Japan Cruise

A Japan cruise circles the archipelago in ten to fifteen days, from Yokohama to Kobe, calling at Nagasaki and Hakodate and often crossing into South Korea. Two seasons carry the demand: cherry blossom from late March through April, and red maples from late October to mid-November. The 2027 sailings are booking now.

Why cruise Japan rather than tour it by land?

Touring Japan by land means trains and a suitcase unpacked and repacked in five hotels. On a cruise, the room follows you. In a country where the language barrier is real and navigating stations takes energy, that changes a great deal.

The trade-off is the one every cruise makes: more cities, less depth. Kyoto is visited from Kobe in a day, which covers two temples and not the city. Many travellers settle this by adding three or four nights in Tokyo before embarkation.

When should you go?

Cherry blossom moves south to north between late March and early May. A ship working up the archipelago during that window follows the wave, which gives you a chance at blossoms in several ports rather than one. It is the most requested season, and the most expensive.

Autumn, from late October to mid-November, brings the maples and steadier skies. September is typhoon season: itineraries change regularly and a port can be dropped. Summer is hot and very humid, especially July and August.

Which ports do you call at?

The main embarkation port is Yokohama, forty minutes from central Tokyo. Then come Kobe, the gateway to Kyoto and Osaka, Nagasaki for the history, and Hakodate for the north and its morning market.

Several itineraries push on to Busan in South Korea, sometimes Shanghai or Hong Kong on longer runs, and Singapore becomes the arrival port for cruises continuing into Southeast Asia.

Which lines sail Japan?

Japan draws mostly premium and small-capacity lines, because several ports cannot take very large ships.

• Ponant: ships of 180 to 260 passengers, service and lectures in French.
• Regent Seven Seas and Silversea: all-inclusive, with excursions included at Regent.
• Oceania Cruises: food-led, with longer port calls.
• Princess Cruises: the most established line in Japan, with ships based locally.
• Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line in the spring seasons.

How long is a Japan cruise?

Ten to fifteen days for a loop of the archipelago including Korea. Twenty-day-plus itineraries continue toward Taiwan, Vietnam and Singapore. Add two travel days each way from Montreal, plus hotel nights before embarkation.

What you are not always told

The ports are not the cities

Yokohama is not Tokyo, Kobe is not Kyoto. Every call needs thirty minutes to an hour and a half by train or coach to reach what people came to see. Days run long and the return to the ship is tight.

Typhoons are part of the deal

From late August to late September, itinerary changes are common. No line compensates a port cancelled for weather, and the contract says so. Booking outside that window sometimes costs more and spares the disappointment.

Money and payment

Japan still runs on cash in many small shops and port markets. Withdrawing yen at 7-Eleven convenience-store machines works better with a Canadian card than at banks.

How do you get there from Montreal?

There is no non-stop flight from Montreal to Tokyo. Connections run through Vancouver, Toronto, or an American or Asian hub, for fifteen to twenty hours door to door. The time difference is thirteen hours and it shows: two nights in Tokyo before boarding are not a luxury, they are what lets you enjoy the first port.

To compare 2027 itineraries and cabin categories, reach an advisor at 1 866 628-6241. See also our cruise lines and ships and our other cruise destinations.