This blog is focused not only on my cruise from Tokyo, Japan to Seward, Alaska but also how we are going Around the World, East from Mexico and arrive again from the West! So it’s a combination of flights and cruising to achieve our Around The World voyage.
We depart again from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Mexico City and on to Cancun, Mexico with Aeromexico Airlines. A quick overnight in Cancun and we are off the next morning to Istanbul, Turkey on Turkish Airlines where we will enjoy some sightseeing during the 21 hour layover. We are flying Turkish Airlines for the first time and in Business with their on board Chefs, so check out my other blog flying Business Class with Turkish Airlines for those details.
We leave the same evening as our arrival date to head further East to Tokyo, Japan where we are scheduled to catch the NCL Jewel cruise ship in a few days. Arriving on the next evening after time changes, we Taxi directly to our wonderful superior Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba Hotel located about 1/2 mile away from the cruise ship pier. With 2 nights on the Executive Level floor we not only enjoy spectacular views, we get 2 breakfasts, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as well in the Executive Private Lounge area. We rest for a while and then head out the next morning to explore a little bit of Tokyo, but unfortunately it was rainy and cold all day. We managed to get onto the subway system and get around to some places including the central Tokyo station and Ueno Park where we saw a nice collection of cherry blossoms. After much searching trying to find some Japanese Sushi in a place where you can sit down, we found on that had sashimi and it was a huge plate for a very reasonable price. The next morning with some better weather, we went down to the street level near the hotel to see the Tokyo version of the Odaiba Statue of Liberty.
We saw the ship from our breakfast area as the NCL Jewell made it’s way into the port and joined up about midday. Japanese organization style certainly made the entry and boarding a simple easy process! Settled into our cabin after lunch and we departed about 6pm that evening for our first port of call to the north on our Around the World voyage.
The next morning saw our arrival in Sendai where we had booked the NCL Tour “Highlights of Sendai”. This was a bus and walking tour that focused on the life and places of the feudal lord Date Masamune by traveling to his mausoleum and Adobe Castle. Known as the one eyed dragon because he lost an eye as a child due to smallpox, he was a fierce and commanding leader who founded the city of Sendai.
We move northward on the Around the World, the next day to Hakodate our port of call where we had a NCL Tour “Hakodate History & Culture”. Hakodate is famous for one of the first ports of call opened to the west when Commodore Mathew Perry came into the town and introduced western customs. Lots of architecture reflects that influence including the Russians who arrived as well. Our bus walking tour involved visiting several churches from various religions; Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Angelican, and Shinto. It was interesting to see the fronts of houses were very Japanese, but then the 2nd floor or backs were Western styles. Then we traveled to the impressive 350 feet high Goryokaku Tower for an overlook of the city. Unfortunately, this area known for cherry blossoms was still 2 weeks away from their peak, so it was not as spectacular as it usually is. Nearby was the reproduced British Magistrate’s Office.
Then we sail to our 3rd port of call, Aomori where another NCL Shore excursion “Big Buddha Temple & Nebuta Museum” would impress us. Near the pier is the Nebuta Museum which is the home to massive paper floats WA-RASSE used during the August Nebuta Festival. The history suggests that this festival wards off the sleep demons and attracts over 2 million people during those 5 days! We travel by bus to the Big Buddha Temple where we are entertained by a small group playing interesting Japanese instruments with a classical Brahms song. Nearby is the Big Buddha that is the largest in Japan at 21 meters in height as well as a tall 5 story Pagoda.
Our final Japanese port of call is Kushiro where we are on the NCL Tour “Lake Mashu and Geothermal Hokkaido” tour. Another bus walking tour takes us the fabulous clear blue Lake Mashu which was formed by a volcanic crater is known for being one of the clearest in the world. We drive onward to the geothermal region by the city of Hokkaido where we stop at a hot spring foot bath with temperatures exceeding 40C. There is also nearby a hillside where you can see the vents and sulphur spurting out of the ground. The long drive back to the pier in Kushiro involves a rest stop with another hot spring foot bath.
We now prepare ourselves the next day on our Around teh World voyage for the next 5-6 days at sea. I have to say 5-6 because on April 16th as we pass over the international date line, we have to relive that day making it 6th day at sea! As we enter the Berring Sea, the water because rough with strong winds causing us to cancel the port of call at Dutch Harbor, which had required tenders. We then have another day at sea as we cross into the Bay of Alaska to get to port of Kodiak, Alaska with much calmer waters and a pier. Last minute tours are arranged and we take the NCL tour “City of Kodiak-Panoramic Drive” tour. This is a simple school bus tour with a driver narrator who has lived many years in Kodiak, but provides some insightful stories and stops along the way.
Since we skipped Dutch Harbor we arrive a day earlier in Seward, Alaska where we will overnight. With the free shuttle service to downtown, we go to the Alaska Sea Life Center to enjoy the Puffins, Seals, and various sea life indigeneous to Alaska.
Disembarkation is the next moring and with a late night flight, I have rented a car to drive leisurely back to Anchorage for the day. With stops along the way for vistas of mountains and lakes, we decide to go throught the Whittier tunnel to Whittier. Whittier is a unique town located at the entrance to Prince William Sound. It is a major fishing place and a gateway to the wilderness. Lots of bird watchers come here and spend days around the area during the summer months. We were about a month early, so it was still quiet and a fantastic fish and chips lunch at the only open restaurant, The Anchor, made the visit complete. But you have to watch your times as the tunnel only opens at certain hours for one way travel.
We make another stop at Alyeska Resort which still was open for skiing and we took the gondola to the top for some fantastic views above the Turnagain Arm and Chuhagh Mountain Range. It was a clear sunny warm day to take it all in!
Back to Anchorage for some shopping stops and the airport for our red-eye flight back home to Puerto Vallarta. This was certainly a different trip and with our planned route, it took us Around The World in those 18 days via cars, buses, taxis, planes, and a cruise ship.
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