Samurai coastlines – Busan, Kobe & Hiroshima

About this cruise

Every port gets the time it deserves and the sea days in between are half the fun. This 22-night sailing leaves Tokyo on June 3, 2028 and visits Hakodate, Niigata and Busan, with additional stops along the Japan, Korea, China & Taiwan. Expect a run of consecutive ports, 11 stops total, with the busiest days packed close together. The sea days around them feel earned. Street food that'll ruin you for takeaway back home, ancient shrines, and cities that run like clockwork. Of the stops, Kobe (Osaka) tends to be the one people talk about: Where Wagyu beef meets harbour-side elegance. Roughly 10 hours ashore per stop. No need to rush. Sapphire Princess takes the food seriously, with 14 restaurants to choose from. 7 are included, and the rest are worth the splurge. With more nights comes more time for the ship's rhythm to kick in: morning coffee in the same spot, evening shows, late-night conversations on deck. If you've done the short cruises and want more, this is the upgrade. Longer, deeper, and more relaxed. And June means long, warm days. Good for the ports, good for the pool. Sometimes the best trips are the ones you just go ahead and book.