Carnival Panorama 18-Day Transpacific Cruise Long Beach to Yokohama
Yokohama, Japan -- Tuesday , September 10, 2024
**It has been a while since the last update on this blog. After this trip, we left home again two weeks later on a month-long trip to China. Then it was the holidays that kept us pretty busy through the end of 2024. It's 2025 already and I am still working on this one.
After Aomori, we had one sea day before reaching Yokohama, our final destination on this cruise. It was unexpectedly chaotic at the pier making our debarkation much more exhausting than usual. Just because Carnival did not arrange shuttles for the passengers to get to the city. Other than pre-booked private transportation, everybody was expected to get in the super long taxi line under the hot sun for over two hours. We have been here at Daikoku pier a couple of times before and this was the only time that shuttles were not offered.
Ship docked at Daikoku Pier right next to the bridge between Daikoku and Yokohama city.
Good to be off the ship quickly but...
let's get in line!
at the end of the line at this point
The beginning of the line was around the corner of that building on the left.
Looking back at the line, we are not the last now.
After two hours, we are finally getting to the front of the line. Everybody was short-temper, and tired by now.
We got on a taxi big enough for the three of us and our luggage (took a little longer), then headed over to our hotel where we would spend two nights in Yokohama near the train station. We later found out that there are public buses somewhere a distance away but we did not feel that we want to tag along all our bags getting on a regular bus.
After leaving our luggage at the hotel, we went to the YCAT (Yokohama City Air Terminal) to check out the Airport Limousine Bus schedule for Narita, where we will fly out in a couple of days. Then to find lunch at the train station.
Bus schedule for Yokohama to Narita.
Yokohama station is a huge place not only for trains. There are many shops in the malls around the station and there is a huge food court area called JOINUS with plenty of eateries to choose from. We found one of our favorite restaurants for fried pork chops. We were in their original store in Yokohama last year and really enjoyed it. Good to find this branch at the train station! Katsuretsuan.
Another delicious meal!
With all you can eat rice and cabbage salad.
Sotetsu Hotels The Splasir Yokohama
This time, we are staying at the Sotetsu Hotels The Splasir Yokohama right near the train station for two nights. This is a new hotel just opened in June 2024. We were able to book their residential hotel unit for a very good price. The reason we wanted to stay near this area is the proximity near YCAT so we can just walk over to the bus station when we need to take the airport bus in the morning without having to hail a taxi. This ended up to be an excellent location with everything we wanted nearby.
Walkway from the train station to the hotel.
This walkway is on the second floor, I believe, and the hotel entrance is on 4th floor.
The hotel building.
Our unit is like a service apartment with a kitchenette included.
even a microwave
cooking stove top
a good-size refrigerator
and a washing machine.
Our afternoon was spent napping and resting in our comfortable room. We were definitely tired after the exhausting morning. Later on, we decided to take the metro to Chinatown and explore. Unfortunately, we were not in the mood of getting dinner there so we went to the Don Quijote Supermarket and got some sushi and sashimi to take back to the hotel for a simple dinner. By the way, the supermarket in Japan usually have excellent sales after 7:00 to get rid of the fresh items. In most cases the discounts can be huge.
Walking the metro station near Chinatown.
Colorful Chinatown at night but we just did not find anything we wanted for dinner.
For video of this day, please click here.
"Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." -- Matthew 5:15
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