Shrine & Shogun Trail – Busan, Kobe & Shimizu

About this cruise

Block out 13 nights from August 15, 2027 and let this sailing from Tokyo do its thing. The route covers Nagoya, Kumano-Mie and Kobe (Osaka), with additional stops along the Japan, Korea, China & Taiwan and there's plenty of room to breathe between each stop. 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, Kumano-Mie tends to be the one people talk about: Pilgrimage trails and sacred waterfalls on the ancient Kumano Kodo. Roughly 9 hours ashore per stop. No need to rush. From casual buffets to proper sit-down restaurants, Sapphire Princess has 14 dining spots on board, most of them included. The shows alone are worth the extra nights. You'll catch comedy, music, theatre, and themed evenings you'd miss on a shorter trip. And August 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.