Princess Japan Cruise Tips: 10 Things to Know Before You Sail

A Princess cruise around Japan isn’t quite like taking Princess anywhere else in the world, and that’s one of the things that makes this itinerary so much fun. You’re still getting that familiar Princess cruise experience, but when you sail Japan aboard Diamond Princess, the destination doesn’t necessarily end when you walk back up the gangway.

You can spend the day exploring a Japanese castle, wandering through a beautiful garden or eating your way through a local market, then return to the ship for Japanese-inspired food, traditional entertainment or even a relaxing soak in Izumi Japanese Bath. Diamond Princess is particularly interesting because she was built in Nagasaki, Japan, and Princess has incorporated a number of Japanese-focused features and experiences into the ship, including Izumi, Japanese dining, sake and shochu, and traditional rakugo storytelling.

But there’s another reason we think Japan works especially well as a cruise destination: the itineraries. Japan is incredibly diverse, and cruising gives you an opportunity to experience multiple regions without changing hotels every few days or hauling your luggage from city to city.

If you’re considering a Princess cruise in Japan, these are the things we’d pay attention to before you book, and some of the experiences we wouldn’t want to miss once onboard.

Quick Answer: What makes a Princess cruise in Japan different? Princess Japan cruises combine destination-rich itineraries with Japanese experiences onboard. On Diamond Princess, those experiences can include Izumi Japanese Bath, Japanese dining, rakugo storytelling and other Japan-focused programming. Princess also offers itineraries designed around seasonal highlights such as spring flowers, fall foliage and some of Japan’s biggest summer festivals.

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10 Princess Japan Cruise Tips to Help You Choose—and Enjoy—Your Cruise

1. Choose Your Japan Cruise by Season, Not Just Price

If you’re flexible with your travel dates, one of our biggest Princess Japan cruise tips is to start with what you want to experience in Japan and then choose your sailing. Cherry blossom season gets a lot of attention—and for good reason. Seeing Japan covered in shades of pink and white can be spectacular, but don’t assume there’s one perfect “cherry blossom week.” Bloom timing changes from year to year and varies significantly depending on where you are in Japan, generally progressing from southern regions toward the north.

That’s actually one of the advantages of looking closely at Princess’s Japan itineraries. Princess offers sailings built around different seasons, including spring flowers, summer festivals and fall foliage. Some spring itineraries are even designed to travel through different regions as the expected blooming season moves through the country.

Summer can be especially interesting if experiencing a Japanese festival is high on your list, while fall brings beautiful foliage and generally cooler sightseeing weather in many parts of the country. Even late winter and early spring can be appealing if you’re more interested in exploring Japan than chasing peak blossom dates.

So before comparing prices, ask yourself a different question: What version of Japan do I most want to see? Then start comparing itineraries.

2. Look for Princess Cruises Built Around Japanese Festivals

This is one of the most interesting ways a Princess cruise can give you a very different Japan experience. Japanese festivals, or matsuri, aren’t simply tourist events. Many are deeply rooted community celebrations with traditions that have been passed down for generations, and depending on the festival, you could encounter illuminated floats, elaborate costumes, fireworks, dancing, music and streets filled with local food and celebrations.

Princess schedules some Japan itineraries specifically around major festival dates. Its 2026 program, for example, includes five special festival cruises, with visits connected to events including the Aomori Nebuta Festival, Hakodate Minato Festival, Kochi Yosakoi Festival, Tokushima Awa Odori Festival and the famous Kumano fireworks.

Some festival port calls also include late-night departures, giving passengers more time to experience the celebrations after dark. That can make an enormous difference, because many festivals really come alive in the evening.

When you’re comparing two seemingly similar itineraries, don’t look only at the list of ports. Check the dates, look for festival sailings and pay attention to how late the ship remains in port. A port you’ve barely heard of could end up being one of the highlights of your entire trip.

3. Don’t Overlook the Japanese Food Onboard

You’re going to eat incredibly well ashore in Japan, so we’re certainly not suggesting you skip a bowl of ramen in port and rush back to the ship for lunch! But one of the fun things about sailing Diamond Princess in Japan is that Japanese food continues to be part of the experience onboard.

Diamond Princess offers Japanese-inspired dining choices, including the ship’s Noodle Bar, and in 2026 Princess added Makoto Ocean. Created by Chef Makoto Okuwa, Makoto Ocean specializes in Edomae-style sushi and other Japanese dishes. You’ll also find Japanese-influenced cocktails and beverages among the ship’s offerings.

Our advice is simple: don’t automatically fall into your normal cruise-food routine. Check the menus and the Princess app during your sailing to see what’s being offered. If you spot a Japanese dish you’ve never tried before, this is the perfect opportunity to give it a chance.

You’re in Japan! Trying something unfamiliar is part of the fun, and sometimes discovering a food onboard first can make ordering something similar ashore feel a little less intimidating later.

4. Explore Sake, Shochu and Japanese Drinks

If you enjoy learning about a destination through its food and drink, Diamond Princess gives you another way to continue exploring Japan once you’re back onboard. Princess specifically highlights Japanese whisky, sake and shochu among the Japanese-focused elements of the Diamond Princess experience.

Sake is probably familiar to most travelers, but shochu is another traditional Japanese spirit that you may encounter throughout your trip. Rather than ordering your usual cruise cocktail every night, consider trying something Japanese at least once or twice during the voyage.

Also keep an eye on the daily schedule for tastings, demonstrations or other beverage-related activities that may be offered on your particular cruise. Programming can vary from sailing to sailing, so we wouldn’t count on a specific event being available, but if one appears in the schedule, it can be a fun and easy way to learn a little more about what you’re drinking before you encounter it again ashore.

You absolutely don’t need to be a sake expert. That’s the point! Learning what you like is part of the experience.

5. Don’t Choose Your Itinerary Based Only on the Famous Ports

Tokyo. Kyoto. Osaka. Hiroshima. Nagasaki. Absolutely visit them—they’re extraordinary. But here’s something we’d strongly encourage you to do when choosing your Princess Japan cruise: look closely at the ports you don’t recognize too.

Princess’s Japan program reaches far beyond the major cities most first-time visitors already know. Its 2026 season alone includes 35 itineraries visiting 38 destinations across three countries, with Japanese ports including Aomori, Akita, Kochi, Kagoshima, Kanazawa, Miyako, Toba, Toyama, Sakaiminato and many others.

Those lesser-known ports can give you a very different view of Japan. You might discover a samurai district, an incredible Japanese garden, a regional food specialty, a historic castle or simply a city that receives far fewer international visitors than Tokyo or Kyoto.

For us, that’s one of cruising’s biggest advantages in Japan. You can experience some of the country’s icons and discover destinations that might never have made it onto your first land-based Japan itinerary.

So don’t automatically choose the cruise with the highest number of city names you recognize. Spend a little time researching those unfamiliar ports before you decide. You might be surprised by which ones excite you most.

6. Put Rakugo on Your Onboard Schedule

Here’s something you probably don’t encounter on your average Princess cruise: rakugo. It’s a traditional Japanese form of comedic storytelling with a history of roughly 400 years, and Princess specifically highlights rakugo as part of the Japan-focused entertainment aboard Diamond Princess.

A rakugo performer traditionally sits onstage and uses voice, expression and simple props to portray different characters and tell a story. It’s wonderfully simple compared with the huge production shows we’re used to seeing on cruise ships, and that’s part of what makes it interesting.

If you’ve never seen rakugo before, that’s exactly why we’d suggest giving it a try. One of our favorite things about international travel is experiencing something that initially makes you think, “I’m not quite sure what this is.” Go anyway!

You may come away with a little more understanding of Japanese humor and storytelling, and it’s the kind of experience that helps make a Japan sailing feel different from a Princess cruise somewhere else in the world. As with all onboard entertainment, check your particular sailing’s schedule rather than assuming a specific performance time or program.

7. Don’t Miss Izumi Japanese Bath on Diamond Princess

Of all the features that make Diamond Princess particularly interesting in Japan, Izumi Japanese Bath may be the one we’d be most disappointed to miss. And there’s an important distinction here: Izumi isn’t simply a typical cruise ship spa with a Japanese name attached to it.

Princess designed Izumi around the traditional Japanese bathing experience, with indoor and outdoor bathing areas. Princess has described it as the largest Japanese bath of its kind at sea, and it’s exclusive to Diamond Princess. This is one of those rare cruise ship amenities that feels genuinely connected to the destination you’re exploring.

Japanese bathing is also different from simply hopping into a hot tub after a busy port day. Traditionally, you wash thoroughly before entering the bathing area, and the bath itself is intended for soaking and relaxing rather than washing. If Japanese bathing customs are new to you, pay attention to the information and instructions provided onboard. The staff can also help explain what to expect.

And here’s our tip: don’t save Izumi for the very end of the cruise. Japan port days can be wonderfully busy. You may spend hours walking through cities, navigating train stations, climbing steps at temples and castles, and convincing yourself that you can squeeze just one more attraction into the afternoon. A relaxing visit to Izumi can be especially appealing after one of those big sightseeing days.

Check the current hours, pricing, reservation procedures and bathing policies once onboard, since operational details can change.

8. Pay Attention to Late-Night Port Calls

Here’s a detail that can be surprisingly important when choosing between two Princess Japan cruises: what time do you actually leave each port?

Princess uses the name More Ashore for selected extended port visits. Its 2026 Japan program includes six ports with late-night calls, and some of those longer stays are specifically aligned with summer festivals. Princess defines a late-night More Ashore call as staying until 9:00 p.m. or later.

That extra time can completely change your day. Instead of racing back to the ship in the late afternoon, you may have time to stay for a festival, experience a city after dark, enjoy dinner ashore or visit an attraction farther from the cruise terminal.

This is particularly valuable in Japan because transportation can make it possible to cover quite a bit of ground from some ports. Extra hours can open up options that simply wouldn’t be practical during a shorter visit.

So when you’re comparing itineraries, don’t stop after counting ports. Look at arrival and departure times too. Sometimes a cruise with fewer ports but longer days ashore can give you a much richer experience.

9. Remember That Diamond Princess Was Built in Japan

Diamond Princess has a connection to Japan that most cruise ships simply don’t. She was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, Japan, and Princess has deliberately incorporated Japanese-focused elements into her onboard experience.

That includes Izumi Japanese Bath, Japanese food and beverages, rakugo and other cultural touches. It doesn’t mean Diamond Princess becomes a completely Japanese cruise ship when she’s sailing there—you’ll still recognize the Princess experience—but the ship feels particularly well suited to the destination.

There’s something pretty special about spending the day immersed in Japanese culture ashore and then returning to a ship where that sense of place can continue through food, entertainment and experiences like Izumi.

That’s also why we wouldn’t automatically treat your days at sea as “days off” from Japan. Take a look at what’s happening onboard. You may find an activity, performance or dining experience that you wouldn’t encounter on a typical Princess sailing somewhere else.

10. Let the Ship Add Context to What You’re Seeing Ashore

It’s tempting to come back from a long Japan port day, have dinner and immediately start thinking about tomorrow. But don’t overlook the Japan-focused experiences onboard.

Depending on the sailing, Diamond Princess’s programming can include Japanese cultural entertainment and experiences such as rakugo, karaoke and folkloric performances. The exact schedule can change, so check the Princess app and daily program throughout the voyage rather than planning around an activity that may not be offered on every departure.

Use those opportunities to add another layer to what you’re experiencing ashore. Japan is one of those destinations where a little context can make travel much richer. A temple becomes more interesting when you understand what you’re looking at. A regional dish is more memorable when you know why that prefecture is famous for it. A festival becomes more meaningful when you understand some of the tradition behind the celebration.

The best Princess Japan cruise isn’t one where you leave Japan behind every time you walk up the gangway. Let the onboard experience become another part of the journey.

Is a Princess Cruise a Good Way to See Japan?

We think cruising can be an excellent way to experience Japan, particularly if you want to explore several regions during one trip. Instead of changing hotels and moving luggage from city to city, you unpack once and wake up somewhere new. That makes it possible to combine major destinations with smaller regional ports that might be difficult to include in a typical first trip to Japan.

There is a tradeoff, of course. A cruise won’t give you several nights in Kyoto or allow you to spontaneously spend four days exploring Tokyo. If that’s the experience you want, a land trip may be the better choice—or, even better, consider adding several days in Japan before or after your cruise.

But if you’d like a broad introduction to the country, Princess offers some particularly interesting itineraries. On Diamond Princess, features like Izumi, Japanese dining and Japan-focused entertainment also help connect the ship to the destination in a way you might not expect.

What Is the Best Time for a Princess Japan Cruise?

There really isn’t one “best” time to cruise Japan. It depends on what you want to experience.

Spring is extremely popular for blossoms and mild sightseeing weather, but exact bloom dates vary by location and year. Princess offers spring-flower itineraries designed around the general progression of the blooming season through Japan.

Summer can be hot and humid, but it’s also a fantastic time for traditional festivals. If seeing events like the Aomori Nebuta Festival, Kochi Yosakoi Festival or Tokushima Awa Odori is high on your wish list, summer may actually be your first choice.

Fall brings cooler temperatures and beautiful foliage to many regions, making it another attractive time to explore the country.

So rather than asking, “When is the best time to cruise Japan?” we’d start with, “What do I most want to experience while I’m there?” Answer that question first, and then look for Princess itineraries that match.

A Few Final Princess Japan Cruise Tips

Before booking, take some time to compare more than cruise length and price. Look at the individual ports, research the unfamiliar ones, check how many hours you’ll actually have ashore, and see whether your dates coincide with a festival or seasonal event. If Diamond Princess is your ship, make a little room in your schedule for the experiences that make sailing her in Japan different.

We’d especially put Izumi, Japanese food and at least one Japanese cultural experience on our list. But you don’t need to do everything. Japan itineraries can already be pretty busy, and there’s no prize for coming home exhausted!

Choose the things that interest you most, leave a little room for unexpected discoveries and enjoy the experience.

Final Thoughts on Cruising Japan With Princess

What we love about cruising Japan with Princess is that the experience doesn’t necessarily stop when you leave port. You can spend the morning wandering through a Japanese garden, visit a castle in the afternoon, grab something you’ve never tried from a local food stall and then come back onboard for Japanese food, rakugo or a relaxing visit to Izumi.

That’s what makes this itinerary different. You’re not simply using a cruise ship to get from one Japanese port to another. Done right, the ship becomes part of the Japan experience.

Our biggest advice? Don’t try to do everything. Pick a few onboard experiences you wouldn’t find on your typical Princess cruise, give those unfamiliar ports a chance and leave a little room for surprises. Japan has a way of making those unplanned moments some of the best ones.

If you’re planning a Japan cruise and want to see another very different way to experience the country by ship, read our guide to what it’s really like to cruise Japan with Japanet.

Princess Japan Cruise FAQ

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