14 - 29-Day ~ Circle Japan and North Pacific Crossing (Apr 2025)

14-29 Day Circle Japan and North Pacific Crossing w/ Lily Chin
April 13 - May 11, 2025

We invite you to pack up your needles and join us on this adventure, visiting culturally rich ports in Japan and Korea before heading across the North Pacific along the Aleutian Islands to Alaska and ending in Vancouver. Cruise onboard the Noordam for either a 14-day or 29-day cruise. The first half of the cruise is port-intensive as it circles Japan, and the second half features many luxurious days at sea for relaxing and knitting. Join us on this adventure and see why traveling with Craft Cruises makes travel easy, rewarding, and fun.

Visit Japan's iconic temples, popular ports, and cultural centers while being pampered by the attentive staff of Holland America Line. Explore exotic places daily and return to familiar comforts, where you'll have time to rejuvenate before your next adventure.

Japan is unique, with an exciting blend of culture, art, tradition, and nature. Those who like celebrating other cultures through food will not be disappointed. In Japan, food preparation is exquisite and ceremonious. Japanese people share a strong sense of community in their tight-knit circles but are also known to be welcoming, fun-loving, and wacky in ways that are truly unique to Japan.

Onboard classes include Lily's most popular courses and Japanese knitting techniques. Japanese knitters are impeccable, and Japanese patterns are presented in a graphic format that can be understood once specific rules and symbols are explained. Using charts, symbols, and motifs is critical in Japanese knitting, and your onboard knitting expert, Lily Chin, will offer classes to help you better understand the Japanese knitting style. Classes will include a variety of techniques plus a knitalong. Lily looks forward to sharing her abundant knowledge with everyone on this cruise.

14-29 Day Circle Japan and North Pacific Crossing Highlights

Craft Cruises selects itineraries offering various immersive activities that bring each port to life. Whether you explore on your own or on an escorted tour, these enriching encounters ensure everyone goes home with memories that last a lifetime.

• Arrive early to explore the largest city on Earth, Tokyo. Visit historic gardens, browse unique shops offering an exciting selection of souvenirs not found anywhere else, and experience a culinary culture found only in Japan.


• In Tokyo, shop for yarn at Amimomo, Walnut, Puppy Yarn, and Nihon Vogue's Keito Shop.


• Shop at Japan's largest handcraft store, Yuzawaya.


• Learn about the production and history of silk at the Yokohama Silk Museum.


• Shimizu is one of Japan's most beautiful ports, with unparalleled views of Mount Fuji. Visit one of the many shrines, take in picturesque coastal landscapes, or sample Japanese tea at a tea plantation.


• While in Kobe, visit nearby Kyoto, Japan's spiritual center, and ancient Nara, which has marvelous temples, including the famous Kinkaku-Ji Temple or Golden Pavilion, the most renowned building in Japan. Knitters enjoy visiting the Nishijin Textile Center, Kyo-Yuzen Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts, or shopping for yarn at Avril Pepin and Walnut.


• Take in the fantastic views from the Kochi Castle in Kochi. Here, visitors enjoy lush subtropical flora, including hibiscus flowers blanketing the landscape and some of the most unusual trees found in Japan. Dine on Sushi at the Hirome Market.


• In Hiroshima, experience its unique history and natural beauty, including traditional arts and crafts, the serenity of a 1400-year-old holy Shinto site where the shrine appears to float on the water or visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum for a sobering reminder of the devastating effects of nuclear weapons.


• Sokcho, South Korea, was part of North Korea until the late 1940s. Here, visitors can sample fresh seafood in a maze of eateries and street vendors clustered around the cruise port or take a walk to enjoy the dramatic scenery surrounding the city with its serene forests, jagged granite peaks, and crystal-clear streams just a short 30-minute by bus from the cruise terminal. Make a quick stop at Sokcho Beach near the port to unwind amid golden sands and turquoise surf.


• Sakaiminato is home to many beautiful canals, museums, and gardens. Yushien Garden and Adachi Museum of Art purposefully combine the designers' passion for Japanese art and garden design. The museum's gardens are famous for collecting pines and stones from all over the country, creating a beautiful garden filled with love and passion. The garden has been ranked as the best Traditional Japanese Garden in the country.


• Tsuruga is a sleepy little port city known for its koi ponds, hot spring resorts, and the Tsuruga Red Brick Warehouse, which is full of exciting shops, restaurants, and galleries. The local cuisine is delicious, especially the crab and mackerel.


• Toyama belongs to the UNESCO Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club. Cruise through the cherry blossom tunnel or take the railway up Mount Tateyama, the highest mountain in the Northern Japan Alps. This region is known for its stunning mountain views and its majestic snow walls in the springtime.


• Be on deck when the ship arrives in Akita for spectacular views of the glittering Sea of Japan. Visitors enjoy stunning panoramas and blossoming cherry trees while sampling the region's renowned cuisine. Take the train to Shirakami-Sanchi, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, to see the last virgin forest that once covered northern Japan. If you prefer nature in the city, amble through SenshÅ« Park, a tranquil oasis with gardens and lotus ponds.


• While in Hakodate, visit Fort Goryokaku, no longer an operational fort; this public park is considered a unique and breathtaking spot to view 1,600 cherry blossom trees along the star-shaped moats. For an aerial view of the park, ascend the observation tower, which, in addition to the blossoms, also provides a good view of Mt. Hakodate, the Tsugaru Strait, and the Yokotsu mountain range from afar.


• Miyako is famous for its natural beauty, stunning landscapes, rugged coastlines, pristine beaches, and picturesque mountains. It also boasts fresh and delicious seafood. The Miyako Fish Market is an excellent place for a tasty lunch.


• In Kushiro, visit the Akan International Crane Center or head to Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, the most extensive marshland in Japan. Conservation efforts have saved Japan's iconic Red-crested cranes from near extinction.


• Take a guided wildlife spotting cruise in Kodiak. You can see Kodiak bears, the largest species of brown bear, comparable in size to polar bears and weighing up to 1500 pounds. Wildlife here also includes sea otters, sea lions, harbor seals, and many birds, including puffins and cormorants.


• Spend the day with local experts aboard the ship in Glacier Bay National Park. Park rangers and Huna Tlingit guides provide live commentary and insight into this unique ecosystem and ancient culture.


• Shop for Alaska-themed fabric and yarn at Changing Tides in Juneau. Conveniently located next to a post office, it offers easy shipping home.


• Savor Alaska's best crab at Tracy's Crab Shack right at the dock in Juneau.


• Shop for a wide range of Alaskan yarns in Ketchikan at Fabulous Fiber Arts on Creek Street.