Why cruising to Japan?

    I used to say we were taking a boat to Japan, but one person was picturing a catamaran and another was envisioning a cargo ship. So, although Chance still refers to the "big boat", yes, it's a cruise.

    I'll admit, at first I was a little hesitant in telling people we're cruising to Japan. It sounds extravagant and...expensive! But actually, the cruise to get there is cheaper than our flights back home! We've done one other cruise as a family, and each one of us LOVED it! It's like a choose-your-own-adventure. Everyone can eat what they want, do the activities they want, relax as much or as little as they want...This cruise is 3x as long as our 5-night Caribbean cruise, plus we're adding a person (Chance stayed with grandparents last time), but only $1000 more (total, for all of us).

    As I mentioned earlier, we're on the cruise as part of a worldschooling group of 29 families. We can be together as much or as little as we want, but this gives us all a built-in friend group. There are 50+ kids of all ages (but a ton of 12 year old boys for Calvin to pal around with). I have been in a group chat with the parents, and I'm excited to meet them soon! 

    Here are some other benefits to cruising over...

• arriving in Japan with no jet lag!
• crossing the International Date Line at sea!
• really grasping the vastness of the Pacific Ocean
• 3 meals/day - buffet or formal dining room
• pizza and quesadillas and ice cream whenever!
• kids club to check the kids into
• nightly shows (magician, comedian, musicians, etc.)
• 3 ports in Japan (2 in northern Hokkaido and 1 at Mt. Fuji) before arriving in Yokohama
• older two sons getting some freedom (with limits!) on a cruise ship
• finding ducks that passengers hide!
• making memories as a couple and as a family
• pools, ice-skating, laser tag, waterslides, etc.
• our ship Navigator of the Seas is a sister ship to our previous one (Mariner of the Seas), so the boys are excited to already know the layout and that there's a Windjammer buffet

    Yes, it will be a lot of At Sea days (no stops between L.A. and Japan!), but I've heard that with this built-in group, the sea days are where the magic happens!

    So the real question is not "Why cruise to Japan?" but "Why not cruise BACK from Japan?" Well, the same ship does head back to L.A. in May after wintering in Singapore, but the boys insisted on being home for Christmas. Maybe next time?

Why...? series