There isn’t really much that can be said about a 13+ hour flight. It took off from London Heathrow and, many hours later, it landed at Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan. It was quite pleasant - decent food, very attentive staff, not much turbulence and the odd nap or two!
I had researched in advance how we were going to get from the airport to the cruise ship. The first step, after getting past all of the immigration/customs parts, was a “limousine” bus from the airport to YCAT - Yokohama City Airport Terminal. That cost us ¥1,180.00 for both of us or roughly £6.87! The bus route included stopping at the various terminals at Haneda Airport and then made its way to Yokohama. It was a very smooth journey and took about half an hour. It was very reassuring to see the Viking Orion as the bus started to approach Yokohama.
When we arrived at YCAT, we followed the signs through the terminal to the taxi rank. I had pre-prepared a Google Translate screen that said “Please take us to Shinko Pier Terminal” in Japanese and showed this to the taxi driver. The taxi ride cost ¥1,300 or £7.81.
When we got to the pier terminal, though, we didn’t know how to get to the ship! It was clearly visible but behind a lot of security fencing. We tried getting to it through the terminal building but that was mostly shops and restaurants. No Viking signs to be found anywhere! We eventually gave up and asked one of the guards and they told us we needed to go to the side of the building furthest away from the ship where there was the entrace to the immigration and quarantine hall. There we were given COVID tests (as currently required by the Japanese government) but they were clear. We checked-in with the staff, got given our stateroom cards and boarded the ship. The first thing we did upon boarding was the mandatory training on how to handle a possible evacuation, including being shown how to wear the lifejacket.
By this time, it was about 2pm. We’d had “breakfast” on the plane so we weren’t too hungry but both of us wanted something to drink … and maybe a little something to eat! We made our way to the World Cafe, which is the primary eating destination for breakfast and lunch, and did just that. Feeling somewhat refreshed, we returned to our room. Our suitcases had been delivered so my wife set about making our stateroom feel more like “home” for the next three weeks. Me? I tried getting my new blog up and running!
We didn’t do much for the rest of the day - just relaxed, read, maybe napped a little bit! For dinner, we didn’t feel like sitting in the main restaurant so we went back to the World Cafe and had some bits from the buffet. As part of a special offer when booking the cruise, we were given the Silver Service Package which essentially allows us to have as much alcohol as we like so long as each drink costs $18 or less … which is pretty much anything the ship sells! We aren’t massive drinkers but having this package gives us the freedom to try drinks without worrying about how much it is costing. As a result, I will be logging what we’ve tried each day. I didn’t take any photos of the buffet but I have included a photo of some of the desserts that I enjoyed. Unfortunately, a consequence of writing this entry a couple of days after the event means that I don’t remember what they were! I’m a bit rusty about keeping track of what we’ve done, eaten and drunk but I’ll get there!
Drink: Vinologist Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon
Dinner: mixed buffet