cruisellama

Really looking forward to seeing some form of cruising take place soon so we can gauge the aftermath and read about what people are saying about their on board experiences! 

Good news!

Aida looking to start sailing in August, short itineraries, half full ships but it's a start
 
https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23205-aida-to-offer-cruises-in-august-on-three-ships.html

We use 2 agents (when not booking ourselves)   One is an agent who I noticed on Youtube and the pitch made pushed me to give him a try. First cruise went well, was very responsive, able to give us a little OBC,   Using him for second for a Nov cruise (if it happens),and again, was able to get us a little OBC that our non-Youtube agent could not.   We're operating under strange times, so lots of churn with cancellations, bumps, L&S, FCC etc .  I haven't had a cancellation (yet) so informed on how he'll operate under distressed situations.  We haven't had to have those phone calls for contingency planning.  We've had very good luck so far, but with the stuff that's going on - who knows.

Ditto's.   We ran into neighbors on a chef's table on the Equinox .   Funny who you run into on ships.

Everyone is going to get it.  Just a matter of time.   Do you pull off bandaids fast or slow?

Dessert

Everyone is going to get it.  Just a matter of time.   Do you pull off bandaids fast or slow?

Thinking the same. Except Oct could be the early side of the restart.    Mid Sept will be tough to make.

When we sailed Symphony in the summer of '18, we asked about the chef's table.  At that time (and we haven't sailed her since then), they made a decision not to offer a chef's table because of the large number of dining venues on the ship.  Do not know if that's changed, but we really enjoy them.  First one we did was on Oasis and it was a great experience.

As @WAAAYTOOO says, I would definitely suggest not trying to rent a car. You would need an IDP to do it, and even if you could find a company that would come to the port with the car (a big if), you will only be able to estimate what time you get to disembark. The immigration process in Japan for cruise ships is definitely one of the, shall we say, least customer service oriented systems I've seen ? 
You will definitely need some yen if you want to do things on your own. While more places are taking credit card than have in the past, non-cash forms of payment being accepted in Japan is never guaranteed. 
The fastest/easiest way to get around is by taxi. You would need two with a group that size, but that is easy to do. Some taxis take credit cards.
You can also check out something like AirBnB Experiences and see if you can get a local guide for a day.
This is an excellent basic travel guide for Okinawa: https://www.visitokinawa.jp/?fbclid=IwAR1gg15J2v_ro8RgPuDN2bACBViV5d1WIJrcCsFVeq24mBnzkhmH3F8KdYY
Here is the castle near Nagagusuku: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7107.html
If you're there during the week, this is a good lunch spot (please ignore the crap website): https://tantantei-minami-uebara.food96.com/
This is a small chain, but also good local food: http://danbo.jp/store_info/
Heading north from the port will get you to some lovely natural areas.
Enjoy, and feel free to ask more questions!

The good thing about Okinawa is that, due to the prolonged US military presence over the years, most aspects of business are pretty English-familiar.  That trend is less prevalent in the northern part of the island (where it seems you will be docked) but still evident.  If you plan on doing much, make sure you have some Yen. I am not that familiar with the northern part of the island (we lived down south for 3 years) but it is, IMO, a much prettier area.  If it were me, I would probably avoid renting a car.  #1, they drive on the left side of the road and it can be difficult to make that change if you’re not used to it.  #2, the road signs are generally only in Japanese - especially up north. Of course, they have GPS these days, but I still refuse to drive when I go there for work.  It can be pricey - especially if you are constantly converting dollars to yen.

Hoping this makes you smile couldn’t resist when I saw it. Sorry

Here's a friendly story:  https://www.foxnews.com/travel/health-expert-cruise-ship-safer-travel-coronavirus

Here's a friendly story:  https://www.foxnews.com/travel/health-expert-cruise-ship-safer-travel-coronavirus

Not Texas yet. 
 

Fingers crossed.   Walking before they run with the short runs - logical.   

Here's a friendly story:  https://www.foxnews.com/travel/health-expert-cruise-ship-safer-travel-coronavirus

Here's a friendly story:  https://www.foxnews.com/travel/health-expert-cruise-ship-safer-travel-coronavirus

Here's a friendly story:  https://www.foxnews.com/travel/health-expert-cruise-ship-safer-travel-coronavirus

I agree. My wife and I are foodies on dry land and appreciate Wonderland for the unique experience that touches all of the senses. While I can understand why some don't like it, we view Wonderland as a memorable part of the cruise experience.

I believe there is the equivalent of a  "Hotel Director" for CocoCay that would fulfill that role.

Makes you wonder, under the new circumstances, if the lines might not elect to hire folks from countries that cannot/will not repatriate their own citizens?   Its a risk they have no power to mitigate.

Congrats!