Reviewing the scenic route: On a Royal Caribbean cruise to Japan

With such a long trip ahead of us, my travel buddy and I wanted to be as comfortable as possible, so we requested a suite. But they were fully booked. “Our suite class offerings are so beloved among travellers in the APAC region. [They] are in high demand,” explained Angie Stephen, vice president and managing director, Asia-Pacific, Royal Caribbean International. 

“Our Ultimate Family Suite on Spectrum of the Seas, for instance, boasts three bedrooms and bathrooms, an in-suite slide, a jacuzzi, and a recreation room equipped with surround sound for karaoke, movies, and video games,” Stephen added.

On our trip, the Ultimate Family Suite was booked out—no surprise there. Fellow passenger and Tatler fixture Dana Cheong, travelling with her family of six, had her eyes on the suite too, but ended up with three adjoining suites instead. “The good news is that we are connected by a veranda,” she said. The Cheong family chose this cruise as it tied in nicely with their planned autumn vacation in Japan, and with her elderly parents in tow, the Singapore departure made it a “no-brainer”.  

Nagasaki was our first port-of-call in Japan, and it didn’t disappoint. We had a 12-hour window to explore the city, but the abundance of attractions meant that we could only cherry-pick a handful of the most iconic ones. 

We made the Atomic Bomb Hypocenter site our first stop. It was truly chilling to stand at ground zero, marked by a sombre black stone monolith serving as a reminder of the horrors of August 9, 1945. At 11.02am on that fateful day, “Fat Man” detonated 500 metres above the site, claiming an estimated 70,000 lives in the process. Today the site is peaceful, with its cherry blossom trees and lush greenery standing in marked contrast to the devastation 78 years ago. 

Our next stop was the adjacent Atomic Bomb Museum, which houses a replica of Fat Man as well as remnants of the destroyed city—crumbling building façades, twisted metal remains, melted glass bottles, broken personal effects and survivor stories. Wall clocks had their hands frozen at 11.02. What I found most emotionally disturbing was a lunchbox belonging to a 14 year old schoolgirl, its contents completely incinerated. 

Compared to the solemnity of the Museum, the nearby Peace Park was a refreshing change. Its fountains, sculptures and monuments dedicated to peace attracted large numbers of visitors, including groups of Japanese schoolchildren all excited to have their photos taken. 

By then it was lunchtime, and a short tram ride brought us to Chinatown, Japan’s oldest such enclave. It would be remiss not to sample the unique fusion of Japanese and Chinese cuisine, so I opted for champon while my friend chose a similar (but fried) noodle dish, sara udon. Laden with seafood, pork and vegetables, and served in a pork-based broth, both dishes were hearty, delicious and comforting. 

The afternoon took us to the nearby Dutch Slope and Dejima—the former a residential neighbourhood filled with restored 19th century Western-style homes; the latter a man-made island where foreigners were allowed to trade.

Dutch Slope was very Instagrammable. We even stumbled upon a charming cafe housed inside a former residence, where I had my fix of coffee and castella. Dejima on the other hand had a somewhat theme park-like ambience, with restored buildings transformed into mini museums, but it was still worth poking around to discover the area’s rich history.

We didn’t have time to cover more ground, but that’s the thing about cruises, isn’t it? It’s like a sample platter of destinations. Find something you like and can come back to it another time. Having vibed with Nagasaki, I promised to return. 

The next morning we arrived in Kumamoto. Or the neighbouring town of Yatsushiro, to be precise—Kumamoto doesn’t have a terminal big enough to accommodate a ship the size of ours (capacity: 5,000 passengers). A shuttle bus transfer followed by a bullet train ride took us to Kumamoto, where we explored the vast complex and grounds of Kumamoto Castle, set on a hill overlooking the city. 

Here too, we found a story of resilience: The castle suffered extensive damage during an earthquake in 2016, and restoration works are still ongoing. A fire in 1877 also destroyed the original castle keep, but a reconstruction was built in its place in 1960. That’s the building we toured, expecting to see recreations of the original interior that would transport us back to feudal Japan. 

Instead, what we found was a modern museum with exhibits highlighting the castle’s construction, history and importance to the township—sans English descriptions. We didn’t linger long, deciding instead to head into the nearby town centre to explore the glass-roofed Shimotori Shopping Arcade before making our way to Sakura no baba Josaien, a touristy maze of Edo-styled streets filled with restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. 

The beauty of visiting a place like Kumamoto? It’s so far off the beaten track that the streets are blissfully quiet, at least by Tokyo standards. And the locals are so grateful for your visit that they throw a carnival in your honour. No, really. Back at Yatsushiro port, the atmosphere was festive as the townsfolk gathered for a Japanese drumming performance. 

But that wasn’t all—there was also a magnificent drone light show and elaborate fireworks display as the ship set sail. I relished every single minute of it. It was a highlight for Dana Cheong and her family too. “That drone was insane! After I posted [on my socials], my friends all asked me which cruise I was on!” she exclaimed.

I awoke the next morning to a sight I’ll never forget – the majestic Sakurajima billowing a cloud of ash in the distance. We had arrived in Kagoshima, the southernmost city on the Japanese mainland. Adventurous types could take a ferry across the bay to visit the volcano on a day trip, where hikes and other outdoor activities await. 

Time wasn’t on our side, and so we quickly hopped in a cab and made our way up to Shiroyama Park Observation Deck for the best views of Sakurajima. Pictures taken, a lovely stroll downhill brought us downtown, where the hunt for a Kurobuta pork lunch began. This well-known variety of pork hails from Kyushu, and Kagoshima prides itself as the region’s finest purveyors of the black hog. 

Black wagyu and black Satsuma chicken round off the trio of must-try “black meats” when in town, but we only had room for a Kurobuta pork tonkatsu set meal, which turned out to be phenomenal. The meat was tender, juicy and cooked to perfection, and even the accompanying cabbage stood out for being crisp and finely shredded. 

As we disembarked in Yokohama, I felt it was a shame that there wouldn’t be any more sailings from Singapore to Japan this year. Spectrum of the Seas will move on to Shanghai in 2024, and Anthem of the Seas will arrive in Singapore in November 2024 and sail in Asia for the first time. Travellers can also look forward to Royal Caribbean’s newest offering, Icon of the Seas, which will sail from Miami. “This magnificent ship will redefine family vacations, offering eight unique neighbourhoods and seven pools, including the world’s first suspended infinity pool,” shared Angie Stephen. 

Cruise junkies can look forward to more sumptuous offerings. “Royal Caribbean’s most lavish accommodation yet will also be making its debut. The Ultimate Family Townhouse will be the first townhouse at sea and is already nearly sold out for 2024. Spanning 1,772 sqf and three stories, it is a multilevel layout with high-end features such as private balconies, a hot tub, an in-suite slide, and a private entrance to the Surfside neighbourhood, which is designed with young families in mind,” she added. 

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