Being first time ocean cruise we have always said Ocean cruises are not for us while we have certainly enjoyed a large number of river cruises. Working on the philosophy that you should never say never we chose this 7 day cruise around the South of Japan as a trial. We selected the cruise in association with a tour of Japan. The ship was excellent offering all the services expected. The cabin was first class supported by excellent cabin service. The meals were first class and we certainly enjoyed the Japanese meal options. Sabatini’s is a must. The Restaurant, Bar and Information staff were extremely friendly, very obliging and always ready to assist. Our ethos is not easy with automatic gratuities per day, we have travelled extensively and are well aware of low wage policy of the operator. However, in this instance we were happy to meet the daily gratuities on the bill.

On the down side, the time taken to clear customs and disembark in some ports was outrageous. The upselling of wine tasting, shots and shot glasses in the restaurants was annoying and waiting to board shuttle buses (as the ship docked a long distance from the local town) was a joke, as a result we didn't go ashore on the last port of call.