Thirteen nights is enough time to genuinely compare four countries rather than skim past them. From Hong Kong, the first stop is Keelung, the port for Taipei, before the ship crosses to Jeju — South Korea's volcanic island, known for its lava-tube caves and a very different pace from the mainland. From there the itinerary turns into a proper tour of Japan's coastline: Nagasaki's harbor and history, Fukuoka on Kyushu, then an overnight stop in Osaka long enough to actually spend a full day in Kyoto rather than rushing through it on a single shore excursion.
Kobe and Kochi follow, two ports most first-time Japan visitors never get to see, before Shimizu — where Mount Fuji fills the horizon on a clear day. The sailing ends in Yokohama, effectively Tokyo's harbor, for anyone extending the trip. Four full days at sea are built into the run, giving real separation between ports instead of a rushed, back-to-back schedule.
At a glance
| Cruise line | Celebrity Cruises |
|---|---|
| Ship | Celebrity Solstice |
| Sails | 19 February 2028, returning 3 March |
| Length | 13 nights, 14 days |
| Ports | 10 calls in 4 countries, 4 days at sea, overnight in Osaka |
| Embarks / disembarks | Hong Kong, China → Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan |
| Price | Group rate veranda from US$3,689 per person, double occupancy, taxes and port fees included |
| Hosted by | Explora Voyage — we travel with the group |
Itinerary
Ports and times as published by Celebrity Cruises for the 19 February 2028 departure. Cruise lines do change schedules — we confirm the final version with the group before departure.
| Day | Port of call | Date | Arrive | Depart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Hong Kong, China | Sat, 19 Feb | — | 17:30 |
| Day 2 | At Sea | Sun, 20 Feb | — | — |
| Day 3 | Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan | Mon, 21 Feb | 07:00 | 22:00 |
| Day 4 | At Sea | Tue, 22 Feb | — | — |
| Day 5 | Jeju (Seogwipo), South Korea | Wed, 23 Feb | 07:00 | 20:00 |
| Day 6 | Nagasaki, Japan | Thu, 24 Feb | 07:00 | 20:00 |
| Day 7 | Fukuoka, Japan | Fri, 25 Feb | 07:00 | 18:00 |
| Day 8 | At Sea | Sat, 26 Feb | — | — |
| Day 9 | Osaka (for Kyoto), Japan | Sun, 27 Feb | 08:00 | 03:30 Mon |
| Day 10 | Kobe, Japan | Mon, 28 Feb | 06:30 | 18:00 |
| Day 11 | Kochi, Japan | Tue, 29 Feb | 08:00 | 18:00 |
| Day 12 | At Sea | Wed, 1 Mar | — | — |
| Day 13 | Shimizu (Mount Fuji), Japan | Thu, 2 Mar | 07:00 | 18:00 |
| Day 14 | Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan | Fri, 3 Mar | 05:30 | — |
Ports of call
Ten calls across four countries, and four days at sea.
The ship leaves at half past five, so there is most of a day in the city first. The Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour costs almost nothing and gives the best view of the skyline; the Peak Tram climbs above it. Central and Sheung Wan hold the older streets, wet markets and tea houses.
Keelung is the deep-water port for Taipei, about 40 minutes inland, and the ship stays until ten at night — long enough for the capital and dinner. Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum and the night markets are the usual list; Jiufen’s lantern-lit hillside lanes are the alternative.
A volcanic island south of the Korean mainland, built around the extinct cone of Hallasan. Seogwipo sits on the southern coast beside waterfalls that drop straight to the sea, and the lava tubes and crater rim inland are UNESCO-listed. The only Korean call on the itinerary.
A harbour city ringed by hills, and for two centuries Japan’s only window on the outside world through the Dutch trading post at Dejima. The Peace Park and the atomic bomb museum sit north of the centre; Glover Garden looks back down over the port.
The largest city on Kyushu, and the one Japanese city where the food is the main event: tonkotsu ramen was invented here, and the yatai stalls open along the river at dusk. Ohori Park and the ruins of Fukuoka Castle fill the daylight hours.
Docked from Sunday morning until the small hours of Monday, which is what makes a full day in Kyoto possible — Fushimi Inari’s tunnel of torii gates, Kiyomizu-dera, the Gion streets. Osaka itself is the counterweight, louder and built around eating, with Dotonbori and the castle.
An hour along the bay from Osaka, wedged between the Rokko mountains and the sea. The port district was rebuilt after the 1995 earthquake and is now a waterfront of parks and glass; Kitano holds the timber houses of the foreign merchants who settled here when the port opened in 1868.
On the Pacific side of Shikoku, the least-visited of Japan’s four main islands. Kochi Castle is one of only twelve keeps in the country to survive intact from the Edo period, and the Sunday market has run along the main street for three hundred years.
Shimizu sits on Suruga Bay with Fuji directly across the water — on a clear morning the view from the deck is the reason the port is on the itinerary. Ashore, the Miho no Matsubara pine grove frames the same view from sea level.
The ship docks at half past five in the morning. Yokohama has its own draw — the waterfront at Minato Mirai and the largest Chinatown in Japan — and central Tokyo is about 30 minutes by train for anyone staying on.
Joining the group
Send a message with the number of travellers and the cabin grade you want. No payment at this stage.
Group space is held under one booking, so your party can be placed near each other.
A deposit of US$450 per person secures the cabin, and it is refundable until 21 November 2027. Final payment is due on 21 November 2027. Other cancellation terms follow the cruise line’s group policy for this sailing.
Before your trip, we’ll send you key departure information and guidance on completing online check-in, which guests generally handle themselves as it may require a selfie and credit card details. We can also assist with group dining reservations and booking shore excursions you’ve selected, subject to availability.
Tell us your destination, dates, and budget — we will search across every line we work with and come back with options.
