1. DISCOVER JAPAN
THE CARIBBEAN, THE MEDITERRANEAN AND THE NORWEGIAN FJORDS ARE STILL THE TOP THREE CRUISE DESTINATIONS FOR BRITS. BUT AS MORE PEOPLE DISCOVER THE BENEFITS OF CRUISING, THE DEMAND FOR NEW PLACES TO EXPLORE BY WATER INCREASES, SO IN 2017, THE PLACE EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT IS JAPAN.
ACCORDING TO THE CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF UK AND IRELAND’S (CLIA) RECENT ASIA CRUISE TRENDS STUDY, IT’S THE BIGGEST DESTINATION IN THE CONTINENT, WITH 1,526 CRUISE PORT CALLS IN 2016, LEAVING CHINA IN ITS SHADOW, WITH 850. IT IS THE SECOND-MOST POPULAR DESTINATION IN THE WORLD FOR PRINCESS CRUISES (THE FIRST IS THE MED), WHOSE PASSENGERS CAN CHOOSE BETWEEN A SHORT SAILING COMBINED WITH A LAND HOLIDAY OR 14 NIGHTS OR MORE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
PASSENGERS WANT TO SEE THE “REAL” JAPAN AS THEY TRAVEL FROM NORTH TO SOUTH OF JAPAN’S FOUR ISLANDS. A TYPICAL ITINERARY INCLUDES SAILING INTO OSAKA FOR KYOTO
AND THE ICONIC TEA HOUSES AND GEISHAS.
KOBE IS ANOTHER KEY PORT. EXPLORE FORMER MERCHANTS’ MANSIONS IN KITANO-CHO AT THE FOOT OF THE ROKKO MOUNTAINS, AND TRY THE PRIZED KOBE BEEF. NAVIGATOR WILLIAM ADAMS WAS THE FIRST ENGLISHMAN TO REACH JAPAN IN 1600 AND HE BECAME THE FIRST WESTERN SAMURAI. DISCOVER HIS LEGACY DURING A PORT OF CALL TO NAGASKI.
IN KANAZAWA, ON THE WEST COAST, EXPLORE THE HOME AND HISTORY OF THE SAMURAI AND GEISHA BEFORE STEPPING ON THE SHINKANSEN BULLET TRAIN TO TOKYO. OTHER CALLS TO CONSIDER ARE AOMORI, TO SEE CHERRY BLOSSOM DISPLAYS IN SPRING, AND SAKAI, A TOWN DEVOTED TO JAPAN’S CARTOON CULTURE, MANGA.