I went to Asia again last month to visit the southern half of Japan, which included my first trip to South Korea. This NCL Cruise Japan to Korea starts in the capital city of Tokyo, which I visited last year in my trip around the world. This time I fly directly from Mexico City on ANA to Tokyo at Narita Airport. It is a long flight, but it obviously saves time instead of my usual stops along the way to save money. But the price was right, so I booked this route in ANA Business Class.
The flight was without incident, and you can see my review on my blog. Since my flight leaves very early the next morning, I fly to Mexico City the night before. The ANA flight arrives the next day at 1130am, so upon arrival, I take the prearranged Limousine Bus service to the hotel about an hour away. I highly recommend this service as the buses go directly to your hotel on different routes and times. The cost was only 3100 yen or about $20 USD. My hotel was the Sotetsu Grand Fresa Tokyo – Bay Ariake, a nice hotel located near the Tokyo International Cruise Ship Terminal from which I would be departing the next day. The rooms were small, but it was only for one night for $160 USD. This included a nice breakfast buffet that served Japanese and Western-style foods.
My embarkation hour the next day was 1130am, so I just used Uber to get over to the Cruise Ship Terminal, about 10 minutes away. Luggage drop off and boarding were among the quickest I had ever done, I guess, thanks to Japanese efficiency!
This cruise is going to be port-intensive with no days at sea. I had pre-booked tours every day along the route, and since all the ports of call were so close to each other, it was easy to get to a new place every morning. The first stop was in Shimizu, with the closest and offers the best views of Mt Fuji. I had booked the NCL Tour Kunozan Toshogu Shrine and Mt Fuji Views. Unfortunately, it was not to be, due to the weather that never cleared up! But the tour went around the area with a stop at various viewpoints and finally to Kunozan Toshogu Shrine. The walk through the pine forest pathway was quite interesting.
Our next day on this NCL Japan to Korea cruise had us in Nagoya, an industrial capital of Japan. Therefore, I had booked the NCL Tour called Industries of Nagoya. Our first stop was Noritake Garden, where ceramics were being made. We toured the factory and a large shop where you could purchase items made there. Next door to a shopping mall allowed a few minutes of shopping.
The tour then moved on to Toyoda Textile Museum, where the man Toyoda started his industrial life. He then moved on to cars with a slight name change; it became the Toyota car brand. Next door was the Toyota Museum, where it had all begun. It was quite interesting because they had demos set up for the various phases of making textiles. Then, on the Toyota car side, they had huge demo presses showing how the first engine blocks were made and into the final stages of robotics assembly.
The NCL Japan to Korea Cruise heads to Kyoto Kobe port, and I have booked the NCL Tour Panoramic Osaka. Osaka is across the bay from Kobe Port. Osaka is one of the oldest and most populous cities in Japan, which has blended the old and the new perfectly. Our tour drives around the city with a longer stop at the Umeda Sky building, which is #23 in the list of tall buildings in Osaka. But with its unique design, lots of glass with a glass escalator, and an observation deck inside and outside. Outside in the garden, they have created a living plant wall.
The next port of call is Tokushima, where I have booked the NCL Tour Best of Tokushima. It is located on Shikoku Island and is renowned for its stunning natural landscapes, rich culture, and the famous Awa Odori festival. One of the most significant cultural events is held annually in mid-August and is a music and dance festival that is over 400 years old.
The NCL Japan to Korea Cruise keeps moving south with lots of humidity and high temperatures to the next port of Matsuyama. I have booked the NCL Best of Matsuyama tour, which takes us around the area. It stops at an outdoor market area where we have time to shop, go into hot springs, or relax. The air-conditioned Starbucks was a nice place to relax! Matsuyama is the largest city on Shikoku and the capital of Ehime Prefecture.
At the heart of the city stands a beautiful, original Kochi Castle. The castle’s hilltop vantage point offers a view of the city and a glimpse of the Seto Inland Sea. Among the shops is an orange juice shop with samples of the 17 different varieties of oranges in the area. There is also a towels manufacturing store, and the Botchan Karakuri Clock. The Karakuri Clock rises with music accompanied by characters from Soseki Natsume’s “Botchan,” in which Dōgo Onsen appears.
Now we are heading to another island called Beppu, which is known for its famous hot springs. I have booked the NCL tour to Jingu Shrine and Amazing Hell Springs. Just a short bus ride away, we enter the first of these super hot springs, with its bright rust colored hot springs, Chinoike Jigoku. This one has a temperature of 78 °C (172 degrees Fahrenheit) and is tinted from the iron oxide and magnesium oxide minerals underneath. Shortly thereafter, we went to the 2nd Hell Springs called Umi Jigoku with its aquamarine cool blue color, with a temperature of 98 °C (208 degrees Fahrenheit)! Obviously, neither of these is for bathing; however, the first one did have a hot springs foot bath that was cooled off. At the entrance to the site, there was a beautiful pond with royal water lilies that can become quite large and strong.
One of my treats at these kinds of places is a hard-boiled egg cooked under the steam from these hot springs.
The NCL Japan to Korea continues on its way to our next port of call, Sasebo. Sasebo is at the very southern end of Japan, with 208 islands around this area. Sasebo is located in the northwestern part of Kyushu, in the northern part of Nagasaki Prefecture, from the base of the Kitamatsuura Peninsula to the central and southern parts of the peninsula. I had booked the NCL Tour Kujukushima Island Panoramic, which included a 1.5-hour boat ride around many of these islands.
We are done with Southern Japan as we cruise over to South Korea and the first stop at Jeju Island. Jeju Island has an oval shape and is 73 km (45 mi) east–west and 31 km (19 mi) north–south, with a gentle slope around the Hallasan extinct volcano in the center. The length of the main road is 181 km (112 mi), and the coastline is 258 km (160 mi). My NCL tour is Jeju City Highlights, and we ride around in a bus, taking in the views along the shore with lots of volcanic rock. Then to a local market where more of the special orange juices, fresh fish, and dishes made from their local black pigs.
Our final destination takes the NCL Cruise Japan to Korea to Seoul, South Korea, the next day. We actually overnight here, so I am able to take tours on both days. The first day is the NCL Grand Tour of Seoul, which features a ride around this amazing city. Seoul is the most populous, the capital, and the largest city in South Korea. Amazingly, it is located only about 23 kilometers away from North Korea! In hindsight, I should have booked a tour to visit the DMZ area.
But instead, I was able to see a lot of the city, including the amazing grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. The Palace visit included the changing of the guards ceremony. We then went to a Korean restaurant for Korean BBQ. I was surprised not to see more advertising and stores featuring some of the most well-known South Korean-manufactured items. They are home to Samsung, KIA, Hyundai, and LG, so why not more stores specific to these brands?
This brief NCL Cruise Japan to Korea was indeed another highlight in my world travels. I am glad that I made a last-minute decision to participate. It should be a top-of-your-list cruise experience!
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