Japan Cruise Comparison
559 upcoming sailings from 22 cruise lines
Japan cruise port photos
Created by the Waterways Cruise content team and reviewed and fact-checked by J. Richard, Sr. Cruise Travel Agent and Founder of Waterways Cruise. Published · Last updated · About this page
At a glance: Japan cruises on Waterways Cruise: 559 upcoming sailings from 22 cruise lines (22 ocean). Lowest starting fares run from $314 per person (MSC Cruises) to $20,698 (Regent Seven Seas Cruises). Princess Cruises lists the most sailings (91). 309 sailings start and 321 end in Japan.
Which cruise lines sail to Japan, and how do they compare? This guide sorts the 22 lines with upcoming Japan sailings by kind of cruise, then into ultra-luxury, luxury, premium and contemporary, and shows what each costs to start, how long their sailings run and which ships you would sail on. Every figure comes from the sailings we list today, so it moves as sailings are added and sold.
What counts as a Japan cruise?
A sailing counts as a Japan cruise if it will call at least once at a Japan ship port. That covers ocean and expedition sailings, whether Japan is where the cruise begins, where it ends, or one stop on a longer route.
Of 559 upcoming sailings, 309 start in Japan, 321 end in Japan and 153 begin and end there. The other 82 (15%) visit Japan as a port of call on a longer route, often alongside South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other countries. Ocean and expedition sailings call at Tokyo, Osaka, Kagoshima, Nagasaki and Kochi.
- Japan cruise
- A sailing that will call at least once at a Japan ship port.
- Starts in Japan
- The first stop is a Japan ship port: 309 sailings.
- Ends in Japan
- The last stop is a Japan ship port: 321 sailings, 153 of which also start there.
- Visits only
- Japan is a port of call on a longer route: 82 sailings.
Ocean cruise lines in Japan (22)
22 ocean and expedition cruise lines have upcoming sailings that call at Japan: 559 in all. These sailings often call elsewhere too, most commonly South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The busiest ship ports are Tokyo, Osaka, Kagoshima, Nagasaki and Kochi.
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Ultra-luxury ocean cruise lines (4)
Ultra-luxury lines sit at the top of the market. Four ultra-luxury ocean lines sail to Japan, with 154 upcoming sailings between them. Silversea Cruises has the most (60). Starting fares begin at $6,374 per person with Seabourn Cruises.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silversea Cruises | 60 | $7,000 | 11–27 nights (typically 14) | 4 · Silver Cloud, Silver Moon, Silver Muse and Silver Whisper |
| Regent Seven Seas Cruises | 48 | $20,698 | 10–33 nights (typically 11) | 3 · Seven Seas Explorer, Seven Seas Navigator and Seven Seas Splendor |
| Seabourn Cruises | 32 | $6,374 | 12–40 nights (typically 14) | 1 · Seabourn Encore |
| Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection | 14 | $9,700 | 8–13 nights (typically 10) | 1 · Ritz-Carlton Luminara |
Luxury ocean cruise lines (4)
Luxury lines sit just below ultra-luxury. Four luxury ocean lines sail to Japan, with 77 upcoming sailings between them. Oceania Cruises has the most (42). Starting fares begin at $1,340 per person with Ponant Cruises.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oceania Cruises | 42 | $3,499 | 10–58 nights (typically 10) | 3 · Oceania Nautica, Oceania Riviera and Oceania Vista |
| MSC Explora Journeys | 16 | $5,160 | 8–21 nights (typically 9) | 1 · MSC Explora 3 |
| Ponant Cruises | 16 | $1,340 | 5–13 nights (typically 12) | 2 · Le Jacques Cartier and Le Soleal |
| Scenic Cruises | 3 | $19,094 | 14–16 nights (typically 14) | 1 · Scenic Eclipse 2 |
Premium ocean cruise lines (7)
Premium lines sit in the middle of the market. Seven premium ocean lines sail to Japan, with 138 upcoming sailings between them. Azamara Cruises has the most (48). Starting fares begin at $1,949 per person with Azamara Cruises.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azamara Cruises | 48 | $1,949 | 11–46 nights (typically 13) | 2 · Azamara Pursuit and Azamara Quest |
| Windstar Cruises | 33 | $2,619 | 10–34 nights (typically 10) | 1 · Star Seeker |
| Viking Cruises | 29 | $6,099 | 12–90 nights (typically 12) | 3 · Viking Neptune, Viking Orion and Viking Venus |
| Hapag-Lloyd Cruises | 9 | $8,157 | 13–19 nights (typically 13) | 3 · Hanseatic Spirit, ms Europa and ms Europa 2 |
| Emerald Cruises | 8 | $9,006 | 10–24 nights (typically 10) | 1 · Emerald Xara |
| Crystal Cruises | 6 | $5,100 | 13–33 nights (typically 12) | 2 · Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony |
| Lindblad Expeditions | 5 | $19,000 | 12–19 nights (typically 15) | 1 · National Geographic Resolution |
Contemporary ocean cruise lines (7)
Contemporary lines are the most accessible tier. Seven contemporary ocean lines sail to Japan, with 189 upcoming sailings between them. Princess Cruises has the most (91). Starting fares begin at $314 per person with MSC Cruises.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Cruises | 91 | $914 | 9–51 nights (typically 14) | 5 · Coral Princess, Diamond Princess, Grand Princess, Royal Princess and Sapphire Princess |
| Royal Caribbean | 22 | $520 | 5–13 nights (typically 8) | 3 · Navigator Of The Seas, Quantum Of The Seas and Spectrum Of The Seas |
| MSC Cruises | 20 | $314 | 4–9 nights (typically 4) | 1 · MSC Bellissima |
| Holland America | 18 | $1,344 | 14–28 nights (typically 14) | 2 · ms Noordam and ms Westerdam |
| Celebrity Cruises | 16 | $1,668 | 11–15 nights (typically 12) | 2 · Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Solstice |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | 13 | $1,708 | 9–15 nights (typically 9) | 1 · Norwegian Jade |
| Cunard | 9 | $3,209 | 23–50 nights (typically 15) | 1 · Queen Elizabeth |
Japan cruise ports
Every Japan ship port with upcoming sailings has its own guide. The number beside each port is how many upcoming sailings call there (sailings, not individual port visits).
Coastal and island ports (60)
- Tokyo 369
- Osaka 342
- Kagoshima 275
- Nagasaki 271
- Kochi 236
- Shimizu 226
- Hiroshima 220
- Yokohama 124
- Naha 121
- Beppu 118
- Hakodate 113
- Ishigakijima Island 113
- Aomori 101
- Miyako 96
- Sakaiminato-Matsue 87
- Miyakojima 84
- Fukuoka 79
- Nagoya 74
- Kanazawa 70
- Niigata 49
- Akita 46
- Toba 45
- Aburatsu-Nichinan 41
- Kitakyushu 40
- Sendai 40
- Hitachinaka 38
- Kushiro 38
- Takamatsu 37
- Maizuru 33
- Amami Oshima Island Japan 32
- Otaru 32
- Sasebo 28
- Tokushima 28
- Sakata 26
- Karatsu 19
- Kumamoto 18
- Shingu 18
- Matsuyama 17
- Toyama 17
- Muroran 15
- Itsukushima 14
- Fukuyama 12
- Miyazaki 12
- Oarai 12
- Shimonoseki 12
- Uwajima 11
- Himeji 8
- Tsuruga 8
- Wakayama 8
- Omaezaki 7
- Sadoshima Island Japan 7
- Ishinomaki 6
- Ube 5
- Motobu 4
- Tamano 4
- Okayama 3
- Tomakomai 3
- Kumanoe 2
- Noshiro 2
- Torishima Island Japan 1
See them all in the Japan cruise port guide, or browse every sailing on the Japan cruises page.
How to choose a Japan cruise line
- Most listed sailings: Princess Cruises lists the most upcoming Japan sailings (91).
- Lowest starting fare: MSC Cruises, from $314 per person.
- Style: sort by category first. Ultra-luxury lines: 4 lines, 154 sailings, from $6,374. Luxury lines: 4 lines, 77 sailings, from $1,340. Premium lines: 7 lines, 138 sailings, from $1,949. Contemporary lines: 7 lines, 189 sailings, from $314.
- Kind of cruise: Japan sailings here are ocean and expedition cruises.
- Where you start: if you want Japan as your first or last port, filter the sailings by Starting in or Ending in Japan on the Japan cruises page.
How we calculated these figures
- Upcoming sailing: an itinerary with at least one departure date from today onward, counted once however many departure dates it has. Sailings that have passed drop out each day.
- Japan cruise: a sailing that calls at least once at a Japan ship port. A sailing "starts" or "ends" in Japan when its first or last stop is a Japan ship port.
- Lowest starting fare: the lowest "from" price among that line's upcoming Japan sailings, per person based on double occupancy, in US dollars. Under our Cruise Disclosure, prices include all applicable taxes and fees. Fares still depend on cabin category and date, so treat them as a starting point for comparison, not a quote.
- Typical length: the range covers the middle 80% of that line's sailings (the shortest and longest tenth are left out), and "typically" is the most common length.
- Kinds of cruise: A sailing is in exactly one kind, so the totals by kind add up to the 559 sailings above. Ocean: sailings on ocean-going ships, including expedition ships and ferries. River: sailings on rivers, canals and lakes. A river itinerary that also includes a coastal leg counts as river. A line that sails more than one kind appears in each list, with its sailings split by kind. Totals by kind count each sailing once.
- Style categories: Ultra-luxury, Luxury, Premium and Contemporary are Waterways Cruise's own groupings of cruise lines, not an industry standard.
- Freshness: the sailing data is refreshed daily from the sailings we list; figures here were calculated on .
Frequently asked questions about Japan cruises
Which cruise lines sail to Japan?
22 cruise lines have upcoming Japan sailings on Waterways Cruise: 22 sail ocean or expedition itineraries. Princess Cruises lists the most sailings (91).
How much does a Japan cruise cost?
Starting fares begin at $314 per person, double occupancy, with MSC Cruises. Fares depend on the line, the cabin and the sailing date, so the best way to see current rates is to request exclusive rates for the dates you want.
Which cruise lines are ultra-luxury and luxury in Japan?
Ultra-luxury ocean lines: Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn Cruises and Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Luxury ocean lines: Oceania Cruises, MSC Explora Journeys, Ponant Cruises and Scenic Cruises.
Can you start or end a cruise in Japan?
Yes. 309 of 559 upcoming sailings start in Japan and 321 end there; 153 do both. The other 82 (15%) visit Japan as a port of call on a longer route.
Want help choosing?
Our advisors compare sailings, cabins and fares across all of these lines.
Request exclusive ratesPlan your Japan cruise
Japan cruise port guide
Cruise ports, what to see, history and practical advice.
Japan cruise port guide →Created by the Waterways Cruise content team and reviewed and fact-checked by J. Richard, Sr. Cruise Travel Agent and Founder of Waterways Cruise.
Published September 10, 2026 · Last updated October 31, 2026
Fares, availability and itineraries change often. Confirm current details with your cruise line or a Waterways Cruise agent before you book.
Cruise Disclosure
Good to know: Prices are quoted per person based on double occupancy and include all applicable taxes and fees. Availability and prices can change quickly, so please continue through the booking process to confirm the latest availability and pricing before you pay.
We work hard to make sure everything on this website is accurate and up to date. However, some information may be incomplete or inaccurate, including details supplied by third parties or otherwise outside our control, and we cannot be held responsible for such errors. We work with 41 cruise line operators, that are providing cruises on 585 ships visiting 1,731 ports across 7,194 unique cruises, creating 13,822 itineraries. This is a great deal of data to continually update daily from our suppliers. If a pricing error, misrepresentation, or omission occurs, we reserve the right to adjust the pricing, correct the information, or cancel or decline any booking made in error, with notice to you. Thank you for your understanding!