Obsidian Shore – Hakodate, Busan & Kochi

About this cruise

This one leaves Yokohama on October 10, 2027 and spends 10 nights visiting Hakodate, Niigata and Busan, with additional stops along the Japan, Korea, China & Taiwan at a pace where every day has something going on but there's always time to just sit and watch the water too. There's a stretch of back-to-back port days, so those days are busy, but the sea days around them give you time to recharge. Karaoke bars, hot springs, and temples draped in moss. East Asia does culture and chaos in equal measure. Most ports give you about 8 hours, so you can do more than just tick off the main sights. As for the ship itself, Diamond Princess takes the food seriously, with 12 restaurants to choose from. 7 are included, and the rest are worth the splurge. 10 nights is long enough to build a routine on board: favourite restaurant, favourite deck chair, favourite people. It starts to feel like a floating village. The sweet spot for most travellers: you get to know the ship, see the ports, and come home before the laundry piles up. Pro tip: fly in the day before. Yokohama has plenty to offer, and you'll board relaxed instead of rushed. Being shoulder season helps: golden light, comfortable weather, and shorter queues at the popular spots. Hard to ask for much more than that, honestly.