Imperial Loop – Hakodate, Busan & Kobe

About this cruise

A trip this long changes your rhythm entirely, and that's very much the point. 19 nights from Yokohama on May 18, 2026, visiting Hakodate, Niigata and Busan, with additional stops along the Japan, Korea, China & Taiwan. The itinerary clusters several port calls together. Fast-paced for a few days, then the sea days hit and you can catch your breath. Tokyo's neon at one port, Kyoto's temples at the next. You cover centuries in a few days. You get around 9 hours in each port, which is enough for an excursion, lunch, and some wandering around on your own. When you're not ashore, From casual buffets to proper sit-down restaurants, Diamond Princess has 12 dining spots on board, most of them included. Longer sailings have a different energy. People relax into it, stop rushing, and start actually talking to each other. A May departure catches that sweet window of warm-enough weather before the summer rush. 19 nights of not thinking about anything except where to eat next. That's the pitch.