Henna

I'll never consider a cruise again! Our group was mostly made up of aunties and mothers. The service on the cruise ship was genuinely good; they were very welcoming and greeted you when they saw you. It was so much better than what you'd see in a typical Chinese tourist group. The food was okay, and the rooms were alright, except the blankets and pillows were a bit dirty and the soundproofing was a little poor. Out of the thousand-plus people on the ship, I didn't see a single person under 30, except for children. My friend and I were practically an oddity; everyone was an auntie or mother, talking very loudly and with very poor manners. The people in our next room were making a racket every night until 2 or 3 AM, making it impossible to sleep. It was so boring; all we did was sleep. Then, for the shore excursions, the tour guide said we could take a taxi to the meeting point, but when we asked him, he said no. Afterwards, they took us to a duty-free shop, which was mainly for shopping. However, they took us to a very remote, deserted duty-free shop that seemed designed solely to cater to Chinese tourists. When we went inside, there wasn't a single Chinese person there, and all the sales staff were Chinese. They would roll their eyes at us if we didn't buy anything. There were only two Japanese cashiers. The prices were 2-3 times higher than in local drugstores, probably because they were getting kickbacks. Then, at the second duty-free shop, the tour guide said we had free time, so I rushed to another shop several streets away. Strangely, even the tour guide started buying things! I mean, you yourself wouldn't go to places where you'd buy anything, yet you took our group there. Isn't that blatantly a scam? Only older women and mothers would believe what the tour guide said about things being cheap.

My first time on the Henna cruise was pretty good, with lots of activities. However, the itinerary stated two days of port calls in Japan, but we only had one day of port call, which was really disappointing. Other travelers booked tours at lower prices than through Ctrip, and our price was much higher for just one day of port calls – unbelievable! There was a lot of discussion about it on board; it was really frustrating. We were very disappointed that we didn't have a port call in Fukuoka; Ctrip should compensate us for the loss! This trip was very disappointing. We always book tours through Ctrip, and this is a lesson learned.

The crew's service was good, and the suites were quite spacious and comfortable for two people. However, the VIP VIPs were the last to be uploaded and disembarked, offering no discounts whatsoever. The only advantage was that reservations could be made for the two restaurants on the 8th floor. My expectations for the shore excursions weren't high to begin with, but they were too rushed. We only went into one store at the outlet mall before it was time to leave. Anyway, it was alright for the experience.

We heard it was decommissioned after we finished. It was considered an entry-level cruise ship, so it was alright.

To be honest, the shore excursions were really uninteresting. The attractions were small and there wasn't much to see. The recommended handmade ice cream was terrible, not even as good as our double popsicles. The shore excursions were basically just shopping trips. I did a lot of research beforehand and had some things I wanted to buy, but the places they took us to didn't have what I wanted. For example, I had looked at several brands of enzyme drinks around 100 yuan a bag, but the ones they recommended were all 1000 yuan a bottle. The shopping area on the second day was a bit larger, but there were no cosmetics, though you could buy some food. Speaking of the Henna cruise ship, the food was just average. It was enough to fill you up, nothing particularly good. The buffet restaurant was a fusion of Chinese and Western cuisine, plus fruit and two kinds of pastries. The accommodations were okay, but there was no refrigerator or electric kettle. The recreational facilities were practically nonexistent. When we went, the hotel wasn't open. There were two swimming pools, both small. The smaller pool was only suitable for children, and even the larger one was barely big enough for adults to swim a few strokes before hitting the edge. The so-called hot spring pool was also very small; you couldn't move around freely. The evening shows were quite good! Every day on the ship was just about enjoying the sea breeze and the ocean view. However, we happened to catch a wedding on board; the decorations were beautiful. Having never been on a cruise ship before, I can only say that I would go on another one, but it would definitely be a better one, and I certainly wouldn't come back to the Henna!

It was great; a very good introductory cruise experience. Suitable for families with elderly members and children. My child, 2 years old, had a wonderful time watching the sea and playing on the cruise ship every day. The food was also quite good. With children, cleanliness and hygiene are the main requirements. The buffet had a wide variety of choices, and you'll eventually settle on a few favorites. Anyway, they provided fruits, vegetables, and yogurt every day.

The food on this 50,000-ton cruise ship was slightly inferior to that on Star Cruises. The Chinese and Filipino staff were very nice. The buffet restaurant really required queuing, while the Western restaurant had no queue, though the food sometimes had a Southeast Asian flavor. The shore excursions were extremely rushed! On this cruise, Ctrip was only a distributor for travel agencies; out of a total of 42 tours, Ctrip only handled the last three, while the remaining 39 tours were all cruise-related. As a result, during shore excursions, Ctrip's three tours were the last to disembark and the first to board and depart, resulting in at least an hour less time for shore activities.

I was extremely satisfied with this cruise trip to Japan. It allowed me to experience the understated humility, cleanliness, and environmental consciousness of the Japanese people. First, let me talk about the Henna cruise ship. Its 40,000-ton size is no joke; the facilities are very comprehensive, the ocean-view cabins are nice, and I was very impressed. Every meal was plentiful, and I especially enjoyed the Western food, returning for almost every meal. Of course, it wasn't just because there were no queues, but because it offered a complete selection of appetizers, salads, main courses, soups, desserts, and fruits, all with authentic flavors. Every day, the staff would make your bed, tidy up, clean, and refresh the clothes, just like hotel staff. The entertainment was also plentiful, making it a truly unforgettable experience. I will definitely come back next time.

The cruise ship staff were really good, far superior to the Chinese staff, incomparable. The *** were simply indescribable, constantly chattering and making a lot of noise. The shore excursions in Japan were far too short; there wasn't even time for a complete walk around. A group of Shanghainese even swore at the tour guide. Sigh, speechless. There were three free restaurants, but the queues were incredibly long. The ship staff reminded passengers not to waste food, but the Chinese tourists completely ignored them. The manners of Chinese people really need improvement; 90% of them were from Shanghai.

We were sold a cheap chartered boat tour; most tourists paid half the price. The shore excursion consisted of shopping at a desolate local souvenir shop. Another island visit involved browsing the so-called food court near the main tourist attractions. It was terrible. Meals on the boat were also time-limited, leading to long queues as soon as they opened, and the buffet was a free-for-all. The small size of the boat was also a problem; it rocked violently in even slight waves, causing seasickness for many. It was a complete waste of money this time.