I'm partnering with Distinctive Voyages to provide my clients with exclusive benefits. When you book this sailing with Matt Travel, you'll get the following additional benefits at no extra charge.
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- The Distinctive Voyages Host - On a Distinctive Voyages’ cruise, you will have easy access to a Distinctive Voyages Host who is ready to answer your questions.
- The Private Cocktail Reception - The Private Cocktail Reception is your introduction to your exclusive group. Occurring early in the cruise, you’ll meet and become acquainted with the other VIPs in the Distinctive Voyages group.
- The Exclusive Shore Event - Guided by local experts, the Exclusive Shore Event is a specially-chosen excursion that reveals the true nature of the people and places you will visit, helping you connect to the culture in a very personal and unforgettable way.
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The July 10, 2025 cruise on the Diamond Princess departs from Yokohama (tokyo), Japan. On this 10 Night Hokkaido (Yokohama Roundtrip) sailing, the ship will visit different cruise port destinations in Korea and Japan. The Diamond Princess sets sail on Thursday, Jul 10th and returns on Sunday, Jul 20th.
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Day 1
Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan Embarkation Departs: 04:00PM Yokohama is located on the western coast of Tokyo Bay, less than half an hour's train journey directly south of Tokyo. It is the second largest city in Japan and one of the cities most visited by foreigners. Despite being devastated by bombings in WWII it remains a maritime city and retains an international flavour. |
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Day 2
At Sea Enjoy your day at sea! |
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Day 3
Aomori, Japan Arrives: 07:00AM Departs: 05:00PM Aomori is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, situated on the northernmost tip of the main Japanese island facing Hokkaido. It has a cold maritime climate with short cool summers and has heavy snowfalls in winter. It is a World Heritage Site, as it has the world's largest virgin forest of beech trees. |
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Day 4
Hakodate, Japan Arrives: 07:00AM Departs: 05:00PM Hakodate is the largest city and port in southern Hokkaido, Japan. It is considered to have – as seen from Mt. Hakodate – one of the world's most impressive nightscapes, particularly from June through March, when the bright lights emitted from the squid fishing vessels add a touch of romantic inspiration. |
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Day 5
Otaru, Japan Arrives: 08:00AM Departs: 05:00PM Otaru is a small city and port on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, NW of the larger city of Sapporo. It faces on the west the Sea of Japan and mainland China. The original inhabitants were indigenous Ainu people. |
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Day 6
At Sea Enjoy your day at sea! |
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Day 7
At Sea Enjoy your day at sea! |
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Day 8
Cheju, South Korea Arrives: 07:00AM Departs: 03:00PM Cheju (Jeju), a city on an island of the same name, is a beautiful destination located off the SW coast of South Korea, 90km off the Korean Peninsula. Cheju is a well-known resort with hotels and casino facilities, and welcomes over ten million visitors from mainland Korea, Japan, and China every year. A volcanic island, with good rainfall and mild climate, Cheju is known as 'Korea's Hawaii'. |
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Day 9
Kagoshima, Japan Arrives: 10:00AM Departs: 07:00PM Kagoshima lies on the southern tip of the island of Kyushu in Japan. It is the picturesque capital of the Prefecture of the same name. Due to its active stratovolcano Sakurajima – Kagoshima's Vesuvius, seen east of the port – and its 'excitable' inhabitants, it is often compared to its Italian sister city, Naples. |
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Day 10
At Sea Enjoy your day at sea! |
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Day 11
Yokohama, Japan Disembarkation Arrives: 06:30AM Yokohama is located on the western coast of Tokyo Bay, less than half an hour's train journey directly south of Tokyo. It is the second largest city in Japan and one of the cities most visited by foreigners. Despite being devastated by bombings in WWII it remains a maritime city and retains an international flavour. |
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Client Testimonial
Diamond Princess®
Diamond Princess is a treasure trove of exceptional delights waiting to be discovered. Dine on freshly prepared sashimi in Kai Sushi, watch street performers in the dazzling Atrium, or take in a lavish production show in our state-of-the-art theater. And for a unique treat visit the Izumi Japanese Bath, the largest of its kind at sea.
Learn more about Diamond Princess®
Diamond Princess is a treasure trove of exceptional delights waiting to be discovered. Dine on freshly prepared sashimi in Kai Sushi, watch street performers in the dazzling Atrium, or take in a lavish production show in our state-of-the-art theater. And for a unique treat visit the Izumi Japanese Bath, the largest of its kind at sea.
- Last Refurbished: February 2019
- Guest Capacity: 2,670 lower berths
- Number of Crew: 1,100
- Tonnage: 115,875
Learn more about Diamond Princess®
Before we get to the tips, here are few common Japanese words and phrases. Consider downloading Google Translate to your phone. It includes a translation dictionary, speech to text translation, as well as image translation which is great for translating menu's. Don't forget to download the language pack to your phone before you leave home. This will save you on Internet data.
Good day = kohn-eechi-wah
Thank you very much = dohmo ah-ree-gahto go-zai-mas
Do you speak English? - Ego gah wah-kah-ree-mahs-kah
Tips for first time visitors to Japan:
Good day = kohn-eechi-wah
Thank you very much = dohmo ah-ree-gahto go-zai-mas
Do you speak English? - Ego gah wah-kah-ree-mahs-kah
Tips for first time visitors to Japan:
- You can buy a so-net prepaid SIM at the airport which gets you 5GB of data for your smart phone. The cost is about $50.
- How much cash should you bring? From what I understand credit cards aren't widely used in Japan. They are largely a cash society. For 9 days, you might reasonably spend a few hundred dollars on non-covered meals or souvenirs. You can pull money out of the ATM when you arrive at the airport in Osaka. Not all ATM's will necessarily work with your card, but I hear Prestia ATM's and ATM's at 7-11's tend to work for US debit cards. 10,000 Yen = $90 so depending on how much you plan on spending you may want to take out 30,000 - 50,000 yen.
- Take a handkerchief and tissue paper. Many places don't offer anything to wipe your hands after you wash your hands because everyone carries around handkerchiefs.
- Wear shoes that are comfortable to walk in AND easy to take on and off. You'd be surprised how much walking you need to do and how often you have to take your shoes on and off. It’s not uncommon to be asked to take shoes off in restaurants, public offices, etc.
- In bathrooms, always look for the stalls labeled "Western". They are the toilets we are familiar with. Otherwise you may get stuck with the holes in the ground. But you should give it a try =)
- Check out the 7-11s and Lawsons. “Kombi” or “kombini” are convenient stores and are pretty awesome. Lots of fun snacks (hot food, rice balls, etc) and drinks to try.
- People in lines are generally very impatient so have a good idea of what you want to order (or which ticket to buy) before you get in line. I typically print out an area map and a subway map to figure out where I want to go. They do not like rule breakers so follow the crowd and follow any rules.
- There is usually a right side of the hallways to walk. Follow the crowd.
- Take a business card from your hotel and any place you might want to go back. You can always show that to a cab driver if you forget
- Don't talk on your cell phone in the subways or public areas.
- Don't ask to customize anything at a restaurant. They won't do it. Period. I have never been successful. They just look at me very confused.
- The concept of taking food to go is not very common. People may look at you funny if you are walking and drinking your coffee (if you can get a to go cup at all!). Doggie bags after dining aren’t too common. Though it’s unlikely you’ll need it because most portions are pretty small.
- Learn at least "thank you" (domo-arigato-gozai-mas) and maybe "excuse me" (su-mi-ma-sen). Few words go a long way =)
- For tubs, you may need to wash BEFORE entering the water. Usually the tub is for soaking, not for cleaning. Most hotels are western style. But if you go to a private home or public baths, be sure to check the etiquette.
- You may get some stares if you have tattoos…it’s not common and it’s typically only the mafia that has tattoos.
- Don’t ever push crumbs to the floor. It’s considered rude. Someone has to clean it up. Make a small pile on table.
- Finally ENJOY the trip! Expect that things may not go as planned and things may be more expensive/smaller/etc or not what you're expecting (even pizza and burgers will be different!) but embrace the “lost in translation” feeling!
