Imagine waking up to dolphins dancing off your balcony, channeling your inner samurai at a historic tiered castle then ending the night with ballroom dancing and beef wellington. Now imagine doing that for 19 nights straight — aboard the elegant Queen Elizabeth, gliding through the four main islands of Japan. This is exactly what we did in May 2025 when we joined Cunard’s Grand Voyage around Japan, embarking in Yokohama and setting off on an unforgettable journey of temples, shrines and Torii gates. Here’s what life was like aboard, ashore, and everything in between.

🚢 Life on Board Queen Elizabeth: Grace, Glamour, and Grills

Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth is a ship that manages to be both stately and stylish, a floating palace of polished wood, art deco curves, string quartets, and gala nights. Life on board quickly settles into a pleasant rhythm — a blend of quiet luxury, impeccable service, and just enough formality to make every day feel like an occasion. Our mornings usually started with room service coffee delivered in time for us to enjoy on our balcony as we sailed to our next destination followed by a trip to the gym and a leisurely breakfast.

Busy port days had us looking forward to the sea days and relaxation, often on one of the comfortable sofas under the newly fitted canopies at the aft Lido pool or, on a cooler day, in a cosy armchair with a sea view in the airy Garden Lounge. If the book we were reading in a quiet corner in the library failed to keep our attention then we would head instead to the Royal Court Theatre for a port talk or guest lecture for a deeper understanding of our destinations. Lunch was a highlight of the day, either a dIrty burger at the Lido Grill or, if we were feeling more virtuous, a healthy lunch from the Wellness Café.

Afternoons on Queen Elizabeth are made for ultimate indulgence, and few things beat Cunard’s signature afternoon tea - served by white-gloved waiters with a tray of finger sandwiches, warm scones, and perfect little pastries. Later, a walk around the wraparound promenade deck helped to restore some balance, or at least justify a pre-dinner cocktail in our favourite bar, the panoramic Commodore Club, while listening to one of the numerous live musicians on board.

Evenings always began with dressing up, whether it was a gala night or not, there is always a quiet elegance to dinner on board. With a range of dining options from casual alternative themed menus in the Lido (where you can also opt for a buffet style dinner), the elegant main dining room, a Michelin chef inspired burger in the Golden Lion pub or indulging in steak at the refined Verandah restaurant, we generally found the food choices and quality to be excellent and the service attentive. After dinner, we would occasionally catch one of the many production shows featuring the talented singers and dancers, though more often than not we would end up in the Queens room, listening to live music while watching our fellow passengers as they graced the dance floor with their wonderful ballroom dance moves.

🗺️ The Itinerary: A Ribbon of Ports, Pagodas and Peace Parks

Our voyage started and ended in Yokohama, easing into Japanese time zones, with the first leg of the voyage taking us through a gorgeous medley of western Japanese and South Korean ports, covering the islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku, and the second leg taking us north for a complete circumnavigation and a stop at the northernmost island of Hakkaido.

🕊️ Hiroshima & Nagasaki: Poignancy and Peace

Few stops were as moving as our days in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From the still-standing Genbaku Dome to the delicate paper cranes of the Children’s Peace Memorial, the reminders of history were powerful and humbling.

In Nagasaki, we visited the Peace Park, the Atomic Bomb Museum, and the one-legged Torii gate that somehow survived the blast - a symbol of strength amid destruction. Yet both cities also showcased resilience and beauty, especially in their restored castles and gardens, like Hiroshima’s tranquil Shukkeien Garden and Nagasaki’s historic Glover Gardens.

🏯 Temples, Shrines and Samurai

In Aburatsu, we travelled through lush coastal scenery, passing the Devils washboard, to the Udo-Jingu Shrine, nestled in a seaside cave, it is fabled to be the birthplace of Ugayafukiaezu, grandfather of Japan’s first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, a legendary figure said to have ascended the throne in 660 BCE. While his existence is considered mythical by historians, he marks the start of the Japanese imperial line — the longest continuous monarchy in the world.

In Kochi, we made sure to pay a visit to one of Japan’s most disappointing (according to ‘Peak Experience Japan’) sightseeing spots, Hiramaya Bridge, before climbing endless wooden stairs to reach the 17th-century castle, then toasting our effort with local craft beer overlooking the ship.

At the north of Honshu island we called into Aomori, Japan’s top apple growing region with its rich volcanic soil and ideal climate producing crisp, juicy apples. Hopping on a bus from the city centre we visited Japan’s largest seated Buddha at the Seiryu-ji Temple, a spiritually significant stop on Japanese pilgrimage routes, set among serene woodland and also home to a gorgeous five storey pagoda. It was here we had our first taste of Japanese matcha pairing it with black bean paste in an ice cream sandwich, before heading back to town for a walk along the beach on this gloriously sunny and warm day.

In Shimizu, despite Fuji playing hide-and-seek in the clouds, we rode a cable car to Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, perched on a scenic mountainside overlooking Suruga Bay, it is the richly decorated final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who unified Japan and founded the Tokugawa shogunate. Back at sea level our excursion took us through Nihondaira National Park and a visit to the picture postcard scenic volcanic black‑sand beach at Miho‑no‑Matsubara renowned for providing one of the most stunning seaside vantage points to view Mount Fuji. Alas cloud obscured our view, but a lovely punnet of locally grown fragrant, fresh, lavender-perfumed strawberries nearly made up for it.

On the north island of Hakkaido we stopped in the city of Hakodate, where our first destination was the colourful fish market. Called Morning Market it opens at 6am and is all over by early afternoon. It’s a lively area with numerous stalls and restaurants selling a range of seafood, the likes of which we had never seen before, including a squid tank where the more adventurous can catch their own squid which is then prepared and eaten on site. We declined the honour and instead took the train to Onuma Quasi-National Park, walking the trails around volcanic lakes before returning to town for a very welcome local beer and views over the harbour from the historic steep streets of the Motomachi district.

In what turned out to be one of our favourite ports of call, Sakaiminato, we met the quirky world of GeGeGe no Kitaro, a beloved manga character. A whole street was lined with statues from the series - hard to resist capturing on camera, delightfully oddball and very, very Japanese.

🇰🇷 South Korea (Twice!): A Tale of Two Busans

Whilst we were only scheduled to visit Busan once, a storm on Jeju island meant we were diverted to Busan meaning we had two bites at this cherry, once in a storm and once in the sunshine — two very different experiences. On our first visit the stormy day, heavy rain and lack of enthusiasm to get soaked through meant we us opted for a “pretend sea day” on board (pub lunch, laundry battles in the launderette, and Golden Lion ale). The second time around, the weather behaved, and we explored bustling Busan on a sunny day with a visit to beautiful Dongbaek park, for scenic views over the city and Haeundae beach, before taking a walking tour of the busy Jagalchi Fish Market, followed by a quick stop at the Cinema Centre and a longer stop at Yongdusan park.

🌇 Grand Finale: Sunset in Yokohama

Yokohama, a city south of Tokyo and where we began and ended both back to back voyages. Home to the world’s only cup noodle museum, we fell in love with Yokohama with its pretty waterfront gardens, scenic sky line and vibrant China Town where we ate some of the best food of our whole six weeks in Japan. If you’re lucky (we weren’t 😆) you’ll catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji from Yokohama which on a gorgeous evening will provide you with a picture perfect Japanese sunset scene.

💭 Final Thoughts: Why Sail Japan?

Japan is a country of contrasts — ancient temples and futuristic toilets, serene gardens and noisy fish markets, solemn memorials and cartoon mascots on every street corner. Seeing it by sea allowed us to enjoy the rhythm of Japanese life without the stress of unpacking every other night.

The Cunard experience added a layer of elegance, a sense of occasion that made even rainy days feel celebratory. The onboard routine - formal nights, afternoon teas, cocktails with new friends - became as treasured as the shore excursions.

Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. But next time,, please Mount Fuji, don’t be shy 🙈

Coming soon: our land-based adventures with Riviera Travel — geisha sightings, Kobe beef, and snow walls in summer… Stay tuned!

NB. This cruise and all excursions, on board expenses and transportation were all paid for by ourselves. Cunard had no editorial control over any of our content, either before, during our after our voyage and have not paid us or gifted us in any way to promote them or this post.

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