toh if you feel energetic enough. Not as spectacular as the pagoda but still a interesting place to visit and once again, the ships tours were arriving just as we were leaving.

From there, we took a 40 minutes drive to our third venue which was practically deserted give or take about half a dozen other visitors. Another 5 story pagoda which is a similar design to Go-ju-No-Toh and is nestled among several other ornate timber shrines and gates.

We pretty much had the place to ourselves and enjoyed the privilege. Fine tuning the schedule to three worked really well and we were really pleased our planning paid off with both experience and cost.

We arrived back to the ship at 1:00 in time for a welcome spot of lunch. We both considered the morning to be our best trip so far. The afternoon was about lounging around and kicking back which on this cruise is becoming very apparent that it needs to be done when you get time to do. It also gave me time to go through the photos and pick the ones to share which wasn’t easy today.

Fitbit Steps 11,113

We arrived on schedule at 7:00 this morning and had made plans for a DIY tour day, so after breakfast we made our way off the ship to meet our pre booked taxi that took us to Hirosaki Castle. The driving distance from Aomori to Hirosaki Castle is approximately 25 miles and the journey took longer than expected due to the time of day and all the commuter traffic.

The bonus though was we arrived before all the ships tours so had the place virtually to ourselves for 40 minutes. Hirosaki Castle is within Hirosaki Park and is noted for its autumn foliage. It didn’t disappoint as the colours were absolutely amazing.

The castle itself is undergoing restoration at the moment after the base was weakened following an earthquake so they literally pulled it off it’s platform so they could repair and reinforce the base. They are very close to putting it back in it’s rightful place and if all goes to plan, it should happen before the end of the year.

We had a memorable 2 ½ hours wandering around and enjoying the settings, in particular the colours of the leaves. To get back to Aomori, we chose the train as an alternative method of transport. The station was a 30 minute walk and a journey time of 40 minutes and provided an alternative perspective of the area. We were once again able to use our IC card to pay for our fare which was ¥680 (£3.20).

Timewise, they were very similar but the price comparison couldn’t have been more different.

Once we were back in Aomori, it was a short walk from the station to the Nebuta Museum which is a purpose made venue showcasing the floats from the world-famous Aomori Nebuta Festival.

Not a very big place but very interesting and visual.

A 20 minute walk from there and we were back on board and tucking into a late lunch.

More photos than text today as the images will say more than I ever can.

Fitbit Steps 16,489

Considering it was the first morning of the cruise and a sea day, the Horizon Court Buffet was really busy even before 7:00, but on the plus side, Nicole managed a decent breakfast so our objective was achieved.

After eating, we walked 5 laps of the promenade deck (2 miles) and grabbed a quick coffee before returning to the cabin. The rest of the morning we enjoyed beautiful clear skies and were able to sit out on our balcony which is not something we thought we would be able to do especially heading north to the cooler areas.

Today has really been about taking some time out after the busy few days we have just enjoyed and it’s been great to just switch off and do nothing.

Lunch in the MDR followed by more kick back time in the afternoon.

Not a lot to report today so a very short post.

Fitbit Steps 13,486

I was awake at 4:30 this morning but never managed to get back off again which wasn’t too bad because I was able to watch Diamond Princess come into port with a really dramatic orange skyline behind.

For the second morning on the trot, we had a McDonald’s breakfast, it’s cheap, cheerful, certainly a lot cheaper and close to the hotel too.

To kill a few hours, we decided to walk to the pier and take a look at the ship. As the weather was clear skies and sunny, it was a nice thing to do and the time seemed to go really quickly.

We were back at the hotel for 10:30 and finished our last bits of packaging then made our way to reception to check out. By 11:10 we were in a taxi heading to the terminal which was just a 10 minute journey and we arrived at the terminal 10 minutes before our allocated arrival time of 11:30 but were shown straight through and were onboard by 11:40. I heard someone moaning on the way through that it was totally disorganised so I wonder what he did wrong that he felt he needed to blame someone else. I would say our embarkation was faultless and one of the quickest we have done.

Once onboard, we activated the MedalianNet on our phones, watched the muster video while enjoying a drink up on deck. To complete the muster, all we then had to do was check in at our station which was the Explorers Lounge on deck 7.

After a brief explore, there are loads of differences between this and Crown Princess, the shell of the ship is basically the same but most of the venues with the exception of the larger bars and lounges are in different places.

By the time we had finished lunch, we went back to the cabin and found our cases waiting for us.

Nicole made short work of unpacking and we all ready to go up on the upper deck for sailaway.

The crew must have worked their socks off today, the ship arrived at 6:30 and departed at 3:00. I’m guessing this probably due to tides and getting under the Yokohama Bay Bridge.

One thing of note, our cabin WC is a Japanese Western-Style (Yoshiki). We had one at the hotel but never expected to find one in our cabin.

I haven’t been brave enough to try one out yet but I suspect over the next week or so it might happen. As I mentioned previously, our sailaway took us under the Yokohama Bay Bridge and provided some spectacular photo opportunities.

We are not normally on deck sailaway people but we can make an exception if there is a bridge involved.

I’ll keep it brief today as there is always a lot to take in on embarkation day and time is in short supply.  Tomorrow is a sea so if there’s anything major to report, I can do it then.

Things are starting to shift, I woke up just before 4:00 but then managed to get back to sleep and didn’t come to again until 7:15. Hallelujah!!

It was our last day before we board the ship so we decided to go back into Tokyo and see some more of it. Now we have re-familiarized ourselves with the railway system, it was a lot simpler than yesterday. We caught the 10:00 train from our station and were able to stay on it to Shibuya Station where we transferred to the Yamanote Line which is Tokyo’s circle line. We got off at Ueno Station so we could take a walk around Ueno Park.

Probably not the best time of year to visit but we still enjoyed it. Part of the park houses a large pond that is filled with dead/decaying lotus plants.

I would imagine it would look stunning when they were in their prime but even so, it still had an attraction albeit an eerie one.

The park is also home for Tokyo Zoo and Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art, none of which we really had time for today.

Before our next train journey, we had a spot of lunch at a vegan noodle restaurant at the station.

We then did a quick detour to visit a small shrine close to the station before returning to get another train to Asakusa station to get a view of the Tokyo Skytree.

We had discussed going up but given the recent seismic activity, I think Nicole would never have forgiven me had we gone up and an earthquake happened. So, in the end we settled for a nice view of it while walking along the river.

As it happens, at 2:20pm just north of Tokyo, there was an 5.7 earthquake out at sea but we never felt anything

One of the other reasons for visiting this location was to go to the Sensō-ji temple which is Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple.

It’s a very busy tourist venue and there were loads of money making schemes being practiced on the gullible.

We had a good walk around then decided to make our way back to the hotel and were lucky to get a direct train right through to Yokohama Station. It was absolutely rammed but we boarded just at the right time and place and were able to sit down for the whole hour of the journey.

While on the train we witnessed the most amazing fiery looking sky out of the window and I managed to get a sneaky photo without getting noticed.

After that, it was a quick change to get us back to Minatomirai Station and the hotel. After a quick nibble of a few items we picked up from the mini mart we took one final walk around the local area.

Tomorrow we board Diamond Princess and start the cruise element of this holiday.

Fitbit Steps 21,989

No change in my sleep pattern, still awake at 3:00 this morning but found it easier to just lie there today. After having breakfast at the hotel yesterday, we didn’t really consider it good value for money so had a look to see if there was any vegan establishments near and we found something that might be a good and at a fraction of the price of the hotel. It was a 15 minutes walk in light rain but nice to get out in the fresh air. Nicole thoroughly enjoyed her breakfast while for me, a couple of rashers of bacon and an egg would have been more than welcome. After walking back to the hotel and then prepping ourselves for the day out we set off for Tokyo. Our mode of transport today was the train and we have a station right next to the hotel which is accessed via a walkway at the rear of the hotel that leads into a large shopping centre. Underneath this shopping centre is a local railway that goes to Yokohama Station which is a network hub for lots of different lines. We boarded a train for Tokyo on the JY line which is classed as a commuter train that doesn’t stop at every station so the journey only took 40 minutes. Payment for tickets is by the use of something known as an IC card that you just tap in and out of every journey, a bit like an Oyster card. We loaded each one up with ¥3000 (about £14) this morning and after at least 10 rides, we’ve barely spent a half of it. The public transport system here is incredible and so well organised and run. When we arrived at Tokyo it was pouring with rain with the forecast predicting it would stop after midday so to kill a bit of time we explored Tokyo station which is absolutely massive.

The front part is the existing old building and almost everything behind has been added over the years. Once it was dry enough to venture out we walked to the nearby Tokyo Imperial Palace but were only able to view it from the outside.

A bit disappointing but it was a nice walk and what we could see, looked interesting even if we couldn’t go in. Back on the train and this time a place you have probably heard of that is commonly known as Shibuya Scramble Crossing which is a serious of zebra crossings that all come into action at the same time, its famous primarily because it is known as the world’s busiest pedestrian intersection, with up to 1,000 to 3,000 people crossing at the same time during a single green light cycle.

We managed to find a reasonable free viewing area but I have to say, the crossing was no where near as big as I was expecting so I came away disappointed. There were businesses selling prime viewing space and I am extremely pleased I never gave them any of my cash. From there it was back on the train to take us two stations down the line to another crossing which is famous for it’s 3D cat billboard. It’s located on the rooftop of the Cross Shinjuku Building opposite the station so we didn’t have far to go once there. When it was being the cat it was quite clever but for the most part it was loads of adverts on a loop.

There were plenty of people watching it but I was again a bit disappointed. To cheer ourselves up, we went for a late lunch/early tea at a vegan bistro we used last time we were in Tokyo and this more than lived up to expectations. Two train journeys back to Yokohama Station where there is a massive shopping mall linked to the station. Here we managed a bit of Christmas shopping for the grandsons in the form of a couple of Pokémon items from the official store. One last train trip of 2 stations and we were back on home territory and to the hotel where we could take the opportunity to shower and put our feet up for the rest of the evening.

Fitbit Steps 21,472.

I was awake at 3:00 this morning and try as I might, could not get back off to sleep. The only positive thing was according to my Fitbit, is that I managed to get 5¼ hours of sleep which I suppose is a good place to start.

What I did read about this morning was an earthquake that happened around Osaka in the early hours of the morning, that’s a couple I’ve read about this week so I hope planet earth behaves itself while we are here in Japan.

Today was all about exploring which we did on foot so after breakfast which we had at the hotel, we set off to see what we could find. The hotel isn’t far from the promenade so we headed for that then followed it along until we got to Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse

There was a Green Festival going on, it was starting to get busy so we moved on. We then stumbled on Naka Ward Residents’ Festival

This again was starting to get busy so we made our way to Yokohama’s China Town which is the largest of its kind in Japan.

This was another area that was also starting to get very busy so we wandered around for a while taking in the area and atmosphere, then decided to stay there for lunch after finding one of the restaurants that had vegan options.

On our return route, the two festivals were in full swing and heaving with people so we beat a hasty retreat to the area around our hotel. Today was a Sunday and I had anticipated it was going to be quiet but how wrong was I?

I am still feeling very jet-lagged but am trying to fight it, Nicole on the other hand seems to have just flicked a switch to Japan mode.

Just a few photos today as I really don’t have the energy to do much more and I want another early night as we plan to go into Tokyo tomorrow and I don’t want to feel like I do today.

Fitbit Steps 22,625

Booking with different airlines in and out of the same airport can sometimes introduce a few hurdles. For example, our outbound flight departed from Heathrow Terminal 4, but we will return to Terminal 3, which is on the opposite side of the airport so where best to park the car? We decided that our solution would be to simplify the return journey so did the fiddly bit on the way out. We parked at the newly renamed Terminals 2 & 3 Park & Ride (formerly T2 & T3 Long Stay). From there we caught the shuttle bus over to T2 and then walked to the Terminals 2 & 3 tube station where we took the free Elizabeth line train straight to Terminal 4. We then checked into the Holiday Inn Express for the night, which, along with a couple of other hotels, connects directly to T4 via pedestrian walkways, making it simple for us to reach the check-in desks the next morning. We had a nice clean, comfortable but basic room with breakfast included which ticked all the boxes. Considering it has a captive audience, the bar and restaurant prices were not unreasonable either.

The following morning we were airside by 8:00 where we then boarded the first of two flights with Vietnam Airlines. The initial one from Heathrow to Hanoi departed 10 minutes after the allotted time of 11:00am. As with all long haul flights these days, we like to fly at least Premium Economy and Vietnam Airlines was selected because of the great price we got and although they are lacking in some of the other premium economy perks, their seats have been the most comfortable we have tried by a country mile in this class.

The first leg of the journey took just over 11 hours which gave us a few hours at the end to try and grab a nap with the aim of adjusting to the new time zone of Hanoi which was 7 hours ahead of the UK. Best laid plans and all that, despite the comfortable seats, I probably managed about 90 minutes at the most.

We arrived at Hanoi at the local time of 5:15am and had a connection time of 3 ½ hours before we boarded our second flight to Haneda in Tokyo. Nothing was open when we arrived and along with the airport air-conditioning doing its best to do nothing routine with a 23°C temperature outside, it was really sticky. The flight from Hanoi to Haneda was thankfully a lot shorter than the first. The ticket listed it as 4 hours and 20 minutes which was more or less what it took and we landed safely at Haneda around 3:15 pm local time. The terminal and immigration was a bit of a task with two different systems in operation, one being a QR code that could be done before hand and the other a good old fashioned paper method. Snake queues galore with an awful lot of bewildered passengers who all wanted to occupy the same space but we eventually got there.

Once free of the terminals grasp, we booked an Uber to get us to the hotel and were there in 35 minutes.

Our hotel for the next 4 nights is called the Yokohama Bay Hotel and our room looks out over the bay.

In order to help get our body clock to fall into sync, we took a walk around the area before fatigue got the best of us.

Happy to have finally got here but feeling totally knackered from the travelling. We now have 3 full days to relax a bit and explore some.

We booked this cruise shortly after my brother passed away, and in doing so, we are honouring a journey he had always wished to share with us. Years ago, we had plans to sail around Japan with Celebrity Cruises; we made the booking, which was then cancelled three times during the pandemic. This caused us to lose our enthusiasm and then abandon the itinerary altogether. Then in 2024, just before his diagnosis, my brother asked, “If you ever go back to Japan on a cruise, can I come with you?” Though he never got that chance, we are taking this journey now as a tribute to his wish.

There are a few repeat ports from our Costa Serena cruise in 2025, but also many new ones.