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FUTURE TRAVELS

While the travel to be introduced is for the future, these will nevertheless be rather nostalgic, for I've done them before, many times.
  • Pride of America?  This will be around my 6th time.
  • Japan?  I've landed on a plane from an international country to this country at least a hundred times, and, maybe 200.
  • Diamond Princess?  That was the last previous time I visited Japan almost four years ago when part of our trip was a cruise on this ship.  You might recall that the Diamond Princes was the catalyzing event to start the covid pandemic, and that started soon after we disembarked. 
The trips to be featured today are:

We had not traveled for 27 months, so the escape was adventurous, considering the state of this pandemic, and a bit stressful, because of COVID-19.  However, it was supremely enjoyable, especially when we tested negative on our return home to 15 Craigside.
  • We then will in the Fall return to Japan, our favorite location.  Our last stay was almost four years ago.
  • Then we boarded the Diamond Princess with stops in Okinawa and Taipei.
  • We returned to Yokohama on December 5.  This is the same Diamond Princess that in January took on an 80-year-old passenger from Hong Kong who transmitted Covid to 712 passengers and crew to begin the odyssey that became the pandemic.
  • At least there was no problem with ocean storms.
Our Fall 2023 Japan tour will again involve the Diamond Princess.
  • After we return to Japan on November 9, we then embark on three 7-day Japan Rail Pass itineraries.  Cost, about a thousand dollars/person for Green Car seats.
Here are the details.

October       28    Lv    1235    Honolulu     HA821    
                    29    Ar    1600    Narita
                    Yokohama Bay Sheraton
                   30    Day in Yokohama:  validate three 7-day rail pass trips and 
                                                           make reservations
                    Yokohama Bay Sheraton
                    31    Board the Diamond Princess in Yokohama
November     1    At Sea
                      2    Aomori
                      3    Sakata
                      4    Kanazawa
                      5    Sakaiminato
                      6    Busan, South Korea
                      7    Nagasaki
                      8    At Sea
                      9    Yokohama
                    Yokohama Bay Sheraton
                    10    Yokohama
                    Yokohama
                    11    Lv    Shin Yokohama (first day of Japan Rail Pass)
                            Ar    Sendai
                    Westin Sendai
                    12    Sapporo
                    Westin Sendai
                    13    Lv    Sendai
                            Ar    Sapporo
                    Fairfield Sapporo
                    14      Sapporo
                    Fairfield Sapporo
                    15    Lv    Sapporo
                            Ar    Tokyo
                    Tokyo Westin
                    16    Tokyo:  Jindai Botanical Garden
                    Tokyo Westin
                    17    Tokyo:  Matsumoto (last day of JRP)
                    Tokyo Westin
                    18    Tokyo
                    Ritz Carleton
                    19    Tokyo:  Korakuen Park, etc.
                    Ritz Carlton
                    20    Lv    Tokyo (cost is low)
                            Ar    Yokohama
                    Yokohama Bay Sheraton
                    21    Lv    Shin Yokohama (first day of JRP)
                            Ar    Nagoya
                    Marriott Associa
                    22    Nagoya
                    Marriott Associa
                    23    Lv    Nagoya
                            Ar    Hiroshima
                    Hiroshima Grand Sheraton
                     24   Lv    Hiroshima
                            Ar    Kagoshima
                     Kagoshima Sheraton
                    25    Lv    Kagoshima
                            Ar    Miyajima
                    Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort
                    26    Miyajima
                    Sheraton Grande Ocean Resort
                    27    Lv    Miyazaki (last day of JRP, through Beppu)
                            Ar    Hakata (Fukuoka)
                    Ritz Carlton
                    28    Fukuoka
                    Ritz Carlton
                    29    Lv    Hakata (first day of JRP)
                            Ar    Osaka
                    Osaka Marriott Miyako
                    30    Osaka
December      1    Lv   Osaka
                            Ar   Kyoto
                    Westin Miyako
                      2    Kyoto
                    Westin Miyako
                      3    Lv    Kyoto
                            Ar    Nara
                     Fairfield Nara
                       4    Nara
                      Fairfield Nara
                       5   Lv    Nara (last day of JRP)
                            AR    Yokohama
                    Yokohama Bay Sheraton
                      6    Yokohama
                    Yokohama Bay Sheraton
                      7    Lv    Narita    1955     HA 822
                      7    Ar    Honolulu  0750                    
    
Marriott hotels in Japan.  All the hotels above are owned by Marriott.
                      
I now and then report on world cruises, and alert you here to three by Viking, with the Sky leaving Fort Lauderdale going west, eventually to London on December 20 (note, this is thus not a total global journey), and the Neptune, with the same itinerary leaving on December 23.  The Viking Sky repeats this from December 19 in 2024.  The cabins all with veranda and there are a lot of freebies.  For the cheaper rooms, only around $434/day (for 138 days), including free drinks, tours, Wi-Fi and more.  These are smaller ships, holding than around 930 passengers.  Viking for the past two years has been ranked #1 by Condé Nast for both river and ocean cruises.  Here is a video of their Neptune, the newest.  I've never cruised on Viking.

- 

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