You might think, “No, that’s how cruise ships work,” but I didn’t really understand what was really going on until I experienced it for myself.
Hotels are usually located at the destination, but on a cruise, you board the hotel and move on. There are many times when you think, “I just want to take a bath and go to bed,” and that is exactly what happens on a cruise.
I have repeatedly been told of the advantages of cruises by those who have been on them, but what I understood when I actually went on one myself was that a cruise is a “hotel that follows you on your trip.
The “Veranda Suites” where we stayed are the core room category with a total of 167 rooms, averaging 26.4 to 30.2 m2 in size, and include a living area, bedroom area, walk-in closet, and bathroom, especially the bathroom with a shower stall, bathtub, double sink vanity, and toilet with washing function. It was luxuriously built.
However, such huge ships inevitably have “windowless” staterooms, but Mitsui Ocean Fuji has all suite staterooms with a view of the ocean, and almost all of them have verandas, giving a sense of openness (only 26 ocean view suites out of 229 have no verandas).
To someone unfamiliar with cruise ships such as the reporter, this still has the impact of a hotel floating on the sea, but if you look around the world, there are huge ships that look like skyscrapers tipped on their sides, with a total length of over 350 meters, a gross tonnage of over 250,000 tons, a passenger capacity of just under 3,000 rooms, and a passenger capacity of over 7,000 people.
The ship is 198.15m in length, 25.6m in width, 6.4m in draft, 32,477 gross tons, and 19 knots of speed. She has 229 cabins, a passenger capacity of 458, and is registered in the Bahamas.
Do I leave my passport with the ship? Embarkation Process and Cabin “Veranda Suite
Aside from the more accessible ports such as Yokohama Port, shuttle buses are available from major train stations and airports (reservations are required). In the case of the Naha Cruise Terminal, the meeting place is designated on the arrival floor of Naha Airport, where a bus will take a certain number of passengers to the port with their luggage. After getting off the bus, you attach a label with your cabin number to your luggage and check it in. You will then proceed to the departure procedures with your luggage in a light condition.
Departing from the cruise port has a slightly different atmosphere than air travel, but the general procedure is the same. The decisive difference is that you “leave your passport with the ship” when you board the ship. This is because the ship handles all immigration procedures at ports of call, and the passport is not returned until disembarkation on the last day of the cruise. At each port of call, you will be given a photocopy of your passport, which will serve as your local identification.
Before boarding the ship, you will receive a card that doubles as a room key, to which you can link your credit card. While onboard food and beverages are included in the basic fare, the card is useful for other services and souvenir purchases. The card also includes a grouping in case you need to evacuate the ship, and you will be asked to confirm the meeting place when you board the ship.
It is only in a suite cabin that there is plenty of room to spread out an 80L-class suitcase, but it is not smart to open and close the door every time you change clothes or take a bath, so the first thing I do when I enter the room is to unfold my luggage and store a week’s worth of clothes in the walk-in closet. Since there was one night during my stay that was designated as formal, I want to hang my suit on a hanger as soon as possible to prevent wrinkles from forming on the suit I brought in.
Fortunately, there were a tremendous number of hangers (30-40). Packing clothes in the closet in this way is the first step in “turning the guest room into a home.” In fact, it is important to make the room you are staying in as comfortable as possible during medium- to long-term stays.
Take a quick look around the room to see where the power outlets are located, connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi, and watch the safety video (this is a must). It is recommended that you first recognize what is in your room.
The main amenities are provided, so if you are not particular about what you need to bring, you can bring no (or minimal) amenities. However, since loungewear and nightclothes are not provided, you should remember to bring them with you for a comfortable voyage.
The amenities that are individually packaged for consumption are kept in the drawer of the mirror, but the reporter was unaware of their existence until just before going to bed. In addition, drinks in the refrigerator are included in the room rate and are replenished when consumed, but I did not notice this until around the third or fourth day. It is important to inspect the room.
Incidentally, the beds in the guest rooms are twin but rather narrow (narrow beds), so I was told that it is recommended to ask room service to put two beds together. This eliminates the fear of falling.
During the voyage, it is the extension machine that is repeatedly taken care of. Like this bed, room service is available 24 hours a day. Even after you have finished your meal at the restaurant, you can of course ask for a cup of coffee or something sweet, or even on a whim such as “I want to finish my meal in my room today instead of at the restaurant. Whether or not you can use room service without hesitation is a major factor in the satisfaction of your cruise trip.
© Source travel watch