We took a 7-day cruise called "Pearls of the Orient" between 7-14.07.2012 on the Voyager of the Seas. This was our 4th cruise with the Royal Carribean (but the first one in Asia), so we are familiar with the basic concept according to which they operate and our expectations were very high. This time we left the ship a bit mixed feelings and slightly disappointed.

But let's start from the beginning:

The check-in was quite quick - apparently our timing (we arrived around midday) was ideal. Before we got to the point where the lady presented us with our sea pass cards, we had to get our passports copied (they are collected before entering the ship and returned one day before arrival in Shanghai) and fill in the arrival card for Japan. Basing on this a temporary landing card is granted upon arrival in Japan. Read more