25 Night Southeast Asia Cruise
Itinerary
Yokohama
Japan
Day 1In 1853, a fleet of four American warships under Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into the bay of Tokyo (then Edo) and presented the reluctant Japanese with the demands of the U.S. government for the opening of diplomatic and commercial relations. The following year Perry returned and first set foot on Japanese soil at Yokohama—then a small fishing village on the mudflats of Tokyo bay. Two years later New York businessman Townsend Harris became America's first diplomatic representative to Japan. In 1858 he was finally able to negotiate a commercial treaty between the two countries; part of the deal designated four locations—one of them Yokohama—as treaty ports. In 1859 the shogunate created a special settlement in Yokohama for the growing community of merchants, traders, missionaries, and other assorted adventurers drawn to this exotic new land of opportunity. The foreigners (predominantly Chinese and British, plus a few French, Americans, and Dutch) were confined here to a guarded compound about 5 square km (2 square miles)—placed, in effect, in isolation—but not for long. Within a few short years the shogunal government collapsed, and Japan began to modernize. Western ideas were welcomed, as were Western goods, and the little treaty port became Japan's principal gateway to the outside world. In 1872 Japan's first railway was built, linking Yokohama and Tokyo. In 1889 Yokohama became a city; by then the population had grown to some 120,000. As the city prospered, so did the international community and by the early 1900s Yokohama was the busiest and most modern center of international trade in all of East Asia. Then Yokohama came tumbling down. On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake devastated the city. The ensuing fires destroyed some 60,000 homes and took more than 40,000 lives. During the six years it took to rebuild the city, many foreign businesses took up quarters elsewhere, primarily in Kobe and Osaka, and did not return. Over the next 20 years Yokohama continued to grow as an industrial center—until May 29, 1945, when in a span of four hours, some 500 American B-29 bombers leveled nearly half the city and left more than half a million people homeless. When the war ended, what remained became—in effect—the center of the Allied occupation. General Douglas MacArthur set up headquarters here, briefly, before moving to Tokyo; the entire port facility and about a quarter of the city remained in the hands of the U.S. military throughout the 1950s. By the 1970s Yokohama was once more rising from the debris; in 1978 it surpassed Osaka as the nation's second-largest city, and the population is now inching up to the 3.5 million mark. Boosted by Japan's postwar economic miracle, Yokohama has extended its urban sprawl north to Tokyo and south to Kamakura—in the process creating a whole new subcenter around the Shinkansen Station at Shin-Yokohama. The development of air travel and the competition from other ports have changed the city's role in Japan's economy. The great liners that once docked at Yokohama's piers are now but a memory, kept alive by a museum ship and the occasional visit of a luxury vessel on a Pacific cruise. Modern Large as Yokohama is, the central area is very negotiable. As with any other port city, much of what it has to offer centers on the waterfront—in this case, on the west side of Tokyo Bay. The downtown area is called Kannai (literally, "within the checkpoint"); this is where the international community was originally confined by the shogunate. Though the center of interest has expanded to include the waterfront and Ishikawa-cho, to the south, Kannai remains the heart of town. Think of that heart as two adjacent areas. One is the old district of Kannai, bounded by Basha-michi on the northwest and Nippon-odori on the southeast, the Keihin Tohoku Line tracks on the southwest, and the waterfront on the northeast. This area contains the business offices of modern Yokohama. The other area extends southeast from Nippon-odori to the Moto-machi shopping street and the International Cemetery, bordered by Yamashita Koen and the waterfront to the northeast; in the center is Chinatown, with Ishikawa-cho Station to the southwest. This is the most interesting part of town for tourists. Whether you're coming from Tokyo, Nagoya, or Kamakura, make Ishikawa-cho Station your starting point. Take the South Exit from the station and head in the direction of the waterfront.
About this cruise
Tour our vessels, from staterooms to public venues
Every Princess ship is a destination in itself with wide-ranging amenities, elevated culinary experiences and delightful activities. Below you'll find the deck plans, stateroom details, ship dining information and more for every vessel in our fleet. Visit the links, and get to know what we offer and what makes the Princess experience unique.
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- InsideFROM£3,636 pp
- OceanviewFROM£4,249 pp
- BalconyFROM£5,396 pp
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dining
International Dining Room
For guests who prefer the traditional cruise ship dining experience, the ship offers a main dining room option in which they can enjoy having the same dining time, waiter and table mates each evening.
The International Dining Room on the 6th Deck serves open seating breakfast and lunch and traditional seating for dinner.
Open from around 7am to 9am for waiter served breakfast and 12 to 1.30pm on sea days for lunch, dinner seating is either 5.30pm or 8pm.
International Dining Room
For guests who prefer the traditional cruise ship dining experience, the ship offers a main dining room option in which they can enjoy having the same dining time, waiter and table mates each evening.
The International Dining Room on the 6th Deck serves open seating breakfast and lunch and traditional seating for dinner.
Open from around 7am to 9am for waiter served breakfast and 12 to 1.30pm on sea days for lunch, dinner seating is either 5.30pm or 8pm.
Santa Fe Dining Room
The Santa Fe Dining room is open for anytime dining at dinner time between 5.30pm and 10pm.
Santa Fe's speciality is chicken or steak fajitas.
The option of an 'always available menu' is also provided including steaks, chicken breast and salmon, along with healthy options.
The Santa Fe Dining Room is on the 6th Deck of the Diamond Princess.
Santa Fe Dining Room
The Santa Fe Dining room is open for anytime dining at dinner time between 5.30pm and 10pm.
Santa Fe's speciality is chicken or steak fajitas.
The option of an 'always available menu' is also provided including steaks, chicken breast and salmon, along with healthy options.
The Santa Fe Dining Room is on the 6th Deck of the Diamond Princess.
Santa Fe Dining Room
The Santa Fe Dining room is open for anytime dining at dinner time between 5.30pm and 10pm.
Santa Fe's speciality is chicken or steak fajitas.
The option of an 'always available menu' is also provided including steaks, chicken breast and salmon, along with healthy options.
The Santa Fe Dining Room is on the 6th Deck of the Diamond Princess.
Vivaldi Dining Room
The Vivaldi Dining Room is open for traditional dining at 5.30pm or anytime dining between 8pm and 10pm.
The Vivaldi Dining Room is on the 5th Deck of the Diamond Princess.
The menu for all the main dining rooms serve the same four course dinner options with set choices with the exception of one speciality dish specific to each room.
The option of an 'always available menu' is also provided including steaks, chicken breast and salmon, along with Lotus Spa healthy options.
Horizon Court
Our World Fresh Marketplace menu is offered in Horizon Court. Enjoy an endless selection that changes throughout the day to satisfy the most discriminating palate. Indulge in a delightful array of worldwide cuisine, freshly baked breads and regional comfort foods, in a casual setting at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Enjoy fresh fruits, signature pastas and desserts galore along with your favourite beverages and customisable features like create-your-own salads and sandwiches.
Beverage charges apply. Venues and menu items vary by ship and are subject to change.
Horizon Court
Our World Fresh Marketplace menu is offered in Horizon Court. Enjoy an endless selection that changes throughout the day to satisfy the most discriminating palate. Indulge in a delightful array of worldwide cuisine, freshly baked breads and regional comfort foods, in a casual setting at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Enjoy fresh fruits, signature pastas and desserts galore along with your favourite beverages and customisable features like create-your-own salads and sandwiches.
Beverage charges apply. Venues and menu items vary by ship and are subject to change.
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
FROM
£3,636 pp
- What's included?
- The below amenities and services are included in your selected cruise fare. By choosing a promotion during the booking process you may be entitled to additional amenities or services, depending on the particular offer.
Included
- You can upgrade to 'Princess Plus' to get: the Plus Beverage Package, unlimited WiFi (1 device), Gratuities, Premium Desserts (2 per day), Juice bar & Fitness Classes (2 classes per sailing). Offer applies to all guests. From August 2023, new perks will rollout fleetwide. These include: 2 Casual Dining cover charges per voyage (enjoy savory prix fixe dining options in the ship’s casual restaurants, including Vines, Salty Dog Pub, O’Malleys, Ocean Terrace, Planks, Steamers, Alfredo’s, and GiGi’s) as well as the OceanNow Delivery Service Access fee waived.
- You can also upgrade to 'Princess Premier' to get: Premier Beverage Package, 2 Specialty Dining meals, unlimited WiFi (for 4 devices per guest), Gratuities, a Photo Package, Princess Prizes, Premium Desserts, Juice bar, Fitness Classes (unlimited) and Reserved Seating in the Theatre. Offer applies to all guests. From August 2023, new perks will rollout fleetwide. These include: Unlimited Casual Dining (enjoy savory prix fixe dining options in the ship’s casual restaurants, including Vines, Salty Dog Pub, O’Malleys, Ocean Terrace, Planks, Steamers, Alfredo’s, and GiGi’s), 2 Speciality Dining cover charges per voyage (choose between Bayou Cafe, Bistro Sur Mer, Catch by Rudi, Crab Shack, Crown Grill, Harmony, Sabatini's, Sterling Steakhouse), as well as the OceanNow Delivery Service Access fee waived.
Not included
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