We have not cruised with Crystal Cruises previously. We are told that our ship was originally designed for 800-900 passengers but then was reformatted by Crystal for about 650 passengers, and I tend to believe it. Our cabin is 430 square feet, fairly spacious. Two full-sized sinks in the bathroom, king-size bed, three separate rooms plus a walk-in closet. We have a walk-in shower with a rain shower head about 18 inches in diameter which delivers an enveloping warm rain experience. It is easy to find lounge space onboard (like I am doing now) to do some quiet reading or writing. We enjoy a wide deck walking/ jogging track 0.27 miles per lap. There are three specialty restaurants besides the general dining room.
What has really caught our attention is the fact that, wherever we have docked, we have been the only cruise ship present in each port. As the entry title indicates, many of our stops are at ports not often visited by cruise ships (but what about Tokyo?). Many excursion options are offered, arranged in groups of less than twenty persons. Additionally, free shuttle buses to the town center are also offered. Dawn and I enjoy walking and can usually find places of interest such as Chinatown, the fish market, a castle, restaurants, or a shopping district nearby.
Yesterday near sunset, we had a band, of drums and flutes, serenading us as the ship left the dock. Many of our selected excursions have included castles (smaller than the European version), gardens, fish markets, or shopping. Museums show you how life used to be. We prefer shopping areas, street arcades or malls, which show you how people live today.
Nagasaki symbolic statue at the site of the atomic bomb memorial.
This one is not symbolic; it is the actual remnant of a cathedral devastated by the atomic bomb explosion.
A park view of Nagasaki harbor (on a misty day). The landscape of hills and valleys made the damage from the atomic bomb explosion variable depending on the proximity and surrounding terrain.
A different view showing more of Nagasaki harbor and surroundings.
A statue of 'Madame Butterfly' a world-renowned singer from Japan's past.
A busy covered shopping arcade. We never found anything to buy but it was fun looking.
Our ship, Crystal Symphony, at the dock. A rather large and imposing shape but carrying only about 650 passengers.
The next city our cruise stopped at was Fukuoka. Both Nagasaki and Fukuoka are on Kyushu Island.
Another castle; for a long period in history, Japan was a feudal state with numerous wars between competing shoguns.
Not a large castle but good for tourism today. Many have been destroyed and the remaining castles are great attractions. A nice shopping mall was located directly adjacent to this castle.
To me, this (tele)photo looks like a painting, the composition is so exact. But it is an actual woman performing a tea ceremony which a 'snapped' through a window.
Children visiting the castle. The world is an amazing place at their ages. They are so cute to watch.
We ended the day sampling saki at a local distillery. Saki has never been a favorite of mine; I prefer plum wine.
Sakaiminato was the next cruise stop.
Food, flowers, and forest all in a large private park.
A central feature of the park was this large open sphere framework with many internal displays.
Early May and the flowers are in full bloom.
Great scenery plus Daisen volcano in the background.
The park was in a hilly region with surrounding forest.
Another view of flower fields and the Daisen volcano in the background.
Does anyone know who the comic artist is who created these characters? He is very famous in the Fukuoka area with statues in many local places.
Our cruise ship next moved on to the port at Kanazawa, Japan.
We love these Japanese nature parks; artistry using nature as the canvas.
Even the trees are sculpted using selective pruning to create distinct impressions.
A young Japanese couple wearing traditional garb in the park. Was this their idea, or were they paid actors?
The wooden arch shown here (and similar arches elsewhere) symbolizes a 'gateway to the gods', although we were told that many Japanese don't take their gods too seriously.
Clear water with a glass-like surface in a slow-flowing stream and lush green surroundings.
Not seen, off to the left is an area of 'old town' narrow streets with shops, but we found this family-oriented festival on the river to be more interesting.
Children examining the brightly colored streamers while monitored by their parents.
Drummers providing a farewell concert for our cruise ship. They put a lot of energy into this loud, rousing concert on the dock, and it was appreciated by our cruise passengers.
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