Japan, Australia & Asia Pacific

Get the season right, and nothing beats it.

This is the largest region on the site by distance, and the one where timing matters most. Japan's two great windows are the cherry blossom of late March and April and the autumn colour of October and November. Australia and New Zealand run on the southern summer, roughly November to March. Southeast Asia is at its driest and most comfortable from November to March, with the monsoon steering ships elsewhere mid-year.

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The ports reward independent travellers more than almost anywhere else. Japan's rail network is fast, spotless and punctual enough that a day trip from Yokohama to Tokyo or Kobe to Kyoto is genuinely straightforward without a tour. Australian ports like Sydney put you in the middle of the city at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, and Singapore's terminal is on the metro.

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The flip side is admin. Several countries in this region require a visa or travel authorisation arranged before you sail, and some ports run face-to-face immigration where the whole ship is called in turn — which can eat into your morning ashore. Cash habits vary wildly too: Japan still leans on cash far more than most visitors expect, while Australia is near-cashless. Each port page spells out the local position.