Day 6 (Thursday 1st October 2026) boarding the Diamond Princess.

 Today we embarked on the Diamond Princess, slipping into cruise mode with that familiar mix of excitement, sunshine and mild disbelief that we’re finally here.

Mt Fuji?

Diamond Princess- viewed from our Hotel 

Our ship was only a short stroll from the hotel—no more than fifteen minutes—and breakfast set the tone for the day: a cheerful blend of Western favourites and Japanese staples. From our vantage point on the 17th floor we’re fairly sure we glimpsed Mount Fuji, hazy but unmistakable, and of course the ship herself waiting patiently in port.

7/11 store Yokohama 

Yokohama Street 

Yokohama with our hotel in background 

Yokohama 

Yokohama has been a delight: tree‑lined streets, spotless footpaths, and a gentle politeness that seems woven into everyday life. At 10am we set off for the pier, slightly worried about the long ramp leading up to the cruise terminal, but it turned out to be nothing at all. Clearly all this walking has done us good.

Boarding was classic Japan—efficient, calm, and astonishingly quick. Our scheduled embarkation time was 11am and we were stepping aboard a few minutes early.

One of the joys of cruising is meeting new people, and today delivered. We met a lovely couple from Manchester, Ann‑Marie and Damien, and later reconnected with the Western Australian couple we’d chatted with at the hotel. 

Sake barrel for embarkation 

Once aboard, exhaustion caught up with us and we indulged in a quick nap before dinner at the ship’s Japanese restaurant. Almost everything was raw except the barbecued eel, but thankfully nothing moved on the plate. We’re becoming quite fond of Japanese cuisine.

Japanese restaurant

Japanese cuisine 

Naturally, a couple of champagnes on arrival and a cocktail or two in the evening helped us settle in. Our cabin is probably the smallest we’ve had in recent years—perhaps ever—but it’s cosy and comfortable. The passenger mix is fascinating: roughly half Japanese and other Asian travellers, the rest a blend of English, Australian and North American guests.

The weather has been glorious today—clear, sunny and warm—a welcome change from the dampness earlier in the week. Tomorrow we tender ashore at Toba, an earlier start than we’ve had lately, but we’ll make it work.