Discover Exotic Japan by Sea
(51 Reviews)
100% Recommended
Ted Blank
Woodbury, MN
Tailor-Made Journeys
You understand that extraordinary vacations aren’t simply a function of dollars and cents, and you know that they certainly aren’t just pulled off the shelf.
Journeys of a lifetime are carefully designed with imagination, creativity, atten...
You understand that extraordinary vacations aren’t simply a function of dollars and cents, and you know that they certainly aren’t just pulled off the shelf.
Journeys of a lifetime are carefully designed with imagination, creativity, attention to detail, experience, and insider knowledge.
Are you looking for a travel adviser who possesses the expertise, education, intuition, insider knowledge, and connections to turn your vacation into the trip of a lifetime? I open new doors for discerning travelers like you looking to follow your own path to the world’s extraordinary destinations.
As a specialist in privately guided, tailor-made vacations and luxury cruises, you’ll enjoy highly personalized service and expert recommendations during the planning process. As you travel, you’ll come to appreciate being well looked after from wheels up on departure to wheels down on your return, giving you the freedom and confidence to be your best travel self wherever you go.
Through my extensive worldwide travel experience, an intuitive sense of possibilities, careful attention to detail, and a broad network of carefully vetted supplier partners, you can enjoy vacations that others only dream of to destinations in Europe, Asia, Australia and Oceania, South America, Africa, and beyond.
Please click on the links on this page to email me to schedule a complimentary introductory discovery session where we’ll get better acquainted, discuss your travel dreams, and begin to carefully craft the first of many explorations of this wonderful, fascinating world we share!
Can Be Reached At
1-651-964-8245
When people think about traveling in Japan, the country’s high-speed train network is probably the first thing that comes to mind.
But Japan is an archipelago, made up of four main islands and thousands of smaller ones, with more than 18,000 miles of coastline to explore, and a luxury cruise is a great way to travel between them. You can cover a lot of area in a short amount of time.
You’ll see iconic destinations like bustling Tokyo, reborn Hiroshima, Kyoto, the country’s cultural capital, and world-famous Mount Fuji. But a cruise will also take you to fascinating places that you probably haven’t heard about, where you’ll get a sense of Japan’s traditions, visit historic sites and experience the country’s varied landscape. And you’ll get a taste of Japanese food beyond sushi. In fact, Japan is one of only two countries — along with France — whose cuisine has UNESCO cultural heritage status.
Plus, a cruise allows you to travel at a leisurely pace, combining relaxing days at sea when you can just sit back and enjoy the view with activity-filled excursions in far-flung spots that you might not get to on a land-based trip. You’ll only have to unpack once, and you won’t need to check a train schedule.
Princess, Cunard and Ponant are among the cruise lines that offer Japan voyages. Spring, with its abundance of cherry blossoms, is a beautiful season to visit Japan but fall, when the weather turns milder, is also popular. Most of the cruises begin in Yokohama, a city about 30 minutes from Tokyo that was one of the first Japanese ports open to foreign trade, in the 19th century.
Each cruise line has a wide array of itineraries, including some that combine Japan with stops in South Korea and Taiwan. Depending on how much time you have, you can take a trip that’s as short as a week or one that lasts three weeks or longer.
Princess cruises range from seven to 20 days, with itineraries that will take you from the southern island of Okinawa to the northernmost island of Hokkaido. An eight-day tripincludes stops in Kagoshima, at the top of the Satsuma Peninsula, a mountainous, geothermal wonderland of hot springs and geysers; Akita, with an impeccably preserved district once home to 80 families that showcases the samurai way of life; and Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, where high-rise towers coexist with ancient Buddhist temples and royal tombs.
Ponant is known for taking passengers to out-of-the-way locations, and Japan is no exception. The cruise line has an eight-day expedition to the subtropical islands of southern Japan, starting in the city of Fukuoka. This is a chance to explore amazing landscapes on some of the country’s most beautiful and more remote islands. You’ll find coral reefs teeming with multicolored fish, majestic waterfalls, ancient cedar forests and wild beaches alongside traditional villages surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. The cruise ends in Keelung, Taiwan, a fascinating city of ancient forts and temples, with a lively open-air night market.
On Cunard’s 19-night Grand Voyage you’ll visit Hiroshima, with its moving Peace Memorial Park; Kochi, a city on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands, known for its castle complex and ornate Buddhist temples; Kushiro, home to wildlife like the graceful red-crowned crane and some of Japan’s most unspoiled scenery; Hakodate, with its diverse architecture and historic sites, including the last Shogun battlefield; and Shimizu, where you’ll see the beautiful snow-capped peak of nearby Mount Fuji.
If you have Asia on your travel bucket list, a luxury cruise is a great way to start exploring the continent. Not only is a cruise relaxing, it’s also curated by expert guides, so you know you’ll be getting a memorable experience.
I’ll help you pick the best voyage for you - let's chat!