We were so ill informed we almost missed the cruise. When we booked the cruise we were under the understanding that the cruise would start in Yokohama as it is now the main cruise terminal for Tokyo and on the itinery it just said Tokyo Japan as embarkation disembarking in Tokyo Yokahama. so hence the confusion. I rang Royal Australia to clarify and was told that I would be advised if there were any changes and that Yokahama would be embarkation point.

we went to yokahama and stayed a couple of nights pre cruise, but were horrified when next day the ship was no where to be seen and port authority officials informed us it was in Tokyo.

no information was received by e mail notifying us of the procedure for embarkation or the location. their website offered no information. i had to do several searches to get place the cruise was leaving from but it gave no address details. The hotel we were at contacted Royal C in Tokyo, got instruction for taxi to take us up there. processing was at the Fashion show hall that's where we got processed then taken on a bus to the docks some 35 mins away. On talking to fellow passengers we found we were not alone no one had been informed of where to go for boarding procedures, and that others like us had gone to yokohama then had to taxi it from there to make the cruise on time. Only Japanese cruisers that had booked through tour groups or agencies had been notified. I thought this was disgraceful service from such a big cruise line, one that we had thought professional to behave in such an unprofessional manor. In talking to other passengers it seems that the ones from NZ and Australia where the ones most disgruntled by the same complaint. Read more