We wanted a cruise around Japan but had no specific ports in mind. This one came up in an email from Princess so we booked it. After we visited a Buddhist temple and the famous fish market in Busan, South Korea, we stopped at 3 smaller cities. First was Sakata and the people of the town welcomed us with open arms - they did performances on the pier and waved goodbye as we left. So touching. Aomore had lots to offer - we went to see the famous four-story paper mache floats and a pottery place that was about an hour outside of the city. Miyako was the area decimated by the 2011 tsunami and this was the first time Princess stopped at this port so there was a big celebration. School children and residents all came out on this very windy day to bear witness to this special day.

As part of the entertainment, the ship hosted a special drumming group from South Korea and the show was excellent. I was adjusting to the time change so I missed most of the other shows but I heard from other cruise guests that they were very good.

From my point of view, this cruise was perfect and up to the top-notch standards I always expect and receive from Princess - my favourite cruise line. Staff is always friendly, helpful and personable. The balcony cabin I had was the perfect size (and believe it or not, even bigger than the hotel room I had in Tokyo).