Blossoms, bullet train and beyond: exploring Japan by Land and Sea.

[Pushka]

What's pushka or the relevant derivative?

Cats name.

I don't get packaging.
Just like when MrsQS got a small trinket from Tiffany NYC. I saw it come out of a drawer - it was in a tiny plastic ziplock (= mass produced) then that goes into a Tiffany box which goes into a small Tiffany cardboard bag which then goes into a large Tiffany bag. I don't get it.... just give me a lower price... I know you don't get it that's why I posted it. I thought of you as I opened it. . It was only $5.

 

[Quickstatus]

But in Kanji or whatever the characters are called?

The packaging maybe $1?

This is where we get our free alcohol

Wait!. I thought suites get premium drinks included?.

 

[Quickstatus]

This is where we get our free alcohol

Wait!. I thought suites get premium drinks included?.

 

[Cruise Luxury]

Our passport was scanned the first port. Yesterday. Haven’t gone onshore yet today.

Any tips for a Kobe steak restaurant for lunch tomorrow?

Did you find anywhere for Kobe steak? Thanks for the updates!

 

[Pushka]

Wait!. I thought suites get premium drinks included?.

It's complicated. If you book a suite at the start then yes you do. If you win a suite in a bid up then you don't, except in the lounge. If we'd booked a suite at the beginning the cost was well over $20,000. Winning the bid up as we did we shaved off $10,000.

 

[Pushka]

Did you find anywhere for Kobe steak? Thanks for the updates!

Everywhere near the Chinese markets. Wonderful grilling smells.

We booked Premium access which gave us premium wifi for 2 devices each plus a whole stack of other benefits which is a much better deal than buying premium wifi for just one device.

We are also now in a suite. Tomorrow night we have an invitation to be on the helipad for sail away courtesy of the premium access. We also have a retreat party invitation at the same time on the aft deck. We can't do both. I think we are doing the latter and we may well get a helipad invitation later for the suite booking.

Now have three charms.

The casino is blissfully closed as we are sailing too close to Japanes mainland. It's only been open once. We hate them.

Tonight when collecting my charm in this magnificent jewellery store I came out to find MrP and the store manager deeply involved in a cricket discussion. . So I said that's fine and walked back into the store to look for jewellery.

 

[Quickstatus]

sail away

Further Dummy 101 questions...
You mean an invitation only sail away party?

Now have three charms. How much time spent listening to the talks

are people wearing it on the ship?

Premium access

Cheaper than paying for just premium wifi?
Sounds like it can be booked out as it includes certain other perks like invitations

 

[Pushka]

Further Dummy 101 questions...
You mean an invitation only sail away party?

are people wearing it on the ship?


Cheaper than paying for just premium wifi?
Sounds like it can be booked out as it includes certain other perks like invitations

Yes, normally aren't allowed to go near the helipad. And I expect they will close the sunset bar as an invited guest party. Coz they will put on free alcohol and specialist food.

Not yet as the lockets aren't complete.

Yes, there was a weird price glitch. It was cheaper to buy the premium access package with a lot of benefits than simply buying two lots of wifi for one device only. Weird and many asked about this on CC as it made no sense. Right now I'm streaming radio on my iPhone while on the iPad looking over Kochi port where a tug is pushing us into port berth.

The ship wifi has its issues. Supposed to be starlink but some ports block it. I'm not really able to see anyone's pictures here eg on the View from my Office thread, and also mine. We also have hired a land mobile device at the airport which is much better and I'm using to load photos up.

 

[Pushka]

Quiet day today and actually warm. Spent the day by the pool, one of us at the empty gym and pretty much everyone left the ship. It's our first do-nothing day in three weeks.

Shut up Casino. I don't think it opens again until 10pm tomorrow as we set sail for S Korea for a day trip. There are heavy rock sea walls here and even though berthed we were still moving with the swells.

Kochi.



We went to the retreat deck for the party which was a non event. We could see the helipad and that party looked more interesting so off we went.



It took many sea ladders to get to the helipad and as we'd had two glasses of champagne and the ship had started to move off getting back it was a little interesting get back onto the ship.

This is where we were at the retreat lounge. Right up top. And looking down at the helipad from that point .



The locket thing - they said they were handing them out on a closed port day which everyone was challenging them as everyone has missed a day. It's a charm of the ship so a little relevant. Tonight they said there are 8 charms so there will be a chance to collect the missing one towards the end.

And yes, women are starting to wear them. I have four now, should be five. Three more to go plus the missing one.

 

[Pushka]

Tomorrow on Anzac Day we will visit Hiroshima. It's also my late mothers birthday. And the date of our first date. We went to the Anzac Day football match at Adelaide Oval. So with three generations serving in the Armed forces, and one still in the RAAF it's quite a day of emotions.

I have been doing some reading into Hiroshima and 'enjoyed' Oppenheimer but think after tomorrow I will need to find out more. We have organised a private tour guide who will take us to Miyajiyama first then to the Peace Museum.

 

[love_the_life]

In Hiroshima at the Peace Park I found this to be incredibly moving though a lot of people don't seem to visit.
Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims

 

[jukebox333]

In Hiroshima at the Peace Park I found this to be incredibly moving though a lot of people don't seem to visit.
Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims

Hard agree on this. It's off to one side, halfway up the Peace Park precinct, and is beautifully set out.

The practical side, with an index to known victims is, like so many other things surrounding the memorials, chilling and moving at the same time.